Recent News

Governor Inslee’s May 4, 2020, amendment to his “Stay Home – Stay Healthy” Order set in motion a re-opening plan called “Safe Start Washington: A Phased Approach to Recovery.”  The Safe Start Washington plan announced that “Phase 1 of reopening Washington begins on May 5, 2020.”  However, as I discussed in my May 5th blog… Read More

Earlier this year, the City of Seattle placed a moratorium on evictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is currently set to terminate on June 4th, at the same time that a similar statewide moratorium will also sunset.  On May 4th, the Seattle City Council voted to provide new additional protections to Seattle residential tenants… Read More

On February 29, 2020, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee issued Proclamation No. 20-05, where he “proclaim[ed] that a State of Emergency exists in all counties in the state of Washington, and direct[ed] the plans and procedures of the Washington State Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan be implemented.”  Since that date, Governor Inslee has issued more than… Read More

Do you remember that old real estate contract your parents entered into in the 1970s to buy the family home?  Or perhaps that loan they took out against the home in the 1980s that they paid off after a few years?  It is possible that your parents decided that these long completed real estate transactions… Read More

Selling a home involves an almost overwhelming number of considerations.  How should you stage your home?  What will be your listing price?  How many open houses should you have?  Does your house need any touch ups?  The list can go on and on.  Indeed, even after an offer is accepted, a seller still has to… Read More

On January 1, 2020, Washington state’s new graduated real estate excise tax takes effect.  The excise tax (aka transfer tax) is paid upon closing the sale of real property.  The amount of tax changes depending on the value of the sold property.  The existing excise tax is a flat 1.28%. The new excise tax is… Read More

A homestead exemption protects homeowners and the equity in their homes from judgment creditors seeking to collect on unsecured debts.  Pursuant to RCW 6.13.010, a “homestead” is real or personal property that the owner uses as a residence.  Washington allows for these homesteads to be protected for up to $125,000 of a home’s value.  In… Read More

What is Earnest Money? In the purchase of real estate, it is common for a buyer to put down a deposit called earnest money. This deposit is made to a seller to represent the buyer’s good faith towards buying the real property at issue.  Earnest money is typically held in an escrow account until closing,… Read More

What is Adverse Possession? Adverse possession is a legal doctrine under which a person can establish real estate ownership through consistent use (i.e. possession) of someone else’s property.  To establish a claim of adverse possession, the claimant must prove that the claimant’s possession is: (1) exclusive, meaning no other person has possessed the property for… Read More