More than just $8,000 tax credit, there's more...

The Federal tax credit has been extended for first time home buyers until April 30, 2010 and now buyers who already own homes can now claim $6,500 if they owned their current residence for at least five years! as long as they close by June 30, 2010.

12 Steps to Home Ownership

1) Find a Real Estate Professional: They are paid by the Homeowner, not you! that means a free service for you.Utilize their services to help you avoid the pitfalls, help with negotiations that won't give away your strategy and do all the legal paperwork involved with buying a home.

2) Talk to a Lender for Pre-Approval: This determines your comfortable loan limit that can maximize what loan you want to pay for the term of your homeownership.

3) Look at Homes: Ask Sonny Kwan to sign you up for his free property tracker system which sends you emails of any property that goes on the market (the same time agents see them)

4 Write up an Offer: Sonny will give you the best advice on how much to offer the seller since he/she knows that real estate market better than anyone else.

5) Negotiations: Sonny will help you get the most out of the presentation of your offer.

6) Earnest Money: Be prepared to write a earnest money check to the escrow company you choose so that the offer looks appealing to the homeowner.

7) Home Inspection: This is highly advised, this will determine if there are any major defects to the property. ie. cracked foundations or roof leaks. About $400 paid by you.

8) Open Escrow / Order Title: The escrow company will handle the paperwork between you and the homeowner without you or them ever meeting. The title company will look over the title to the property to make sure there are not any defects to the title.

9) Appraisal: The bank wants to ensure that the home you made an offer on is priced accordingly. You may need to pay up front, depending on the bank.

10) Obtain Homeowner Insurance: Make certain this home can be insured, in most cases, premiums may be much higher on risky investments.

11) Do a Final Walk Through: usually 3 days before you sign paperwork at escrow. Sonny Kwan will address any serious issues before closing.

12) Sign Loan papers, Close Escrow and Take Possession: Your property deed, seller re-conveyance and deed of trust will be filed and recorded with the county. then you are a new homeowner! Congratulations!!

This entire process takes 45 - 60 days, so start looking now to beat the April 30th 2010 deadline!

© 2009 By Sonny Kwan All Rights Reserved

Twilight New Moon Midnight Showings in Seattle: Both Pacific Place & Cinerama are offering 12:01 AM showings of the latest in the Twilight Saga: New Moon. Other Seattle theatres offering midnight shows? Neptune in Wallingford, Thornton Place, Uptown 3, Majestic Bay in Ballard, Columbia City Cinema, Lincoln Square in Bellevue, Factoria 8, and Regal Crossroads.

My New Moon adventure: Mommy/daughter get away. I personally will be taking my little preteen to the prescreening show at 9:30 tonight at Pacific Place which was free through a Nordstrom promotion. We got some really cool keepsake lanyards and hopefully will get decent seats.

The Twilight New Moon movie is 2 hours and 10 minutes so be prepared to sleep in tomorrow if you want to join in, but also call ahead because I heard it might be sold out!!

Seattle Showings of New Moon:

http://www.google.com/movies?hl=en&near=pacific+place+seattle&dq=new+moon+pacific+place+seattle&sort=1&mid=1c34a797df83a177&ei=hJoFS9XlNJXUM9PywbEK&sa=X&oi=showtimes&ct=movie-link&cd=1&ved=0CAwQwAMoBA

Photo taken with a Nikon D40X 18-55mm by Sonny Kwan Realtor® with John L Scott Real Estate Seattle, WA, All information is believed to be accurate, but is not warranted in any way. Visit my website www.seattleidx.com to search all homes on the internet or contact me for a referral of a great agent in your area!

© 2009 By Sonny Kwan All Rights Reserved

These are just a few events in Seattle you may enjoy from now until the Thanksgiving day.

Free Santa Pictures and Toy Drive

When: from November 19th, 09 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Pictures taken on November 19th, December 3rd and 10th

Where: Quality Inn & Suites in Seattle

618 John St
Seattle, WA 98109

Contact phone: 206-728-7666 ext. 600

Central Library Architecture Tour

When: November 20th, 09; 12 p.m. – 1 p.m.

Where: Central Library

1000 4th Ave
Seattle, WA 98104

Cost: Free

Savor Seattle Pike Place: Off the Beaten Path Tour

When: November 20th, 21st, 09; 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Registration required

Where: World Spice Merchants

1509 Western Ave
Seattle, WA 98101

Cost: $41

Contact phone: 1-888-987-2867

For more info, click here.

Gage Guest Lecture: Artist and Author: Lessons in Landscape

When: November 20th, 09; 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Where: Gage Academy of Art

1501 10th Ave E
Seattle, WA 98102

Cost: Free

Seattle Pub Crawl

When: November 20th, 09 (call for other dates); 7 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Where: starts at The Pike Brewing Co.

1415 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98101

Cost: $25 Advance/ $28 Walkup

Contact phone: 1-800-838-3006

For more information click here.

Magnolia Village Tree Lighting

When: November 20th, 09; 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Where: Magnolia Garden Center

3213 W Smith St
Seattle, WA 98199

Cost: Free

Holiday Dinner Cruise of Seattle Lakes

When: November 20th, 21st, 09; 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Where: Waterways Cruises and Events

2501 N Northlake Way
Seattle, WA 98103

Cost: $54.95/adult, $24.95/children (ages 5-11) – Registration required

Contact phone: 206-223-2060

Michael Tomplinson: Thanksgiving Concert

When: November 20th, 09; 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. A free pre-concert reception at 7:00 p.m.

Where: Great Hall, enter on 8th Ave

Cost: $25 at www.brownpapertickets.com

Contact phone: 1-800-838-3006

For more information visit www.michaeltomlinson.com

Friends of the Seattle Public Library Holiday Sale at Warren G. Magnuson Park

When: November 21st, 09; 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Where: Warren G. Magnuson Park

7400 Sand Point Way NE Building No. 30
Seattle, WA 98115

Cost: most books sell for $1

Yulefest

When: November 21st, 22nd, 09; 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Where: Nordic Heritage museum

3014 NW 67th St
Seattle, WA 98117

Cost: Suggested donation is $3/adult, $1/child under 12, children under 3 – free admission

Brunch Cruise of Seattle Lakes

When: November 22nd; 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Where: Waterways Cruises and Events

2501 N Northlake Way
Seattle, WA 98103

Cost: $39.95/adult, $35.95 Senior and Military, $16.95/child (ages 5-11) – Registration required

Contact phone: 206-223-2060

Festival of Trees Celebration

When: November 22nd, 09; 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Dinner at 5:30 p.m.

Where: Fairmont Olympic Hotel

411 University St
Seattle, WA 98101

Cost: $72/adult, $33/child. Free admission includes refreshments, music and entertainment

More information: http://www.seattlefestivaloftrees.com/

Teddy Bear Suite and more at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel

When: November 25th – December 26th , 09; 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Where: Fairmont Olympic Hotel

411 University St
Seattle, WA 98101

Contact phone: 206-621-1700

Don’t forget to visit Savor Seattle tours mentioned in earlier blog posts.

Source:

www.seattle.gov

Coffee shop in Belltown Seattle Washington

(206) 910-2300 2231 Second Avenue Seattle, Washington

When you walk into this quaint coffee shop located in Belltown Seattle the first thing you see is the unique red serving counter. You are greeted not by an employee but by the owners themselves who will then take your order and make your coffee themselves.

If you are a coffee addict as I am (and a self proclaimed connoisseur and expert) then you know that not all coffee shops are made the same. Lavender and Rose Mocha(free of thorns) are some of the specialty drinks that you may delight in.

The owners of the shop Ben, Jesse and Chris have a secret (don’t they all) roast whose origins they would defend with their lives. The entire inside of this coffee shop is littered by local artists displaying seattle’s diversity. All the art is of course for sale (so buy some they are starving).

Once you grab this home brewed gourmet coffee relax by the window and watch people walk by or get cozy in a comfortable leather couch.

This shop in Belltown also has tables and free wifi for those students that require coffee to complete their overdue homework. Or work on that soon to be famous novel that you will never really finish.

As you close your laptop that you where really just pretending to use anyway, you can grab a board game and be social! Clue, Quelf, game of life and Risk are some of the entertaining games available.

In this most illustrious Belltown Coffee Shop you may grab a cupcake (you can work it off later) and a danish made by locals. Their are many other shops around that you may frequent (ok I mean bars where you can get drunk).

Bedlam is open untill 3:00 in the morning on friday and Saturday for all you drunks that need to sober up before you drive home.

So if your in the area or want to poke your head into some seattle culture then for the love of god stop by Bedlam Coffee Shop located in Belltown Seattle, WA