Reality Bites

Cool new technology!

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:41:00 +0000

Anyone who really knows me understands that I love technology. While I try and portray a sophisticated and cool dude on the exterior, I'm really a nerd at heart. Take this cool new project that Microsoft is working on as a prime example. It's called Tagging.

Still in its Beta phase (aren't all MS products?) this software is designed as a marketing tool for mobile products. You need to have the latest in phone technology (which I do), and download a small application that runs on your phone. Currently, the software runs on Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, iPhone, Symbian S60 and J2ME enabled phones. Your phone also needs to have a camera and internet access.

The idea behind this software is to allow users to get additional information about products and/or services by taking a photo of a tag (or barcode).

Here is a tag I created and added to my email signature. If a user with one of the phones listed above snaps a picture of my tag, it will bring him/her to this Blog (try it! You need to put your camera really close to the screen).

How about this idea for a tag(s):

I negotiate an advertising fee with Microsoft and a bunch of retailers (restaurants, stores, etc...) in the UDistrict (that's near the University of Washington where my son attends) who would be willing to offer some sort of discount to persons via the tag. I then make a T-shirt with all of the tags on it that my son can wear throughout the day, advertising the retailer discounts.

I see several benefits:

1. The advertisers have increased traffic and revenue in their stores
2. My son makes a lot of new friends and becomes famous as a walking billboard
3. I make money to pay for my son's education

How would you use the tags in your life? Drop me a comment with your brilliant ideas...

The Death of Vanity Telephone Numbers

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 07:32:00 +0000

I discovered today that Vanity telephone numbers are on their way out. What do I mean by this? First a little history: In the 1960's, the telecommunications industry created the DTMF (dual-tone multi-frequency) system. This technology is the basis for our touch-tone telephone which replaced the old rotary phone systems. Long story short, it made dialing a telephone number much easier. Growing up, we had a rotary phone in our home (in fact, my grandmother still has one in her apartment!). Our telephone number was (415) 397-0973. If you are old enough to remember rotary phones, you'll understand how difficult this number would be to dial (especially the 9's and 0's). It would often take me many attempts to dial home, as I would put my finger in the wrong hole, or forget which number I was on.

Alas, I digress... Back to the topic at hand...

So, today I was in my car talking to my insurance agent, trying to file a claim. My agent gave me the claims number and said " just dial 1-800-allstate". She even offered to do a conference call and dial the number for me. Being the independent person that I am, I declined and stated that I would make the call myself and hung up.

Here's where the story gets interesting...

So, I'm driving in my car, trying to dial at the same time. On my previous cell phone, this would not have been a problem, as the keypad had the alphabet stamped on each number. You know the sequence right? ABC, DEF, GHI, JKL...

Guess what? I just got a new BlackBerry! Here's what my new phone looks like:

Notice anything different about it?

Yeah. The letters under my keypad are different than my old cell phone.

So I'm driving in my car, trying to remember what letters are associated with what numbers. I'm trying to call 1-800-allstate by dialing 1-800-144-6717. I get a message stating "The number or code you have dialed is incorrect". Darn! I try again. Let's see, #1 is ABC, #2 is DEF, #3 is GHI... Still no luck. I then called my girlfriend for help. Only then am I reminded that the letters start at #2, not #1. How stupid is that? So the actual number I should have dialed is 1-800-255-7828.

With the BlackBerry phone's rising popularity, maybe allstate should change their number to 1-800-EDD-ZXEX. On the other hand, maybe they don't want people dialing their claims line anyway...

A home for sale in Woodinville

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:39:00 +0000

I just listed a home in Woodinville on 1.35 acres. It has 4 bedooms, 2 1/2 baths and a 2 car garage. Ordinary you say? Perhaps, but what makes this property special are the other features like a huge shop (big enough for 6 cars) plus a 1 bedroom/den apt with 1 1/2 baths. IF that wasn't enough, there is also RV parking and a potential for equestrian usage (there's a fenced pasture). And, it is pretty close to the Tolt Pipeline. Now that's special...

The value of an Open House?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:27:00 +0000

So, I'm sitting here at my new listing (see previous post) on Sunday July 6th waiting for the right buyer to drop in and make an offer on this great home. Yesterday, I knocked on doors within the neighborhood letting folks know that I just listed a home in their neighborhood. I handed out flyers and let everyone know that I would be holding the home open today from 1-4pm.

I've spoken to many other agents in the area who think door knocking and Open Houses are a waste of their time. They would rather stay home and complain about how bad the market is. In this slower market, I think a good agent has to think outside of the box and do things that may be outside of their comfort zone. Knocking on doors and sitting an Open House isn't the most exciting way to market a home, but I did get to meet several of the neighbors, and one of them even recognized my name from some of the other homes I've sold in the neighborhood.

Mill Creek Home for Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 02:15:00 +0000

I just listed a home in Mill Creek, WA for $570,000. If you watch the top slideshow in the righthand column, you can see photos of this home. Probably the nicest feature of this home is the backyard. It is not a large yard, but it abuts a Native Growth Protected Area (NGPA) which means that nobody can build directly behind you. The natural area is private and offers a glimpse of wildlife from time to time. Given that this area has been developing at a rapid pace over the last several years, it's nice to actually have trees to look at outside your window!

The particulars:

5 Bedrooms / Den / 2.5 Baths plus the usual Family, Dining, Living rooms & kitchen.
3108 square feet, built in 2000

Check it out!

Market Dynamics from a different perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:51:00 +0000

I saw a question posted on Trulia.com recently from a user wanting to know when the market would return to normal. My first thought was: What is a normal market?

Is "normal" what we experienced in the last several years, or do we go back further in time to gain a proper perspective? How far do we travel back in time to get to that "normal" market? 10 years? 20 years? In order to define normal, we first need to determine a baseline as to what constitutes that definition.

American Heritage Dictionary defines normal as:
Conforming with, adhering to, or constituting a norm, standard, pattern, level, or type; typical: normal room temperature; one's normal weight; normal diplomatic relations.

hmm... Seems like a circular reference to me...

In real estate, the term "normal" has come to mean a market in which there are an equal number of buyers and sellers to buy and sell homes at any given point in time. Statistically speaking, it takes decades of analysis and records to define that baseline, but what I find curious is that it is a fluid concept in that it is constantly changing, and is different depending on where you live. Someone living in Kansas will likely experience a "normal" market differently than someone living in Seattle. And, someone in their late 70's might define it differently than someone in their early 20's. This brings to mind a visit to the fair last week when I saw an antique gas pump that read $0.25/gal. An older man approached me, pointing to the pump and said "I remember when ____ (insert your favorite item here) was only $0.05"

Why do I bother mentioning this? Because after my first thought (what is "normal"), my second thought is: why does it matter?

Motivation drives the market, not the state of the market itself. In an up or down market, there will always be buyers and sellers. As a seller, if you don't have to sell, what does it matter what the market is doing right now? If you are a buyer trying to time the bottom of the market, then you obviously aren't motivated enough to buy right now, so again, what does it matter?

Let me provide an example for clarification: I had a seller tell me that if he had only sold his home last year, he could have sold it for nearly $100,000 more than in this current market. My question to him was "did you want to sell it last year?" His response was "no". Last year he wasn't a seller (let alone a "motivated seller"), so the state of the market had absolutely no bearing on his situation. This year, he needs to sell, therefore his motivation is driving the decision, not the market.

Bottom line: If you want to buy, then buy. If you want to sell, then sell. If you want to stay where you are, then stay where you are. If you're waiting for the market to return to "normal", it may never happen, nor does it really matter.

What are your thoughts?

Dear Seller...

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:00:00 +0000

"My family and I would very much like to purchase your home. I am a single gay man with 2 adopted, handicapped children..."

Have you ever written a letter like this to present to a seller of a home? I've done this on behalf of my clients before (not this exact letter, but something similar). And with good success, I might add. The New York Times recently ran a piece that spoke about this tactic (however, the content differs dramatically from what I've seen and written in the past).

Letters like those written in the article are perfectly acceptable in my opinion. What should be mentioned from a cautionary standpoint, are words that could be misconstrued as discriminatory in nature as defined by HUD (Housing and Urban Development). Title VIII of the Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination against a variety of classes. So, even with the best of intentions in mind, a letter like the sample above could be a lawsuit in the making. I am thinking of using the letter from the NYT article though...

What are your thoughts?

Is it my agent's fault? (Part III)

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:01:00 +0000

So the house looks great, the information in the MLS and online is correct and attractive, the advertising is going strong, yet still only a handful of buyers have visited?

One myth that many sellers seem to believe is that real estate agents sell houses. We don't. Okay, I've let the cat out of the bag. The wizard has come out from behind the curtain.

When I describe what I do to folks, I tell them that I help people buy and sell houses. The key word is "people". Without "people", I would just be looking at homes, and living on welfare (which may be soon if buyers don't start buying). Sometimes, you can do everything right, and still have nobody come and look at your home. If there is nobody in your price range looking for a home with features that your offers, there is nothing that I nor any other real estate agent can do. I can't wave a magic wand and have a buyer appear. Some agents might promote that they could do this, but they'd be lying.

How do you gain visibility for your home if there are no buyers? I can't make buyers appear, but you as the seller can. How you ask?

You could lower the price (you've heard that before, haven't you?).
You could offer different terms (carry back a 2nd mortgage on the property or pay closing costs).
You could offer buyer incentives (appliances, etc.)

Lastly (and this is the hardest option for sellers),
You can be patient. A buyer will materialize sooner or later. They always do. Just don't kill the messenger. If your agent is doing what he/she should be doing to expose your home to the market, don't blame him/her for there not being any buyers around.

Is it my agent's fault? (Part II)

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:17:00 +0000

So, you've prepared your home, and it looks great! It's priced appropriately for the market and the photos are perfect. What? you're still not getting any showings?

The first step is to look at the MLS printout. Is there something that is missing in the marketing comments that might entice a buyer to see the home? Check to make sure that all the included information is correct too! I've seen many listings with the wrong number of beds and baths advertised. I've also seen listings where the price is incorrect ($250,000 home listed for $2,500,000), or the address is input incorrectly (hard to see a home if you can't find it).

Next, review the marketing plan with your listing agent. What advertising has been done? Print advertising is not as dominant as it once was. According to a 2007 survey done by the National Association of Realtors, 84% of home buyers used the internet when looking for a home. Can you find your home online? Put your buyer hat on, and look at the major websites for your home. In the Pacific Northwest, all of the large real estate companies have a major web presence. In addition to Windermere's, John L. Scott's, Coldwell Banker's websites, there are also Trulia, Craigslist and others. If you can't find your home, its possible that nobody else can either. Make sure that your agent remedies this immediately.

Public and Broker Open Houses? Yes, these add to the exposure of your home, although they have diminished in importance with the advent of the internet. I hold Open Houses for all of my clients, because I don't like to leave any stones unturned. The probability of obtaining a buyer for your home is low with Open Houses, but in this type of market, all facets need to be explored. I just held a Sunday Open House for a client and had nobody stop by. I sent out postcard mailers to the neighbors and potential move-up buyers, advertised the open house online and in the local newspaper with no success. I'm not deterred however, and plan to try it again next weekend.

Is it my agent's fault? (Part I)

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:28:00 +0000

A question was asked on Trulia.com recently from a seller wondering about the lack of showings on his home. Was it the fault of the agent that only 6 people in 6 weeks had viewed his home? Isn’t the job of the real estate agent to get eyeballs on the property?

My answer was a qualified “YES”. I qualified my answer because when a seller signs an agreement with a real estate agent to list and eventually sell their home, they are entering into a partnership with that listing agent. What do I mean by partnership?

As a Listing Agent, I have the responsibility to represent my clients’ best interests by marketing, advertising, and eventually selling their home. However, I don’t have the authority to make certain decisions, and that’s where the partnership comes into play. For instance, I have the responsibility to take photos of the home and put them on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), and many other sites on the Internet where they will gain visibility by the general public. But, what if the photo looks like this?

This is where the partnership comes in. As a Listing Agent, I have no authority over the seller with regard to the property condition. The seller is responsible for making the home presentable. If this photo was on the Internet, would you want to go and see the home in person or would you immediately eliminate the property from your list? Sometimes, sellers view their homes differently than agents (and buyers). I always explain to my seller clients that how a person lives in their home is not how they market it to sell.

The photo to the left is what buyers want to see. This photo was taken from a client's home just prior to putting it on the market for sale. This is a dream come true for many agents - a client who understands what is needed and takes appropriate action.

Now of course, not all sellers are at the extreme ends of the spectrum as noted here. Most are somewhere in-between. This is where my role as Listing Agent is to educate and advise the client on what should be done to make the home as marketable as possible. However, as noted above, the final responsibility (and authority) rests with the client.

Now, what if the client does what is asked, but the agent takes a photo that looks like this? Here is what appears to be a clean home, ready for showing, and yet the photo is poor, not only in exposure, but in drawing the buyer's interest. This is clearly the fault of the Listing Agent (btw, I didn't take this photo). If this photo were on the Internet, would it spark your interest? Maybe, maybe not. It could certainly be better though. As a seller, I would ask my agent to re-take the photo.

I had to do this recently when I listed a home. At the time I took the listing, the weather was overcast and had been all winter and spring. Here is what I had to initially use:

I didn't really like the photo, but our MLS requires a photo of the front of a property when listing a home. At the very next opportunity I had, I replaced it with this:

A much more enticing photo, don't you think?

Bottom Line: If you think your agent isn't doing his/her job in marketing your home, first take a look at yourself. Are you following the advice that has been given (assuming you have a competent agent who is providing you with advice)? Marketing and selling a home is a partnership, and both partners need to carry their weight.

Cottage Lake (part II)

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 01:16:00 +0000

As promised in an earlier post about Cottage Lake, I wanted to provide additional information about the ropes course, officially known as the Odyssey Course. You can read more on how the partnership between King County Parks and the YMCA came about here.

According to Bill McKee, the Odyssey Program Director at the Northshore YMCA, the Y is about to launch a detailed website about the program, and where it is headed. The current pricing for community groups wanting to make use of the course is $40/person for groups of 16 or less, and $35/person for more than 16 participants. To find out more, you can contact Bill directly at odyssey@seattleymca.org

Great customer service!

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Fri, 30 May 2008 21:20:00 +0000

If you've read some of my earlier posts, I've ranted about some of the businesses that provided terrible customer service. This one however, is just the opposite. In a previous post, I described a home remodel that I had recently completed. In my remodel, I had purchased several appliances from my local appliance retailer, Frederick's in Redmond WA. Eric Blakemore is the owner and he has been an acquaintance of mine for many years. I have purchased nearly all of my appliances for my personal residences and rentals from him (there were times he recommended that I go to Sears, because he couldn't provide me with as good a deal).

Anyway, I purchased a Fisher Paykel Dishdrawer (3rd one, not because they fail, but because I keep moving!) and it stopped working yesterday. I called for repairs and the authorized service center told me it would be 10 days before they could come out to look at it. So, I called Eric. He knew exactly what the problem was (user error). And, he walked me through the very easy solution to resolve the problem. This isn't the first time he's solved a problem for me. Maybe that's why I recommend him to all of my clients! If you live in the greater Seattle area and need appliances, stop by and see him.

A new way to look at homes?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Fri, 30 May 2008 20:53:00 +0000

Trulia just launched a new site called Trulia Snapshots that enables consumers to graphically view homes in any given area, sorted by price range, or market time. I've tried it out, and it looks pretty snazzy. At a quick glance, you can see all the homes within a price range (slider bar at the bottom of the screen), and just by moving the slider, the graphical representation of homes changes instantly!

I think this new tool will put pressure on sellers because now buyers have a quick way of seeing how long a home has been on the market, thus spotting over-priced homes. What do you think?

In Honor Of...

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Tue, 27 May 2008 00:34:00 +0000

Memorial Day this year, I decided to learn about the Woodinville Memorial Mead, aka Woodinville Cemetery located in downtown Woodinville. I drive by this location on a daily basis, but had never visited until today.

The land for the Memorial Mead was donated by the Woodin family, the family for whom the city is named. One of the interesting facts I learned today was that plots are still available in the Mead. I had always assumed this was a historical cemetery, and that it was filled with the Pioneers of the area.

I took a few photos of plot markers while there. If you get the chance to visit, it's an interesting journey to our town's past. Elmer Carlberg, a WWI veteran (see 2nd photo below) was a self-appointed caretaker of the Mead for many years, and built the huge monument for his parents, John & Julia, also on the grounds. The poem (last photo below) is from their monument. I don't know who penned the poem, do you?

The Woodin Family plot
Elmer Carlberg, Veteran
Unknown Poem

Is the recession over?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sat, 24 May 2008 14:46:00 +0000

Here is another article from the Wall Street Journal that has charted Housing Starts since 1972. According to this article, each time new housing starts have dropped below the one million mark, that signaled an end to the housing slump. The article makes some good points, but as always, we never know about making history until after its been made...

What are your thoughts about the housing market?

Weekly Sales Ratios (4/5 - 5/21)

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sat, 24 May 2008 05:56:00 +0000

Here are the most recent statistics for homes in the Woodinville area. The dates covered are from April 5th thru May 21st. This is a rolling statistic (meaning that the data will overlap with other charts in my Blog). Check it out here...

As always, if you live in a different area and would like statistics for your city, drop me a line!

Happy Birthday Steven!

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sat, 17 May 2008 12:47:00 +0000

Yesterday, May 16, 2008 was my oldest son's 18th birthday. Seems like only yesterday that he was such a cute little kid. It's hard to believe that he's old enough to vote and to fight for our country if necessary. Today is his Senior Prom and when he showed me his Tuxedo (white with pinstripes), I wasn't sure if I was gonna laugh (he looked like a sports celebrity with his shaved head), or cry (he looked all grown up). I began reflecting on how the years have gone by, and how proud I am of his accomplishments. To be perfectly clear, he is a typical teenager; sometimes irresponsible, often impertinent, and yet still has an innocence about him.


Steven at 6 yrs	Steven at 9 yrs

Steven at 11 yrs	Steven at 16 yrs
	Steven at 17 yrs looking like a dork playing DDR (Dance Dance Revolution)

So it also got me thinking about what was happening in 1990.

Mortgage interest rates were hovering around 10% for a 30yr fixed loan.

Homes were selling for about $80/sqft in Woodinville (vs. $270 in 2008).

The Hubble telescope was launched into space.

Mikhail Gorbachev was awarded the nobel Peace Prize

Sammy Davis Jr. (of the famous "Rat Pack") passed away on the same day as Steven was born. I don't think he was re-incarnated as Steven (as evidenced by his dancing skills above).

And more...

What were you doing in 1990?

The Housing crisis is over!

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:00:00 +0000

If it's in print, then it must be true. Right?

Don't misunderstand me because as a Realtor, I like reading articles that are positive for my industry. But I live in the real world, not the financial world where analysts look at things on a more global or macro scale. I just hope that the people reading the article live here in the Seattle area where it will actually have an impact on our local housing market.

And let's be completely honest, does the average person really understand the full meaning of what is written in articles such as these? I've always been a bit confused when the economists use phrases such as "When the rate of house-price declines halves, there will be a whoesale shift in markets' perceptions... when valuing the collateral, market participants including banks are extrapolating..." What does all of this mean? I consider myself a pretty smart person, and I understood most of what was written, but I'd much prefer to read articles in more basic terms that the general public can understand.

Anyway, here is the full article in the Wall Street Journal. Maybe someone can read it and explain it to me...

Cottage Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:39:00 +0000

I live in a geographic area of Woodinville referred to as the Cottage Lake area. This area isn't officially within Woodinville (the actual city limits are quite small), but the post office considers it so. Ironically, I think there are more residents with a Woodinville address that live OUTSIDE the city limits than inside.

While there are a handful of lakes in the Woodinville area, Cottage Lake is probably the best known. The lake occupies 63 acres and is surrounded mostly by private homes, but public access is obtained via the north end at Cottage Lake Park. The park occupies just over 20 acres of land, and provides area residents and guest with numerous outdoor activities. The amenities provided at the park include swimming (in the lake and outdoor pool), covered and uncovered BBQ and picnic areas, basketball courts (not too many), amphitheater for summer concerts, and a fishing pier. Recently, in conjunction with the Northshore YMCA, a new Ropes Course was built. As a Board Member of the Northshore YMCA, I was able to try it out when it was built, and it was a total rush! I'll post more information specifically about it later.

What I enjoy most about living in this area, is being in close proximity to outdoor activities and still feeling like I'm close to the major activities (work, shopping, etc.). I awake most mornings to the sun shining through my bedroom window and looking out at the glistening waters of the lake. (Who am I kidding! I really don't see the sun that much, but when I do, I feel like I'm vacationing in the woods).

To find out more about the lake, visit the following sites:

Friends of Cottage Lake website.
Cottage Lake fishing information.
Wikipedia's information about Cottage Lake.

April Statistics

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:35:00 +0000

The lastest stats are in!

Taking a snapshot look at residential resales in King County for the period from January 1, 2008 thru April 30, 2008, we find:

4107 units sold this year vs. 6398 units sold in 2007 in the same timeframe (down 36%) 6
Average price is up 1% to $542,659 5
Average $/sqft for homes sold was $283.49
The best price range to be in (as a seller right now) is $300,000 - $350,000. Absorption rate is about 130 units per month. Makes sense since more folks can afford lower priced homes (duh!)

Takeaway from all of this - Lots of inventory from which to choose (in the sense that the inventory levels are high), but prices are stable. Common sense tells us that the best homes always go first. What that means to the average seller, is that in this market if you're overpriced or don't have some extremely compelling feature about your home, it's gonna take a bit longer to sell.

source: realestats.net

Road Noise?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Sun, 11 May 2008 18:11:00 +0000

Congestion, road noise and safety concerns are ongoing problems when it comes to the roadways in Woodinville (or nearly everywhere on the Eastside these days). In a recent Woodinville Weekly article, Avondale Rd was specifically singled out as being loud and in need of repairs. In fact, there is a group of folks that have organized themselves into the "The Better Avondale group". You can follow their efforts at abetteravondale.org. Better yet, fill out their survey on road conditions on Avondale Rd.

Private Schools?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:20:00 +0000

Thinking of sending your kids to a private school? Seattle Metropolitan Magazine published a guide to all the schools in the greater Seattle area (includes Eastside, Snohomish County and more). Check it out here.

Save money, buy now?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:33:00 +0000

According to a recent report by Radar Logic, a real estate data and analytics company, homes are less expensive on a $/sqft basis now than they were 1 year ago.

Seattle is down 1.4% from February 2007, however our area led the group of 25 metro areas with a 6.2 percent two-year annualized gain in price per square foot, while Sacramento, Calif., suffered the largest loss during that period at 18.8 percent. Seattle led with a five-year annualized gain of 9.6 percent, while Detroit was last on the list with a 2.5 percent five-year annualized loss.

February 2008 RPX Index

Rank	MSA	% change Feb '07-Feb '08
1	Charlotte, N.C.	3.6%
2	Milwaukee, Wis.	3.4%
3	New York, N.Y.	1.1%
4	Seattle, Wash.	-1.4%
5	Columbus, Ohio	-1.7%
6	Philadelphia, Pa.	-3.9%
7	Denver, Colo.	-5.4%
8	St. Louis, Mo.	-7.2%
9	Washington, D.C.	-7.3%
10	Cleveland, Ohio	-7.3%
11	Chicago, Ill.	-8.0%
12	Jacksonville, Fla.	-8.2%
13	Atlanta, Ga.	-9.2%
14	San Jose, Calif.	-11.2%
15	Boston, Mass.	-11.3%
16	Minneapolis, Minn.	-11.8%
17	Detroit, Mich.	-12.7%
18	San Francisco, Calif.	-14.1%
19	Tampa, Fla.	-16.4%
20	Miami, Fla.	-17.7%
21	Los Angeles, Calif.	-19.3%
22	Phoenix, Ariz.	-19.4%
23	San Diego, Calif.	-24.7%
24	Las Vegas, Nev.	-26.2%
25	Sacramento, Calif.	-29.8%

Source: Radar Logic Inc.

A top reason not to buy stocks?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Fri, 02 May 2008 06:04:00 +0000

It seems these days that everyone is down on the real estate market. Well, not everyone. According to famous Wall Street investor Peter Lynch in a recent Time Magazine article, "A top reason to not buy stocks is if you don't already own a home--in which case, that should be your first investment, since an owner-occupied home is nearly always profitable." Sounds strange coming from someone who made his fortune in the stock market, but his words ring true. In spite of everything that you hear about the housing market, now may be the best time to buy. Read more about it here.

License to Flip?

noreply@blogger.com (Daniel) — Fri, 02 May 2008 04:35:00 +0000

Last July, the Washington State Legislature enacted a new statute aimed directly at the Real Estate Industry. While the laws are always changing, this new statute has a direct affect on Real Estate investors and occasional "Flippers". Read more about it here...