It's THAT Time Again...!!!

by Dan Jensen

We're nearly to the end of November already, and yes, it's THAT time again!

"Taxes just ahead", cries the conductor. Best intentions of better planning and record keeping that we made in January may or may not have been fulfilled, but one thing is certain, whatever can be done to improve what will end up being the tax amount we pay is best adjusted now, BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR!

A short chat with your tax adviser between now and the first couple of weeks of December will likely provide you with options to improve what might otherwise prove to be more costly and/or time consuming than necessary.

Tax professionals have recently told us that there were several changes made to the tax code in 2012 & this year. Those changes can be either beneficial if planned for properly, or costly if NOT.

Real estate holdings, beginning with your personal home, and certainly those rentals, investment properties, commercial leases, and so on, all offer valuable avenues of tax sheltering and savings when properly structured and reported.

Again, NOW is a great time to call your tax adviser to learn whether or not you may be able to make some end-of-year savings. (By the way, if you don't have a tax pro yet, give us a call. We know some excellent professionals we can pass on to you.)

Thanksgiving is just days away. We hope yours is filled with family and friends, great food, time together, and more!

Thanks for stopping by.

Your Equity Northwest Properties Team

How Do Different Cities Compare on Price of Homes?

by Dan Jensen

Just for Friday Fun, I thought it might be interesting to see how Boise Idaho, Portland Oregon, and Vancouver Washington compare in their price of similar homes. Not the "cold" statistical summary that's often in the news, but real houses on the market TODAY!

Inserted below are one clean single level home in each of the 3 communities. Each home has 3 bedrooms, and 2 bathrooms, a 2 car garage, and decent size lot. Each home was built in the mid 70's and appears from pictures and descriptions to be in good condition and ready for it's potential new owner.

Take a look and see what you think.

As always, if we can be of help in any way, we're very glad to do so. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and thanks for stopping by!

The Equity Northwest Properties Team

Boise, Idaho

Portland, Oregon

Vancouver, Washington

Listings pulled this morning on Realtor.com public website. 

Jumbo is a Bargain!

by Rod Sager

According to the latest statistics, Jumbo loans are actually priced better than conventional loans right now. Some sources suggest that this is the first time in history that has happened. Jumbo loans are loans that exceed the conventional limit which is usually $417,000 but can be higher in certain "expensive" markets. Conventional loans are typically bought by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Jumbo mortgages are mostly held by private investors and it seems they are warming up to the idea of holding mortgage paper again.

If you find yourself in a position to buy a larger home in the $500,000 or more price range, now could be the best opportunity in your lifetime. Right now many markets are seeing price increases. Most of the activity has been in the entry level market and it seems to be spilling into the mid level as well. The high end market tends to trail the bottom so prices on the big homes are still pretty low compared to the peak in 2006-2007. Now that the private mortgage investors are feeling the love, Jumbo loans are very affordable. Maybe that big house in the country with the brand new six stall horse barn and covered arena is within your reach after all. Talk to your real estate professional about this amazing situation. These windows of opportunity often remain open for short periods. Maybe it is time to "pull the trigger".

Retire to Washington

by Rod Sager

I wrote a retirement in Washington blog post this morning and thought I would share it here as well.

Real Estate with Realtor Rod Sager: Retire to Washington: Washington State is not the first state you think of when pondering the exodus of retirees to "fairer" locales. You might think of...