Edmonds, 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

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

Here's a 3-minute cartoon video on closing costs and how they work. When inquiring about home mortgages, be sure to ask your lender for a "Good Faith Estimate" which outlines your likely costs when buying a home - be it a condo, townhouse, or detached single family house.

Drop me a line if you have questions (none are too dumb to ask!) or want a referral to some very trustworthy people.

Hey buyers, do you qualify for down payment assistance? Real estate prices - and especially those in areas like Edmonds - are still pretty healthy. In fact, the average home price in Edmonds for 2009 so far is $389,500.

The homebuyer downpayment assistance program is available to teachers, public employees, veterans, folks with disabilities, and more. Check out this 3-minute video for an overview and let me know if you have any questions.

The present real estate market offers buyers the opportunity to receive some excellent bonuses. Buyers who have not owned a property in the last 3 years can get the $8000 tax credit, which is good for purchases written and accepted before April 30, 2010 and closed by June 30, 2010. Also, in the present market I am seeing sellers willingly contributing THOUSANDS of dollars toward buyers closing costs. I am also seeing builders contributing THOUSANDS toward buyers closing costs and, or interest rate buy downs.

For my own clients, if I cannot get the seller to contribute at least $1200 toward my buying clients closing costs, then I contribute the $1200 toward their closing costs. Also, I give every buyer a "Standard One Year Home Owner Warranty" at closing. This policy pays for repairs to covered systems and appliances that may break during the first year my client owns the property.

All told, it is a great time to buy residential real estate in the Seattle metropolitan area. If you want to see for yourself the types of real estate values the Seattle metro. area has to offer just click the following linK: www.homes2profit.com This is the finest property search tool availalble. If you see a property of interest and you want more information, or to schedule an appointment to view the property, just click the button e-mail agent. For more details about my bonuses for buyers go to my website www.davidsundquist.com