By James Dainard

With inventory low and the real estate market hot, buyers are eager for a quick sale in order to close on the home they want. I spoke with our listing team for some tips and tricks that they recommend to clients who are getting ready to list their investment properties and below are some of their ideas.

By Doug Owens

People sometimes ask me whether it is advisable to buy real estate at a sheriff’s auction, and I always say “It depends.” A sheriff’s sale happens when someone obtains a judgment against someone who owns the property and the court orders that judgment be foreclosed and the property be sold to pay the judgment. A foreclosure and sheriff’s sale wipe out the liens of any creditors whose liens are junior to the lien that is foreclosed. So if there are senior liens the purchase may not make economic sense. But if there are not senior liens, the first kind of risk in buying at a sheriff’s sale arises.

By Jack Burns

Palm Springs, CA, March 28, 2018 – The group discussion at the Inman event was thought provoking, but I felt all fidgety in my seat. Brad Inman had asked the group: “How can agents participate in the exploding iBuyer space?”

By Fred Rea

You’re listening to a guru pitch you on his program for wealth, dreaming of millions in the bank. You leave the seminar pumped up, pockets a little lighter due to the cost of the weekend training, but ready to take on the world.

By Pam Christensen

I love the Vegas market! Every year I try to make it to market for at least one day, but with 3 interconnected buildings and 40 floors of exhibits, it’s impossible to see everything unless you can spend at least 3 days touring the market. There are over 4,200+ samples of furniture, bedding, lighting, flooring, accessories and gift resources. It’s THE place to find trends for the coming year and for my company to meet new suppliers to help us create designs that wow our clients. For me, it’s like Designers Disneyland complete with stars like the Property Brothers who were launching their new furniture line. My husband really wanted me to stand in the LONG line to meet them and get a picture, just so he could show friends at home how tall the Property brothers really are. I, however, chose to pass on the opportunity.

By Doug Owens

I have written two articles about the Supreme Court’s Hirst decision, the first just before the end of the 2017 extended legislative session and the second a few months later based on an article I had read by a colleague on the implications of the decision for people in counties other than Whatcom. By now you have probably heard or read that the current Legislature has adopted a bill, which the Governor has signed to address the Hirst decision.The bill carries an emergency clause and so it has taken effect.

By James Dainard

In Today's hot real estate market, inventory is low leading to quick sales from eager buyers. I asked our amazing listing team for ideas and tips that they recommend to all clients and below are some of their insightful thoughts.

A cross collateralized loan is simply a loan where more than one property (asset) is being used as collateral. For example, you use a rental property you have some equity in as collateral to secure your loan against a flip you are purchasing as an easy way to use less of your own capital. The two caveats to this type of loan are the collateral home has to be in Western Washington and CANNOT be owner-occupied. Intrust Funding will typically lend up to 65% of the homes fair market value (FMV) so if you own a free and clear home worth $300,000 we can lend up to (300,000 * .65) = $195,000. The real beauty of the cross collateralized loan is that we can even structure your loan so you have an interest reserve built-into the loan so you have no monthly interest payments, no upfront fees, no down payment and if you get a construction loan, no upfront rehab costs either. There is absolutely no better cash-on cash return in a real estate investment than a collateralized property loan from Intrust Funding!

Many investors like deals in which the seller carries back some or all of the purchase price, allowing the investor-buyer to maximize leverage. There are several ways in which seller financing can occur, perhaps the most common of which is the promissory note secured by a deed of trust. From the buyer-borrower's standpoint, this method is favorable but not as favorable as a traditional mortgage which has been all but replaced by the deed of trust. The reason for this is largely that institutional lenders favor the relatively rapid process of foreclosing the deed of trust in case of default without having to file a lawsuit as would be the case with a mortgage. A deed of trust can be foreclosed in approximately one hundred eighty days while foreclosing a mortgage could take a year or more. Sellers who agree to finance their buyers have in many cases fallen into line with the big lenders and used the note and deed of trust as the financing mechanism.

As any investor knows, if you have not made any investment mistakes you probably have not made any investments. Learning from these mistakes so you can master your investment business is the key to your success. You can learn from other people's mistakes, so I would like to share mistakes that I have either personally made or have watched investor-clients make.

A year ago I wrote concerning a timber trespass case that had been recently decided that had implications for investors who buy property that has tall, primarily coniferous trees on either the property to be purchased or any neighboring parcel close to the common boundary. The Court of Appeals, although a different division, has now decided a case on a similar topic which raises new concerns for investors.

"I'm in the process of completing my first cash flow property and I am getting ready to start thinking about tenants. How do you determine who will make a good tenant?" -Matt in Seattle

Predictions are in for kitchens and baths trends for 2017 and not surprising they are not too different from last year. In general, open spaces that are functional for all ages, but take our baby boomer populations needs into consideration are hot. Clean lines and transitional styles are replacing traditional designs.

If you work in the off-market property space, especially doing pre-foreclosures, here are some tricks I learned that may increase your income and reduce your liability. You may already know these. Keep in mind, I'm not an attorney and you should consult with an attorney before acting on anything in this article.

Zillow has some great research tools and puts out regular research reports available for free to anyone interested in learning more about our housing market. They have reported that the three most perceived barriers to home buying among renters are: inability to finance the down payment, qualifying for a mortgage, or dealing with existing debt. By far, the biggest concern in every major market was coming up with the down payment.

Many homes are selling within the first 30 days in the Puget Sound housing market even though housing prices in the Puget Sound market continue to go up and inventory remains tight.

By Wendy Ceccherelli

Where, oh where, do I find good deals to flip in today’s hot market?

Two things that set Intrust Funding apart from all of the national hard money lenders and most of the local lenders is the number of draws per construction loan and our ability to quickly disburse funds. An extra 2, 3,4 or even 5 days per draw when you are taking four to five draws over the life of the loan will add up to real money. Below are a couple scenarios to consider when choosing a hard money lender.

When you apply for a loan with a hard money company you will undoubtedly be asked for several things including the purchase and sale agreement, pictures of the property, a credit report, your investment history, scope of work and exit strategy for the property. But what questions will you be asking the hard money lender about their services, underwriting guidelines, timelines or loan terms? Anyone that has been to a REAPS meeting probably knows that there are a couple reputable, local companies that offer fast, short-term lending. Have you interviewed different hard money lenders or spoken with other experienced investors at local real estate investment meetings, like REAPS, to see what their experience has been and if they have any recommendations? While other trusted investors are going to be a great source for info it is always nice to hear directly from the lender.

Because the market is so hot right now, should I just go ahead and sell my house now? I've been thinking about it for a while and it seems like a good time to sell." - Jason from Mercer Island