When is the best time to consider a short sale? Deciding to Short Sale your property is usually considered an option after homeowners have exhausted their savings, spent weeks or months trying to get a loan modification and after a Notice of Trustees Sale (in King County ) has been filed. I meet people weekly who are at the end of their available options in a foreclosure action and are just beginning the short sale process 30 to 60 days in advance of a foreclosure sale. Reviewing their history gives me the opportunity to consider what would have been a better strategy to addressing financial hardship. The best time to consider a short sale on your property occurs prior to dipping into your savings to make your monthly mortgage payment. It should be a part of a designed strategy that pre... 10/07/2009

Whether you're looking to move into the Maple Valley area, or live here currently, it can be interesting to look at market trends and stats by individual neighborhood. This report is for Lake Forest Estates, a neighborhood just off of Maple Valley highway, comprised of large homes on generous (1/3+ acre) lots. The neighborhood also has a private lakefront park with play area and dock on Lake Wilderness.  In order to give the most accurate picture of this year in review for homes in Lake Forest Estates, I decided to go back and compare 2008 to the prior two years. Please note, these numbers reflect single family homes only listed and sold through NWMLS and do not take into account any "by owner" or private sales.     2008 2007 2006 Number of sales 2 7 7 % Down from prior year -71% no cha... 01/19/2009