Blog August 9, 2013

Which US Cities have the lowest Closing Costs?

Washington’s closing costs among lowest in U.S.

As mortgage rates slowly increase, so do loan origination fees. USA Today reports that loan-origination and other fees went up 6 percent in the last year to a national average of $2,402 on a $200,000 single-family mortgage loan to a customer with stellar credit and 20 percent down, based on data from Bankrate.com. The reason for the bankloanparallel rise in rates and fees is two-fold. First, higher rates mean less profit on the money loaned. To compensate for the loss in profit, lenders attempt to make up the difference in fees. Second, the work required in underwriting loans is greater today than it has been in the past, thereby increasing costs. Bankrate’s 2013 survey indicates that Hawaii averages the highest closing costs at $2,912 for a mortgage of $200,000 (excluding taxes, title fees, property insurance, association fees, interest, and other prepaid items). In contrast, Washington has one of the lowest in the nation at $2,208. – See more at: http://dustinkeeth.info/#sthash.LtCW2P5e.dpuf

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Blog July 26, 2013

Do you want a front porch? The front porch is a gateway to memories

The front porch is a vestige of an older, simpler way of life when families sat outside and neighbors visited with one another. Once a place for relaxation, the front porch faded in popularity due to an evolving modern life that brought about air conditioning and backyard decks, according to www.houzz.com. But the architectural feature is making a strong comeback.





There’s no easier way to add square footage to your home than to maximize the transition areas outside your property. Households can utilize the porch for additional entertaining space or for solitude. Need some inspiration? Check out Better Homes and Gardens for style ideas.




Diane Foreman, a design consultant with Neil Kelly Co. notes that the porch is, at minimum, a transitional space between the home’s exterior and interior. But the porch is also a holding place of “intangibles,” sensory experiences and memories about childhood, grandparents, and neighbors.





Seattle Times writer Tyrone Beason sums it up this way:





“The duality of the front porch is intriguing. It is a part of the house and yet it is a part of the streetscape. It is a private space but, then again, there’s nothing private about it. You can watch the world go by there — but the world can also watch you.”





Beason reminds us that a well used and aesthetically appealing front porch adds valuable space to homeowners and curb appeal to the home, which can increase the overall value of the property.

For more information on Burien Real Estate




– See more at: http://dustinkeeth.info/2013/07/24/the-front-porch-is-a-gateway-to-memories/#sthash.Fpaw15bM.dpuf


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Blog July 2, 2012

Seattle’s Great Wheel

Photograph by Ellen M. Banner, The Seattle Times Seattle’s newest tourist landmark opened on Friday, June 29, at Pier 57. The Great Wheel towers at 175 feet, weighs 280,300 pounds, and holds 42 climate-controlled gondolas.

Blog June 22, 2012

Seattle’s condo market is simmering

The Seattle condo market is making a comeback, reports the Seattle Times . Among the 2,500 new condos built by developers throughout downtown, Belltown, Lower Queen Anne and South Lake Union, only 250 remain on the market, according to county records.

Blog June 12, 2012

Americans are moving to Seattle, Bellevue, and Everett

The Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area ranks No. 4 on Yahoo Real Estate’s hot metro areas  for relocation. The number of inbound shipments from January to March of 2012, tracked by the American Moving and Storage Association, indicates that individuals and families are moving to the Emerald State in high numbers. “Seattle’s economy is based on innovation, and information technology is an enormous industry in Seattle,” according to Yahoo

BlogUncategorized May 30, 2012

Real estate on the radio

The Seattle metro area welcomes a new radio show to its airwaves. “Real Estate Radio Northwest,” co-hosted by Carolyn Frame and Nick Neal, premiered on Money Radio 1300 AM KKOL on May 5th and will air Saturdays from 2 – 3 p.m.

Blog May 11, 2012

Seattle touts job growth and sustainability

Seattle ranked fifth in the nation for job growth during the period between January 2011 and January 2012, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal . Washington state was fifteenth in the nation. The W.P

BlogUncategorized May 4, 2012

Housing news for April

Housing prices for King County in the month of April were strong, and inventory was down 37 percent from one year ago, reports  the Seattle Times   based on data released by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. The median house price in King County went up to $360,000, which is 9 percent better than last month and about 3 percent higher than April 2011. Snohomish County’s median house price jumped to $255,502, which is almost 10 percent better than a year ago. A total of 741 homes were sold, 25 percent more than the number closed in April 2011.