Street Cents

Pages

4:30am

Tue February 7, 2012
Street Cents

Rough time refinancing? Try again.

Bank vault full of cold, hard cash.
Adolph B. Rice Studio Collection / Library of Virginia

Is it true that there there's a bank vault out there full of cold, hard cash that's now available to people trying to refinance? That's what KPLU's John Maynard asked Seattle-area real estate appraiser Richard Hagar when he dropped by KPLU's studios recently. Without skipping a beat, Hagar responded:

"The good news is if you've missed some mortgage payments or you were in foreclosure, banks now have more cash available. And they've loosened up the purse strings a bit."

Read more

4:30am

Tue January 3, 2012
Street Cents

Not all condos are buildings in the investment world

When you invest in a parking space ... it can be kinda like investing in a condo.
Steve Rhodes / Flikr

When most of us talk about condos, we’re usually referring to buildings with apartment units that are individually owned.  But as real estate appraiser Richard Hagar tells KPLU’s John Maynard, a condominium is technically a type of ownership.

So you can also "condominiumize" other types of property. Hagar says it's a hot trend for investors. 

Condo parking spaces

Read more

4:28am

Tue December 6, 2011
Street Cents

For some, the gamble of an adjustable-rate mortgage pays off

Low interest rates making headlines. That's good news for adjusting or locking in a mortgage.

KPLU's John Maynard bought a condo in 2007 – at the height of the market. He took out an adjustable-rate mortgage that's "adjusting" in June.

That's turned out to be good news for Maynard, who's mortgage payment will go down considerably since interest rates are low right now and expected to be so for quite some time.

Read more

4:30am

Tue November 1, 2011
Street Cents

Banks give money for keeping a foreclosed house looking good

Some banks will pay you if you keep your foreclosed house in good condition. That includes things like  mowing your lawn and keeping your toilets and countertops spick and span.

Seattle-area Real Estate Appraiser and educator Richard Hagar tells KPLU's John Maynard that some lenders offer in the neighborhood of $2,000.00 to ex-homeowners  for keeping foreclosed property looking neat and tidy. 

Read more

4:30am

Tue October 4, 2011
Street Cents

Buying homes from the bank saves money, but not time

It's a drawn out, frustrating process, but if you're willing to put in the time,  buying a home from a bank can save you a lot of money. Seattle-area real estate appraiser Richard Hagar tells KPLU's John Maynard that while it is mostly investors who seek out these properties, average home buyers can score great deals, too

Read more

5:00am

Tue September 6, 2011
Street Cents

New home sales: Great deals at center of state, end of runway

New home waiting for the right buyer on the plains near Quincy, Wash.

Great deals on new homes can be found on the plains and near the planes.

That's the word from Seattle-area real estate appraiser Richard Hagar. New developments on the  flatlands of  Quincy, Wash., and the "loud lands" near Sea-Tac Airport are being built and sold at a pretty fast clip. Hagar tells KPLU's John Maynard there are some interesting reasons for that.

Read more

5:00am

Tue August 2, 2011
Street Cents

Aurora motels entering time of change, the last for most

Seattle's "Bridge Motel" just north of the Aurora bridge is one of the 1960's motels slated for demolition.
Erin Hennessey

Back in the early 1960's, a string of motels along Seattle's Aurora Avenue North sprang up to accommodate tourists pouring into town to visit the Seattle World's Fair. Real Estate Appraiser Richard Hagar tells KPLU's John Maynard that a lot of this property is being redeveloped.

Read more

4:10am

Tue July 5, 2011
Street Cents

Bad traffic and future construction could sabotage home sales

Flickr

These days home sellers are facing an uphill battle, and qualified buyers are becoming ever pickier. Find out how traffic congestion and pending construction project - even those that benefit the community at large- can impede the sale of a house.

Read more

Pages

%s1 / %s2