Built Green is the way to go.

I attend a training class almost every week with my company. Last week it was on construction that is Built Green, which is a trademark name. Incredible topic that takes the impact of development from the very beginning stages through entire life cycle of the property. Some properties say they are built green because they used bamboo flooring. That's one component of the philosophy but it's much more than that. No impact now and little in the future could get the Built Green stamp of approval. To learn more go to builtgreen.net.

According to Business Week, our own Mill Creek is rated as one of the best places to live in the US.

Go figure. I've always like Mill Creek but it was too family oriented for me personally. Business Week rated it 2nd in the nation. The new shopping area is great but getting into and out of can be a chore. Here is the full story from Yahoo Finance and Business Week.

Bloomberg story on reasons the Fed, Fannie and Freddie are motivated to start lending again.

The Fed, Fannie, and Freddie take more steps to help lower mortgage rates
-The last paragraph, The TED SPREAD, explains why banks could soon be highly motivated to loosen the purse strings, and start to lend again. Though I don't understand all of it I can feel that money is starting to flow again. Click here for the full Bloomberg story.

CNBC - Rates fall to record lows.

Rates fall to record lows according to CNBC. How long will it last? Not forever. Will it go lower? Not likely. I just don't see how the banks can get any lower. I've seen individual builders be able to buy the rates down to the high 3's but that is far and few between. Click here to see the entire story.

CNBC story - Bidding wars - have we hit bottom?

Some bidding wars are starting to break out. Are we close to stability? CNBC has a good story, some positive, some reserved. Click here to see the entire CNBC story.

From Bloomberg - Pending Home Sales Rise in February

Good supply and great rates are translating into an increase of home sales in February according to Bloomberg.

Click here to see the entire story on Bloomberg and the increase of pending homes.

MSN.com - 10 Mistakes for First-Time Buyers

Here are 10 things to watch out for as a First-Time Buyer from MSN.com.

Click here to see the entire article for First-Time Buyers on MSN.com.

Homes in the Bothell/Lynnwood area are selling!

I'm working with some clients that have made an offer on a Short-Sale home. We have been waiting 6 weeks already for the bank to let us know if they will accept our offer or not and just found out that we will have to wait at least another 2 weeks at least. In the meantime I had a search running for these clients and the number of homes that fell within their criteria continued to pile up. They want to continue looking at other homes so I opened the search to send them the 53 homes and at least 60% of the homes that were Short-Sales or Banked Owned already had offers on them. I don't know how many will actually close but they are being snapped up quickly.

Layoffs flattening out - slivers of hope - Seattle Times Article

The Seattle Times reports that though there were 663,000 jobs lost in March the good news is that the number did not have to be adjusted upwards. Often when the numbers are released they are "trued up" the next month and are sometimes worst than expected. Since the expectation was correct it might be that job losses are leveling off. Click here to see the full Seattle Times article about job losses.

Forbes Article - 10 Things to Buy Now - Real Estate

Forbes recommends buying some big-ticket items now while we are still in a recession. One of them is Real Estate, especially with prices down, interest rates good and plenty of inventory to choose from.

To see the entire Forbes article about real estate click here.

Seattle Times article - sales up 33%

The Seattle Times reports that median home prices slid 17.3% year over year but sales surged 33% from a year ago. First time buyers and those buying for investment are pushing this figure.

Though the median price has dipped 17% from last year now that money for jumbo loans is coming available I suspect that the higher priced homes will start to move, increasing the median sake price.

Click here to see the entire Seattle Times real estate article.

First time Buyer buys cool digs in Belltown

I just helped Dave buy his first place, a great studio condo in Belltown at the Trio. Located just north of the sculpture park it is easy walking distance downtown. The space is not a typical studio as there are large glass panels that slide open to the bedroom, making it possible to create some privacy with ease. Nice finishes and a view of the Space Needle make this a great first home. My buyer is going to have some additional storage built in in order to take maximum advantage of the space.

It was great working with him and the process was very smooth. I kept him informed of what to expect every step of the way and made sure there were no issues with his financing. He was gone for several weeks prior to closing so we had to coordinate a day to "blue-tape" the condo. I did another walk just prior to closing to make sure he moved into a place that was clean and ready. I love being able to help someone find their first home and I wish Dave years of happiness and thank him for the opportunity to work as his agent.

Home prices jump 1.7% in January.

It might be too soon to call it a trend but even this modest increase in home prices might signal that we are turning around.

Click here to see the full story on the MSN Real Estate site.

Jumbo loan money might be more available.

The jumbo loan market will be getting more money at interest rates in the higher 5%, which will open up markets for those looking for loans between $700,000-1.5m.

Click here to see the Seattle Times real estate article.