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The Real Estate Deal

Editor Cindy Zetts dishes on real-estate and development around Puget Sound: She lived in apartments, townhomes and houses -- a dozen of them in four states -- before settling in the Seattle area in 1997. After taking a bath on the sale of her first home, in South Florida, she vowed to wise up about real estate. She bought a house in Covington 10 years ago because, well, she could afford one there.

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May 9, 2008 1:36 PM

Real-estate tour: Hard-hat tour was a gas -- once I got off the elevator

Posted by Cindy Zetts

I knew I was in trouble when I stepped onto the construction elevator with a dozen other people and my stomach lurched. I looked for something to hold on to, but I didn't think it appropriate to clutch the arm of one of the construction workers, I began to silently chant, "It won't break. It won't fall. We'll be fine."

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May 8, 2008 8:21 PM

To foreclose or not to foreclose on real estate: That is the question

Posted by Cindy Zetts

It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that foreclosure is a growing concern for homeowners delinquent on their mortgages. What's a lender to do?


Members of Washington ACORN protest foreclosures at Washington Mutual.

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May 8, 2008 6:15 PM

Real-estate taxes: Property valuations coming soon

Posted by Cindy Zetts

King County Assessor Scott Noble has begun mailing property-tax valuation notices, and what the average homeowner will find is that property values (NOT taxes) have risen 39 percent in four years and the tax bill has risen 22.7 percent. The state Department of Revenue says the county's overall property valuation is about 85 percent of market value.

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May 7, 2008 5:33 PM

Real-estate 101: tip for homebuyers

Posted by Cindy Zetts

When you buy that new house, whether it's brand new or a resale, the first call you should make is to a reputable locksmith.

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May 7, 2008 2:30 PM

Rate your real-estate agent

Posted by Cindy Zetts

AgentRank.com is the latest Web site to rank real-estate agents, including in the Seattle-Everett area, Inman News reported recently. Several other agent-search sites exist, and a few have gone the way of the dinosaur.

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May 6, 2008 2:54 PM

Underwater real estate

Posted by Cindy Zetts

Zillow has released its analysis of first-quarter home values, and -- surprise, surprise -- many who bought at the peak of the market are underwater on their mortgages.

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May 6, 2008 12:56 PM

My real-estate heartbreak: The one that got away

Posted by Cindy Zetts

My dream house taunts me every time I drive to Black Diamond. "Ha!" it says, cackling. "I could have been yours, but you were too chicken."

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May 1, 2008 6:30 PM

Selling real estate: Some tricks of the trade

Posted by Cindy Zetts

To sell some homes these days, it takes the right price, the right location, even the right staging. But some agents, who'll clearly try anything, believe in some woo-woo stuff that -- I can't help it -- makes me laugh.

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Recent entries

May 9, 08 - 01:36 PM
Real-estate tour: Hard-hat tour was a gas -- once I got off the elevator

May 8, 08 - 08:21 PM
To foreclose or not to foreclose on real estate: That is the question

May 8, 08 - 06:15 PM
Real-estate taxes: Property valuations coming soon

May 7, 08 - 05:33 PM
Real-estate 101: tip for homebuyers

May 7, 08 - 02:30 PM
Rate your real-estate agent

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