Tacoma’s U.S. Open: Tax-free cash for owners willing to rent
According to the Internal Revenue Service, an owner can derive tax-free income from renting a property, provided the owner rents it out for 15 days or fewer.
10 years ago
Do real estate agents ever turn down a listing?
Recently, a longtime acquaintance and agent reduced the price of a waterfront second home by $500,000.
10 years ago
New reverse mortgage ‘review’ timeline pushed back
The new prerequisite is a first for reverse mortgages, which had carried no financial qualification requirement since the loans were first offered in 1989.
10 years ago
Referral power: Survey reveals lack of shopping for mortgages
Researchers found that higher-income and younger-aged borrowers were the most likely to gather multiple quotes when shopping for a mortgage.
10 years ago
Real estate will ride three-year wave, new survey predicts
Economists predict that existing home prices will rise through 2017-rising rising 5 percent this year, another 4 percent in 2016, and by 4 percent in 2017.
10 years ago
New to the neighborhood? Test noise at different times
Your dream home could be in a flight path or on an ambulance or fire truck route.
10 years ago
Interest rate hike for June still ‘in play’
June is being viewed as the likely month for the Federal Reserve to start raising rates.
10 years ago
Local prices skyrocket as inventory lags behind intense demand
Disgruntled buyers are dropping out of the market to wait out this cycle only to be replaced by a new wave.
10 years ago
Beyond basic wear and tear: 5 inspection red flags
What repairs should buyers especially be alarmed about that could possibly send them back to the negotiation table?
10 years ago
Spring break: Buyers flock to booming second-home market
Vacation sales in 2014 nearly doubled the combined total of the previous two years.
10 years ago
The waiting game could prove costly in local housing
The inventory of resale and pre-build homes is not expected to recover until summer or fall.
10 years ago
One-quarter of Seattle’s lower-end homes remain ‘underwater’
At the peak of the real estate crisis, more than 15 million homeowners owed more on their mortgages than their homes were worth.
11 years ago
Saints alive! Taking home marketing to a higher level
One legend has it that some European nuns, desperate for additional land in the 1700s, buried statues on their property in order to get the attention of the Big Agent in the Sky.
11 years ago
Best time for open house continues to be 2 p.m. Sunday
The church-going crowd also influence the timing of open houses.
11 years ago
Housing affordability: Detroit, San Francisco at ends of spectrum
San Francisco buyers need 72 percent of their median income to afford a home.
11 years ago
Survey reveals most millennials unaware of closing costs
Most of the adults surveyed said they end up learning about closing costs from their real estate agent or by doing their own research.
11 years ago
Zillow rolls out new search tool targeting agent specialties
Agent Finder includes sales, current listings and reviews for the past 12 months.
11 years ago
Demand is high, so why are builders so cautious?
A new survey by the National Association of Home Builders revealed that two-thirds of builders said their greatest concern for 2015 is the availability of labor.
11 years ago
Plan on writing credit bureau to clear up problem
Washington has specific timelines in which creditors and reporting agencies must act on credit challenges.
11 years ago
Seattle rent hikes unsustainable, up 32 percent since 2009
Seattle, New York and San Jose are among the cities where combined rent growth far exceeds wages, according to the survey.
11 years ago

Appraisers value Seattle homes higher than the owners
Appraisers placed a higher value on Seattle-area homes than the homeowners, according to the February Home Price Perception Index (HPPI) produced by Quicken Loans.11 years ago
‘Fly and Buy’: Some builders pick up travel tab
Travel costs can be applied to the purchase contract if the customer decides to buy.
11 years ago
Favorable weather brings more buyers, higher prices
"The early spring weather has brought a bumper crop of buyers to a market experiencing a drought of listings."
11 years ago
HUD still seeking owners owed mortgage insurance refunds
When homeowners pay off their FHA-insured loan within five years, a portion of the mortgage insurance upfront premium is returned.