According to a recent analysis, Portland, Oregon is among the ten U.S. metro areas with the highest average down payment from home buyers. The study was conducted by the research team at Realtor.com, and found that the average down payment…
Home prices across Oregon have risen at an above-average pace for the last couple of years. This was largely due to the still-lingering imbalance between supply and demand. (Lots of buyers, not enough homes for sale.) Recent forecasts and predictions,…
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) mortgage loan program has been helping home buyers become homeowners for decades. FHA loans are particularly popular among first-time buyers in Washington, because the program allows for a relatively low down payment of 3.5%. One…
For many home buyers in Washington, there are two primary obstacles to buying a home. The down payment and closing costs. But they might only be perceived obstacles. There are ways to reduce these upfront expenses. This article explains how…
Home buyers in Oregon tend to have a lot of questions about earnest money deposits. First-time buyers, in particular, want to know how earnest money works, how much they should pay, etc. And we have your answers! Here's an overview…
This article compares the real estate markets in Seattle and Everett, Washington from a home buyer's perspective. As of March 2018, homes are still a lot more affordable in Everett. With its bustling job market and plentiful attractions, Seattle remains…
Summary: An IRS advisory clarified the rules for deducting interest paid on a home equity loan. Homeowners in Washington can continue to deduct said interest if the loan is used to "buy, build or substantially improve" the property. In a…
Lately, millennials in Washington State and across the country have been choosing conventional home loans more than FHA-insured mortgage loans. A recent industry report showed that, in January 2018, 67% of all closed loans by millennial borrowers were conventional (or…
Traditionally, the home equity loan has been one of the primary strategies for Washington homeowners wanting to convert some of their equity into cash. But with the recent changes to the tax code, enacted in 2018, more and more homeowners…
Home prices in Portland, Oregon have been rising steadily for the last few years. As a result, federal housing officials raised the conforming and jumbo loan thresholds for the Portland metro area in 2018. Here's an updated look at those…