Last night on Facebook, I saw an ad for a builder’s lender promoting “limited time opportunity special interest rate” when you purchase one of their new homes. This was being shared by a Realtor whom I’m “Facebook Friends” with. I decided to price out this “special rate” and proved that the rate, while very low, is actually not so special.
Big Changes Coming to Real Estate Excise Tax for Washington State Homes
May 2, 2019 by Leave a Comment
The Washington State Senate has passed revisions to excise tax that is paid when real estate is sold or transferred. Instead of having a flat rate, the new tax once signed into law by Governor Inslee, will be graduated. Some will enjoy a lower tax rate while others will pay a significantly higher tax rate. Real estate excise tax is typically a cost paid for by the seller. In San Juan County, the excise tax has been split by both the seller and buyer of real estate. Many would argue that excise tax (as with other cost of selling, such as real estate commission) is often passed onto the buyer as it is factored into the sales price. [Read more…]
Mortgage Home Loans for Non-Citizen Borrowers
April 16, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Recently Fannie Mae added clarity to their guidelines regarding non-citizen borrowers being eligible to qualify for a conventional mortgage. According to Fannie Mae, this is not a change to existing policy, it is just (much needed) clarification for lenders.
In order to be eligible, a borrower must be “legally present” in the United States. This means the borrower must have: [Read more…]
The REAL Income Needed to Buy Median-Priced Home in Seattle
February 26, 2019 by Leave a Comment
KOMO News is reporting that it takes an income of $105K to buy a median-priced home in the Seattle area. This is based off a report from HSH.com. When you dig deeper into the report, here’s how HSH.com came up with their numbers: [Read more…]
Greater Seattle’s Shifting Real Estate Market
November 7, 2018 by Leave a Comment
You’ve probably heard that the Seattle’s sizzling real estate market has cooled a bit with home prices starting to come down. This is great news for folks who have grown weary battling in bidding wars only to have their offers rejected time after time. It looks like, at least right now, things may be returning to be more “normal”. [Read more…]
The Beauty of a Bridge Loan
June 27, 2018 by Leave a Comment
I recently helped a couple successfully close on their new home in Seattle before having to close on their former home in Everett. By using a bridge loan to access equity on the Everett home, they were able to make a winning offer on the Seattle home without it having to be “subject to the sale” of their former home. This help to make their offer far more attractive in a very competitive real estate market. [Read more…]
Freddie Mac HomeOne® Mortgage in Washington State
June 21, 2018 by Leave a Comment
Freddie Mac HomeOne® Mortgage in Washington State
The HomeOne® mortgage is a low down payment conventional loan program designed specifically for first-time homebuyers who want to purchase a primary residence with as little as 3% down.
Backed by Freddie Mac, HomeOne offers a simpler path to homeownership for buyers who have solid credit but limited savings — without the income limits found in some other low down payment programs.
This mortgage option is especially attractive to buyers in Seattle, King County, Pierce County, Snohomish County, and throughout Washington State, where affordability and long-term costs matter. [Read more…]
Possible Relief for Seattle – King County Home Buyers
June 15, 2018 by Leave a Comment
The Northwest Multiple Listing Service issued a press release indicating that we are finally seeing an increase in new listings being added to the market. The 14,524 new listings that came on during May, in the 23 counties that the NWMLS serves, are the most listings added in one month in 10 years. In King County, there were almost 1000 homes added to the market creating just over one month of inventory – the first time since September of last year. Here’s a link to the NWMLS market snapshot for May 2018. [Read more…]
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