Wanna getaway? Creative options for vacation rental
Buyers often need renters to help offset their costs particularly in the first few years of ownership.
10 years ago

Three mistakes first-time homebuyers make
"I remember one case where just before closing, the buyer drove to the office and says, 'Look at my brand-new car,'" one real estate agent said. "I told them, 'You'd better go back to that dealership.'"10 years ago
Change in scenery: New quiz helps to decide if it’s time to move
The quiz asks people to assess their relationships, place fulfillment and personality in order to come to a conclusion on whether moving is the right decision.
10 years ago
Windermere economist foresees no housing bubble
Fewer house flippers, rigid lending guidelines, higher interest rates and rising home prices back no-bubble theory.
10 years ago
Survey reveals buyers overestimate mortgage requirements
Consumers tend to overemphasize credit scores as a single factor that determines whether they'll be able to buy a home.
莽藛鹿盲拢听10 years ago
Report predicts power shift from homeowners to renters
Single-family homes are shifting to renter occupancy throughout the nation, and this trend is likely to continue.
10 years ago
Breaking even: What it takes to cash-flow a getaway
If your monthly mortgage payment is equal to - or less than - one "peak" week rental rate, and if you rent for 17 weeks, then you should be able to achieve positive cash flow.
10 years ago
Tired of losing bidding wars, buyer offers pizza for life
Donna DiNicola, owner of DiNicola's Italian Restaurant in southeast Portland, says she was partially joking when her offer for a 900-square-foot house included pizza - but it worked.
10 years ago

Look before you leap: Sellers also frustrated by lack of inventory
The lack of inventory of Puget Sound homes for sale is being compounded by potential sellers unwilling to list their home until confident they can find a new place to land.10 years ago
Moving abroad? It’s often easier to buy in the U.S.
Buying real estate in other countries often is not as easy as non-nationals buying in the States.
10 years ago
Uptick in rates sends refinances down
Refinancing applications were at the lowest level in more than a year.
10 years ago
Eight percent: The value gap between owner and appraiser
If an owner installs a luxury indoor lap pool or spa for their personal desire, they can't expect that prospective buyers will view it as valuable as they do.
10 years ago
Golf communities push to be more about lifestyle than golf
More golf courses closed than opened in the U.S. in 2014, according to the National Golf Foundation.
10 years ago
Tapping an IRA to buy; clarifying home-sale loss
Can you withdraw from your Individual Retirement Account for a down payment on a home and not face a premature-withdrawal penalty?
10 years ago
Single-person households surpass married with kids
Women now head 54 percent of all single-person households.
10 years ago
New legislation returns title insurance kickbacks to front burner
Washington state law limits the use of incentives and inducements to $25 per person per year.
10 years ago
Builder group lists Top 12 amenities in an average home
Energy-Star rated appliances and windows and programmable thermostats rated high.
10 years ago
Equity rising but 4 million borrowers still ‘underwater’
"One of every three borrowers in active foreclosure has a current loan-to-value ratio of 150 or more, meaning they owe 50 percent more than their homes are worth."
10 years ago
Builders add more standard features yet basics vary
Most new homes still don't come with options like rear-yard landscaping and a fenced backyard.
10 years ago

Multiple offers now norm as home shopping hits fever pitch
Multiple offers have become expected. One Kitsap County seller received 16 offers on a $698,000 property while a waterfront estate listed at $2,098,000 is under contract at $2,512,000.10 years ago
Where’s the buyer loyalty when open-house agents surface?
The "phantom" agent - one who surfaces at the last moment and collects commissions for work done perhaps by another - has been the focus of many commission discussions.
10 years ago
Stressful? Consumers pick root canal over homebuying
The survey, based on responses from more than 1,000 consumers, also found that homebuying can cause tension among couples.
10 years ago
Home offices have become a much ‘safer harbor’
Accountants say that the original rules for home offices simply became too complex for the nearly 3.4 million taxpayers who claimed deductions for business use of a home.
10 years ago
Home shoppers flock to listings, ‘fresh’ or ‘stale’
As of March 31, nearly 70 percent of the homes on the market were considered "stale"- homes that have sat on the market unsold for more than a month.