Recent News

Real estate prices are continuing to climb in Seattle and many other parts of Washington. As a result, we are seeing buyers increasingly partner with friends and extended family to buy property together. Some are buying investment property, and some are even sharing a residence with their friends / co-buyers. Such arrangements can be very… Read More

Snohomish County Washington, located north of Seattle and south of Skagit county, features more than 2,000 square miles of dense forest, mountain wilderness, bountiful farmland, beautiful beaches and, of course, impressive urban development. In the last few years, the abundance of Snohomish County real estate growth has filled a variety of areas in the county with… Read More

Even in today’s hot real estate market, many people are still in limbo with a mortgage in arrears and an upside down house. Coming off the disastrous burst of the housing bubble, many people have not paid their mortgages in many months or even several years. They all have one question: What do I do… Read More

Your crew has done construction or remodel work at a property, but you are not being paid. You want to file a lien against the real estate, but you are not sure you can legally. You are not even sure exactly how a lien might benefit you. Overview of Liens A “mechanic's lien” is the… Read More

In the 2010 case Eastwood, the Washington Supreme Court set forth the Independent Duty Doctrine (the “IDD”).  Under the IDD, when two parties had a contract together, one could only sue the other for a “tort” (such as negligence or fraud) if the tort claim “traces back to the breach of a tort duty arising independently… Read More

Short-term investment gains (that is gains for investments you held for less than a year) are taxed at your ordinary income tax rates. Long-term gains (that is gains on investments you have owned for longer than a year) are taxed depending on your overall income tax bracket. If your overall income falls within the 10%… Read More

In Washington state, non-judicial foreclosures of deeds of trust are governed by statute, RCW Chapter 61.24.  The non-judicial foreclosure process involves a public trustee’s sale after giving notice to various interested parties.  The effect of the trustee’s sale is to deprive the grantor of the deed of trust and anyone claiming under them of all… Read More

Most people know they should have a contract with their business partners.  But too often, they try to perform the legal drafting themselves, or they use a form inapplicable to their specific partnership.  Usually, such contracts do more harm than good.  Most small businesses form as LLCs in Washington, and rightfully so.  By far the… Read More

You borrow money to buy or refinance your home.  Your lender takes a deed of trust on your home as collateral.  Some time goes by and you pay off the loan or refinance it with a new lender who also takes a deed of trust on your home as collateral.  More time goes by and… Read More