Seattle, WA

Good morning! I hope you're well! I was reading in The Seattle Times today about how apartment construction is booming in the Seattle area.

According to Dupre and Scott there are over 20,000 units in the planning stage here in the greater Seattle area. It is a record number that are planned to be built. Everywhere you go in Seattle there are construction cranes putting up apartment towers. It's pretty amazing.

What has led to this unprecedented boom? I think it's a couple of things. One, the apartments are being built in densely urban areas where a lot of young people live and work. With Amazon.com and other companies thriving, there is a need for their younger workers to live close by. Rents are fairly high in these newer buildings but the renter is typically a well paid and educated person.

Two, I think that since the renters of these apartments are young they are also probably unattached. It appears they're not motivated to buy a place for themselves just yet. I'm sure there are also a lot of renters who had the misfortune of losing their home to foreclosure, etc. within the last few years. As most of you are aware these people will need to sit on the sidelines for a few years until they can qualify to buy again.

What I'm wondering is what happens a couple of years hence when all these renters decide it's time to buy. Obviously that will be great news for those of us in the real estate business. And I expect this to come true. Things cycle through as they say. Of course that may mean that a lot of these new apartment towers will be pretty empty. In other words the landlords may run into some trouble unless they can foresee this and start converting their units to condo's.

What are you seeing in your area? I'm curious. Obviously any real estate person who chose to hang their hat in the apartment realm may be killing it. Have a great day!

Buying A Home In Seattle Your Loan Options

Buying a home in Seattle is an important decision. You are going to have to make a lot of choices along the way and one of the most important things you’re going to run into right at the beginning is what kind of mortgage is quite work best for you. A loans officer will let you know about the different mortgages available, but it will ultimately your choice which one you choose.

Fixed-rate loans

These mortgages are the safest type you can get. A lot of people choose to get a fixed-rate mortgage because it gives a lot of stability over the years to come. The rate is fixed on these mortgages which mean that it will never change for the life of the loan. This means that you can go ahead and do some budgeting and planning without having to worry about your mortgage payments going up and down throughout the years.

Adjustable rate mortgage

These mortgages have a rate that adjusts according to the interest rate. You will be offered a lower rate of interest on this type of loan initially, but if rates rise in the future, so will your payments. There is more risk in this type of mortgage, but if you play your cards right and figure that the interest rates are going to go down, you can save money when you are buying a home in Seattle.

Shop around

You will get different rates of interest from different financial institutions. Of course, you’re going to go to the bank you usually deal with first to find out what their rates are and what they can do for you as a loyal customer. What a lot of people do, however, is sign up for mortgage without doing any further shopping around. You should definitely get a few quotes from other sources first. Just because you deal with the bank on a regular basis does not mean that you should necessarily get your mortgage there as well. The bottom line is really how much money you can save by getting the best mortgage deal possible.

Don’t rush into any mortgage choices until you have done your homework and feel totally confident about the decision you’re about to make. You’re going to have this house and mortgage for many years to come, and by taking the time and shopping around first before buying a home in Seattle you may be able to save thousands of dollars in the process.

Related posts:

1. Finding the Right Mortgage When Buying A Home In Seattle (25.2)
2. Bothell Real Estate Mortgages – Understanding the Basics of A Mortgage (17.4)
3. Home Loan – Where do Your Lake Forest Park House Payments Go (15.7)
4. Seattle Mortgage Terms, A Few Basic Mortgage Words You Should Understand (14.9)
5. Why You Should Get A Prequalified Loan To Purchase Seattle Real Estate (13.6)

Dealing With Problem Neighbors in Seattle

At times it seems like people don’t have anything better to do with their time. If you’re trying to sell your house you’re going to have to try to keep your neighbors calm and peaceful during the process. You certainly don’t want them arriving at your door and banging on it with a problem while you have a prospective buyer viewing your home.

Here are a few tips to help keep your neighbor at bay while you are trying to sell your house.

1. Try to reason with them

Although you have probably been trying to reason with them for possibly years, it doesn’t hurt to take another effort. Times change and people do too. Try to have a sensible conversation with your neighbors and don’t bring up any problems that you’ve had in the past. Let them know that you would like to get things resolved before you move away so that you can both start with a clean slate. Sometimes just acknowledging that there has been a problem and letting them know that it could all be over just with an agreement is enough to end everything and start afresh.

2. Talk to your real estate agent

If you can’t get things sorted out with your neighbor talk to your real estate agent about it and let him know that there has been an ongoing problem. He has had many clients in the past with the same issues and may have a few suggestions to offer. In some cases he may even want to talk to them if it looks like they are going to cause a problem for the sale.

3.Dealing With Problem Neighbors in Seattle

If your neighbors are doing something against any local Seattle bylaws you have the right to call and report it. You would use this as a last resort, however, since it can sometimes add to the mounting frustration that you both are feeling.

In some cases just the threat of a phone call will be enough to let your neighbors know that they need to stop their actions. It can be very difficult dealing with problem neighbors, that’s for sure.

When all is said and done, you are going to be moving away from the neighborhood and won’t have to worry about these neighbors again. Keep that in mind while you are trying to sell your Seattle home and trying to keep your neighbors calm.

Related posts:

1. How tо handle difficult neighbors when selling yоur Seattle home (12.5)
2. Coming Up With A Down Payment For Your First Seattle Home (9.6)
3. Coming Up With A Down Payment For Your First Seattle Home (9.6)
4. Understanding Your Seattle Home’s Value (8.2)
5. Tips on how to make your Seattle home stand out from the pack when selling (7.3)

New Queen Anne View Homes For Sale Listing:

1901 Taylor Ave N #PH 6, Seattle 98109

$750,000

Open Today Until 4PM

Spacious penthouse condo in prime Queen Anne location has it all: Massive master suite & huge walk-in closet, 2nd bedroom, spacious office with wall of built-ins. Open floor plan, gas range, cherry cabinets & granite counters. 2 secure parking spots, huge storage room & plentiful storage throughout. Full size laundry, sound system, A/C, hardwoods & skylights.

• 2 Bedrooms
• office
• 2 Baths
• Built in 1999
• 1804 Square feet
• Private Laundry
• Fireplace
• City views
• Mountain views
• Lake Views
• Territorial Views

Big deck with great views of Lake Union & downtown!

Lives like a house in a quiet, green neighborhood with the convenience of downtown! Come see why there are very rarely homes available in The Verandas on Queen Anne!

Listed By Elaine Sandbeck and Mark Osaki of Cooper Jacobs Real Estate

elaine@cooperjacobs.com or mark@cooperjacobs.com

If you would like more information on this amazing Queen Anne View home or other Queen Anne Real Estate, let us know!

• 3146 Portage Bay Place E #L, Seattle 98102:  1 bedroom/1 bath 850 square feet Seattle floating home on Portage Bay. It has one parking space attached which is a rare commodity for houseboats.  Listed for $399,000 and Sold for $350,000:  Built in 1940 and on the market for 30 days.  Here are the public remarks from the MLS:

                                 Floating Home at end of dock w/condo owned moorage. Irresistible price with assigned parking space & storage locker. Value in end dock location. Large sturdy log float, approx 42'x31' Possibilites to do a Re-build to 2 story 18' height. New roof (2+/- yrs) newer treated stringers... last 10 yrs. Cozy cottage style liveable but you will want to do major remodel. Small boat possibility. Community yard & friendly neighbors. Owner of 40 years is ready to move and is making an effort to de-clutter.

• 3146 Portage Bay Place E #M:  1 bedroom/ 1 bath Portage Bay floating home for sale.  Listed at $389,000 and sold in a bidding war for $400,000 .  This was a bank owned Seattle floating home.  Bank owned Seattle floating homes for sale (REO properties) are few and far between so this was an interesting house.  It had been on the market before and was pending but due to the DNR lease renewal pending, the buyers decided to walk allowing a new set of buyers to get a chance at this end of dock floating home.  Because of the sale falling through, the market time was increased at 339 days.   This one had some very Vegas-like touches and was definitely going to need some work, but what a great price for the end of the dock!  Here are the public remarks from the NWMLS listing:

                                  Portage Bay houseboat located at prime ind of dock location. 180 degree views! Relax outdoors on the dock or retreat indoor to the spacious great room with high vaulted ceilings. Cooks kitchen w/ concrete counter-top, gas range and Sub-Zero refrigerator. Master bedroom suite w/ large walk in closet, stone tiled shower with steam feature. Great opportunity to own a prime waterfront home at a reasonable price!

• 3310 Fuhrman Ave E, Seattle 98102:  2+ bedroom/2 bath, Seattle floating home with lots of extras - took a while to sell as it was nestled right between the University Bridge and the Ship Canal Bridge, but had  some amazing views from its end of dock position.  It was listed for $715,000 and sold for $600,000 in 316 days.  Here are the marketing remarks:

No Dues & Own Your Moorage For This Floating Home! Fabulous fee simple Lake Union oasis! Mixed use between residential & C140 Commercial waterfront property: live on the lake & run your biz here, too! 34+ feet of Lake Union End of dock (because it is the dock!!!) waterfrontage with a remodeled 2 bedroom floating home with companion float for kayaks, etc., an additional lakeside cottage, boat slip (+/- 35 feet), and an unheard of 2 off street parking spaces -PLUS a yard! Opportunity knocks!

• 2600 Fairview Av Ct E #HB13, Seattle 98122:  Mallard Cove! If you know about Mallard Cove then you know how coveted Mallard Cove houseboats for sale are!   Built in 1978, this 3/ bedrooms/ 2.25 baths, 1900 square feet, with a market time of 58 days floating home was listed for $995,000 and sold for $950,000. Extras include a fireplace, roof top deck, and the almighty parking.   Here are the public remarks for this beautiful Seattle floating home:

Imagine stepping off your living-room deck for a morning kayak adventure or evening boat cruise – this stunning 3bd, 2.75ba Mallard Cove floating home brings the waterfront to you with moorage included and rare, secured parking for 2 cars. Tie up every toy from yacht to paddle-board and step into the ultimate NW lifestyle. Beautifully remodeled in 2010 with new kitchen, baths, electrical, and plumbing. Three sun decks plus an enormous roof-top entertainment deck with 180° lake & mountain views.