Found this article on www.wsj.com and thought the findings were interesting; although in the state of WA negative equity is not a "hardship" for a short sale, many other things are most of these situations are in a negative equity position.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124657539489189043.html#

From my stand point here in the Tacoma area, this is only going to worse before it gets better.

No one can predict the future, but when a city the size of Tacoma, (often in the shadow of larger northwest cities when it comes to real estate reporting) is declared the best bet for price appreciation from 2008-2013, it's hard not to be flattered and excited. This report was put out by Moodys based on information in the Case-Shiller Index.

10 Best Markets:

10 Worst Markets:

Source: Fiserv, Moody’s Economy.com I live in Tacoma and I love this city. Nothing would make me happier than seeing that kind of appreciation. Regardless of how much stock you put in the Case-Shiller Index, it's great to see good things said about Tacoma. Go back and look, I didn't see the word "Seattle" anywhere in that article...

For Discussion check out Exit133.

Via @GetRealTacoma & @SustainableMBA

By Steve Sloboda · June 21, 2009

The $300K price point in the Tacoma-Pierce County area has become one of the most popular ranges to buy or sell.

Finding a home in "turn-key" condition in this area was recently very hard to do. Since prices have come down there are now many good options available. Finding a 3 bedroom 2 bath home with a nice yard and a garage for around $300K is no longer a crazy request.

In a recent search I was able to find 10 - 15 really nice homes in DuPont, University Place, Lakewood, and Fircrest right at the $300K mark. Even Steilacoom has some affordable options these days. These homes were on the market for an average of 75 days and all started out asking around $320K. In the last two years it is safe to say that these homes would have started out asking around $350K and would have easily sold for more than $320K.

What this means is many people can get much more for their money. Also, these homes have demonstrated their ability to sell in higher price points with different market conditions. When that climate returns your investment will grow with it.

I've noticed many properties that were on the market last year for $340K plus are now being listed at the $300K number. Nobody knows when the market hits bottom...It actually might have already happened....The market will display its bottom only after it truly hits and is back on the rise. Consumers will see this trend and learn the market bottom behind them. We have seen homes in this area sell for more than they are listed for now. Buying at this time will allow you the opportunity to be ahead of the curve. What was unattainable as little as 1-year ago is now a reality for many people taking advantage of this current real estate market.

Steve Sloboda is Associate Broker at Windermere Real Estate/Paragon Co. in the University Place office. Steve lives in the Oakbrook neighborhood of Lakewood with his wife Amity, and their two young children. For more information or to contact Steve direct please go to www.stevesloboda.com.

www.FHAHOMELOANSTACOMA.COM

Financing a home with a FHA mortgage in Tacoma can be a challenge if the seller has recently acquired the property. Due to the large number of foreclosures and short sales, you may come across homes where the owner of the property has only owned the home for a short time. In this case, if you are planning to finance the purchase with an FHA LOAN, you will have to wait 90 days before you can enter into a purchase and sale agreement to purchase the property.

Hud has recently made some exemptions to this 90 Day rule. Below are the exceptions:

* HUD Repo's
* Owned by Federal, State or Local Governments Agencies
* Owned by State of Federally Charted Financial Institutions
* GSE owned Fannie and Freddie Mac
* Inherited Properties
* Employer owned from employee transfers
* Non-Profits on HUD's approved list to purchase REOs at a discount
* Properties in a designated federal disaster area
* Builder selling newly built home
* Foreclosed, or Mortgagee (Lender) "acquired" properties

**Any title change to the property in the proceeding 90 days will trigger the 90 day rule. Examples: Seller transfer the property to a LLC, Seller creating a revocable living trust, Seller transferring the property to a living trust, and quit claim deed transfers.

TIP: Request a copy of the ownership record, preliminary title, or any other document to show how long the owner has owned the property before making a offer to purchase the property.

If you do have to wait for the 90 day period to expire, keep in mind you may be subject to higher interest rates in the future and may no longer qualify for the home.

For more information on this topic, Call Tacoma's #1 Mortgage Expert - Kevin Tinsley at (253) 472-1500 or visit us on-line at www.alltechmortgage.com or www.fhaloanstacoma.com

The Right Partnerships Can Mean The World To You!

Harry was a candy maker. He had a little shop off Pacific Avenue in Downtown Tacoma where he offered a wide array of chocolates and taffies and hard-candy sugary sweets. Business was good for Harry and he enjoyed a loyal following and a fine reputation by offering excellent quality products, fair prices, and friendly service.

J.C. was a spice salesman. His job involved calling on restaurants and grocery stores to introduce them to exotic imported spices like cinnamon from Asia, cardamom from the tropics, and nutmeg from India. Business was good and he enjoyed offering his customers new ideas and solutions that they didn't know existed.

The year was 1908 when Harry and J.C. met in church one Sunday morning and almost immediately became friends. Over the next four years Harry continued to run his candy shop and J.C. continued to sell his spices, and both continued to enjoy business success. There was really no reason for either of them to change, but as their friendship deepened, they began to see possibilities in joining forces.

J.C. loved Harry's chocolates and was a frequent visitor to his shop. Harry was impressed with J.C.'s work ethic and his ability to provide his clients with timely service and innovative ideas. It was late 1911 when they began to seriously consider joining forces. The global economy was becoming chaotic and unstable as the world was heading towards a great war, and J.C. was constantly struggling with supply chain interruptions and wild pricing swings when he could get product for his clients.

So in 1912, he approached Harry with a partnership idea. Could Harry create a single, unique candy that J.C. could sell door to door? Like, maybe take one of Harry's most popular little candies and make it bigger to be sold as a stand-alone product? Inspired by the view of a majestic mountain out the window of the candy shop, Harry created the "Mt. Tacoma Bar", a big ugly blob of chocolate and nuts with a white creamy filling, and J.C. took it to the streets.

(In Sales, this is known as a U.S.P. - a Unique Selling Proposition)

As the build-up to America's entry into what would be later called "World War I" started filling Camp Lewis with thousand's of GI's training for oversees missions, J.C. would haul wagon after wagon of Harry's Mt. Tacoma Bars to Camp Lewis where he found an eager audience with a large appetite and disposable cash.

This was the beginning of the (Harry L.) Brown & (J.C.) Haley candy company legacy. Brown & Haley products today are sold in over 50 countries around the world. Most famous now for their pink-tinned (sorry, packed in bags isn't nearly as cool as the round pink tins) Almond Roca candies, my favorite product is still the original "Mountain Bar" - that ugly cream-filled chocolate nut-blob.

The lesson is: Harry made great candy. J.C. was a great salesman. Separately, they were both successful. But together, their partnership opened up the world to them. Just like your business having the right partnerships can mean the world to you too and help you create Your Legacy!

Do you have good partnerships in your business? Do these partners add a new dimension to what you do? Do they allow you to reach business you couldn't reach otherwise?

If your current partners are just "along for the ride" and aren't adding value or expanding your opportunities, are they the best partners for you? Or have you stopped looking for better partners because you think, "Business is good and this is all there is for me".

Harry and J.C. could have felt that way too - and I would have had to live my life without Mountain Bars. And that is not the kind of life I want to live (Okay, a bit dramatic, even for me...)

Chocolate Photo by: Elin B

Almond Roca Photo by: rynosoft