No one can predict the future, but when a city the size of Tacoma, (often in the shadow of larger northwest cities when it comes to real estate reporting) is declared the best bet for price appreciation from 2008-2013, it's hard not to be flattered and excited. This report was put out by Moodys based on information in the Case-Shiller Index. 10 Best Markets: Tacoma, WA (metro area) 20.7% Boulder, CO 17.5% Toledo, OH 16.7% Memphis, TN 16.5% Pittsburgh 16.0% Cleveland 14.4% Dayton, OH 13.6% Akron, OH 13.4% San Jose, CA 13.3% Colorado Springs, CO 13.3% 10 Worst Markets: Miami (metro area) -40.3% Orlando, FL -33.3% Fort Lauderdale, FL (metro area) -26.4% Jacksonville, FL -32.2% Riverside, CA -25.6% Los Angeles (metro area) -22.9% West Palm Beach, FL (metro area) -20.2% Tampa, FL -19.6% Vi... 07/01/2009

By Steve Sloboda · June 21, 2009 The $300K price point in the Tacoma-Pierce County area has become one of the most popular ranges to buy or sell. Finding a home in "turn-key" condition in this area was recently very hard to do. Since prices have come down there are now many good options available. Finding a 3 bedroom 2 bath home with a nice yard and a garage for around $300K is no longer a crazy request.In a recent search I was able to find 10 - 15 really nice homes in DuPont, University Place, Lakewood, and Fircrest right at the $300K mark. Even Steilacoom has some affordable options these days. These homes were on the market for an average of 75 days and all started out asking around $320K. In the last two years it is safe to say that these homes would have started out asking around ... 06/23/2009

www.FHAHOMELOANSTACOMA.COM Financing a home with a FHA mortgage in Tacoma can be a challenge if the seller has recently acquired the property.  Due to the large number of foreclosures and short sales, you may come across homes where the owner of the property has only owned the home for a short time.  In this case, if you are planning to finance the purchase with an FHA LOAN, you will have to wait 90 days before you can enter into a purchase and sale agreement to purchase the property.  Hud has recently made some exemptions to this 90 Day rule.  Below are the exceptions: * HUD Repo's* Owned by Federal, State or Local Governments Agencies* Owned by State of Federally Charted Financial Institutions* GSE owned Fannie and Freddie Mac* Inherited Properties* Employer owned from employee transf... 06/08/2009

The Right Partnerships Can Mean The World To You! Harry was a candy maker.  He had a little shop off Pacific Avenue in Downtown Tacoma where he offered a wide array of chocolates and taffies and hard-candy sugary sweets.  Business was good for Harry and he enjoyed a loyal following and a fine reputation by offering excellent quality products, fair prices, and friendly service. J.C. was a spice salesman.  His job involved calling on restaurants and grocery stores to introduce them to exotic imported spices like cinnamon from Asia, cardamom from the tropics, and nutmeg from India.  Business was good and he enjoyed offering his customers new ideas and solutions that they didn't know existed. The year was 1908 when Harry and J.C. met in church one Sunday morning and almost immediately becam... 05/29/2009

By Anna Matsunaga,  Team Momentum, Keller Williams Tacoma 253 212 1252 www.teammomentumrealestate.com Our family does not eat as much of the Standard American Diet as most ( in fact I don't know that I do @ all.)  So sometimes what we want just is not AT the neighborhood supermarket, but it IS @ the local Asian market.  For Fern Hill, that's Tai Li Market located @ 72nd and Park Ave. ( http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Tai.LI.Market.253-474-3378 )       Why do we like it?  Well, I can buy 50 lbs of rice @ a time with out driving outside my neighborhood for starters.  ( Nice to know I don't have to go to Seattle for that )   The staff is friendly.  They carry one of my personal favorites, dried mangos.  ( better than candy and far more addicting!)   They also carry a nice selection ... 05/20/2009

Back in the days when it was okay and acceptable to have dangerous, limb-breaking, skull-cracking playground equipment on school playgrounds (You know, the kind of toys that were actually fun to play on?), I remember fondly the HUGE Teeter Totters we had next to the Kindergarten Portables at Fern Hill Elementary in Tacoma, WA. Possibly my perspective is affected by my advancing years and the fact that the memory was placed in my brain using my elementary-school-size brain, but I swear that those 3 side-by-side teeter totters had to be 45-50 feet in length.  I mean, if the kid on the other side tried to yell a challenge or taunt at you, he was so far away that you'd see his lips move long before the sound ever reached you.  Yup, those were some big teeter totters. Having one person on ea... 05/07/2009

Pierce County's median home price fell to $225,000 in April, a 14.5 percent decrease when compared to a year ago, according to figures released Tuesday by the Northwest Multiple Listings Service. That's one of the largest year-over-year drops the county's seen since the real estate market started its downward march almost two years ago. The median home price in March was $228,375. The median home price in April 2008 was $263,051. Local real estate agents attribute the price decline to a number of factors.  Foreclosures and short sales - homes being sold for less than is owed on the loan - are taking their toll on the market. And many of the homes that are selling are in the lower prices ranges - often $200,000 or less - as first-time home buyers take advantage of low interest rates and ... 05/06/2009

$8000 tax credit available to First Time Home Buyers   By Steve Sloboda · May 3, 2009 For The Suburban Times I recently wrote about the fantastic $7500 tax credit opportunity that was offered by the US Government. Just when it was thought that it couldn't get any better the Feds announced a full $8000 credit for First time home buyers. It's more than the previous version and has much better terms. The initial option was actually a long term loan that had to be paid off. Now it doesn't have to be paid back. It's actually a tax credit of up to $8000 that you get directly if you qualify as a first time home buyer and close on a house during the allowed time period. The website www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com explains some terms needed to qualify. A few main points are: The tax credit is fo... 05/05/2009

Several weeks ago the REO Division of Keller Williams Tacoma arranged a trip to the Pierce County Foreclosure Auction.  A group of agents and s few investor clients met at the Keller Williams office in Tacoma to review the basic procedures and terminology of what goes on at the weekly foreclosure auction.  Basically, buyers must pay cash at the auction and purchase the properties without inspections, etc - so even though the deals are often very good, only 5-10% of the homes actually sell at auction.  Doug Arbogast, Keller Williams Tacoma agent and long time foreclosure auction specialist, took time in between the auctions he was involved in to explain what we were observing.  This way we all learned to identify strategies to assist investors and other clients for whom buying at the for... 05/02/2009

by Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum Keller Williams Realty Tacoma, www.teammomentumrealestate.com   Want to go to a car wash that has great service?  ( and good car wash prices?)  Want to stop @ a station that is immaculately clean including the bathrooms?  I love the Brown Bear car wash.  From the moment you drive up to get gas you will find a clean parking lot, nice touches that make it look pretty. ( who knew a gas station/carwash could be?) You can stop for just gas, or get a wash, or an espress or pick up snacks too.  You can tell just from driving by the place is run with real caring pride and professionalism.  They have a dedication to going green since the way many people wash their cars is less than environmentally sound.   I was surprized to find that there are Brown Bears all ov... 04/26/2009

Just this week, had a customer call who was inquiring about our rates and fees to refinance his current home loan.  He was comparing our costs and rates to that of a competitor who advertises quite frequently in the Seattle Market.  After gathering all the information I needed, I sent him a good faith estimate.  A few days later, I followed up with him and inquired about the estimate and to see if he had made a decision.  He informed me that he was leaning towards the on line competitor because he didn't have to pay any points.  He was kind enough to email me their estimate so I could compare the two and here's what I found.  He was correct, he wasn't paying any "points" but his loan fee was 2%.  We originally quoted our no loan fee, no points option, but our rate was a .25% higher than... 04/24/2009

A good friend of mine is a habitual start up employee either beginning his own companies or joining start ups.  Right now he works at HomeSavvi, an online resource for home remodeling.  I've been kept in the loop of their happenings since their early days and a cool thing they've recent begun is putting together meet ups between the public and the contractors and designers that are the resources on their site.  They call this "speed dating" much like the version real dating version for people looking to be part of a couple.  Now HomeSavvi is bringing the Savvi Speed Dating event to the south end so that people in the Tacoma, Federal Way and other south end cities can benefit.  Details are as follows: May Savvi Speed Dating in Tacoma Hosted by Couch's Appliance South Date: Tuesday, May 1... 04/22/2009

FHA insured mortgages offer many benefits and protections that only come with FHA: Easier to Qualify: Because FHA insures your mortgage, lenders may be more willing to give you loan terms that make it easier for you to qualify. Less than Perfect Credit: You don't have to have a perfect credit score to get an FHA mortgage. In fact, even if you have had credit problems, such as a bankruptcy, it's easier for you to qualify for an FHA loan than a conventional loan. Low Down Payment: FHA loans have a low 3.5% downpayment and that money can come from a family member, employer or charitable organization as a gift. Other loan programs don't allow this. Costs Less: FHA loans have competitive interest rates because the Federal government insures the loans. Always compare an FHA loan with other lo... 04/16/2009

From Anna Matsunaga, Keller Williams Realty, www.teammomentumrealestate.com I am guessing our family is not the only one feeling the pinch of a more challenging economy.  So I will be blogging more and more about how we and other people we know are saving money. One of the ways is shopping @ Value Village.  Now don't get me wrong, there are plenty of 2nd hand stores in Tacoma and the greater Tacoma area, but there are a number of things that make Value Village a favorite.  1. Ok I admit part of it is how close it is to our South Tacoma home. 2. The items are better organized and the store is much cleaner than most. 3. Huge Selection 4. Frequent sales. 5. They give you a discount to use for shopping when ever you donate 6. They are good about giving you a tax receipt for your donation. 7... 04/13/2009

PMI is for home buyers who wouldn't typically be able to afford a large 20% down payment.Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is insurance that protects your lender against non-payment if you default on your loan. Private mortgage insurance is to protect your lender, not you. As the buyer of this coverage, you're paying the premiums so that your lender is protected.  PMI is often required by lenders due to the higher level of default risk that's associated with low down payment loans.The average costs of mortgage insurance premiums vary, but they usually are between .5% and 1% of the loan amount, depending on the size of the down payment. For example on a $200,000 loan with a $10,000 down payment, you can expect to pay somewhere around $85 a month. This amount is added to your monthly payme... 04/12/2009

Why use an FHA Home Loan in Tacoma?  Since 1934, FHA has served as an economic backstop working hand-in-hand with lenders to provide consumers with access to safe and affordable loans, even during times of tremendous market volatility as with the current subprime situation.  Developing closer ties to the lender community will allow FHA to broaden its appeal. But there are specific business reasons for lenders to work closely with FHA. Because our products offer less risk for you -- as well as fast closings, competitive rates and foreclosure protections for your clients -- you can qualify more business and improve your bottom line. FHA's positives include: No minimum credit score. Non-traditional credit is acceptable. Low 3.5% downpayment. Non-occupant, co-borrower is permitted. Expanded... 03/28/2009

South Sound Eats is reporting that Sea Grill, owned by Seattle's Mackay Group (they own the very fancy El Goucho) will be closing it's doors at the end of this weekend. I'm never happy to see a restaurant close downtown, and I'm sorry to see them go.  For anyone looking for a great place to replace it- I recommend Pacific Grill across the street.   Their dinners are excellent, but honestly, I spend most of my time working my way through their extensive happy hour menu.  You can get 2 glasses of good red wine and a plate of Pasta Arrabiata for under $20.   If you would like to support Mackay Group's efforts in Tacoma, El Gaucho has a pretty great happy hour also, offering affordable deliciousness from 4-6pm & 10pm-Close.     For more Downtown Tacoma happenings visit Get Real Tacoma. 03/26/2009

Rent To Own!  50 rent credit!  4 bedroom 1 3/4 baths, 1700 square foot totally remodeled home in Tacoma, WA!  The home sits on a 6000 sq foot corner lot and has a fenced back yard with a slate patio and inverted firepit.  There is city water and sewer at the house and the home has wood siding and a shingle room.  The yard has been professionally landscaped with incredible detail!  The home is heated with gas forced air and there is also a natural gas fireplace in the finished basement and a wood burning fireplace upstairs on the main floor.  The doors are mahogany with glass knobs and there is slate and tile flooring throughout the house.  All the kitchen appliances stay with the house.  Rent is $1500/mo and first months rent and low down required to move in. Please contact us with any... 03/24/2009

Summit Water & Supply Company is having their annual 2009 meeting on April 14, 2009 @ 7:00pm at the Summit United Methodist Church located at 104th and Canyon Road. If you are interested in moving to the area and want to learn more about the Summit-Waller area please contact me to join the meeting The Summit-Waller area finally obtained permits the begin construction of  the 4 -million gallon water storage tank. The project is expected to be complete in September 2009. This massive concrete structure can be viewed at 9701 50th Ave. E. Tacoma, WA 98446. The tank is expected to meet Summit's storage requirements until 2020. Summit water completed the relocation/replacement of the water system infrastructure for phase-3 of Pierce County's Canyon Road widening project. The project consisted... 03/20/2009

With another round of buying by the Federal Reserve, mortgage rates dropped back to early January levels.  This has created an opportunity for homeowners to refinance their mortgages into record low interest rates in the mid 4's.  All Tech Mortgage beats the National Average in Mortgage Rates Mortgage finance giant Freddie Mac said Thursday that average rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages dropped to 4.98 percent this week.  All Tech Mortgage is quoting rates as low as 4.50% 4.610 apr with 720+ Fico scores and under 75% LTV.  We are also seeing a lot of people switch to a 15 year loans, especially those that might have refinance in the early 2000's.  All Tech Mortgage Inc. is your gateway to great mortgage products from Washington State's top mortgage lenders. We shop, compare rates & ... 03/19/2009