Real Estate January 15, 2014

What it Cost if You Waited to Buy

With a rise in interest rates on the horizon. How will your Buyer's Purchasing Power be impacted?

If you have questions about mortgage rates, give us a call text or email or contact one of our premier lenders listed below.

-Steve and Sandra

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate/FN
Seattle-Northwest
122502 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle WA 98133
call/text: 206-769-9577
email: stevehill@windermere.com

Check out these useful Home Search Apps:

Windermere for iPad
Windermere for Android

Check out these useful links:

BrennerHill.com
Best In Client Satisfaction
Seattle Real Estate Statistics
Windermere Housing Trends Newsletter

Our Preferred Lenders

George Runnels
Washington First Mortgage
WaFirstMortgage.com
call/text: 206-604-4545

Jackie Murphy
Cobalt Mortgage
CobaltMortgage.com
call/text: 425-260-6834

Real Estate January 14, 2014

New Year’s Savings Resolutions for Homeowners

Saving money is often one of the most common New Year’s resolutions. And since owning a home is easily one of the biggest expenses the average person will have in their lifetime, saving money around the home is crucial. Even for those who are able to pay off their mortgage, the cost of annual maintenance – plus the little luxuries we tack on – can really add up. In order to save some money this upcoming year on home-related expenditures, consider these steps:

Refinance. Interest rates are low right now, so take a look at your current mortgage and assess if it would be wise to refinance. Cutting even $100 from your monthly mortgage payment will mean huge savings over the life of your loan. Be sure to understand the terms of the refinance, as sometimes the cost to refinance does not outweigh the savings.

Shop your homeowners insurance. We often overlook the cost of homeowners insurance because it is escrowed and paid as part of our monthly mortgage payment. However, you could be greatly overpaying for homeowners insurance, which would increase your monthly mortgage payment unnecessarily. While you’re at it, ask your home insurance agent to package in your car insurance policy to get additional discounts, typically up to 20%.

Reduce energy waste. Take a look at your monthly energy bills to see how much energy you are really using each month. Make efforts to reduce energy usage in the winter cold and summer heat by properly sealing windows and doors that could be susceptible to drafts. Set your thermostat a few degrees cooler during the day when no one is home to save on unnecessary heating and cooling.

Skim down your cable, phone and Internet. Oftentimes, when homeowners set up their television, Internet and home phone service they get talked into a bigger package than they need. Do you really need the fastest Internet speed? How many of those 245 television channels do you actually watch? See if you can save yourself a few hundred dollars a year by downgrading your service package.

Get smart at the grocery store. We often think of our food costs as a necessity- therefore, we justify the expense. However, a little bit of frugality can go a long way when you’re working the aisles at your local market. Get in the habit of clipping coupons and checking the sale papers to make some smart food shopping choices.

We hope these ideas inspire you to save more money in the coming year!

-Steve and Sandra

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate/FN
Seattle-Northwest
122502 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle WA 98133
call/text: 206-769-9577
email: stevehill@windermere.com

Check out these useful Home Search Apps:

Windermere for iPad
Windermere for Android

Check out these useful links:

BrennerHill.com
Best In Client Satisfaction
Seattle Real Estate Statistics
Windermere Housing Trends Newsletter

Our Preferred Lenders

George Runnels
Washington First Mortgage
WaFirstMortgage.com
call/text: 206-604-4545

Jackie Murphy
Cobalt Mortgage
CobaltMortgage.com
call/text: 425-260-6834

Seattle Real Estate January 13, 2014

The #1 Reason You Should Sell Your Seattle Area Home Now!

The price of any item (including residential real estate) is determined by ‘supply and demand’. If many people are looking to buy an item and the supply of that item is limited, the price of that item increases.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the supply of homes for sale dramatically increases every spring. Putting your home on the market now instead of waiting for the increased competition of the spring might make a lot of sense.

Buyers in the market during the winter months are truly motivated purchasers. They want to buy now. With limited inventory available in most markets currently, a seller will be in a great position to negotiate.

If you are considering selling your home, give us a call, text or email and let us help you sell you home quickly and most importantly, for top dollar!

-Steve and Sandra

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate/FN
Seattle-Northwest
122502 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle WA 98133
call/text: 206-769-9577
email: stevehill@windermere.com

Check out these useful Home Search Apps:

Windermere for iPad
Windermere for Android

Check out these useful links:

BrennerHill.com
Best In Client Satisfaction
Seattle Real Estate Statistics
Windermere Housing Trends Newsletter

Our Preferred Lenders

George Runnels
Washington First Mortgage
WaFirstMortgage.com
call/text: 206-604-4545

Jackie Murphy
Cobalt Mortgage
CobaltMortgage.com
call/text: 425-260-6834

Seattle Home for Sale January 12, 2014

Luxurious Seattle Triplex For Sale

1524 14th Ave S
Seattle WA 98144

OPEN SUNDAY 1PM-4PM

A rare opportunity to own a luxury multifamily building near downtown Seattle. Valentine Terrace is a boutique community of just three homes featuring the finest quality and finishes. Each of these unique homes has a private outdoor entry, instant H20, gas fireplace and sound resistant flooring. The homes are highlighted by granite slab counters, stainless appliances, recessed lighting, marble tile, crown molding, hi-tech cabling and surround sound. Off street parking and individual storage.

Online at ExclusivelySeattle.com

For more information or a private preview of this property, give us a call, text or email.

-Steve and Sandra

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate/FN
Seattle-Northwest
122502 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle WA 98133
call/text: 206-769-9577
email: stevehill@windermere.com

Check out these useful Home Search Apps:

Windermere for iPad
Windermere for Android

Check out these useful links:

BrennerHill.com
Best In Client Satisfaction
Seattle Real Estate Statistics
Windermere Housing Trends Newsletter

Our Preferred Lenders

George Runnels
Washington First Mortgage
WaFirstMortgage.com
call/text: 206-604-4545

Jackie Murphy
Cobalt Mortgage
CobaltMortgage.com
call/text: 425-260-6834

Real Estate January 11, 2014

Can a Real Estate Broker Keep a Buyer’s Offer Confidential?

Scenario:  You are the Buyers Broker.  You and your broker want the listing broker to keep the terms of the buyer's offer confidential.  You ask your broker to take buyers offer, put it in an envelope and you seal it, marking it "Confidential-Not to be shared with competing buyers".  Are the terms of that offer now confidential?  Is listing broker or seller prohibited from sharing the terms of your buyer's offer with competing buyers?

Check out the answer HERE.

Give us a call, text or email with any of your real estate related questions.

-Steve and Sandra

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate/FN
Seattle-Northwest
122502 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle WA 98133
call/text: 206-769-9577
email: stevehill@windermere.com

Check out these useful Home Search Apps:

Windermere for iPad
Windermere for Android

Check out these useful links:

BrennerHill.com
Best In Client Satisfaction
Seattle Real Estate Statistics
Windermere Housing Trends Newsletter

Our Preferred Lenders

George Runnels
Washington First Mortgage
WaFirstMortgage.com
call/text: 206-604-4545

Jackie Murphy
Cobalt Mortgage
CobaltMortgage.com
call/text: 425-260-6834

 

Real Estate January 10, 2014

Real Estate in 2014: A Need-to-Know Guide

By Christina Couch, The Fiscal Times

After year of struggles, the housing market roared back to life in 2013. The rebound will continue in 2014, but the pace will slow.

Experts say 2014 will be a year of continued growth and stabilization in the housing market with rising home prices, fewer foreclosures and greater activity among underwater homeowners. But this year’s market faces strong headwinds as inventory remains tight and both homebuyers and builders face tough lending standards.

To buy a home in today’s market, you either need impeccable credit or the ability to make an all-cash purchase. The average FICO credit score on conventional loans used to purchase homes in November 2013 was 756, according to the most recent data from Ellie Mae, a company that produces mortgage underwriting software. The average score for denied applications was 729.

"To put that in perspective, the normal average acceptance score historically is around 720," says Walter Molony, a spokesman for the National Association of Realtors (NAR). "Right now, the average rejection score is now what the acceptance score was historically."

Don’t expect credit standards to ease up any time soon. This month, new Dodd-Frank regulations aimed at preventing risky borrowers and equally risky mortgage products from entering the market take effect. The new changes require lenders to closely evaluate such factors as a borrower's debt-to-income ratio, employment status, income, assets and credit history before underwriting a loan.

Home Prices Continue to Climb
In addition to tight credit, rising interest rates and home prices may discourage buyers from purchasing in 2014, says Jed Kolko, chief economist for Trulia.com, the real estate site.  Average 30-year mortgage rates bounced from 3.34 percent last January to their current 4.48 percent rate, with many expecting further increases of up to a full percentage point in the New Year. Home prices nationwide have risen 11.2 percent on average over the past year, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller home price index. Sunbelt cities in places like California and Arizona have seen home values surge in excess of 20 percent.

While it remains a sellers’ market, price gains aren’t all bad news for buyers. First-timers may be discouraged, but increasing prices are music to the ears of current owners, many of whom are watching their formerly underwater homes gain value. More than 85 percent of homeowners with a mortgage in the second quarter have some equity in their home, up from less than 75 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to CoreLogic.

"We saw a period where the first-time buyer was sort of a driving force," says Robert Denk, senior economist for the National Association of Home Builders. "We expect that to reverse….  As house prices rise, as fewer mortgages are under water, that should bring the more established [buyers], the trade-up market, back to some degree."

How much the housing market bounces back in 2014 also depends on construction activity. With builders still fiscally cautious and facing the same tight lending environment as buyers, expect a small increase in the number of new homes on the market. As buyer demand picks up, the pace of new home construction should follow.

"The [housing] bust was basically a five-year period where we produced and sold a fraction of the homes we would see in that normal market," Denk says. "We’re going to see a lot of that pent-up demand turn into realized demand. That will be an important driving force in 2014 and 2015."

Inventory Remains Tight
Still, the gains in demand (and the inventory that follows) will be slow. While total housing inventory declined in both October and November, unsold inventory is currently five percent higher than it was a year ago, according to NAR. The association predicts inventory won't radically accelerate until 2015.

"I think 2014 will be the year when we see that home price appreciation pulls back to more normal, sustainable levels," says Daren Blomquist, vice-president of RealtyTrac.com, a site that aggregates real estate data. Markets that boomed in 2013 will likely scale back to more modest growth in the low double digits, while nationwide growth should average about 4.5 percent, according to Blomquist.

Even with recent gains factored in, most markets are not at risk right now for another housing bubble. Nationally, home prices remained 4 percent undervalued in the third quarter, according to Trulia’s Bubble Watch. Only Orange County, Calif., and Los Angeles are more than 10 percent overvalued, the report finds.

The hottest markets for 2014 won’t be in the big cities. A joint study of more than 1,000 real estate industry experts done by PwC and the Urban Land Institute ranks real estate prospects in smaller secondary markets including Houston, San Jose, Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin above those in larger cities like Chicago, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., where “there's a lot of money chasing a few assets,” says R. Byron Carlock, Jr., PwC national real estate practice leader.

It’s still 35 percent cheaper nationally to buy a home than to rent one, but that doesn’t mean millennials are rushing out to get a mortgage. Just 18 percent of consumers surveyed in September by Credit.com said that buying a house was still their definition of “the American Dream.

For more anwers to your real estate questions, give us a call, text or email!

-Steve and Sandra

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate/FN
Seattle-Northwest
122502 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle WA 98133
call/text: 206-769-9577
email: stevehill@windermere.com

Check out these useful Home Search Apps:

Windermere for iPad
Windermere for Android

Check out these useful links:

BrennerHill.com
Best In Client Satisfaction
Seattle Real Estate Statistics
Windermere Housing Trends Newsletter

Our Preferred Lenders

George Runnels
Washington First Mortgage
WaFirstMortgage.com
call/text: 206-604-4545

Jackie Murphy
Cobalt Mortgage
CobaltMortgage.com
call/text: 425-260-6834

Christina Couch

The Fiscal Times

January 3, 2014

After year of struggles, the housing market roared back to life in 2013. The rebound will continue in 2014, but the pace will slow.

Experts say 2014 will be a year of continued growth and stabilization in the housing market with rising home prices, fewer foreclosures and greater activity among underwater homeowners. But this year’s market faces strong headwinds as inventory remains tight and both homebuyers and builders face tough lending standards.

Related:  5 Money-Saving Tax Tips to Make Right Now

To buy a home in today’s market, you either need impeccable credit or the ability to make an all-cash purchase. The average FICO credit score on conventional loans used to purchase homes in November 2013 was 756, according to the most recent data from Ellie Mae, a company that produces mortgage underwriting software. The average score for denied applications was 729.

– See more at: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2014/01/03/Real-Estate-2014-Need-Know-Guide#!

Christina Couch

The Fiscal Times

January 3, 2014

After year of struggles, the housing market roared back to life in 2013. The rebound will continue in 2014, but the pace will slow.

Experts say 2014 will be a year of continued growth and stabilization in the housing market with rising home prices, fewer foreclosures and greater activity among underwater homeowners. But this year’s market faces strong headwinds as inventory remains tight and both homebuyers and builders face tough lending standards.

Related:  5 Money-Saving Tax Tips to Make Right Now

To buy a home in today’s market, you either need impeccable credit or the ability to make an all-cash purchase. The average FICO credit score on conventional loans used to purchase homes in November 2013 was 756, according to the most recent data from Ellie Mae, a company that produces mortgage underwriting software. The average score for denied applications was 729.

– See more at: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2014/01/03/Real-Estate-2014-Need-Know-Guide#!

 

Real Estate 2014 January 9, 2014

Planning to Buy a Home in 2014? Get Ready Now

By Christine DiGangi

With big changes coming to the mortgage industry at the beginning of next year, many consumers will want to evaluate their homebuying plans. Regulations drafted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will change the definition of a qualified mortgage for any loan applications received on and after Jan. 10, and many consumers may find themselves unable to meet the new requirements.

Qualified mortgages are loans that meet certain standards designed to ensure that borrowers are highly likely to be able to pay back the amount in question. Facing this challenge, it's up to the hopeful homeowner to improve their chances of mortgage approval by doing the necessary research, improving their credit profiles and meeting the qualified mortgage standards well in advance of filling out loan applications.

It's important to meet qualified mortgage standards because government-sponsored enterprises, known as GSEs, like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have said they won't buy non-qualified mortgages starting next year, said Joshua Weinberg, senior vice president of compliance with First Choice Lending/Bank. Fannie and Freddie don't lend to homeowners directly, rather they purchase mortgages from banks and then bundle them into securities and sell those securities to investors.

For lenders that originate mortgages with the intention of selling them to the GSEs, as many do, originating non-qualified mortgages won't be feasible. Other lenders own the mortgages they originate, meaning they don't have to worry about selling them to GSEs, and such larger portfolios could probably take on non-qualified mortgages.

What's Changing? Mortgages must pass tests of sorts to meet the standards of a qualified mortgage: The APR must be within 150 basis points (1.5 percentage points) of the annual prime offer rate, the loan term cannot exceed 30 years, points and fees cannot exceed 3 percent of the loan balance and there can be no negative amortization or interest-only payments. Under these conditions, the mortgage qualifies for safe harbor, meaning the lender is not at risk of being sued by a borrower who is unable to repay the loan.

There's a class of loans called higher-priced qualified mortgages, in which the APR exceeds the 150 basis-point limit, and in those cases, the loan falls under rebuttable presumption, meaning the lender is assumed to have complied with ability-to-pay requirements, unless a borrower or attorney argues otherwise. Loans with rebuttable presumption will likely come at an additional premium, said Cameron Findlay, chief economist at Discover Home Loans, though the price of that premium is unclear at this point.

The ability to repay comprises a series of requirements that must be met by the borrower and verified by the lender, including income and debt levels. All of these CFPB regulations are aimed at protecting consumers from mortgages they can't reasonably expect to repay, because such faulty loans triggered the recent financial crisis. Given these limitations, and some new restrictions on lenders that also go into effect in January, some have suggested that consumers may find themselves struggling to acquire a mortgage.

Weinberg described it this way: Originating a mortgage has been a process that blends science and art. The science includes the regulations that give clear guidelines for what does and does not meet qualified mortgage standards. The art comes in when an originator decides to approve or deny a mortgage application, even if a borrower doesn't meet every requirement in the book, because his or her experiences can give important context to a case that numbers and rules cannot.

"With this QM rule we're seeing an elimination of the art and a focus on the science," Weinberg said. "The way the points and fees will be calculated is now a pretty defined standard. My gut says because of the shrinking art component and the emphasis on the science, fewer people are going to qualify for loans."

While the new regulations are beyond consumer control, there are several things potential homeowners can do to prepare for buying residential property in 2014.

1. Ask Questions: If this all sounds a bit confusing, don't worry. You're not alone. Both Findlay and Weinberg acknowledged the complexity of the new rules and said there's confusion among lenders. For potential homeowners who don't understand what these changes mean for them, there's no shame in asking someone to explain them.

There are a lot of components to mortgages that first-time homebuyers may not be familiar with. Say a lender instructs you to reduce your debt-to-income ratio — that means how much of your income is tied up in student loan payments, collections accounts, judgments and other existing loan obligations. You've just learned that points and fees can't exceed 3 percent of the loan balance, but what's a point?

A point, for the record, is prepaid interest on the loan, with one point equal to 1 percent of the loan. If a borrower would rather have a lower interest rate than the one they're offered then they can pay points to lower that rate.

There's bound to be something that confuses the borrower, and no one should enter into such a large financial decision with uncertainty. Ask a lender to explain it to you, but understand that the lenders are nailing down the new processes, as well. "It doesn't bode well for the consumer when there's this confusion," Findlay said.

It's important to shop around for mortgages, and consumers should know that they can concentrate their mortgage search into a few weeks in order to minimize the impact on their credit scores. Inquiries are a major factor in your credit scores, and too many inquiries can hurt your credit. Mortgage inquiries made within that short period (which varies by credit scoring model) will count as a single inquiry on their credit reports, and because multiple inquiries would normally ding credit scores, this allows consumers to find the best offer without harming their credit profiles. If you want to see how inquiries are affecting your credit, you can look at your free Credit Report Card, which grades you on important credit score factors and gives you free credit scores.

2. Tackle Debt: If you have debt, you should try to reduce it, and this is true for all consumers, not just those looking to buy a house. Potential homeowners, however, should be extra motivated to conquer their debt: Under new ability-to-repay requirements necessary to attain a qualified mortgage, a borrower's debt-to-income ratio must be 43 percent or less, including the potential mortgage payment.

"Not only do we consider the debts that show up on your credit report, but we have to look at debts you may expect to pay in the future," Weinberg said, giving the examples of child support and student loans in deferment. "They are also going to need to be comfortable and aware of managing that debt. They are going to be asked questions about that."

Whether you're looking to buy a home next year or in two years, make a plan to manage debts now. It can only help.

3. Start the Paperwork: Though these new requirements impact consumers, they also affect lenders, and no one wants to be the first to screw up. The ability-to-repay measures require a lot of documentation, which will need to come from you, the applicant.

"We're really needing to get a very holistic perspective on the borrower in order to complete the analysis necessary to meet compliance," Weinberg said. Borrowers should ask a lender exactly what they'll need to provide, and in order to answer lenders' questions, they should also take stock of their credit profile.

Consumers are entitled to a free annual copy of their credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. That's three credit reports, so it's smart to review at least one before starting the homebuying process.

No one is sugar-coating these changes — they're a lot to handle. Changes are common in this post-crisis climate, so the best consumers can do is ask questions and do their part to prepare and educate themselves. "If we're making better loans, and the consumers are protected better, that's better at the end of the day," Weinberg said.

We would love to answer your real estate related questions, give us a call, text or email today!

-Steve and Sandra

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate/FN
Seattle-Northwest
122502 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle WA 98133
call/text: 206-769-9577
email: stevehill@windermere.com

Check out these useful Home Search Apps:

Windermere for iPad
Windermere for Android

Check out these useful links:

BrennerHill.com
Best In Client Satisfaction
Seattle Real Estate Statistics
Windermere Housing Trends Newsletter

Our Preferred Lenders

George Runnels
Washington First Mortgage
WaFirstMortgage.com
call/text: 206-604-4545

Jackie Murphy
Cobalt Mortgage
CobaltMortgage.com
call/text: 425-260-6834

Real Estate Statistics January 8, 2014

Snohomish County WA Home Sales

Check out this great link to see Snohomish County real estate statistics.

http://brennerhill.withwre.com/snohomish-county-real-estate-statistics/

If you have more questions about the Snohomish County real estate market, give us a call, text or email!

-Steve and Sandra

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate/FN
Seattle-Northwest
122502 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle WA 98133
call/text: 206-769-9577
email: stevehill@windermere.com

Check out these useful Home Search Apps:

Windermere for iPad
Windermere for Android

Check out these useful links:

BrennerHill.com
Best In Client Satisfaction
Seattle Real Estate Statistics
Windermere Housing Trends Newsletter

Our Preferred Lenders

George Runnels
Washington First Mortgage
WaFirstMortgage.com
call/text: 206-604-4545

Jackie Murphy
Cobalt Mortgage
CobaltMortgage.com
call/text: 425-260-6834

Staging and Photography January 7, 2014

The Impurtance of Home Staging and Photography

Despite the perception that a nice home in a great location sells itself, national statistics have shown that staged homes sell in half the time of non-staged homes and for 5% more money.

Regardless of the cost to stage your home, you can be sure that it is minimal compared to the costs of keeping a house on the market for long periods of time and having to reduce your asking price. Consider staging cost a necessary investment in the sale of your home, which will garner a significant financial return. In a 2009 Home Gain Survey of over 2000 Realtors, it was discovered that home staging typically provides a 586% return on investment.

Bottom Line. If most home buyers are searching for a home online, it will serve you well to ensure your home looks its best both online and in person. Let's face it, if a potential buyer does not like your home's presentation online, how will you ever get them through the front door?

Sandra and I beleive in staging so much that we help pay for a large protion of a stagers fee. This combined with our use of a professional photographer ensures your home looks its best for potential home buyers.

Check out a before and after video of how we helped our client transform their home into something very special. See it HERE.

Don't hesitate to call, text or email us with any home selling questions you have. We are always happy to "talk shop".

-Steve and Sandra

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate/FN
Seattle-Northwest
122502 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle WA 98133
call/text: 206-769-9577
email: stevehill@windermere.com

Check out these useful Home Search Apps:

Windermere for iPad
Windermere for Android

Check out these useful links:

BrennerHill.com
Best In Client Satisfaction
Seattle Real Estate Statistics
Windermere Housing Trends Newsletter

Our Preferred Lenders

George Runnels
Washington First Mortgage
WaFirstMortgage.com
call/text: 206-604-4545

Jackie Murphy
Cobalt Mortgage
CobaltMortgage.com
call/text: 425-260-6834

Housing Market January 6, 2014

Housing Predictions for 2014: Sales Will Surge

Many housing pundits are calling for home sales to do slightly better in 2014 than they did in 2013. To the contrary, we strongly believe that home sales will skyrocket with increases of 10-15% in 2014. Here are the three categories of buyers we believe will create this strong demand.

The First Time Buyer

The Urban Land Institute recently released a report, Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2014, projecting that 4.48 million new households will be formed over the next three years. Millennials will make up a large portion of these new households. With the economy improving, we believe they will finally be moving out of their parents’ homes and, when they compare renting versus buying, many will choose homeownership.

The Move-Up Buyer

Over the last several years many homeowners were trapped in their home by negative equity. This prevented them from moving up to the home of their dreams. Zillow has just revealed that home equity increased by $1.9 trillion dollars in 2013 an increase of 7.9% in the last twelve months. With home values rising, this pent-up demand will finally be released and move-up properties will be in high demand.

The Immigrant Buyer

No one knows what will happen with immigration reform. However, we do know what such reform would have on housing demand. A recent study released by the Immigration Task Force of the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) found that immigration reform, if passed, would dramatically increase demand for housing units; increasing residential construction spending by an average of $68 billion per year over the next 20 years.

We realize that our projections are based on three situations that are still uncertain. However, we believe that these issues will come to fruition and thereby dramatically increase demand for homeownership.

Do you have questions about the Seattle area housing market? Give us a call, text or email. We would love to answer any questions you may have.

-Steve and Sandra

Steve Hill and Sandra Brenner
Windermere Real Estate/FN
Seattle-Northwest
122502 Greenwood Ave N
Seattle WA 98133
call/text: 206-769-9577
email: stevehill@windermere.com

Check out these useful Home Search Apps:

Windermere for iPad
Windermere for Android

Check out these useful links:

BrennerHill.com
Best In Client Satisfaction
Seattle Real Estate Statistics
Windermere Housing Trends Newsletter

Our Preferred Lenders

George Runnels
Washington First Mortgage
WaFirstMortgage.com
call/text: 206-604-4545

Jackie Murphy
Cobalt Mortgage
CobaltMortgage.com
call/text: 425-260-6834