You hear it everywhere, the housing market is collapsing, the credit crunch is underway, and foreclosures are at an all-time high. This maybe true in most of the country, but not Seattle. Sure we are not posting the record gains like many of today’s real estate has-beens were two years ago, but that was never Seattle’s style. And don’t get me wrong, there are credit issues to be dealt with, but now is the perfect time to start looking, especially if you are a foreign investor who can leverage currency exchange and positioning yourself for the sale of the century in Seattle. Here is why.

Currency Exchange
With each and every interest rate cut we become more and more attractive to foreign investors. “European investment is likely to pick up,” said Mark Vitner, chief economist for Charlotte, N.C.-based Wachovia Corp. “Now is the time to come over and take advantage.” Investors from Japan, China, Vietnam, and Korea are also likely to see Seattle as an extremely attractive investment due to our vast and varied Asian communities and stable housing market. Last but certainly not least, our friends to the north, the Canadians have already helped boost our economy as they flocked to the state of Washington to snatch up Christmas gifts… and to kindly remind us about their new found monetary value.

Sub-prime help is on the way
Yes, we have been beat up with the sub-prime problem, but we are likely bottoming out. Congress is going to tackle this issue and some borrowers may see some relief. However the more important issue is this, it provides for confidence and healing in mortgage backed securities and reinvestment in this area. With more oversight and better lending rules, investors can feel more confident about these types of investments. Another aspect that will help change the lending issue is the raising the level of federally backed loan limit above $417,000. This will further the confidence of investors as well as make it cheaper for home buyers purchasing homes in the new FHA-backed loan category.

More and Aggressive Interest Rate Cuts
Bernanke and his gang will likely cut short-term interest rates by a half-point during the next Federal Reserve session on January 31. This move will further make foreign real estate investment overwhelmingly attractive. It will also ease the credit card interest rates as well as the home equity lines of credit. Long-term interest rates have had plenty of downward pressure as well and will likely experience more.

Seattle’s Economy is Rocking!
Just drive around Seattle and you see that condo construction is booming when home builders across the nation are in trouble. We have business giants like Microsoft, Boeing, Nordstroms, Starbucks, Safeco Insurance, Real Networks, Washington Mutual, REI, and Costco all based in or near Seattle. Canadian tourism to Seattle is strong and will likely get stronger, especially if the dollar weakens. Washington state is in a unique situation in that we are the closest major international destination to western Canada. In addition, we are the staging area for many Alaskan cruises. When you consider how much travel and tourism dollars we attract it is obvious the state will realize a wide-spread positive impact on our economy. Lastly, Paul Allen is transforming the South Lake Union area into what he hopes to be a leading genetics research corridor. Genetics research will likely see an explosion in growth once this administration has moved on. We are extremely well positioned for success and stability.

Seattle Has Very Little Undeveloped Land
The only place for Seattle real estate to go is up… literally! Seattle offers very little in undeveloped land. Condominium developers are forced to buy old buildings, knock them down, and build 10-20 unit condos in its place That is of course if the building is not protected by historical status. Land values will continue to stabilize the housing market, softening the fall of any further housing crash. You need to remember while some markets are losing as much as 40% of their value Seattle experienced 3.3% growth.

Political change is on the way
Regardless of your personal political views one thing is certain, change is on the way. With a new administration comes an opportunity for changing the current situation abroad and at home. Many candidates on both sides are pushing for a complete withdrawal or in the least a significant draw-down in troop levels. With the current administration comes a certain level of built-in tension that effects the psychology of the markets, especially oil. Don’t be surprised if the price of oil drops significantly after the election. Generally, as oil drops so does the price of everything else.

Start looking now the window of opportunity is 75% open!!!
After January 31 the short-term interest rates will likely drop by half a percentage point and the window of opportunity will be at 100% capacity. This will provide the unprecedented value for investment by foreign real estate investors as well as those vulture investors that have been waiting on the side. With congress back in session we will have laws passed tackling the sub-prime issue and raising of the level of federally backed loans above $417,000. This will also help heal the psychology of investing in mortgage backed securities further alleviating the credit crunch. Seattle’s economy is chugging and looking to expand post election. We are uniquely positioned to gain from Canadian tourism as well as Alaskan cruise tourism. With currency exchange rates favorable you can expect a huge influx of foreign tourists coming to America and especially Seattle. With no more land left to develop, Seattle must grow up and Seattle is positioned to be the next San Francisco or Manhattan. Politically, the United States is set for fundamental change domestically and abroad. So the question is with Seattle’s best real estate opportunity just around the corner are you ready for it?

Useful Real Estate Investors tools

• Seattle Real Estate Listing Emails – You can input the location, type, size and other features of a house you are looking and have new listings matching your criteria sent to you when they are listed.
• Periodic Home and Neighborhood Value Reports – Receive detailed real estate value report for property you are looking to buy or property you already own.

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