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KIRO Radio's Tom Kelly digs deep into the Puget Sound real estate market
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May 20, 2013 @ 11:22 am

Buying beats renting in Seattle if you stay 3.6 years, says Zillow

Buying a home is a better financial decision than renting for Seattle-area homebuyers intending to stay in their home for at least three years and seven months, according to a first quarter analysis from Seattle-based Zillow.
May 20, 2013 @ 7:52 am

Banks loosen up, remain wary of risky loans

Stringent mortgage standards have kept many potential homebuyers on the sidelines the last few years.
May 16, 2013 @ 8:01 am

Home 'annuity' could supplement seniors' incomes

A recent article in U.S. News and World Report suggests seniors and baby boomers consider turning their homes into an annuity by using one of the least tapped avenues of a reverse mortgage.
May 17, 2013 @ 9:23 am

Rain break: Owning in Mexico could become easier

Purchasing real estate in Mexico has been a confusing for proposition for people looking to leave the rain or for those seeking a less expensive place to retire.
May 14, 2013 @ 7:17 am

Low credit scores holding back borrowers

Would-be borrowers who have credit scores below 620 are increasingly being denied a mortgage, struggling to meet lenders' more stringent underwriting standards, Elizabeth Duke, member of the Board of Governors for the Federal Reserve System, told attendees at the recent Housing Policy Executive Council.

May 15, 2013 @ 1:57 pm

Incomes, rates keep state's homes in affordable range

Low mortgage rates and stabilizing incomes are keeping Washington state's home affordability high despite increasing home prices, according to the Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies at the University of Washington.
May 13, 2013 @ 2:21 pm

Want the house? Drop the contingencies

As the inventory of for-sale homes remains at low levels, sellers are allowing fewer contingencies.
May 10, 2013 @ 10:34 am

About time: Fannie Mae begins taxpayer payback

Fannie Mae announced that it will pay $59.4 billion in dividends to the U.S. Treasury, helping to reduce the net cost of its taxpayer bailout to $21.1 billion, Reuters reported.
May 9, 2013 @ 9:49 am

Zillow survey: Buyers still unclear on loan process

Potential homebuyers are racing to apply for loans, but many incorrectly answer basic mortgage questions, according to a new survey by Seattle-based Zillow.
May 8, 2013 @ 7:49 am

Lenders didn't try hard enough, early enough

In a recent column, I explained why one of our nephews decided to walk away from his home loan. While he questioned if the move was "morally right" when he first contemplated the decision, the unwillingness of his lender to respond to his numerous requests for an interest rate reduction eventually changed his outlook.