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seattle real estate blog


Looking to buy a house close to both light rail and the Seattle / Chief Sealth Trail

The whole Beacon Hill area still offers some good prices compared to almost any area as close to Seattle city center. For many reasons, economic ones mostly, that whole section between the I-5 to the west and light rail to the east, but north of Renton, you can still buy a great house for under $400,000. And if you've more elbow grease than money, you can opt for a fixer-upper and get a great deal. The key is patience, and then being able to move on a purchase when the right deal presents itself.

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What are CC&R's and should I be concerned about then when purchasing a home?

CC&R' stands for Covenant, Conditions and Restrictions. These CC&R's are attached legally to the property and can not be removed. Your title company will provide you and your agent with a current copy.    And yes you should absolutely review them to your own satisfaction before going through with the purchase of your new home.  Any good Real Estate Agent will make sure there is a clause that allows your to review and approve CC&R’s in your purchase and Sale Offer/Agreement.  

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New Year Resolution...sell that house? Save thousands.

Made the decision to sell your house this year?  Make sure you talk to us about how to save thousands in listing fees and still recieve full service.  We apply over three decades of experience in manageing the sale of your home.  And we promise "No Nonsense"!  call us for a free evaluation.  Make sure you are fully informed before making a decision.

 

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What are the most important attributes to consider when hiring a Real Estate Agent?

  • by fred - Tue, 12/30/2014 - 11:56

Simply put…Knowledge and Experience.   Selling your home is not Rocket Science; however, there are numerous pitfalls that can engulf you if you are not careful.  Your goal should be to maximize your profit, in a reasonable amount of time, with as little risk and pain as possible.  I once read that the five most stressful events we Americans go through, buying and selling a house, were right up there with getting married, getting divorced and death in the family.  Regardless of whether that is still true, it highlights the potential stress selling or buying a house c

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I'm looking at a house that I was told is a "short sale". How does that work?

  • by fred - Fri, 11/21/2014 - 14:07

A short sale is a home for sale where the Seller owes more money than the market value of the property.  In essence the Seller would have to bring monies to closing to pay off the difference of the loan balance and closing costs.  As most Sellers do not have the funds to do that, they submit to the lien holder (Bank) to forgive the difference.  The process is sometimes very arduous, lengthy (two to six months to close) and is fra

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Should I wait to be pre Approved for a Mortgage before making an offer on a house for sale?

  • by fred - Fri, 11/21/2014 - 13:58

It is not required to present an offer, but is highly recommended.  Especially in a Sellers market, where often times there are multiple offers in play.  Not uncommon for two offers to be identical in price, but one buyer is pre approved and the other is not.  Guess which one wins out?  There are occasions where it may make sense to secure a property without the pre approval in hand, but as a general rule of thumb, you want

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