Best Places to Live: Bellevue Ranks #4!
CNN's Money's list of America's best small cities: money.cnn.com

Seattle Housing Market hits "trifecta"
August 5, 2010 - Housing activity during July held few surprises for members of Northwest Multiple Listing Service, although some brokers wonder why more buyers aren't taking advantage of historic low interest rates. Both pending sales and median prices on closed sales showed slight improvement from the previous month, according to the latest report from NWMLS. "It's a housing trifecta," declared
Meribeth Hutchings, a director for Northwest Multiple Listing Service when asked to comment on activity for the month of July. Read More

FAST FACT
About two-thirds of U.S. homes (65 percent) currently have central air-conditioning and another 21 percent have window units. By contrast, only 17 percent of U.S. homes had central A/C in 1973.
As always your referrals are the life blood of my business and allow me to continue to help people achieve their dreams of homeownership. If you know of anyone looking to take advantage of today's real estate opportunities let me know and I'll take exceptional care of them whether they are buying or selling!
Top 10 Housing Markets That Will Be
Strongest by 2014
Ferry heads toward Bremerton, Wash. (AP)
1. Washington
Biggest home price increase projected in 2014: Bremerton-Silverdale metro

Forecast 4-year price increase: 44.7 percent
Current median price: $245,000
Prices to reach trough in: 2010 Q1
Median family income: $69,900
Population: 240,860

The Bremerton-Silverdale area, on Puget Sound's Kitsap Peninsula, has the highest growth forecast of all MSAs in the country, with prices expected to jump 44.7 percent by 2014, according to Fiserv. Cathy Doney, general manger for Reid Real Estate in Silverdale, says the waterfront community has benefited from government employment, which has helped sustain the job market, and attracted buyers looking to live close to Seattle at a lower cost.
Washington's second-strongest market is Tacoma, with a growth rate expected to be 33.1 percent.
Prices in the Seattle area are expected to grow 25.5 percent by 2014.
Index used to calculate historical home price changes: Case-Shiller

REF:http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/housing-markets-that-will-be-strongest-by-2014
This is a very interesting artilcle - click on the link to learn how they came up with these numbers! CK

Mortgage rates drop to a new low
Mortgage rates drop to new low
National average for a 30-year fixed loan is at 4.49 percent (actually it is now lower than this I believe 4.39% is closer)

Mortgage rates dropped to the lowest level on record for the sixth time in seven weeks, offering the most attractive opportunity in decades for those who qualify to refinance or purchase a home.

Government-controlled mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate for 30-year fixed loans this week was 4.49 percent, down from 4.54 percent last week. That's the lowest since Freddie Mac began tracking rates in 1971.

The average rate on the 15-year fixed loan dropped to 3.95 percent, down from 4 percent last week and the lowest on record.

Rates have fallen since spring as investors seek the safety of U.S. Treasury bonds. That has lowered the yield on Treasuries. Mortgage rates tend to track those yields.

The last time home loan rates were lower was during the 1950s, when most mortgages lasted just 20 or 25 years.

Low rates have sparked some activity in the weak housing market, but not a massive boom in refinancing. Applications to refinance loans increased 1.3 percent and those to purchase homes increased 1.5 percent, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Nevertheless, high unemployment, slow job growth and tight credit have made it difficult for many to purchase homes. The housing industry received a boost this spring when the government offered homebuying tax credits, but housing activity has plummeted since they expired in April.

The number of buyers who signed contracts to purchase homes plunged in June to the lowest level on records dating back to 2001, according to the National Association of Realtors.

To calculate the national average, Freddie Mac collects mortgage rates on Monday through Wednesday of each week from lenders around the country. Rates often fluctuate significantly, even within a given day.

Rates on five-year adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 3.63 percent, down from 3.76 percent a week earlier. Rates on one-year adjustable-rate mortgages fell to an average of 3.55 percent from 3.64 percent.

The rates do not include add-on fees known as points. One point is equal to 1 percent of the total loan amount. The nationwide fee for loans in Freddie Mac's survey averaged 0.7 a point for all loans.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
ALL CALL! I'm about out of listings! They've (mostly) all been selling, if you know of anyone who is looking to sell I'm ready to help.
Enjoy our fabulous summer now that it has finally arrived!
Make it a great day,
Cindy