http://www.tfgre.com/blog eng http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/first-phase-of-home-plate-center-completed American Life has completed the first phase of its six-story Home Plate Center office project kitty-corner from Safeco Field on First Avenue South.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/204 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/federal-reserve-ready-to-dispose-of-empty-downtown-building The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, whose bid to sell its old downtown Seattle building to developers was stymied two years ago by historic-preservation advocates, is turning it over to the GSA for sale or other use.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/205 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/neill-ainslie-builds-contemporary-house-into-a-seattle-home Ainslie, a contractor, found the lot while jogging. It came with plans for a contemporary house. Neill and his wife, Sandra, jumped at the opportunity to build and experiment on a house for the two of them in Madison Valley.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/208 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/mastro-associate-hazelrigg-wont-disclose-assets Thomas Hazelrigg III, a longtime friend of bankrupt Seattle real-estate magnate Michael R. Mastro, refused to say whether he has any assets to help pay off the $76 million he owes Mastro's creditors.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/206 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/homebuying-warms-up-in-many-parts-of-nation Reduced prices, record-low mortgage rates, higher rents and an improving job market appear to be emboldening many would-be buyers. Open houses are drawing crowds. A wave of foreclosures is leading investors to grab bargain-priced homes.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/207 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/neill-ainslie-builds-contemporary-house-into-a-seattle-home Ainslie, a contractor, found the lot while jogging. It came with plans for a contemporary house. Neill and his wife, Sandra, jumped at the opportunity to build and experiment on a house for the two of them in Madison Valley.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/195 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/no-one-size-fits-all-answer-when-it-comes-to-whether-to-buy-a-house There's reason to doubt whether widespread and expanding homeownership will be the foundation of the economy again, especially on par with the bubble years.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/194 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/architect-harry-gesner-still-riding-that-wave Harry Gesner designed Californian houses that celebrated the state's dramatic landscapes. The most famous of them, the Wave House, hunkers in the sand on a Malibu Beach. Gesner sketched his first designs for it on his long board, bobbing beyond the break in front of the site.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/202 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/replacing-both-springs-keeps-garage-door-in-balance Torsion springs should be replaced by a skilled installer.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/201 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/solar-powered-homes-kick-start-market Southern California builder finds success in subdivision solar-powered homes.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/197 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/houzz-a-website-for-remodelers-to-scour-for-ideas After struggling to describe their vision, Adi Tatarko and her husband, Alon Cohen, created an online platform to solve their problem · a site called Houzz, that would showcase the work of architects and other design professionals, so that home renovators would have access to lots of images from which to draw inspiration.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/199 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/neighborhood-of-the-week-atlantic A close-in Seattle neighborhood is undergoing dramatic change as a variety of new and old homes attract younger buyers who like the location and amenities.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/198 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/on-loans-right-stuff-gets-tougher A new statistical analysis, based on a large sample of all mortgage applications approved and denied in recent months, offers valuable benchmarks for anyone thinking about financing a home purchase or refinancing an existing loan.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/200 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/turning-outdoor-space-into-a-home-extension More homeowners want better function and more usability from their outdoor spaces.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/196 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/rate-on-30-year-mortgage-falls-to-388-percent The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage dropped near its all-time low this week, making home-buying and refinancing a bargain for those who can qualify.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/203 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/rate-on-30-year-mortgage-falls-to-388-percent The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage dropped near its all-time low this week, making home-buying and refinancing a bargain for those who can qualify.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/175 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/hansen-buys-rest-of-sodo-property-needed-for-sports-arena Chris Hansen, the hedge-fund manager who wants to bring a basketball and hockey arena to Sodo, says he has locked up the remaining property needed for the arena, and the sales should start closing this week.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/176 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/seattles-office-towers-filling-up-brokers-report Downtown vacancy rate tightens, especially in more prestigious buildings.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/177 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/us-govt-to-propose-new-mortgage-lending-rules The federal government proposed new rules on Tuesday that will give homeowners more ways to avoid foreclosure and get an accurate accounting of their monthly mortgage payments.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/179 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/imf-notes-failures-of-us-foreclosure-programs The Obama administration's struggle to stem the U.S. foreclosure crisis illustrates how high household debt can slow recovery from a deep recession, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/178 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/rent-vs-own-a-rhetoric-reality-check Author Jane Hodges offers advice about what to think when you hear from well-meaning friends as you make the call about where and how you are going to live.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/180 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/seattle-couple-committed-to-taking-home-well-home The homeowner at first mistook the house on Queen Anne Hill for an apartment building. Coated in textured stucco that disguised the clapboard, shingle and signature corner bays, the 1908 house and a garage, extended kitchen and porch added after World War I had been almost totally modernized.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/181 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/an-older-home-with-a-breathing-problem Attics need proper ventilation to transfer moisture from the home to the air outside.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/184 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/at-las-vegas-furniture-show-betting-on-metal-with-wood-trend Furniture makers betting that consumers will want to surround themselves with time-tested designs.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/185 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/can-you-sustainably-rent-or-buy-a-home Sustainable housing refers to housing · rented or owned · that you can afford to get into, stay in and maintain. Before you sign a...
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/182 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/how-to-deduct-private-mortgage-insurance-from-your-income-taxes Any associated PMI premiums on new mortgages issued through 2011 will qualify for the income-tax deduction.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/186 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/ken-harney-fha-policy-change-may-cause-many-buyers-pain The Federal Housing Administration says it will no longer approve applications where the borrowers have outstanding collections or disputed accounts with an aggregate of $1,000 or more of unpaid bills.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/183 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/racial-discrepancies-in-upkeep-of-foreclosed-properties-report-finds Alliance found that properties in predominantly black and Latino neighborhoods were far more likely than those in predominantly white areas to be left in disrepair. In addition, foreclosed properties in minority neighborhoods were routinely less likely to have for-sale signs than those in white communities.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/187 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/the-man-cave-that-great-getaway-has-become-commercialized Perhaps the castaway couch has become so overcrowded that the only way to save the cave is to bid it a wistful farewell,
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/188 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/insurer-expects-to-sell-russell-center-for-three-times-what-it-invested Insurance giant Northwestern Mutual, which put downtown Seattle's Russell Investments Center up for sale in late 2011, values the building at $447.5 million.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/190 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/us-rate-on-30-year-mortgage-falls-to-398-percent The average U.S. rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage was mostly unchanged this week, as the cost of home-buying and refinancing stayed near record lows.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/193 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/king-county-home-prices-highest-since-september While still down more than 4 percent from March 2011, last month's median sale price of $330,000 was up 7 percent from February, when prices hit a new post-boom low.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/189 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/fourth-and-pike-building-averts-foreclosure The owner of downtown Seattle's historic Fourth and Pike Building has renegotiated its debt with its lender and avoided foreclosure.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/191 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/berkshire-hathaway-unit-buys-seattle-residential-brokerage A real-estate subsidiary of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has acquired a Seattle residential real-estate brokerage.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/192 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/now-thats-living-eastlakes-tommy-eggleston-is-livin-the-technicolor-life He spent years on the road working for Three Dog Night, running nightclubs, and then as a deejay in Honolulu. And everywhere he went, Tommy brought something home. Now, Tommy and his memories live together in his funky cottage in Seattle's Eastlake neighborhood.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/174 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/sen-stevens-to-retire-in-39th-district-rep-pearson-to-run-for-seat State Sen. Val Stevens, R-Arlington, who has served 20 years in the Legislature, has announced she will not seek re-election, and state Rep. Kirk Pearson, R-Monroe, plans to run for her seat.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/173 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/fannie-mae-freddie-mac-balk-at-mortgage-debt-forgiveness Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac haven't granted principal reductions because it would cost the taxpayer-funded companies almost $100 billion.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/165 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/mortgage-activity-slowed-by-higher-interest-rates
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/171 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/replace-deck-with-safety-in-mind Home Fix: Dwight Barnett answers home-improvement questions. This week's topic is on replacing a deck.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/167 http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/a-french-inspired-kitchen-renovation-cooks-up-some-fun Copper is the dominant accent hue; the light-painted cabinets were antiqued with copper glaze and finished with copper-finish hardware, and a ceiling medallion was painted copper.
Click here to read more http://www.tfgre.com/blog/post/168