KPLU-FM: Street Cents

If you're planning to buy a house this year, closing on the deal will come with some changes. The two biggies, says Seattle area real estate appraiser...

With the economy picking up, housing sales have also been on the rise, including recreational property. Many of those ski chalets and charming cabins...

Should you vet a residential appraiser before letting him in the door? That's the question KPLU's John Maynard had. "Ask questions!" says Richard Hagar, a

Want to know the value of a house? There are plenty of online resources to help you find the answer, including popular sites like Zillow and Redfin. But

Apartments in the Seattle area are in high demand, but the retail space in many of the new mixed-use complexes are not filling up as fast. Local appraiser

Interested in buying a home that's on a register of historic places? If so, you could be stepping into a lovely slice of history, but it's likely you will

Say you have out-of-town friends who are moving to Seattle. They want advice on whether to buy a house right away or rent first. What would you say to them

Millennials are the most connected generation in history. In fact, The Pew Research Center calls them "history's 'always connected' generation, treating

What exactly do our houses sit on? Seattle area real estate appraiser and educator Richard Hagar tells KPLU's John Hagar that it's not uncommon for office

What's ahead for Seattle when it comes to property values and density? Seattle-area real estate appraiser Richard Hagar tell's KPLU's John Maynard that

Stormy weather and high tides may add drama to a waterfront view but they can also lead to major property damage, especially if your home sits close to the shore.Last month, Seattle clocked its highest tides ever recorded, beating the previous record set in January 1983. If this keeps up, along with strong winds and heavy rain, does it make sense to buy waterfront property? That's the question KPLU's John Maynard put to Seattle area appraiser Richard Hagar.Hagar says people can buy any...

As Seattle continues to focus on urban density, parking for those living within the urban core is becoming harder to find.Developers are promoting new apartments with hundreds of parking stalls just for bicycles. Others are making room for car-share companies such as Zipcar to park their vehicles. That has KPLU's John Maynard wondering. If there are more apartment units going up with limited parking space, will the price of parking on private property (in buildings, in outdoor lots, etc.)...

If you buy a house and shortly after moving in you're surprised to find a big crack in the foundation or the septic tank bubbling over, wouldn't your first question be, "Did the seller know about this?" Seattle-area real estate appraiser Richard Hagar says it's bad news all around if problems are not disclosed before the sale. Surprises like this not only mean headaches for the buyer but more times than not they lead to lawsuits for the seller and his real estate agent. So, what exactly...

In these tough economic times, it's always tempting to look for ways to bring in extra income. So how about fixing up your basement so that you can rent it out? It would be nice to have an extra $800.00 or so coming in every month. But are there questions that should be answered before moving forward?Seattle area real estate appraiser Richard Hagar tells KPLU's John Maynard that if your basement has windows, a separate entrance, and the basic amenities of a studio apartment, then it has...

As more people move into the Seattle area, the demand for housing goes up. And so does the style of housing with high-rise apartments and condos replacing older, stand alone homes. Real estate appraiser and educator Richard Hagar tells KPLUs John Maynard this trend is expected to continue, thanks to our relatively stable economy and mild weather. Both are factors for people moving here, as are the companies that continue to employ thousands of people such as Amazon and Microsoft.Population...

There are not many places on the West Coast where you can find house boats. That means the supply is limited so they are usually in high demand. And dont forget the slips for the homes. Those can go for a pretty penny, too. A recent ad in the Seattle property listings featured a piece of property on Lake Union thats 14 x 30 feet, 35 feet of water, with an asking price of $95,000.

There are apartments and condos. Then there are co-ops. This type of real estate ownership is pretty common in large East Coast cities such as New York, Philadelphia and Boston, but its not as common here.

Bored with regular, run of the mill houses? Looking for something unusual? How about buying a fire station or a church for a home?Seattle-area real estate appraiser Richard Hagar says although places like this could be fun to live in, banks are usually skittish about loaning money for anything out of the ordinary.

Since the 1970s, banks have been required to report any suspicious house purchases to the FBI. Now that mandatory reporting is netting mortgage brokers, too. Seattle area real estate appraiser Richard Hagar says thats a good thing since about 80 percent of home loans go through mortgage brokers.

KPLUs John Maynard posed this question to Seattle-area real estate appraiser, Richard Hager: "If I sold a $2 million dollar house and paid the real estate agent his standard commission, then hed get $180,000 out of the deal. Is that a negotiable situation?" Hagars answer?