Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Average US 30-Year Mortgage Rate Rises to 3.45 Percent

ortgage giant Freddie Mac said Thursday the average for the benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.45 percent from 3.42 percent last week. The average rate is down sharply from 4.04 percent a year ago.
from Dean Nygaard: John L. Scott http://ift.tt/29Wm3Xk

Home prices rising faster in Washington than in any other state

It’s not just Seattle that’s seeing eye-popping housing costs: Across Washington, home prices are rising faster than in any state in the country — the first time that’s happened in a quarter-century. Soaring costs from Bellingham to Spokane have propelled the state to a record for home prices, surpassing its pre-recession peak for the first time. Just in the last few years, Washington has zoomed up the list of priciest states in the nation and now sits in the top five overall. “There’s no reason to believe that this is going to stop anytime soon,” said Peter Orser, director of the University of Washington’s Runstad Center for Real Estate Studies. “We’ve all talked about Seattle, but I’m starting to see the overflow — people are starting to make different decisions and trade-offs in pursuit of affordability.”
from Dean Nygaard: John L. Scott http://ift.tt/296yDz1

Friday, July 22, 2016

A Minimalist Manifesto: How To Simplify Your Style at Home

Sometimes, our homes can overwhelm us. What should be a place of retreat and comfort becomes bloated with items not needed, styles experimented with and abandoned, and projects started but never completed. While a good Spring Clean (whenever it happens) is always welcome, sometimes you want to go even further than that and streamline your style, too. Read on for our Minimalist Manifesto, and for ideas on how to simplify your home.
from Dean Nygaard: John L. Scott http://ift.tt/1JoX1Vk