Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Federal Way & Puyallup

  Paul Frink Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Alternative Ways to Fund a College Education The average student loan debt for a college graduate in 2016 was $37,172, according to Forbes. That’s a lot of debt to be saddled with when starting a career. However, you can help your children avoid student loan debt by looking into some alternatives: Save Early This takes years of forethought, but it can be one of the best ways to pay a large chunk of college expenses. Start contributing to a 529 college savings plan as soon as your child is born. Put in only $100 a month from birth and a high school graduate will have about $40,000—enough money to fund two years of going to a public college. If your child is working part-time or during the summer, they can also contribute to the fund. Payment Pl...

  Paul Frink Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Tips to Keep You Hydrated While we all know water is essential for our health, not all of us enjoy chugging those recommended eight daily glasses. Or maybe it’s your child who refuses to drink plain old water. Below are a few tips to help you up your water intake. Add flavor. A squeeze of citrus, fresh mint or a handful of blueberries can make drinking water a bit more fun. Make sure to keep these twists simple and fresh, and avoid sweeteners (artificial or otherwise), which can have health repercussions. Swap in tea. Unsweetened herbal tea can aid your water consumption, especially if you’re steeping the bags yourself, which helps assure there are no sneaky additives. Add a hot cup of herbal first thing in the morning and before bed to squeez...

  Paul Frink Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Is Granite on its Way Out? According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, granite countertops are in less demand today, while the use of quartz is on the rise. Why? For one thing, man-made quartz countertops are offered in a far greater range of looks and feels. Reason number two: it’s a bit easier to maintain over the long haul, and it’s deemed a better environmental choice because it emits lower levels of radon—a potentially cancer-causing agent. To be fair, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains the radioactive materials in granite countertops are far too minuscule to pose a health threat. So what, exactly, is a quartz countertop? It’s made of engineered stone, composed of at least 90% ground-up quartz mixed with a bind...

  Paul Frink Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Fewer Millennials Qualifying for Credit Cards Millennials are applying for credit cards more than most age groups, but they’re not qualifying for them, according to consumer behavior data by ID Analytics, a consumer risk management firm. One in five people ages 23-27 have been declined for credit multiple times in a year, and it’s not because they don’t have a high enough income. A lack of credit history or low credit scores are leading to the denials, despite the applicants often having an ability to repay. Being declined for credit makes millennials less likely to apply again for credit cards, with more than six out of 10 who are declined not applying again for at least 12 months, researchers found. Only 10 percent re-apply to the same lender onc...

  Paul Frink Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate Tips to Keep You Hydrated While we all know water is essential for our health, not all of us enjoy chugging those recommended eight daily glasses. Or maybe it’s your child who refuses to drink plain old water. Below are a few tips to help you up your water intake. Add flavor. A squeeze of citrus, fresh mint or a handful of blueberries can make drinking water a bit more fun. Make sure to keep these twists simple and fresh, and avoid sweeteners (artificial or otherwise), which can have health repercussions. Swap in tea. Unsweetened herbal tea can aid your water consumption, especially if you’re steeping the bags yourself, which helps assure there are no sneaky additives. Add a hot cup of herbal first thing in the morning and before bed to squeez...

  Good Morning! The Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Administration reported  This Week in Real Estate  that both housing starts and permits declined 4.2% and 2.4% in October from September, respectively. They are 8.8% and 10.1% lower than a year ago, respectively. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.6% in the week ending November 17, down 47 basis points the week before, marking the largest weekly drop since 1981. Mortgage applications increased for the first time in seven weeks, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. For the third report in a row the National Association of Realtors reported total inventory has decreased. NAR lists the current inventory at 1.22 million, while historical norms are between 2 million and 2.5 million. Below are a few newsworthy events from the third week of November that influence our business:    *  Homebuilding Continued its Slump in October as Both New Starts and Building Permits Fe...

If you’re thinking about  selling your house  but wondering if buyers are still out there, know that there are still people who are searching for a home to buy today. And your house may be exactly what they’re looking for. While the millennial generation has been dubbed the  renter  generation, that namesake may not be appropriate anymore. Millennials, the largest generation, are actually a significant driving force for buyer demand in the housing market today. Here’s why. Millennial Homebuying Power While there’s no denying higher  mortgage rates  are making it more challenging to afford a home today, many millennials are still eager and able to buy homes – whether it’s their first or they’re moving up. That’s in large part because of the value they place on education. A  recent article  from  First American  says millennials may be the most educated generation in our nation’s history. Because of that, they tend to earn higher wages, an...