Another weekend, another Open House!

Looking for something (free) to do this weekend? Come visit me at my Open House, Sat. 10-1 and Sun. 1-4. This week I will be at 4941 SW Forney St. in the Genesee area near Schmitz Park. It's a beautiful, newer (built in 1994) 4 bedroom, 2.75 bath home. I am a buyer's agent in this case (i.e. it isn't my listing). The asking price is $649,000 with a $5000 buyer's bonus offered at closing.

Uncertainty? Anxiety? What's new?

I apologize for not addressing Sunday's Seattle Times/P-I headline article sooner. I confess that I let the holiday get in the way. Nevertheless, here is my take on the article. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/home/index.html

The gist of the article (it can't really be called a "story" since there is no event to report) seems to be that the housing market and the economy are uncertain, therefore anxiety is an appropriate reaction. My question is: When has the housing market and/or the economy EVER been certain? When will it be? And, does increasing our collective or individual feeling of anxiety benefit anyone?

Buying a home is a stressful event for most people simply because of the size of the investment. Whether you buy at the top of the market or at the bottom, it is a decision that affects many aspects of your life. Since no one can accurately predict the future, all we can do is trust our judgement to make the best possible decision given the information available to us at the time.

New investment analysis tool

Thinking about investing in a rental property and wondering if it would be profitable? Scroll down the page to find a new "widget" that will help you determine the answer. Keep in mind that this type of software is intended only as a starting point for analysis. Full analysis must take a variety of factors into consideration, including tax consequences. Give me a call if you'd like to discuss this further.

Current loan rates

If you haven't already discovered my list of "helpful websites" in the right-hand column, I want to call your attention to the link to Arboretum Mortgage. Click on the link to get a quick snapshot of current mortgage loan rates in an easy-to-read chart format, updated weekly. Thanks to senior loan officer, Troy Chambers, for providing this timely info. Here's the link again: http://media.reliancenetwork.com/dyna_images/clients/1974690/20072712164153.pdf

More good news!

Once again, the Seattle P-I has taken a mostly-positive news report concerning the real estate market in Seattle and made it sound grim. (Why DO they DO that???) http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/realestate/

Seattle was one of three cities that continued to post GAINS in home appreciation, but the article focuses on all the places that have seen declines. And without any persuasive argument, the writer concludes that Seattle is doomed to fall with the rest of the markets.

We all knew that the market could not sustain double-digit rates of appreciation forever. If it did, buyers would be priced out of the market entirely (some already have been), which doesn't benefit sellers anyway. There is a big difference between a market which is correcting itself -- seeing declines which take it back to a "normal" market -- and one which is crashing and burning.

Admittedly, the days of making a quick buck by investing in real estate are probably over for a while. Historically, however, real estate remains one of the best LONG-TERM investments available, both financially and emotionally.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? If you are currently a homeowner, are you glad you bought a home?