Buying a Home Might Not Get Much Cheaper

Many renters today are choosing to put off buying a home for several reasons, but statistics show that buying a home might not get any cheaper than it is right now. Experts say that 2012 may be the last year for buyers to take advantage of the weak housing market and foreclosure influx. According to CNN Money, home prices are down 34% nationally from 2006, and mortgage rates are at an all time low, making it the best year yet to find the bargain deal of a lifetime.
Economists with PNC Financial Services believe that home prices will flatten out by the third quarter of this year, and might begin to climb at the beginning of next year. There are several indicators that the housing market is picking up like the decline in foreclosures, and continue
d job growth nationwide, and buyers will have more access to affordable mortgages as they build their credit scores. While some prospective buyers who have been wary might be more willing to follow through because of the all-time low mortgage rates and lower home values, some renters still aren’t in a position to take the next step and will ultimately miss the grace period. For more information on the housing market, click here.

Prime Madrona Real Estate For Sale

A gorgeous 1920′s Dutch Colonial in the avidly sought out Madrona real estate area, with fantastic views of Lake Washington, Bellevue skyline, Mt Rainier & Cascades recently came on the market. The completely remodeled Madrona home presents a modern, open floor plan, with pretty entry gardens and front porch open to the oak floors and crisp lines of the interior. Fir windows and doors, with two sets of French doors opening to a spacious deck. The kitchen has an impressive limestone island and top of the line high end appliances. The huge master bedroom suite fills the entire 2nd floor with two additional bedrooms on the lower level.
Click the link to see more pictures, details and location of this fabulous Madrona home.

Status:	For Sale
Bed/Bath:	3/2.25
List Price:	$1,365,000

King County Home Prices on the Rise

The median price of buying a home in the King County area last month was the highest we’ve seen since September. According to stats from the MLS, last month’s median sale price was $330,000, which is 7% higher than it was the previous month, (which happened to hit an all time low).
This indicates that in some areas of King County, the housing market is starting to recover. According to the Seattle Times, prices in Seattle were up 3% from this time last year and even 9% up from February. The overall optimistic outlook on the housing market is neighborhood specific of course; neighborhoods in North Seattle, and those Northeast of I-90 have seen a double digit statistic increase year after year, whereas the median price in South King County has fallen nearly 17% since last Spring. Median prices from February to March have had the tendency to increase in the past, but that isn’t always the case. While condo sales have seen an increase nationwide, short sales have decreased over 30% from this time last year. For more information about the King County housing market, visit the Seattle Times.

AOL Lusts Over Mercer Island Mansion

There is an array of wonderful things going for the Seattle area that makes folks from far and wide relocate to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We have lush greenery, beaches, city life, and quaint neighborhoods; and a ton of gorgeous homes that can be yours for the taking.
This week, AOL lusted over one particularly jaw dropping Mansion located in the Mercer Island neighborhood, that is 13,636 sf and an architect's dream come true. Beautiful Noe-Classical Italian designed columns, stone exteriors, cherrywood doors and a crystal clear view of the lovely Lake Washington. A three level home with elevator access, surround sound theater, aroma therapy hot tub, and a long list of like-minded luxury amenities, this home is at the top of the must-see list for those looking to buy this Spring. Find the detailed listing here.

Home Sales Are Rising

According to the Seattle Times, in January sales of existing homes rose 4.3% and inventories went way down to the lowest point we’ve seen over the past 7 years. The National Association of Realtors said that sales have seasonally adjusted to an annual rate of 4.57 million. Sales have risen in all four major regions, including 8.8% in the Western region. December sales hit a downward slope to 4.38 Million, closing 2011 with a 0.5% decline. This however did not affect annual sales, only seasonal monthly sales. According to the National Association of Realtors, existing home sales are still recovering, and investors account for 23% of homes purchased.

Cash is King in Real Estate

Cash is king in the real estate market.  One-third of all U.S. home sales this past December were cash deals.  Clean offers - one with limited contigencies - especially those with no financing contigency are in high demand.   One would not automatically assumed this is a bad thing, but the issue is these cash deals are putting downward pressure on home values because sellers are accepting lower offers for a sure deal.  No where is this more prevelent than with homes owned by banks.  Banks are motivated to get real estate off their books and are not emotionally attached to the homes they sell so a sure deal is the deal they prefer.  But buyers who need to finance their home purchase do not need to fret.  For example, in foreclosures Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac prefer first time homebuyers and people who are buying the house to live in it.  Also, not all owners are like banks who are willing to take less for a sure sell.  So while cash is king, it is not the ultimate determination in real estate transactions. 

It is an unusual real estate market, inventory is down, sales are up, but at least in part due to these cashe deals there is downward pressure on home prices.  To navigate this unusual real estate market, one should contact a local real estate agent for professional advice.

Home Market Update

The Standard & Poor/Case-Shiller home-price index released on Tuesday showed a glimmer of hope for the Seattle area housing market. The Seattle metropolitan home market saw a slight increase in the month of April. The index tracks data in 20 large U.S. cities, and Seattle’s data showed higher prices than data compiled for February and March. However, experts say this doesn’t mean much for the Seattle housing market. Seattle’s prices are still down 6.9% from last year, and the index as a whole showed a slight fall in prices.