Zumper has released their fall rental report revealing that Seattle has the 10th most expensive rents for a major city in the nation for one bedroom apartments. Zumper reports that the average rent in September for a one bedroom in Seattle is $1600. That’s up 0.6% from the previous month and up a whopping 7.1% compared the last quarter. Zumper reports that a 2 bedroom apartment averaged $2200 for rent in Seattle. In May, I wrote about how a 2 bedroom in Seattle was averaging $1907 for rent.
Is Renting Getting too Expensive? Consider buying a home
October 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Steps in the Mortgage Process when You are Buying a Home
October 23, 2015 by 18 Comments
The process of getting a mortgage consists of several stages and typically takes anywhere from 30 – 45 days (or more) depending on how prepared you are, what mortgage program you have selected and if it’s a purchase, the closing date may dictate how long the process will take. The steps below may not take place in the exact order I have listed and some steps may happen simultaneously.
Delayed Financing: How Cash Buyers Can Access Equity After Paying Cash (Updated for 2026)
February 26, 2015 by 2 Comments
Editors Note: This article on Delayed Financing has been updated for 2026.
Many homebuyers choose to pay cash to win a competitive offer or simplify the purchase process. But after closing, a common question comes up:
“Now that I own the home outright, how can I access some of that equity?”
That’s where delayed financing comes in.
Delayed financing allows buyers who purchased a home with cash to take out a mortgage shortly after closing — without waiting the typical 12-month seasoning period required for a cash-out refinance.
This strategy can be especially useful for buyers who want liquidity, flexibility, or the ability to reinvest funds after a cash purchase. [Read more…]
Coming Soon: 2015 Property Tax Bills
January 31, 2015 by Leave a Comment
In a couple weeks, King County along with others, will begin posting property tax bills for 2015. This may be a non-event for most…unless you’re in the process of buying a home and your debt-to-income ratios are tight. It’s possible that should the tax assessor decide the home you have a contract on now or during the next month has a higher value, and therefore a higher tax bill, that this may jeopardize some loan approvals and/or transactions.
Tips on how to save up for a down payment
December 19, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Get Rich Slowly recently posted How to Save Up for a Down Payment Fast. I’d like to respond to some of the ideas offered in GRS’s post from a Mortgage Professional’s viewpoint and offer my advice.
Here are some of the suggestions on How to Save Up for Down Payment Fast along with my 2 cents (in italics).
Don’t be naughty to your preapproval status over the holidays
November 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment
![iStock_000004639657XSmall[1]](https://i0.wp.com/mortgageporter.com/images/2014/11/iStock_000004639657XSmall1.jpg?ssl=1)
If you are currently preappoved for a mortgage to buy a home or are considering getting a mortgage in the New Year, what you do now with regards to your credit and income may impact your preapproval status.
A mortgage preapproval is based on information provided at the time of the pre-application. It is only valid assuming that the information provided at that time has not changed. You may not be aware that you’ve done something that may have jeopardized your preapproval until a month or two later when you’re getting ready to make an offer on a home and then learn you’ve been Scrooged.
How much does a bump in interest rates impact home buyers?
September 26, 2014 by Leave a Comment
I’m reading an article this morning, “When Mortgage Rates Rise”, which addresses something that I’m often asked and that I also addressed recently on post here. Essentially, the “experts” are predicting that we will mortgage rates trend higher to around the 5% range by mid to late next year. Historically, speaking, 5% is not a high rate… in fact, I’m sure I wrote a blog post about when mortgage rates dipped as low as 5% back around 2008 . Our “problem” is that we have become accustomed to fixed rates in the 3 to 4% range. Mortgage rates have been at artificially low levels for a long period. And I agree that we will see this end as the Fed continues to pull back their support of mortgage backed securities.
Steps in the Mortgage Process
July 25, 2014 by 46 Comments
EDITORS NOTE 10/23/2015: This post has been updated to include the new disclosures and wait periods required per the Dodd Frank Act effective on loan applications dated October 3, 2015 and later. Click here to read the updated post.
The process of getting a mortgage consists of several stages and typically takes anywhere from 20 – 40 days (or more) depending on how prepared you are, what mortgage program you have selected and if it’s a purchase, the closing date may dictate how long the process will take. The steps below may not take place in the exact order I have listed and some steps may happen simultaneously.
