Bellevue's Blog

Increasingly, we've realized that there is something magical about looking at a house that you may want to buy and make your own. When a home looks right, when it strikes you from the first moment you enter the door, your mind almost inevitably begins to imagine how your belongings, your furnitu...

On July 30, 2008, the President signed into law the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, a sweeping $300 Billion rescue plan to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure, and to boost confidence in the sluggish housing market. This legislation contains a number of victories for REALTORS...

One of the most critical roles of the WA Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) is informing consumers to potential/active financial threats. The DFI website issues consumer alerts online to through http://www.dfi.wa.gov/. Consumer Alert: Countrywide Financial Corp.Scammers Using Company Nam...

An increasing number of parents of college-bound offspring are purchasing a condo or small house in the area of the college for their student's residence while attending the college or university.  In some cases, it appears to be more cost-effective than paying for room and board in a dorm.  The...

PSE is starting a major natural gas pipeline project in Downtown Bellevue on Monday, August 4th.  There will be some roads closures and, we can definitely expect some traffic delays.  The project will start at the intersection of 110th Ave NE and NE 10th.  Starting at 5:00am on Wednesday, August...

When I first wrote about the new distressed property law last month, there were grumblings within the industry about the ancillary affects to Realtors. Judging from yesterday's article in the Seattle Times, there is  room for debate on the specifics of the new law. "It adds rules for transaction...

It's amazing to see all the new construction or conversion condominium projects either underway, being planned or recently completed in downtown Bellevue! More and more buyers are "getting on the bandwagon" and pre-registering for a chance to live the luxury condominium lifestyle 1-2+ years from...

  These graphs will present no surprise for anyone following the Bellevue market. Nonetheless, it's helpful to quantify trends and present comparative analysis. The last three months show a particularly disconcerting trend of increase inventory and decrease in number sold. This next graph is part...

  After many years of rapidly rising home prices, home construction starts are now at the lowest level in the past fourteen years.  Foreclosures are on the rise.  Inventories of available homes are at a very high volume.  Housing prices are declining in many markets, and stable in virtually all o...

Financial advisors in our newspapers and magazines love to write about this subject, suggesting that we buy when sellers are willing to negotiate, when interest rates are low, when others are buying, etc., etc. The reality is that there is no ideal time-in the abstract-to buy your home. The best...