Oh Tannenbaum!
There’s no point in trying to hide it, I love Christmastime, especially in the City. I will be enjoying the kick off of the Holiday Season at the Pantages Theater tomorrow night at 5pm as the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts lights up Tacoma’s tree. Afterwards, head into the theater to watch Scrooge starring Albert Finney.
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Foreclosure is not pretty.
I do not exaggerate when I say that at LEAST once a day, someone will ask me a question about foreclosures. Foreclosure terminology can be a bit intimidating, but it’s easy to learn. Here are some common terms and what they mean:
Doyle’s Public House is having a BAD SWEATER PARTY on tonight at 8pm. Pull out you most fabulous Christmas Sweaters, or steal one from your grandma! There’s no cover, and yes, there will be prizes!
Personally, I will be raiding my mother’s closet for her “Christmas Kitten” sweater complete with built in collar.
The St Helens Neighborhood of Tacoma - Photo by Whitney Rhodes
By Erik Hanberg
When I moved back to Tacoma in 2002 after four years away, I was blown away by the changes downtown. I loved that it was starting to feel like a real city. When I landed a job downtown, I decided I would take the plunge and move downtown as well. I chose the Bostwick building—the yellow wedge building at 9th and Broadway.
The Federal Reserve
This morning in our weekly Crescent Realty Sales meeting, we had a visit from Paul Miller, a Mortgage Banker at National City Mortgage. He had some great news:
In a surprise move today, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson announced the Federal Reserve will be buying up to $800 Billion worth of Mortgage Backed Securities and AAA rated Education, Auto, Credit Card and Small Business loan securities. This announcement sent home loan rates tumbling to 5.25% at some banks for 30 year fixed rate loans both FHA/VA and Conventional. Approximately $600 billion will be allotted towards the mortgage market which will increase the value of these underlying securities. These purchases from the government will start as soon as next week and should help mortgage interest rates stay very attractive in the near future. With this infusion of cash into the mortgage market combined with exceptional deals in the pricing of homes, this is an excellent opportunity to buy a home.
Thanks again, Paul Miller of National City Mortgage for the update!
Hey look, everyone! Someone knows we’re here. Exit133 linked to us and said many nice things. Dang… now that someone might be reading we’re going to have to step up our game.
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The average days on market was 119. That means that if your house sold today, you put it on the market back in July. According to the MLS, the average sale price was 95% of the currently listed price.
This was my favorite house to sell this week: Read the rest of this entry »
The Sign at Realtor Headquarters
Today I went to a talk at TPCAR put on by the New Realtor Council. We were learning about all the new rules and changes to home financing. As I’ve been a Realtor for 4 years, I am not technically a New Realtor anymore, but I still love the classes and I’m on the committee so I totally go anyway.
The Tacoma Pierce County Association of Realtors (TPCAR) is our local branch of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). My friends like to tease me for always over pronouncing RealTOR, when they call me a Re-la-ter. I’m not usually one to get all strict about pronunciation, it’s just that there is a difference between being a Real Estate Agent and being a Realtor.
When you become a real estate agent, you have the option of joining a company that belongs to NAR. When you are a Realtor you are educated in and pledge to follow a code of ethics that normal agents aren’t held to. People do get diciplined, and even kicked out of the Realtors. They mean business. Oh, and it costs like $500 a year, which can be a pinch when business is slow, so you had best like being a Realtor.
