About Snohomish County, WA

An article in the Seattle Times reported that for October 2009, the Washington state unemployment rate was 9.3%. If you factor in the underemployed-people who have stopped looking for work, people who work part time, but would rather work full time-you arrive at a unemployed, underemployed rate of 16%.

Here are some unemployment figures for Washington state, King and Snohomish counties.

• Washington state unemployment for October 2009---9.3%
• King county unemployment for October 2009---8.7%
• Snohomish county unemployment for October 2009---10.2%

In October 2008, the Washington state unemployment rate was 6.3%. IHS Global Insight, a consulting and forecasting firm predicts that Washngton state won't return to it's peak employment rate until 2012. juju.com, a job search site, recently ranked Seattle 20th out of 50 metro. areas in terms of job hunting ease.

If you can handle the uncertainty of the job market, the present time is an excellent time to buy residential real estate in the Seattle metropolitan area. The factors making this an excellent time to buy are: 1) record low 30 year fixed interest rates of approx. 4.9%, 2) Prices on properties that are 30% lower than they were 3 years ago 3) Attractive tax credits of up to $8000 and $6500 from the U.S. Gov't for qualifying purchasers 4) Sellers willing to contribute toward buyers closing costs.

I am also offering some excellent buyer bonuses. For details go to my website www.davidsundquist.com

To search for homes in the Seattle metropolitan area using a state of the art search engine clik on: www.homes2profit.com

What's one change or tweak you could make in your business that would have a lasting impact or explosive change in your production right now?

Market Conditions improving is not a good answer. We have no control over market conditions but you do have control over your actions in your business. So what change will you make?

Please repsond and be creative. More importantly, have fun with it.

Not surprising to me HUD is going to put a 120 day 'enforcement' delay for the new Good Faith Estimate and HUD-1 roll out scheduled for Jan. 01, 2010. What a mess. What a disaster. This photo depicts perfectly how our government (the big guy - Oliver Hardy) and HUD (the skinny -Stan Laurel) are managing this little thing we call a financial calamity. Recovery my (Fill in blank).

HUD always has a scandal each administration costing millions or billions (depending upon how many years you include). Inexplicably they eliminated the down payment assistance program thinking a down payment would solve this economic calamity. BIG thinking.

So here the nation of lenders wait to see what's next. How are the investors going to react. Some lenders may require us to use the new form. Others may not. How will the consumer navigate through this?

ME of course and my fellow mortgage professionals. As usual although always made out to be the villain it is up to us to interpret as best we can the mess handed down to us by the idiots, the knuckleheads, the "intellectuals" - congress & HUD.

We are the ones picking up the pieces to try and make sense of the non-sense. We are the receivers of funny looks from the consumer asking us - WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS OR THAT - glaring at us like WE are the crazy ones!

AMERICA -WE did not make this up....this is Barney Frank, Chris Dodd - both sides of the political spectrum- brilliance is coming out from all corners.

The consumer is getting nothing. The consumer cost is increasing - will increase and continues to get more expensive. After getting reamed at the financing table because of the 'new' regulation the consumer will have to pay more taxes to cover the bureaucratic tape that goes with it.

I'm in a bad mood.

I wish us all well.

If you were one of the activists that mailed in the online petition supporting the elimination of HVCC the day in court is coming soon.

A group will be delivering the petitions to one of the enemies of the consumer and our industry - the attorney general of New York - Mr. Cuomo maybe as early as this week. His office has been contacted and we will see how they respond.

See previous blog about its history and BS that fly's around this issue.

You want government to do what? The failure of HVCC appraisal

It continues to baffle me why the Honrable Mr. Cuomo does not go after the real villian in this and that is Wall Street. Oops I forgot that's where he will be getting his campaign donations for future political asperations...what was I thinking!

I wish us all well.

Here is a link to an excellent website published by the National Association of Home Builders about frequently asked questions about the Move-Up/Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credit. click here to view: http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/faq2.php

Not only can you now get an unprecedented tax credit, but you can also get excellent buyer bonuses if you purchase your property through David's team. If you qualify for the credit and you want to search property on the finest real estate search engine in the Seattle metro. area, just click here: www.homes2profit.com