Is Seattle Real Estate A Safe Investment?

With economists trying to speculate about the real estate bubble bust, several people have been asking themselves if the Seattle real estate market is still a safe investment for buyers. Previously, inventors have seen very important financial gains through investments in Seattle real estate.

Due to the mortgage rate increases and the idea that the average salary in the city remains unaltered, many people ask themselves if some profits can still be made from Seattle real estate.

In spite of of what happens in the economy, real estate will always be necessary, as people will always require some kind of roof over their heads. The question then is what kind of housing are these people looking for. Despite the economic forces that many believe will break Seattle real estate investments, the average home price in Seattle amplified to $338,000 in the first quarter of 2006. This is a growth of 16.4% for the city. These numbers reveal that the Seattle real estate market is in constant growth.

One method to invest in Seattle real estate is by purchasing foreclosed homes. Foreclosed homes have basically been repossessed by the bank due to nonpayment from the homeowner. Foreclosed homes are often auctioned off as a means for the bank to recover some of what it has lost.

The positive aspect on foreclosed homes is that they can often be bought below the value of the market. This lower price will give the investor the possibility to make an important gain through property reselling.

For it to be possible to buy foreclosed Seattle real estate, it is best to be as familiar as possible with the auction procedure before you attempt to buy a foreclosure home. The procedure can be quite delicate and even good investors can make big losses with the purchase of foreclosed homes.

It will be necessary to have fast access to the capital for the purchase of Seattle real estate in the event that the investor wins the auction over. Bear in mind that in some cases, lawyer costs can be linked with the transfer of the title when you deal with foreclosed Seattle real estate.

Once you have invested in Seattle real estate whether the purchase was through a foreclosure auction or by any other means, you can choose if you would like to resell the property or keep it in your portfolio and try to rent it out to someone. There are advantages and risks linked with each decision.

Although it might be true that Seattle real estate is in some ways calming down, it is not completely dead yet. Not only is it a lot safer to invest in Seattle real estate, but there will still be a lot of financial gain left over for the investors.


Ann Sommers is a contributing editor at RealEstatePropertyArticles.com. This article may be reproduced provided that its complete content, links and author byline are kept intact and unchanged. No additional links permitted. Hyperlinks and/or URLs must remain both human clickable and search engine spiderable.

New Orleans Real Estate After Hurricane Katrina

As many people already know, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city of New Orleans along with many surrounding areas. The high winds and rains flooded many of the homes that were in the neighboring area. So, people from all over the United States have started to make an effort in trying to reconstruct the area.

At first, the hurricane had a very negative effect on New Orleans real estate. As the city was being rebuilt, many people began to return to their home areas, which makes New Orleans real estate a more profitable place for investors.

The approximate home price for New Orleans real estate is about $175,000, which is almost $50,000 less than the national average of $216,000. New Orleans real estate has seen an expansion of profit of over 20% in recent months.  This growth will keep going as people start to return to their areas in order to continue their lives.

Due to the relatively low home prices, New Orleans real estate is really the best option for investors. And, if prices keep on increasing at or above the current growth rate, the average home price New Orleans real estate will be of about $250,000 in the following six months. This will imply a gain of $75,000 for an investor who chooses to invest right now.

Try to determine the right possible price for New Orleans real estate by looking at homes that are alike and on sale in the same area. Then, check the prices of New Orleans real estate which have recently been sold. This will help you to determine the right price for your home once you feel ready to put it on the market. Obviously, a high price will prevent buyers from purchasing your home and the longer the property is on the market the less attractive it will be to your potential buyers.

Investors in New Orleans real estate should ensure they sell their properties within two or three weeks after putting it on the market. If New Orleans real estate has been on the market for too long, potential buyers will begin to think that something is not right.

Many investors also feel reticent to invest in New Orleans real estate as the recent devastation could make it a higher risk zone. Even without the backlash of the recent hurricane damage, the city of New Orleans could still be attractive to new permanent residents. If every cloud truly has a silver lining, the silver lining in question is surely that of the New Orleans real estate area.


Derek Greenfield is a contributing editor at RealEstatePropertyArticles.com. This article may be reproduced provided that its complete content, links and author byline are kept intact and unchanged. No additional links permitted. Hyperlinks and/or URLs must remain both human clickable and search engine spiderable.