I was recently helping a first-time buyer close on a condo in Renton highlands. Everything was going well until the loan underwriter hit a snag regarding the health of the homeowner’s association (HOA).
How I Find The Homes My Buyers Love
Someone recently asked me how I find awesome homes for the buyers I help. Honestly, my answer was lame: once I get to know a buyer, I intuitively know “the one” when I see it. I think I have a knack for finding awesome homes, but there is a method. That conversation inspired me to pull back the curtain and reveal how I go about doing things in the world of real estate.
3 Big Mistakes Sellers Make When Choosing a Real Estate Agent
Over time I have encountered several sellers who are evaluating real estate agents to hire. Unfortunately, few know what to look for, and there’s tons of bad advice online. Here are the top mistakes when selecting a listing agent.
Frenzied market frustrating buyers
Buyer anxiety is rising as the pace of home sales is faster than brokers are able to replenish inventory, according to members of Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Figures just released for March show 11,408 pending sales during the month while only 10,505 sellers listed their homes for sale during the same period. [Read more…]
Downtown Seattle Construction Boom
The Downtown Seattle Association just released the 2015 State of Downtown Economic Report. Don’t let the name of the report scare you away from opening it. The report is a beautiful and easy to read summary of the Downtown neighborhoods, major development projects, and stats on transportation, housing, employment, and demographics. Flip over to the section on construction and you’ll see billions in construction projects.
A few facts from the report:
- Capitol Hill has the highest population of Downtown neighborhoods, followed closely by First Hill
- There are 52.3 miles of bike lanes, shared lanes, and trails
- Downtown has the parking capacity of around 100,000 vehicles
- 24 net new residents move in every week and 25 new jobs per day since 2010
- The most expensive recently completed project is Stadium Place West Phase 1 at $255,000,000
Are you making a mistake by holding onto that condo?
I admit I have a problem. I bought my Seattle condo in the International District/Pioneer Square neighborhood when I had no clue about real estate back in late 2007. I thought I was getting a great deal, but we all know how that turned out. To make matters worse it was a new conversion. New conversions and construction are sold at a price premium. In other words, I paid a heck of a lot for this Seattle condo and prices have yet to fully catch up. [Read more…]