Protect your Preapproval Status over the Holidays

santawalletTis the Season for holiday shopping. The aggressive sales push this year started BEFORE Thanksgiving with more mega-stores even remaining open on a day when employees should have had the day off (or at least had working on Thanksgiving as being “optional”).Cyber Monday is now cyber week…anyhow, my point is, stores are competing for your dollars. If you are considering buying a home or are currently pre-approved to buy a home, I thought I’d share some tips for you on how to make sure your “pre-approved” status is not jeopardized during the holiday season.

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How much income do you need to buy a home in Seattle?

Young Couple With New HouseAn article (hat tip to Julie Hall) caught my eye in my Facebook stream regarding how much income a household needs in order to be able to buy a home in various metropolitan cities. According to New York Smash, if you’re going to buy a home in Seattle, you’re going to need an annual income of at least $63,145.41.  There’s more to just how much income one makes when it comes to determining “how much” home someone can qualify for. The article does not mention how much down payment a person will need. Let’s run some figures to see just how much income one needs to buy a home in Seattle.

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Don’t let these things HAUNT your Preapproval

mortgageporter skeletonI encourage anyone who is considering buying a home to start the preapproval process as soon as possible. Regardless of if you’re not planning on buying for a year or you think your credit, income and assets are prefect – you never know what underwriters may find lurking in your application.

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Question about Home Advantage Down Payment Assistance (DPA)

mortgageporter-thinkingYesterday I received an email with this question that I thought would be helpful to my readers considering the popular Home Advantage Mortgage program with down payment assistance:

I’ve been studying the different loan programs in WA State and came across your website. We’re considering taking out a Home Advantage mortgage but need clarification on one of the restrictions.

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Do’s and Do Not’s of the Mortgage Process [Video]

In our last Seattle Real Estate Chat, Jim Reppond and I discuss what home buyers need to while in the mortgage process or considering buying a home.

Tune if for our next Seattle Real Estate Chat via our live Google Hangout on Tuesday, September 17, 2013 at 10:00 am Seattle time.
You can follow Seattle Real Estate Chat on Twitter at @SeattleREchat or #SeattleREchat

What you need to know about multiple offers when buying a home [Video]

Earlier this week’ during our Seattle Real Estate Chat, Jim Reppond of Coldwell Banker Danforth and I discussed multiple offers, which we are seeing a lot of in the greater Seattle area.

Here’s our “show” from this week and learn more about what you need to know before you find yourself in a multiple offer situation.

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Getting preapproved in today’s market [Video]

This week, Jim Reppond of Coldwell Banker Danforth and I sat down to discuss getting preapproved for a mortgage and why it’s so important for today’s hot Seattle’s real estate market.

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Seattle Home Buyer Education Seminar on September 28, 2013

iStock_000020110629XSmallI will be teaching a home buyer education class on Saturday, September 28, 2013 at the Columbia City Library located at 4721 Rainier Avenue South in Seattle. My co-instructor is non-other than Ira Sacharoff, Real Estate Agent with Better Properties Real Estate. Class begins at 11:45 am and ends around 4:45 pm.

We will be serving lunch. Please bring a snack if you have dietary concerns as we will not have a lunch break.  Sign up for this class by clicking here. 

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