A number of economists are forecasting an increase in home sales this year, and some are predicting that more first-time buyers will be in the mix. That’s great news for sellers, particularly first-time sellers most likely to have the kind of starter homes these buyers will want. Below are some tips for those selling a …

                            Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report, produced by Remodeling magazine in cooperation with the National Association of REALTORS® and REALTOR® Magazine, provides estimated costs for 36 midrange or upscale home-improvement projects, along with the percentage of cost that owners can expect to …

Over the course of last year, many people debated purchasing a home, but ultimately did not. Let’s look at whether the decision to wait to buy made sense financially. What happened in 2014? The 30 year fixed rate on January 2, 2014 was 4.53% as reported by Freddie Mac. Looking at the chart below, the monthly mortgage …

  Splash into winter with Samena Club’s 15th Annual Polar Pancake Swim. If you love Samena‘s outdoor pool and enjoy the crisp Northwest air then join us on Polar Pancake Saturday. The Wading Pool will be heated and open for the younger kids. The Polar Swim will be followed by a tasty, warm pancake breakfast. …

FHA Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) to drop President Obama will be formally announcing that he will direct the Federal Housing Administration to reduce annual mortgage insurance premiums by 50 basis points, from 1.35% to 0.85%. Zillow’s Allison Paoli ran the numbers on what this could mean for first-time buyers, saying: “On a $175,000 home loan with less than 5% …