Buying a home, whether it is your first or your most recent, is always one of the most significant purchases you’ll make in your lifetime. And regardless of how comfortable you are with the process, it’s normal to have questions, especially since home loan rates continue to be near-record lows.

To get the right answers at the right time, start with reaching out to an experienced, trusted advisor who can guide you through the process and ensure it goes smoothly. When you start thinking about buying a home, that’s the time to first reach out to a residential lender. It’s their job to find the best mortgage for you and your family.

Choose someone who is ready to earn your business by listening to your financial goals what’s important to you. A lender should be ready to work with you to determine how much house you can afford, explain the different types of loans available to you and point out special programs that may benefit you (e.g. if you’re a Veteran or first-time home buyer). Remember you are in the driver’s seat.

Consulting a lender early will assist you in knowing if you’re ready to take this step into homeownership or if you should focus on first strengthening your financial position. And if it’s the latter, creating a relationship with a lender now will be beneficial when it comes to apply for your mortgage.

If you’re curious about the financial side of buying a house, try our online calculators to see how much house you can afford or if you should rent or buy, then reach out to your local AmericanWest Bank Residential Lender to get the conversation started.

For more information contact:
Charlotte Jacobs
VP, Branch Manager – Issaquah
AmericanWest Bank
Direct line 425.395.1193
Charlotte.jacobs@awbank.net
www.awbank.net

What’s your choice for a vacation home?

By Jay Kipp

Here in the great Northwest there is no shortage of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. From beachfront cottages to San Juan estates to the ski slopes, our region offers more variety than most for a perfect outdoor getaway. And the good news coming out of our recent real estate slowdown is that a multitude of really great properties are out there for smart investors to take advantage of.

The country is seeing a resurgence in vacation property, whether it is used primarily by the owner or rented out on a regular basis. Florida, Arizona and California are leading the way, as prices have dropped drastically in some of the most beautiful and time-tested vacation spots, making this a true buyer’s market. As with most things real estate related, the Pacific Northwest market follows California’s trend. Some great bargains are hitting the market and just waiting for astute buyers.

East of Issaquah, Suncadia offers both vacant lots and custom-built homes at fantastic values. The community is known for its winter sports, great golf and fine dining. Farther east, in Wenatchee and Walla Walla, classy condominiums and townhomes make a long weekend in wine country the perfect getaway. Designed as an authentic beach village, the relatively new community of Seabrook, just north of Ocean Shores to the west, offers a classic Pacific Ocean experience. And the San Juan Islands remain one of the most highly sought after vacation destinations.

Financing for vacation homes is available, as well as on-site management and opportunities to rent out one’s property via outlets such as Vacation Rentals By Owner. Many vacation properties are owned by private corporations or partnerships and serve as corporate retreat venues. Internal Revenue Service rules apply to owning a vacation home, but even that can have a positive effect on the bottom line when use, expense and maintenance are taken into account.

It is always a great time to enjoy the outdoors, but now seems to be an especially opportune time to investigate great vacation home ownership options in your favorite Northwest location.  ❖

Extra help when selling your home

by Christine Kipp

A well staged home sells more quickly

The goal of staging is to make a home appealing to the highest number of potential buyers, thereby selling a property more swiftly and for more money. Understandably, you might assume that placing a round table in a dining room, coordinating linens and furnishings in a master bedroom and creating a colorful kid’s room should suffice as adequate staging, right? Wrong.

Staging includes space planning for impact and effect as well as visual techniques that can affect the sense of spaciousness, thereby adding value. For instance, many of us arrange furniture in a family room to focus on the TV. This is how we live and it is comfortable and functional. However, staging theory would never put the back of a sofa to a room’s entry, nor would it suggest that a focal point be a TV or media center unless the room was a bona fide media room. Good staging would have a coffee table in front of the fireplace, with a sofa perpendicular to that wall on one side and one or two chairs on the other side, to draw one’s eye directly to the fireplace, plus art above the fireplace and no more than three objects d’art dressing the mantel. A stager would lift all baskets and small items off the floor to enlarge the floor space, pull open the blinds and drapes, and set a single plant on the coffee table.

Staging also includes presenting alternative uses for a room to broaden its overall appeal to the most buyers possible. A bonus room obviously can have varied uses. A pool table room, a workout center, a child’s play space—each concept can be used successfully to appeal to people who might buy the home.

Color can have a huge impact in staging. There is actually an entire body of science that considers the psychological impact of color on human responses and behaviors. Red, for instance, offers a powerful pop of color to immediately capture someone’s attention. Blue is soothing and can calm frazzled nerves, and is often an excellent choice in a bedroom or as a library accent wall. Yellow is believed to have the strongest impact psychologically: It can put a smile on one’s face, lift spirits and fill a room with springtime optimism. With all these colors, however, too much can take people the other way. Any color can be depressing, startling and overwhelming if used in too large a quantity throughout a house or not used in the right combination.

While many of homes are dressed beautifully with designer touches, interesting travel mementos and cozy settings for family and friends, staging has never before been so important. In the current competitive market, there is a vast distinction between the home you live in and the home you sell. Staging can make all the difference.  ❖