A housing industry report published this year shed some light on a variety of home buying trends in Washington State and elsewhere across the country. Among other things, it showed that the percentage of single females buying homes has increased…
This article provides an updated comparison of Washington State versus Oregon, from a housing costs perspective. Median and average home prices in Oregon and Washington were actually very similar, as of fall 2018. But it's a different story when you…
A recent survey showed that many younger home buyers across Washington State and nationwide fear that their student loan debt might prevent them from qualifying for a mortgage loan. As a result of those concerns, some would-be home buyers are…
The typical monthly mortgage payment in the Seattle area rose by around 17% from August 2017 to August 2018, according to a recent industry report. So many home buyers today are being more cost-conscious when purchasing a home. Fortunately, there…
For buyers who are purchasing a "fixer-upper" home in Washington State, financing can sometimes be a challenge. That's because many home buyers in this situation actually need two kinds of loans -- one to purchase the property, and one to…
A recent report showed that having too much debt is one of the most common reasons for mortgage loan denial in Washington State and elsewhere across the United States. Meanwhile, however, debt ratio limits have actually eased over the past…
The latest MLS data showed a drop in home prices in Seattle. But that might be a short-term "blip" as opposed to a sustained trend. Long-range forecasts for this market suggest that home values across the Seattle metro will be…
Mortgage rates in Washington State and nationwide have risen since the beginning of 2018. As a result, we could see an increasing number of home buyers using discount points to secure a lower rate on their mortgage loans. Here are…
Want to live in the Seattle area while reducing your monthly mortgage payments at the same time? Look to the suburbs. A recent report by a team of housing analysts reinforces something we've known for a long time -- the…
First-time home buyers in Oregon tend to have a lot of questions about homeowner's insurance. Today, we'll address one of the most common questions on the subject: Is home insurance required in the state of Oregon? The short answer is…