U.S. mortgage rates rose for the first time in seven weeks, increasing from the record lows that have helped stabilize the housing market. The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage climbed to 3.55 percent in the week ended today from 3.49 percent, the lowest level in records dating to 1971, according to a statement […]

When Seattle residents tick off the reasons they love living here, the cost of living is not generally one of them. But according to Forbes, Seattle ranks among the top 10 of cities where you get the biggest bang for your buck. Forbes looked at the relatively high-paying jobs in the Seattle area — the […]

Washington state has the eighth-lowest closing costs on home mortgages in the nation, based on good-faith estimates, according to new research by Bankrate.com.The estimated average closing cost in Washington in 2012 is $3,418, compared to an estimated national average of $3,754. That’s down considerably from last year, when Washington ranked 20th among states with the […]

State seizes Tukwila escrow company, citing ‘suspicious transactions’ Puget Sound Business Journal by Greg Lamm, Staff Writer Date: Thursday, August 2, 2012, 5:31pm PDT State regulators have seized Tukwila-based Hartman Escrow Inc., saying the owner concealed more than $2.1 million in transfers from trust accounts to a general account, where $100,000 was spent at casinos […]