There has been a lot of talk about how difficult it is to get a home mortgage in today’s lending environment. However, three recent reports have revealed that lending standards are beginning to ease. This is great news for both first time buyers and current homeowners looking to move or buy a second vacation/retirement home. Let’s look at the three reports: The MBA’s Mortgage Credit Availability...
September 2015
According to the latest Beracha, Hardin & Johnson Buy vs. Rent (BH&J) Index homeownership is a better way to produce greater wealth, on average, than renting. The BH&J Index is a quarterly report that attempts to answer the question: Is it better to rent or buy a home in today’s housing market? The index examines that entire US housing market and then isolates 23 major markets for...
Your level of service was outstanding. We appreciated your experience and honesty. The home sold in 6 days, I couldn’t be more excited. Getting a pre-sale Inspection was something I had not heard of before, but really helped sell our townhome. I can’t believe how many business cards were placed on the kitchen counter. Tony really listened to us and understood our situation and his level of...
You and your family have decided to sell your house. It is now time to choose a real estate professional to help with the process. One of the major attributes this agent must possess is trustworthiness. To what degree do you need to trust them? You must have enough trust in them that you feel comfortable they will accomplish all four things below: 1. Sell possibly the largest asset your family...
Last month, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported that housing inventory was down 4.7% from the same time last year and that the month’s inventory of homes for sale stood at 4.8 - far below the six months necessary for a normal housing market. Why is there such a shortage of inventory? The recently released Homeowner Sentiment Survey suggests that the American homeowner may not be...
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently released their July edition of the Housing Affordability Index. The index measures whether or not a typical family earns enough income to qualify for a mortgage loan on a typical home at the national level based on the most recent price and income data. NAR looks at the monthly mortgage payment (principal & interest) which is...
Some Highlights: Hiring a Real Estate Professional to buy your dream home, or sell your current house is one of the most 'educated' decisions you can make! A Real Estate Professional has the experience needed to help you through the entire process. Make sure that you hire someone who knows current market conditions & can simply & effectively explain them to you & your...
Listed for $500,000 - Click here for more details Backing to a large greenbelt in Coventry on English Hill, sits this Burnstead built, rambler home. The elegant floorplan boasts 1,650 s.f. and features 3 bedrooms, 1.75 baths plus on a 8,071 s.f. lot! The original owner has meticulously maintained and updated this home - including remodeling the kitchen! Formal living room with a large picture windows...
Thank you so much for helping us purchase our home! We love it. You are so easy to work with and we are grateful we found you. Brian and Shannon Taylor - Purchased in Duvall -...
KIRKLAND, Washington (September 3, 2015) - Some brokers from Northwest Multiple Listing Service detected a slowdown in housing activity during August, "but nowhere near what is typical," according to one industry veteran. Among MLS leaders who commented on the service's latest report, expectations for the remainder of 2015 ranged from one who predicted "we're on the cusp of a slowdown," to others...
A recent survey by Ipsos found that the American public is still somewhat confused about what is actually necessary to qualify for a home mortgage loan in today’s housing market. The study pointed out two major misconceptions that we want to address today. 1. Down Payment The survey revealed that consumers overestimate the down payment funds needed to qualify for a home loan. According to the...
The first word that come to mind when I think of our experience with Tony is integrity. My husband and I have tended not to trust real estate agents. But Tony is professional, ethical, honest and an expert negotiator. He seems to love that part of the job and it shows. In addition, he is very experienced, detail-oriented, calm and an excellent photographer. My advice would be to hire Tony as soon as...
Here are the latest market charts from the MLS. Click on each image below for a larger version. Active Listings vs. Sold Listings Number of Pending Listings Median Sales Price For more information our the Seattle and Eastside Real Estate Market contact Tony Meier...
There are some homeowners that have been waiting for months to get a price they hoped for when they originally listed their house for sale. The only thing they might want to consider is... If it hasn't sold yet, maybe it's not priced properly. After all 15,315 houses sold yesterday, 15,315 will sell today and 15,315 will sell tomorrow. 15,315! That is the average number of homes that sell each and...