Street Cents

As Seattle continues to focus on urban density, parking for those living within the urban core is becoming harder to find.

If you buy a house and shortly after moving in you're surprised to find a big crack in the foundation or the septic tank bubbling over, wouldn't your first question be, "Did the seller know about this?" Seattle-area real estate appraiser Richard Hagar says it's bad news all around if problems are not disclosed before the sale. Surprises like this not only mean headaches for the buyer but more times than not they lead to  lawsuits for the seller and his real estate agent. So, what exactly should a seller disclose?

In these tough economic times, it's always tempting to look for ways to bring in extra income. So how about fixing up your basement so that you can rent it out? It would be nice to have an extra $800.00 or so coming in every month. But are there questions that should be answered before moving forward? 

Remodeling can turn boring into wow but will it add to the value of your home? If your goal is to sell your home at a higher price after you doll it up, it pays to first ask some serious questions about the house, the land  it sits on, and the neighborhood.

As more people move into the Seattle area, the demand for housing goes up. And so does the style of housing with high-rise apartments and condos replacing older, stand alone homes. Real estate appraiser and educator Richard Hagar tells KPLU's John Maynard this trend is expected to continue, thanks to our relatively stable economy and mild weather. Both are factors for people moving here, as are the companies that continue to employ thousands of people such as Amazon and Microsoft.