There are some new mortgage rules that went into effect this week that have a lot of home buyers wondering “just how much harder will it be to buy a home”. Fortunately lenders have been preparing for this change for some time now, and most people will not even notice a change. There are some things you can do to make sure you have all of your ducks in a row to make the process easier.

“You may have heard that new mortgage rules issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) take effect today. If you’re shopping for a home or planning to refinance your mortgage, you may be thinking: Isn’t getting a home loan already a lot tougher than it used to be? Will these new rules make it even harder for me?”

Read the entire article here… http://www.zillow.com/blog/2014-01-10/understanding-new-mortgage-rules/

Pierce County Statistics:

Homes for sale in Spanaway: Average Price Per Square Foot December 2013: $111. Up 10.8% compared to the last month.

Homes for sale in Tacoma: Average Price Per Square Foot December 2013: $114. Up 7.5% compared to the last month.

Homes for sale in Lakewood: Average Price Per Square Foot December 2013: $114. Down 17% compared to the last month.

Homes for sale in Fife: Average Price Per Square Foot December 2013: $120. Down 3.1% compared to the last month.

Homes for sale in Milton: Average Price Per Square Foot December 2013: $112. Down 16.3% compared to the last month.

Homes for sale in Edgewood: Average Price Per Square Foot December 2013: $124. Down 9.5% compared to the last.

Homes for sale in University Place: Average Price Per Square Foot December 2013: $132. Down 1.3% compared to the last month.

Homes for sale in Fircrest: Average Price Per Square Foot December 2013: $161. No sales in previous month to compare.

Homes for sale in Dupont: Average Price Per Square Foot December 2013: $144. Up 0.1% compared to the last month.

Homes for sale in Puyallup: Average Price Per Square Foot December 2013: $118. Down 2.3% compared to the last month.