Seattle Home Buying August 18, 2013

When to Buy a House? Right Now!

traffic lightsAfter witnessing the housing bubble ‘pop’ just a few years ago, many would be buyers may be hesitant to pull the trigger. Today, we want to explain that the greatest risk a buyer can take right now is actually waiting to buy a home.

We realize that every purchaser wants to be able to get the best deal. They want a great price and the lowest mortgage interest rate possible because those to items together will determine the monthly cost their family will pay. Let’s look at each one:

Are home prices rising?

Just last week, the Case Shiller Pricing Index was released. The index revealed that U.S. home prices increased by 10.2% over the last twelve months. Last month, theHome Price Expectation Survey was released predicting that home values would increase by at least an additional 3.5% for each of the next five years.

If you were waiting for the absolute bottom of the home price declines, you already missed it.

Are interest rates rising?

According to Freddie Mac’s Weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30 year mortgage rate shot up to 3.81% last week – the highest level in over a year. This is an increase of a half of a percentage point in the last six months. And the Mortgage Bankers AssociationFannie Mae and the National Association of Realtors all predict that rates will continue rise over the next eighteen months.

Conclusion

If the right thing for you and your family is to purchase a home this year, buying sooner rather than later could lead to substantial savings.

Considering Buying?
Give us a call and let our experience save you time and money.

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Best In Client Satisfaction – Seattle Magazine
Windermere Real Estate Seattle Northwest
Call/Text: 206-769-9577

Garage Organization August 18, 2013

8 Clutter-Busting Garage Storage Solutions

Our garages play a very important role in our everyday living. Of course, they protect our vehicles from the elements. But more often than not, they also become dumping grounds for tools, cleaning products and seasonal gear. These tips can help you make the most out of this often overcrowded and underused space. Built-ins, pegboards, slat walls and other smart storage solutions can help you eliminate clutter and keep your garage tidy.

1. Shoe storage. The garage door is the main entrance in many homes. If shoes aren't allowed in your house, this is a great way to stop the pileup of shoes outside your main door. A shoe organizer — whether built in or store bought — can instantly clear the floor.

See the rest of the garage organization ideas HERE.

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Best In Client Satisfaction
Windermere Real Estate/FN
206-769-9577

 

Mill Creek WA Home for Sale August 18, 2013

Just Listed – Mill Creek WA – Open Sunday 1PM-4PM

Located in Mill Creek Village, a distinctive community of fourteen homes. Lush, spacious grounds set this neighborhood apart. This light filled home includes an updated kitchen, hardwood floors and new fixtures. The living room features vaulted ceiling and fireplace. Master suite boasts 5-piece bath. Small, private backyard and attached 2 car garage. Reasonable homeowners dues include landscaping, watering and exterior maintenance. You are sure to be impressed with this Mill Creek home.

Steve Hill
Windermere Real Estate
Best in Client Satisfaction
Call/Text: 206-769-9577

Home Improvement Bathroom August 17, 2013

21 Thrifty Ways to Deck Out Your Bath

Polishing up a worn washroom needn't require pricey new fixtures or 
wall-busting construction. In this gallery: How to make the most of what you have with creative wall and window treatments, salvage-yard finds, and stylish storage ideas.

Read on HERE.

Need more ideas about improving your home for a quick sale? Give us a call, we are ready to help.

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate
Call/Text: 206-769-9577

http://bit.ly/14SxaY5

Interior Design August 17, 2013

50 Nifty Fix-Ups For Less than $100

Simple upgrades can drastically improve the feel and function of your home. Read on for clever tips, projects, and products that offer a big payoff for a small investment in time and money.

1. Block drafts and highlight the entry with a curtain on the inside of the front door.

Lush Decor's Mia Panel Pair in eggshell white with silver and black stripes, about $40, and Talon Valance in gray, about $20; wayfair.com

See all the other fix-ups HERE.

Looking for a pro to help with you interior design? Give us a call, we have a few good people who can help with all of your interior design needs.

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Best In Client Satisfaction
Windermere Real Estate/FN
206-769-9577
 

Selling Your Seattle Area Home August 16, 2013

Friday Funny for Real Estate

Funny Real Estate Photos

Click the pics below to see the posts about each one:

7 Unusual Things Spotted in Real Estate Listings

5 reasons homeowners shouldn't appear in RE listings

5 Things to Avoid When Staging House to Sell

Be a Doll and Buy This House

5 Funny Real Estate Photos

6 Creeptastic Real Estate Photos

A Baby Gives a House Tour

5 Ways Dead Animals Can Kill a Real Estate Listing

7 Scary Real Estate Listings

6 Real Estate Photos That Aren't Selling Houses

 

If you are considering selling, give us a call. Your home will never show up on this list!

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Client Satisfaction Superstars
Windermere Real Estate/FN
206-769-9577

Real Estate Prices Over 30 Years August 16, 2013

Real Estate Prices Over 30 Years

This infographic shows how home prices have appreciated over the last thirty years. How many investments provide a great return on investment and provide you a place to live?

If you are considering purchasing a home for the first time of the tenth time, give us a call, we would love to speak with you about your investment goals.

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Winderemere Real Estate
Best In Client Satisfaction
Call/Text 206-769-9577

 

Home Loans August 15, 2013

Nine must-dos after loan preapproval

Nine must-dos after loan preapproval

By Michele Lerner of HSH.com

While it may seem obvious that you need to keep paying your bills during the period between a loan preapproval and your settlement date, some would-be borrowers neglect their finances in the excitement of shopping for a home.

"A preapproval letter is typically valid for 90 days but with the disclaimer that if anything changes with your finances it can impact your preapproval," says Patricia Napgezek, a senior loan officer with Inlanta Mortgage in Brookfield, Wis. "After 90 days, we can do a renewal letter with a recheck of your pay stubs and credit."

Read the entire article HERE.

If you are considering buying a home or refinancing, give us a call, we'd be ahppy to put you in touch with a reputable lender. It's not always the best rate that gets you the best deal!

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate/FN
Client Satisfaction All-Stars
206-769-9577

First Time Home Buyers August 15, 2013

A Message to Millennials for Our Future

by Justin DeCesare

I spend a lot of time defending the work habits and dedication of my generation. Yet, I still wonder at times why we aren’t all as cynical and jaded as the media would like to portray us.

Everything from the PRISM scandal to the everyday politically motivated Washington gridlock on items such as student loan rates have left many of us feeling weary of our place in the political and economic infrastructure.

In Walter Hickey’s article on Business Insider, he quoted President Obama in his recent interview with Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff as saying:

Jacob looked like a pretty young guy, renting is probably the best option.”

While I don’t think this quote was meant to minimize the economic struggle of Millennials, it just seems to add to the stream of media attention that fails to see the impact we will have on the overall recovery.

We are at a turning point in our society. Prices have bottomed, affordability indexes are low, and jobs are coming back on line.

No matter your age, if you have the financial ability to buy a house, do so right now. Not a year from now…right now. By the time the media finally says Millennials are buying houses, they will be a year behind in their reporting.

Take Action. Today.

Whoever thinks they have a crystal ball is lying to you. No one knows exactly what will happen with the government’s bond buying programs or new housing starts and inventory. However, we do know this:

  • For Now, Money is still Cheap
  • Rental Prices Will Keep Rising

To my Co-Gen-Yers who may come across this blog:

Lifelong wealth is created with a certain amount of risk; however, if you fail to take that risk you will always be stuck in your present situation.

Years from now, there will be people who look back and think to themselves, “I should have bought when I could…That was the perfect time to buy.”

Every type of Real Property is going to appreciate over a 10-20 year period, from commercial buildings, to multi-units, to single family homes.

Our generation is set to play an important role in our economy as there is an ever-growing necessity for technologically advanced degrees and laborers. It is up to you as to whether or not you want this economic growth to shape the rest of your own personal life as well.

Much like the greatest generation at the close of WWII, we have a duty to re-establish a vibrant economy. No one else will do it for us. I realize the economy has not yet fully recovered. But, if everything the media and the politicians say is true, none of us will own houses or have babies until our 50s.

No matter what any pundit says, it is going to take young business people, humanitarians, laborers, and entrepreneurs to take the lead and recreate an America that the Greatest Generation would be proud of.

Leave the cynicism to someone else. It fails in action as much as it does in belief.

Now, it’s our turn.

Considering buying a home? Give us a call, let us share how we can help you find your new home and save you time and money.

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Five Star Professionals
Windermere Real Estate/FN
Call/Text: 206-769-9577

What is an REO? August 15, 2013

What is an REO?


Just a quick video you might watch in case you're wondering
what an "REO" is…

VIDEO LINK: WHAT IS AN REO?

(had someone ask me the other day, so figured I'd
share this…)

If you'd like a weekly updated list of new "REO/Bank Owned" properties
that hit the market in the Seattle area, just send me an email and I will send them to you the moment they hit the Northwest MLS..

Steve Hill
Five Star Real Estate Professional
Windermere Real Estate
Call/Text: 206-769-9577