First Quarterly Home Sales
Increase in Two Years
 The $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time home buyers appears to be drawing people back into the state's housing market.
That's the conclusion of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at WSU, based on a review of second-quarter numbers on existing home sales, median home prices and affordability. Home sales increased 11.6 percent from the first quarter. This was the first quarter-to-quarter improvement in more than two years. While the overall market was getting better, the stats varied from county to county. King County saw a 21 percent jump and Snohomish County saw a 20.7 percent increase.
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| Little Fixes Can Make
Buyers Take Notice
Even with a budget of $1,000 or less, sellers are not priced out of making improvements that can help their home stand out among the competition. In fact, there are many relatively small upgrades that can go a long way toward attracting buyers. Gwyn Thorne, owner of Staged Appeal Homes in Fairfax, Va. offers some suggestions for a thousand-dollar budget ...
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