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 Jason Fleming - Washington Homes http://ift.tt/29Wm3Xk

Latest Washington real-estate gold rush: farms

You know about home prices and rents soaring across the Puget Sound region and Washington — but you might be surprised at the latest type of property to get swept up in the state’s real-estate wave: farms. The average sale price of high-quality Washington farmland has increased 25 percent in the last year, and is up 47 percent in the last four years, according to new data from Farmers National Company. The current average price of $12,500 per acre is the highest among 18 states tracked in the report, mostly in a central swath from Minnesota to Texas, up from fourth-highest a year ago. Washington was the only state surveyed to see prices rise in the past year. City folk might not think much about farmland, but it’s a big deal across Washington. The state has 14.7 million acres of farms — the size of about 270 Seattles. And costs for farmers can factor into how much you pay for that Honeycrisp apple at the grocery store, the summer squash at the farmers market or a local cabernet at the tasting room.
from Jason Fleming - Washington Homes http://ift.tt/2a6IAOA

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 Jason Fleming - Washington Homes http://ift.tt/1JoX1Vk

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Best Places to Live

U.S. News analyzed the 100 most populous metro areas to find the best places to live. To make the top of the list, a place had to have good value, be a desirable place to live, have a strong job market and a high quality of life.
from Jason Fleming - Washington Homes http://ift.tt/1Qsdq2V