Ben Kakimoto
Ben Kakimoto is a Seattle Realtor with Keller Williams Realty specializing in urban real estate properties through the Seattle metropolitan area. Ben can be found online on Google+.
Land Use Activity – Apartments Galore
With Seattle’s low apartment vacancy rate it seems everyone wants a piece of the action. I’ve highlighted a number of the larger downtown high-rise apartment proposals on the Seattle Condos and Lofts blog but it seems they’re sprouting up all over the city. One real estate investment company filed applications for several projects in Seattle’s…
Improved School Information
We’re excited to announce improvements to school information with our home search feature. In addition to searching for homes by school district, we’re able to provide map boundaries of school districts and location of nearby schools. To search by an individual school or district, use the “Schools/Districts” search panel. To view locations of nearby…
Mortgage Rate remain low, historically
Recently, I’ve been hearing some fretting amongst home buyers about interest rates heading into the 5’s. It’s been a few years since rates have gone above 5% so many may not know how good they have it. The graph belows shows rates for a 30-year fixed mortgage over the past 20 years. Even if…
FHA to increase its mortgage insurance premium
If you’re currently looking to purchase your home (house, condo, townhome) with an FHA Loan, the cost of that loan will be increasing soon. Effective April 18, 2011, the FHA monthly mortgage insurance premium will be increasing 0.25% for all loans with case numbers issued on or after April 18th. The net effect of the…
Pet Odor Can Chase Away Buyers
Article From BuyAndSell.HouseLogic.com By: G. M. Filisko Having pet odors inside your home can turn off potential home buyers and keep your home from selling. Ask your real estate agent for an honest opinion about whether your home has a pet smell. If your agent holds her nose, here’s how to get rid of the…
NWMLS: November’s home sales rose modest 2 percent
KIRKLAND, WA, December 6, 2010 – Northwest Multiple Listing Service members recorded a few pleasant surprises last month. Pending sales during November outgained the same month a year ago, marking the first year-over-year increase since April, when the tax credits expired. Also noted as encouraging were an upswing in relocation sales, shrinkage in the number…
NWMLS: Housing activity remained sluggish in October
Housing Activity Remained Sluggish During October; Market Change Not Likely to be “Light Switch” Moment KIRKLAND, WA, November 4, 2010 – Housing activity around Washington state remained lackluster during October, with brokers reporting year-over-year declines in pending sales. On a brighter note, prices on sales that closed last month showed signs of stabilizing, with eight…
