Happy New Year to All  I hope that 2011 is a healthy and prosperous one. I can honestly say that 2010 proved to be a very educational year for me and many of my colleagues involved in real estate. It never fails to amaze me that just when you think you have the banks, financing, short sales, foreclosures or the market figured out,  something changes. We all  have persevered through the largest financial crisis in history. We are left wiser and  with a sense of

  Why A Moratorium on Foreclosures?  Just when you think things are settling down and the market is improving, a new waive of recession related consequences come to light. The summer of 2010 saw fair market activity, in fact, sales rose over 23% in the Pacific Northwest and specifically in South Puget Sound. Inventories declined, interest rates are at historic lows and buyers are eager to take advantage of lower home prices. However, we are now looking at unchartered territories, again. Last week, GMAC, was

Easier Money, Steadier Sales When Kenneth Lowman worked with a buyer on a multimillion dollar home purchase in Las Vegas in December 09, the transaction took an unusual turn: It closed, and quickly. Image via Wikipedia The buyer was able to get jumbo financing in just 22 days-a far cry from six months earlier, when getting such a big loan, even for a highly creditworthy buyer, would have taken months and still might not have closed. “The jumbo market is opening up, says NAR Chief