Current Mortgage Loan Rates are Fantastic!

Here is an update on current mortgage loan rates, courtesy of Troy Chambers from Arboretum Mortgage:

Rates Are Great!

We are officially back to 4.750% on a 30 year fixed rate mortgage! We have seen an incredible

drop in interest rates this week, and borrowers are very excited. Please let me know if you know

of anyone who is looking for new home purchase financing or even a refinance. Now is the time

to make a move. If you know of any first time homebuyers, there has never been a better time to

move forward. Rates are low, prices are down, and we can still get them the tax credit.

Please contact me at anytime this weekend at 425-418-5103. I look forward to hearing from you!

Click here to download a table of loan programs/rates.

Here is Troy's contact info:

Troy Chambers

Arboretum Mortgage

Phone: 206-720-6628

Fax: 206-860-9340

troy@arboretummortgage.com

Single Homebuyer Network forming

Are you single and thinking about buying a home on your own? Would you like to meet with others who are in the same situation? Here is your chance to help shape and mold this brand new networking group while it is still in its infancy.

There is NO CHARGE to participate. There is NO COMMITMENT required. There are NO sales presentations OF ANY KIND -- guaranteed. This is a group devoted to education and support of individuals (with or without children) who are facing the challenge of buying a home on their own.

I will moderate the group, but participants are free to use (or not use) the services of any agent from any real estate company they choose. Interested? Give me a call at 206-708-9800. Meeting times, dates and places still to be determined.

Fauntlee Hills Open House today

Today, from 2-5P, I will be holding open a mid-century, view rambler perched high on 39th Av SW in the Fauntlee Hills neighborhood of West Seattle.

Both the view and the home are really stunning. With wood beams and a cathedral ceiling in the main living room, two master bedrooms and a chef's kitchen, it is perfect for a single person or a couple. Listed for $519,500 by my Prudential colleague, Ken Arkills, the address is 8806 39th Av SW. MLS #28143401

Stop by to visit me and see the house and I will give you a coupon for a free ice cream cone from the Husky Deli!

Tax Credit Details

Single Homebuyer Network

Are you single and thinking about buying a home on your own? Would you like to meet with others who are in the same situation?

Here is your chance to help shape and mold this brand new networking group while it is still in its infancy.

There is NO CHARGE to participate. There is NO COMMITMENT required. There are NO sales presentations OF ANY KIND -- guaranteed.

This is a group devoted to education and support of individuals (with or without children) who are facing the challenge of buying a home on their own.

I will moderate the group, but participants are free to use (or not use) the services of any agent from any real estate company they choose.

Interested? Give me a call at 206-708-9800. Meeting times, dates and places still to be determined.

2 people a homebuyer should never talk to

There are two people a homebuyer should never speak to until safely ensconced in their new home. The first is the listing agent. The second is the seller.

Even though the vast majority of homebuyers still use an agent when it comes time to buy a home, many now prefer to shop for a home themselves on the internet before ever consulting/hiring a Realtor. Generally speaking, I consider this to be a good thing. Where some buyers make a mistake, in my opinion, is in directly contacting the listing agent of a home that interests them rather than hiring a buyer's agent to get more information about the home. Here's the problem with that scenario.

The listing agent is HIRED BY and REPRESENTS the SELLER. The listing agent is legally and morally bound to work in the best interests of their client, Mr./Mrs. Seller. Talking to the listing agent (and/or the seller) puts you at a DISADVANTAGE because you are likely to give away information that will help the agent get more money for the seller. If, for example, the listing agent realizes that you have fallen in love with the house, or that you can well afford to pay the full list price, the agent will use this information to the seller's advantage while negotiating the contract.

This is not a situation where you are cutting out the middle man. The listing agent CANNOT give you a better deal/price than you would otherwise receive. Quite the opposite. You are likely to end up paying MORE for the home because the added information gives the seller the upper hand.

Think of it this way. Talking to the listing agent of a home you want to buy is like talking to the prosecuting attorney in a court case where you are the defendant. You don't want to inadvertently give away information that may help convict you!

When you find a home that really interests you, THAT IS THE TIME to find and hire your own agent, who will work for YOUR best interests. Let the professionals do the haggling. That's what we are paid for and that is how we can best help you.

It is possible for both the buyer and the seller to agree to be represented by the same agent (who then earns a double commission), but do you really believe the agent can work for the best interests of two different parties?

Have questions about the role of a buyer's agent? Give me a call for a free, no-obligation, no-pressure consultation. 206-708-9800.

Single Homebuyer Network

Are you single and thinking about buying a home on your own? Would you like to meet with others who are in the same situation?

Here is your chance to help shape and mold this brand new networking group while it is still in its infancy.

There is NO CHARGE to participate. There is NO COMMITMENT required. There are NO sales presentations OF ANY KIND -- guaranteed.

This is a group devoted to education and support of individuals (with or without children) who are facing the challenge of buying a home on their own.

I will moderate the group, but participants are free to use (or not) the services of any agent from any real estate company they choose.

Interested? Give me a call at 206-708-9800. Meeting times, dates and places still to be determined.

N. Admiral Open House

Today, from 1-4, I will be holding open a classic, turn-of-the-century home which boasts 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths in the North Admiral neighborhood. 2300 sq. ft. of living space on a 4255 sq. ft. lot, this home is listed for $575,000 by my colleagues the Johnson Team. The address is 1936 47th Av SW .

As I often do, I will be giving coupons for Husky Deli ice cream cones to all comers. Prefer a private showing? Text or call me at 206-708-9800 to set up a time.

Free list of Open House events

Here's an easy way to get a list of all the houses being held open this weekend. Use the search tool link below to find all Opens or just those that fit your criterion.

It includes listings by various real estate companies/agents, assuming the event has been posted in the NWMLS (Northwest Multiple Listing Service).

I hold an Open House nearly every Saturday and Sunday. Call or text me to find out where I'll be this weekend.

Open House Search engine.