Real estate markets across the state of Washington are starting to become a little more buyer-friendly, with cooling prices and growing inventory. But we probably won't see a true buyer's market in Washington for quite some time. This is largely…
Earlier today, Freddie Mac reported the latest results of their nationwide mortgage rate survey. According to that report, the average rate for 30-year fixed mortgages in Washington State and nationwide climbed to 4.65% during the week of September 20, 2018.…
This article is part of an ongoing series that examines some of the real estate markets in the Seattle metropolitan area. In previous reports, we've looked at places like Redmond, Kirkland and Bellevue. Today, we are setting our sights on…
Washington State has a fairly large military population. That means there are many home buyers in the state who could benefit from using a VA loan. One of the benefits of this program is that it allows sellers to contribute…
This blog post is part of an ongoing series of articles that explains the typical closing process for home buyers in Washington State. In previous articles, we've offered an overview of closing costs that are encountered during a typical transaction, and also…
"Will you need PMI because of your LTV, and how does your APR affect your ARM?" Say what? Banks and mortgage lenders often use industry acronyms that leave borrowers scratching their heads. First-time home buyers, in particular, have a hard…
This blog entry is part of an ongoing series for home buyers across the Seattle metro area. In previous articles, we've examined housing market conditions in places like Bellevue, Kirkland and Lynnwood. Today, we'll look at the current real estate…
How does my mortgage loan get broken down into monthly payments? What all is included in the monthly payment? These are common questions among home buyers in Washington, where we are based. Today, we'll take a look at the four…
We've written in the past how policy changes at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have made conventional home loans more competitive with FHA loans, especially when it comes to down payments. Loan origination data from the first quarter of 2018…
In previous articles, we offered an overview of closing costs for home buyers in Washington, along with a breakdown of who pays what. Those two articles attract dozens of readers per day. So it's safe to assume that the closing…