Real estate and appraisal education
Since the 1970s, banks have been required to report any suspicious house purchases to the FBI. Now that mandatory reporting is netting mortgage brokers, too. Seattle area real estate appraiser Richard Hagar says that’s a good thing since about 80 percent of home loans go through mortgage brokers.
This article first appeared on …
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Bored with regular, run of the mill houses? Looking for something unusual? How about buying a fire station or a church for a home?
Seattle-area real estate appraiser Richard Hagar says although places like this could be fun to live in, banks are usually skittish about loaning money for anything out of the ordinary.…
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There are not many places on the West Coast where you can find house boats. That means the supply is limited so they are usually in high demand. And don’t forget the slips for the homes. Those can go for a pretty penny, too. A recent ad in the Seattle property listings featured …
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As more people move into the Seattle area, the demand for housing goes up. And so does the style of housing with high-rise apartments and condos replacing older, stand alone homes. Real estate appraiser and educator Richard Hagar tells KPLU’s John Maynard this trend is expected to continue, thanks to our relatively stable economy …
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Remodeling can turn boring into wow but will it add to the value of your home? If your goal is to sell your home at a higher price after you doll it up, it pays to first ask some serious questions about the house, the land it sits on, and the neighborhood.
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In these tough economic times, it’s always tempting to look for ways to bring in extra income. So how about fixing up your basement so that you can rent it out? It would be nice to have an extra $800.00 or so coming in every month. But are there questions that should be answered …
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In many American communities, buying a home is now less expensive than renting. And with the economics tilting in favor of homeownership, many first-time buyers are jumping into the market.
After eight years of renting, Kitsy Roberts and her husband, Janko Williams, are practically giddy about their new Seattle home. And like proud parents, …
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If you buy a house and shortly after moving in you’re surprised to find a big crack in the foundation or the septic tank bubbling over, wouldn’t your first question be, “Did the seller know about this?” Seattle-area real estate appraiser Richard Hagar says it’s bad news all around if problems are not disclosed …
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As Seattle continues to focus on urban density, parking for those living within the urban core is becoming harder to find.
Developers are promoting new apartments with hundreds of parking stalls just for bicycles. Others are making room for car-share companies such as Zipcar to park their vehicles. That has KPLU’s John Maynard …
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Many of us have heard about houses and even hotel rooms that have been used to cook methamphetamine. But most of the time, the pictures of those crime scenes show a rundown house in a rural area or a seedy hotel that few of us would frequent.
This article first appeared on KNKX. …
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Millennials are the most connected generation in history. In fact, The Pew Research Center calls them “history’s ‘always connected’ generation, treating their handheld devices ‘almost like a body part.'”
So when it comes to buying a home, Millennials (those born after 1982) are more likely to do most of their research online as well …
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The air above your house could be worth a lot of cash if you have a view that’s enjoyed by others in your neighborhood.
If you have a low-lying home that sits on a bank overlooking Puget Sound, for example, chances are the neighbors on the hill behind you may want to pay you …
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