Brian Leavitt

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Real Estate Broker/Owner - Keller Williams Bellevue - 1505
Real estate and mortgage advice, , thoughts, wisdom (or lack thereof), opinion, humor and general real estate and mortgage commentary. Based on more than 30 years of hard won experience and remember, "experience is what you get when you don't get what you want." Blog posts are published most weekdays or so, and are provided as a service of Northstone Real Estate Inc. and Northstone Mortgage. Your comments, questions, criticism, opinions, diatribes, etc are always welcome.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
The Association of Realtors reports online home searches are up 253% in the last four years.  More buyers are turning to internet resources than ever before which are bringing about interesting changes in the overall process of buying a home.   It was not very long ago when buyers relied almost e...
01/08/2013
Interest rates remain at all time lows as we begin 2013. If you are in the market to purchase you are in luck. With prices remaining low and rates incredibly low, home affordability is extremely high. For example on a 30 year fixed rate purchase loan of $400,000 with 20% down payment the monthly ...
01/03/2013
I just heard from Ed McFerran at MBS Law that the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 has been extended by Congress.  What this means is that if Congress had not extended the relief act homeowners would have to start paying income tax on the portion of their mortgage that is forgiven in ...
01/02/2013
For the past several weeks home sales have been exceeding new inventory. While it is still a buyer's market, prices seem to have responded by moving upward. If the demand continues expect prices to keep marching upward especially once we see a seller's market. It looks to me like we may very well...
08/03/2012
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The other day while watching TV I stumbled upon a show featuring bunkers that I thought was quite amusing. Nothing new here really. Bunkers have been popular ever since the cold war. They call themselves preppers now. The old name was survivalist. Is there a difference? In my real estate career I...
03/22/2012
 There is nothing, absolutely nothing like the warmth of wood on a cold Pacific Northwest day.  This home is a Pan Abode home originally built in 1978 and has a timeless beauty.  The owner has updated the interior with a new kitchen and has painstakingly sanded and refinished the interior.  When ...
03/09/2012
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March roars in like a lion with early snow and home sales at a fast pace but prices continue their slow decline. Home sales have been exceeding new inventory for several weeks now which is leading to shorter market times. Since this is a Buyer's market, prices are not yet moving higher as excess ...
03/06/2012
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One of the best “closes” you will ever learn is the theme of one of my kid’s favorite books, the venerable Dr Seuss in Green Eggs and Ham.  Wikipedia sums it up best   “The story is told wholly through images and rhyming dialogue. There is no descriptive narrative or analysis.  There are two main...
02/07/2012
  If you are thinking of a refinance or for that matter a home purchase, now is the time. Conforming prices will increase based on recent Congressional action. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae are increasing their guarantee fee effective with April settlements which will worsen pricing.  In order for a...
01/13/2012
  1.  It is just too hard to get a loan.  The fact is for some time lending guidelines were just too easy.  Today's guidelines have moved to a place that really does make sense. Qualified borrowers are finding the process to be reasonable and streamlined.  The restrictions that have been put in t...
01/11/2012
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Brian Leavitt

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Real estate and mortgage advice, , thoughts, wisdom (or lack thereof), opinion, humor and general real estate and mortgage commentary. Based on more than 30 years of hard won experience and over 1000 homes sold. Blog posts are published most weekdays or so, and are provided as a service of Northstone Real Estate Inc. and Northstone Mortgage. Your comments, questions, criticism, opinions, diatribes, etc are always welcome.