Buying

Buying

Eco-friendly Upgrades to Consider When Buying a Home

SOURCE: Windermere Buying a home is one of the largest investments you’ll make in your lifetime, which is why it’s important to take a long-term approach when looking at potential properties. In addition to imagining what your living situation will be over the next few decades and how your future home will accommodate it, you […]
Buying

How to Increase Your Buying Power

SOURCE: Windermere One of the best ways prospective home buyers can empower themselves when purchasing a home is to improve their buying power. The numbers may seem daunting but identifying ways to strengthen your financial standing will help you each step of the way. When visualizing your dream home, it’s common for buyers to focus on […]
Buying

What is Wire Fraud and How to Avoid It

SOURCE: Windermere A form of cybercrime, wire fraud has led to major losses for homebuyers in recent years. Get to know what it is and what steps you can take to avoid it. What is wire fraud? Real estate wire fraud is a scam that targets buyers while making payments during the home buying process. […]
Buying

Buying with Your Pets in Mind

SOURCE: Windermere For many of us, pets play a central role in our home life, so taking into account what is best for them when buying a home is important for both their happiness and that of your entire household. Is the Neighborhood A Good Match For Your Pet? When looking for homes that are […]

Buying Eco-friendly Upgrades to Consider When Buying a Home SOURCE: Windermere Buying a home is one of the largest investments you’ll make in your lifetime, which is why it’s important to take a long-term approach when looking at potential properties. In addition to imagining what your living situation will be over the next few decades and how your future home will accommodate it, you […]

Buying How to Increase Your Buying Power SOURCE: Windermere One of the best ways prospective home buyers can empower themselves when purchasing a home is to improve their buying power. The numbers may seem daunting but identifying ways to strengthen your financial standing will help you each step of the way. When visualizing your dream home, it’s common for buyers to focus on […]

Buying What is Wire Fraud and How to Avoid It SOURCE: Windermere A form of cybercrime, wire fraud has led to major losses for homebuyers in recent years. Get to know what it is and what steps you can take to avoid it. What is wire fraud? Real estate wire fraud is a scam that targets buyers while making payments during the home buying process. […]

Buying Buying with Your Pets in Mind SOURCE: Windermere For many of us, pets play a central role in our home life, so taking into account what is best for them when buying a home is important for both their happiness and that of your entire household. Is the Neighborhood A Good Match For Your Pet? When looking for homes that are […]

Buying What Does DOM Mean in Real Estate? SOURCE: Windermere As you start searching for homes, you’ll likely come across different terms that describe the status of different listings. One term, “Days on Market” (DOM), can play a role in your strategy for making an offer. Knowing what this term means will help to inform your discussions with your agent as you go about […]

Buying Turnkey vs. Fixer-Upper: Pros and Cons The beauty of real estate is that different properties satisfy different needs. Although single-family homes are great for putting down roots, that may not be your motivation for purchasing your next home. If you’re looking to buy a property with the intent of renting it, both turnkey and fixer-upper listings will cross your path during your home […]

Buying 10 Important People in the Home Buying Process It takes a village to purchase a home. Though it’s ultimately you who is paying for the property, successfully purchasing a home is a result of several people’s contributions. It helps to know who these individuals are, how they responsibilities pertain to your home purchase, and when you’ll encounter them during your journey. Here are […]

Buying Homeownership Terms to Know: Pre-Approval, Pre-Qualification & More Throughout the home buying process, you’ll encounter several checkpoints. At every stop, you’ll get closer to the ultimate goal of purchasing your next home. Each one satisfies unique criteria required to become a homeowner, and each one has its own terminology. Before you begin your home buying journey, it’s helpful to know about pre-approval, pre-qualification, and […]

Buying How to Save Money to Buy a House It’s no secret that buying a home is a serious financial undertaking, but aspiring homeowners are often left wondering what the methods behind the process actually look like. One of the telltale signs that you’re ready to buy a home is having substantial savings to use toward the purchase. The following information goes under the hood of […]

Buying W Report – October 2022 Local market update. Shifts in the housing market are changing the narrative on local real estate conditions. In September, King County saw inventory increase and prices decrease month-over-month, but prices were still up compared to this time last year.Find our full market recap here. News + trends. [THE STATE OF] REAL ESTATE Despite the “Great […]

Buying W Report – September 2022 Local market update. The market is finally settling into a more balanced pattern, as price appreciation slows across King County. Reports of a bear market are exaggerated however, since last month’s slower pace is comparable to typical end-of-summer sales.Find our full market recap here. News + trends. [THE STATE OF] REAL ESTATE Rising rents reflect […]

Buying How to Win a Bidding War When Buying a House In a seller’s market, many buyers are competing for a limited number of homes. This creates fierce competition amongst buyers and ideal selling conditions for sellers. Sellers will commonly receive multiple offers for their home, often over their original asking price. As the offers stack up, bidding wars will ensue, since only one buyer can ultimately […]

Buying The Risks and Rewards of Purchasing a Bank-Owned Home The process of purchasing a home directly from a lender can be long and arduous, but could very well be worth it in the end. If you have your sights on a particular home or are looking to find a deal on your first, working directly with the lender may be your only option. […]

Buying Five Things to Consider When Downsizing Downsizing is on the minds of many homeowners today. Some are ready to retire, others want to live more simply, and many want to save money and say goodbye to home maintenance. If you can relate to any of those sentiments, ask yourself these five questions: Have you done the math? The financial savings […]

Buying Find a New Home in Four Steps Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or a current owner looking for a bigger home, the ideas below will help you better navigate that all-important first step: Finding a property that you like (and can afford). The search for a new home always starts out with a lot of excitement. But if you haven’t prepared, frustration […]

Buying British chaos means interest rates will stay low for longer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Savers will suffer longer with zero returns on their accounts. Home buyers, companies and governments will keep on borrowing cheaply. And questions will grow further about whether central banks are creating bubbles in financial markets by keeping interest rates near or below zero. The British vote to leave the European Union […]

Buying Seattle housing: Is it a bubble? Single-family house values in Seattle shot up 10.8 percent year-over-year in March, the second highest in the nation after Portland, according to the latest S&P/Case-Shiller index. It’s a new record, surpassing the previous peak in the summer of 2007 — and we saw how that turned out. Nationally, the increase was 5.2 percent. Here, it’s […]

Buying Seattle metro-area home prices up nearly 10 percent in a year Seattle-area home prices surged in December, posting the fourth-highest annual gain among 20 metros, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city index released Tuesday. The average price of existing single-family homes sold in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties climbed 9.9 percent over the year in December, its fastest pace in 2015. In the 20-city index, Seattle trailed […]

Buying Lack of inventory “a game changer” for home buyers Depleted inventory is contributing to "overwhelming" traffic at open houses, shifts in strategies for both buyers and sellers, and escalating prices, according to officials with the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Dick Beeson, a former chairman of the MLS board, said the lack of inventory in almost every county is, "without question, a 2016 game changer." […]

Buying King County Had Almost Half of 2015’s 30 Most Competitive Neighborhoods in America We probably don’t need to tell you that 2015 was a crazy year in real estate, especially in our city. Bidding wars and listings lasting mere days on the market is something we’ve all grown accustomed to. But it turns out we’re not alone. Redfin recently came out with a list of the 30 most […]