Blog - Robin Myers

condo financing, condominiums, first time buyers, home financing, real estate, supporting communities

NEW FHA LOAN GUIDELINES FOR CONDOMINIUMS BENEFIT BUYERS

Condominiums are an important part of the housing market for first time buyers. Too often buyers have the income and credit score needed to purchase a home but lack an adequate down payment which can make entering the housing market prohibitive. In an effort to promote affordable and sustainable homeownership, especially among credit-worthy first […]
condominiums, Landlord-Tenant laws, real estate, rentals

Renting Your Condo? What You Need to Know About New Washington State Landlord-Tenant Laws

Washington State Landlord-Tenant Laws were revised in July that include new tenant protection laws relating to rent increase and eviction notices and changes to property use. If you currently have tenants renting your condominium (or house), or you’re thinking about renting your condo, here is a quick look at recent changes to the state landlord-tenant […]
condominiums, first time buyers, home property values

Home Search – What’s more important? Location or dream home updates?

Seafair, vacations, weddings, sunny weather, back-to-school shopping – the month of August is filled with distractions that cause buyers to take a break from their summer home search. Local condominium and house inventory is up (though there’s hardly a glut of available inventory), making this a great time to take advantage of having more […]
Bellevue, events, home safety, moving

Bellevue Weekend Recycling Event

If you’ve been inspired to do some spring cleaning, this weekend’s recycling event is the perfect place to drop off those items that don’t have any usable life left in them. Saturday, May 26th 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Bellevue Presbyterian Church 1717 Bellevue Way NE The event is free – accepted items include: — […]

condo financing NEW FHA LOAN GUIDELINES FOR CONDOMINIUMS BENEFIT BUYERS Condominiums are an important part of the housing market for first time buyers. Too often buyers have the income and credit score needed to purchase a home but lack an adequate down payment which can make entering the housing market prohibitive. In an effort to promote affordable and sustainable homeownership, especially among credit-worthy first […]

condominiums Renting Your Condo? What You Need to Know About New Washington State Landlord-Tenant Laws Washington State Landlord-Tenant Laws were revised in July that include new tenant protection laws relating to rent increase and eviction notices and changes to property use. If you currently have tenants renting your condominium (or house), or you’re thinking about renting your condo, here is a quick look at recent changes to the state landlord-tenant […]

condominiums Home Search – What’s more important? Location or dream home updates? Seafair, vacations, weddings, sunny weather, back-to-school shopping – the month of August is filled with distractions that cause buyers to take a break from their summer home search. Local condominium and house inventory is up (though there’s hardly a glut of available inventory), making this a great time to take advantage of having more […]

Bellevue Bellevue Weekend Recycling Event If you’ve been inspired to do some spring cleaning, this weekend’s recycling event is the perfect place to drop off those items that don’t have any usable life left in them. Saturday, May 26th 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM Bellevue Presbyterian Church 1717 Bellevue Way NE The event is free – accepted items include: — […]

condo financing Don’t Ignore Condo Resale Disclosure Documents In this fast paced, competitive real estate market, it’s common, in an effort to “win”, for buyers to waive contract conditions such as inspection, financing, appraisal, neighborhood review, etc. Buying a condominium is different than buying a house. With condominiums perhaps the most important contract condition in place to protect a buyer is the […]

Bellevue This Weekend – What to do in Bellevue Rain or shine . . . there are plenty of events and activities in Bellevue this weekend. ROCK GARDEN PLANT SALE Saturday, April 14th 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Bellevue Botanical Garden – 12001 Main Street Admission: free INSECT INVESTIGATIONS Saturday April 14th 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center […]

property tax exemptions Property Tax Exemptions for Seniors It’s no secret – 2018 property taxes have increased substantially over last year. While rising taxes are a tough pill to swallow, Washington’s property taxes rank in the lower half nationwide, coming in at 29th. New Jersey is #1 and surprisingly Hawaii is the lowest. Did you know property tax exemptions are available for seniors? […]

Bellevue Does Walk-ability Add Home and Community Value? Living in communities close to workplaces, shopping, dining and other amenities is becoming increasingly important to buyers when searching for a home. A recent survey conducted on behalf of the National Association of REALTORS® found over half of the respondents preferred to live in a community that offered smaller or no yards but was within […]

Bellevue Bellevue Weekend Events If you’re not a fan of college basketball tournament play, there are interesting and fun local events for adults and children this weekend. BELLEVUE BOTANICAL GARDEN SPRING BULB LECTURE SATURDAY MARCH 24th – 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Slide show and walking tour through the botanical gardens to learn about the best spring bulbs for […]

downsizing Make Your Next Move with Minimal Stress Downsizing can happen at any phase of life and for many reasons. Moving, if it involves a major lifestyle change, can be an especially difficult and emotional process. Whether you’re moving yourself or assisting a family member or friend, there are ways to make the process easier and less stressful. Define, or Redefine Your Needs […]

home property values The Risk of Relying on Home Value Zestimates Earlier this month the Seattle Times reported on a recent Zillow Zestimate for a home in Belfair on the Kitsap Peninsula. The Mason County assessor’s value of the home was $283,000. The home recently sold for $225,000 (below market value because the home was headed for foreclosure). A Zillow Zestimate published the home’s value at […]

neighborhoods Changes Planned for the Overlake/Sears Property in Redmond http://www.redmond.gov/seritage Design and use changes are proposed for the existing Sears site in the Redmond/Overlake area. The rendering above and link to the City of Redmond website provides more information about the Seritage mixed use project. Preliminary plans for the 13 acre site propose office, retail, hotel, restaurants and residential plus approximately 2 acres […]

Bellevue Bellevue Condo Market Statistics Earlier this month I shared 2017 King County real estate market statistics supplied by the NWMLS. Median sales prices were up 15% county-wide (houses and condos) over 2016. Taking a closer look, here are the 2017 market stats for Bellevue condos: 759 condos sold in 2017 (resale and new construction), up from 746 in 2016 […]

Bellevue 2017 Local Real Estate Market Data The info-graphic above provides a quick look at 2017 King County real estate market statistics. nearly 3% more homes (condos and houses) sold in 2017 vs. 2016 the median sales price was up nearly 15% county-wide at the end of 2017 there was less than a one month supply of available homes a 4 – […]

Bellevue Time to Sell an Investment Property? Interest in rentals remains strong, but there’s been a noticeable slight decline in area rents this year. Even in high demand urban areas, rents have dipped slightly. With thousands of new apartments recently completed or nearing completion, and hundreds more under construction, rental supply may have begun to outpace demand. If you own a rental […]

Bellevue Bellevue’s New Waterfront Park Scheduled for completion the last quarter of 2018, the new Meydenbauer Bay waterfront park promises to be bigger and better than ever. The park expansion has been in the planning stages for years while the city acquired properties and obtained funding to create the new waterfront park. The public will have access to 700′ of […]

Bellevue Downtown Holiday Events There are dozens of holiday activities this month, but several should top your “to do” list this month. Nightly at 7:00 PM Bellevue Way is closed between NE 4th and NE 8th Streets for Snowflake Lane featuring drummers, dancers, holiday characters and a parade complete with snow […]

carbon monoxide alarms WA State Requirements When Selling a Home This time of year buying or selling a home goes on the back burner while people focus on the holidays, family and friends. Locally real estate tends to take a break until our “spring” market ramps up in late January. When preparing a home for sale there’s a typical “to do” list that includes organizing […]

Bellevue Love Bellevue’s Parks? Get Involved, Make a Difference Most of us agree Bellevue is a great place to live. Residents consistently giving high marks to the city’s government, services, safety, parks and recreation services and overall amenities. One of the city’s biggest perks is its many parks – urban parks, waterfront parks and small pocket parks offering playgrounds, indoor and outdoor recreation options, […]

family Thanksgiving Traditions As we approach Thanksgiving holiday, we each have our own reasons to be thankful. For some this will be a short week with the anticipation of holiday traditions and spending time with family and friends. For others this may be the beginning of a long working weekend. And for some, there’s the tradition of being […]