Just a side comment.

A couple I respect, bought a house in a nice suburb when the owners were in distress. It wasn't completely clear, but it seems that there was some form of drug dealing going on in the past, because some strangers would show up over the next year, looking for the old owners/tenants.

When my friends moved in, they found numerous fist sized holes punched in the drywall that weren't there when they inspected the home. It was never clear if this was a drunken fight, anger release, or someone searching for a hollow space in a wall.

They drywalled up all the holes and refinished it nicely themselves, but they were always on their guard in their new home as a result.

The best course of action is likely to hire someone to write an offer and submit your offer to the owners for their consideration. If the home is "in bankruptcy" then the owner likely has an attorney who helped them file for bankruptcy who can assist them in reviewing your offer to purchase. That offer will be subject to both visual and professional inspection.

I caution that the amount you may be seeing online when you say to Myrna "and this place is a steal even if i bought it at the posted value." is not likely an indication of what it will sell for. If the home is not for sale, that is not an Asking Price or a "value". More likely it is the amount the owner is in arrears, and the house will sell for closer to Fair Market Value than the amount they are in arrears.

If the house is worth $500,000 as example and you are seeing $66,000 online...that is not a "value" nor is it any indication of the amount you might be able to buy it for. It is simply the recording of ongoing arrearage, over and above the original loan amount, that is being picked up by the website you are viewing.

If the price looks too good to be true...it likely isn't the amount you can pay to get it.

Often, but not always, selling it short is not better for the owner than letting it go through a foreclosure and/or Bankruptcy Sale. Consequently you want to be sure that you or your representative are not advising the owner as to what may or not be best for them. Just submit your offer.

If you are financing part of the purchase, and it sounds like you are, then you are likely better off buying it before the foreclosure as a Short Sale or after foreclosure as a Bank Owned home. But that is not necessarily better for the owner. So don't think you are helping them by getting what you want vs what may be best for them.

There is no "line" to get into. Simply hire someone to write an offer, that can be an agent or a lawyer, and have them present it to the owners for consideration. No house has to be "for sale" for you to do that, and many who have waited for it to be "for sale" have lost the house that way by waiting until the point of competitive bid.

Again I caution you not to "sell" your offer, or let someone who represents you "sell the offer", as best for the owner. Only someone who represents them, and that should be an attorney in this case, can tell the owner what may or may not be best for them. You stick to what is best for you, without risking misrepresenting what may or may not be be best for them. Many are erroneously doing this to owners, which is why I add that as a caution.

So, I'm not an expert, but I would say that getting attached to a house not-yet-in-foreclosure that still has people living in it is a bad idea, for lots of reasons, not least of which that the current tenants/owners may have more legal process up their sleeve than you'd think. Buying a house is already a HUGE commitment, and you're falling in love with a place that may have questionable infrastructure/history, be woefully undermaintained, and is probably still a year from being uninhabited.

That said, have you looked at other properties around? Do you know what the house is actually worth compared to others in the neighborhood? Does it meet your realistic needs? Have you done your homework on your own finances -- what you can afford, etc., etc?

Ok, if you've done all that, you might want to find a way to approach the owners about a short sale. If they're interested in selling, you'd give them an easy way to get out from their debt, and the bank wouldn't see the house as a total loss. You might not get it as cheap as at an auction, but the sooner a bank can find a better buyer, the happier they'll be.

Sam meyler kirkland wa hes awsome I am not.an attorney nor am I him so this is not shameless self promotion

The primary issue of showing a sale at less than actual sold price is that the State of Washington would be shorted on the appropriate Excise Tax paid on the sale of the home. That is not likely the case, as no authorized closing agent would allow that to happen.

More likely it was a "short sale" or some other reason for a 40% or more discount from "fair market value". In fact the current % for short sales is in the 35% to 50% discount range as the norm. So what you are seeing may be quite normal for the type of sale it was.

It is possible that there was a private arrangement to pass some of the price to the owner if it was a short sale. That is fraud. If the seller's creditors thought there was only $250,000 to pay them off at $.50 on the dollar and there was really $400,000 to pay them off...but $150,000 got passed as cash to the seller direct "under the table", that would be BOTH an issue as to Excise Tax and criminal activity that would be reported to the AG's office.

BUT...if your suspicion is based on "seller was from a foreign Country"...well, that sounds more like discrimination than a sound basis for questioning this transaction. I would leave that part OUT of the discussion.

Let's look at some basic facts.

1) What was the sold price?
2) What is the tax assessed value of the home?
3) Was it in bad shape as to physical condition relative to the neighbor's homes?
4) Was it listed for sale publicly or privately?
5) Did the owner owe more on it than the home could be sold for? Once an owner cannot pay off the liens...the sold price often goes well under the amount of that "shortage".

How are you determining "reasonable list price"?

Also...I have seen homes "sold" on public records at 50% of value...because it was sold by parents to their son. Even if the sale WAS at 50% under "reasonable list price", there are sometimes valid reasons why that can legally be the case.

Do you know the price the home sold for from the NWMLS or from tax records? If it was listed on the MLS and sold while listed on there the sales price the home sold for will reflect on there. This could affect your home value if you went to refinance or sell as the property would be looked at as a comparable sale. Normally appraisers call on properties that reflect a low price to find out the background story if it was sold to a relative for a low price or some other circumstance such as you suspect. If you don't plan on doing anything with your property in the next six months, it won't affect your value as market value comes into play when you want to sell or refinance. I'm not really sure how you could prove that part of the transaction was off the books if you suspect so. When the deed is conveyed to another party it is recorded at the courthouse for the amount that was paid and that is what excise tax is paid on. If the seller is from a foreign country but now a citizen or permanent resident he would be subjected to all the same income reporting laws as US Citizens, but if they live in another country and hold accounts over there, I'm not sure how much investigating of that the IRS can do if his return shows red flags. If you have an accountant he would be able to advise you better regarding Investments by Foreigners.

My dad finally decided he had enough trouble with his rentals, and has been working with the Sagen Group (11065 5th Ave NE in Seattle. 206-365-0000) www.sagengroup.com

He's been THRILLED with them, although it's only been a few months. They seem really informed about the area and the market, had great tips on small ways to improve his units, and they did all the work finding and vetting new tenants. He also signed a management contract with them. Yes, I believe it was one month's rent for their rental service, and something like 10% for them to manage it. But what a weight lifted off his shoulders. Yay!

If I'm crossing some boundary or breaking some unwritten rule about solitication or self-promotion, forgive me...

I am also an attorney witht the firm of Blackmon Holmes. The firm is focused on residential real estate and has been since 2005. We handle seller-financed and lease/option transactions all the time. Give us a call at your convenience (check our WaLaw site for contact info)

Other options would be Michele McNeill and Kirk Mulfinger, both in Bellevue or environs.

I've only lived in Seattle for two years and have always been in north Seattle. I currently live in sandpoint/magnuson area and absolutely love it. Ive always felt safe even walking at night. Close to childrens hospital, magnuson park, dog park, u-village; but far enough away from the u-district. Short driving/biking/walking distance to grocery stores. Yet trying to get on the freeway (passing uw) is pretty much aweful from 900-1030 a.m. and 3-7 p.m. But if you plan ahead you'll be good to go and find sitting in traffic to be relaxing (glass half full!). Anyways I hope this helped. Good luck on your research and I hope I helped!

It's not trashy or unsafe, but you don't want to live in Magnolia. It's just terrible.

Asked my transit geek parent friends on fb. Here's a sample:

"If you want to avoid a future move once school comes around, or have school-aged kids, the decision is a little different. I would say that, without considering schools, I think that it's easier to commute by light rail than bus."

"If you're committed to public schools and want to live with minimal car trips, your options are limited by the quality of the public schools. At that point I'd probably point people to Queen Anne, if they could afford the top of the hill. Or north Cap Hill when Lowell re-opens, assuming it doesn't go 100% back to APP."

We live in Beacon Hill, and I'm happy with our reference schools (Beacon Elementary and Kimball are both near). I love the Light Rail & I love being walking distance to most things.

It's hard to answer this question without making a lot of assumptions or being judgmental, but I'm assuming what you are looking for are solidly middle-class neighborhoods. I think Ardell, as a real estate professional, has good advice for you in her answer.

Generally speaking people who worry about trashy & unsafe neighborhoods in Seattle live on the Eastside - Bellevue, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Sammamish, Issaquah. Not Redmond - even though Microsoft is located there the employees generally live in other neighborhoods from what I understand. If either your husband or you will be working on the Eastside, you might want to look there because it will be an easier commute. The fewer bridges you have to cross the easier the commute is.

In Seattle itself Magnolia, Upper Queen Anne (not lower) and Madison Park are fairly middle-class communities very close to the city center. Also the northeast part of Capitol Hill. Stay away from Belltown, downtown, Capitol Hill by Broadway, Pioneer Square and International District. These are the places in Seattle where you'll find a lot of addicts asking for spare change, which a lot of people find intimidating.

Generally speaking north of Seattle is more solidly middle class because of the legacy of segregation (both class and race-based) than south of city center. The main exceptions are anyplace close to Aurora/99 and the University District should be avoided (see note about drug addicts).

There are certainly middle-class neighborhoods south of Seattle, like West Seattle (98116 specifically). West Seattle is kind of like a small town and the main issues are property crime & stolen cars, but the traffic can be really bad sometimes during rush hour because the city is doing a lot of work on the main thoroughfares. I live in this part of West Seattle now with my boyfriend, and it's definitely safe and not trashy.

I haven't lived in other places in south Seattle, but I don't think they are good choices for people who want to feel safe. I don't think these neighborhoods are all that unsafe myself but a lot of middle-class people I know think they are unsafe. A lot of safety in Seattle is really more about perception than statistics, because as others have pointed out Seattle is really safe compared to other large cities. Also what I've told you is totally counter to the PC / liberal Seattle attitude so I'm sure I'll get a lot of hate, but I'm trying to answer your question as best as I can.

I agree that the sex offender status website is meaningless.

Seattle is an extremely safe city (tied for 4th with Boston according to this http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/26/safest-cities-ten-lifestyle-real-estate-metros-msa_slide_8.html). But since you're using the term "trashy" what I assume you don't want is to have to see any homeless people or "thug"-looking youths around.

If those are the criteria, then don't live downtown or too far into the South end. Or maybe don't live in the city at all? Go to the suburbs? Otherwise you're going to have to be more specific with what you mean, probably.

I think this actually had a lot more snark than I was intending, but seriously what does "safe" or "trashy" mean to you?

I agree that it depends on where you're moving from. Having spent some time in some "real" cities back east (Baltimore, DC, and NY), there isn't any place that really freaks me out. I might not feel the same way if I had only ever lived in rural Idaho. And I'm not sure what you mean by "trashy." A little more info about what you're hoping to avoid would be helpful.

I would not recommend ruling out an area because a website told you it has a lot of sex offenders. I searched my address and found 26 living within a mile, which the site assures me is cause for alarm. All that tells me is that I live in a dense area of the city with tens of thousands of other people nearby. 26 out of 50,000 or so isn't bad at all. I have some doubts about that site in general, since it's telling me there's a tornado risk in my neighborhood (and that's just impossible).

What I would recommend: Google Street View. Pretty much all of Seattle is mapped, so you can click around the neighborhoods you're interested in and get a pretty good look. It's not a perfect substitute for walking around yourself, but I used it before I moved and it gave me a pretty good idea of what to expect.

A neighborhood's walk score is also worth knowing before you move: http://www.walkscore.com/

There are some other factors involved in choosing a neighborhood, of course. Do you want a house or an apartment? Renting or buying? How important is public transit to you? Are you planning on having children soon, and if so, do you want to live in a good school district? How much are you willing to pay? Does a neighborhood's "character" matter to you, or just its safety?

Trashy & unsafe are pretty subjective terms. I consider bland architecture trashy & areas without public transportation/solid walking infrastructure unsafe and would avoid many areas north of I-90 and/or east of Lake Washington.

For less sarcastic (though I was being sincere) answers, some good resources are:
Walk Score www.walkscore.com
Zillow.com has some info
Census and/or Seattle PD have crime stats

The person in your profile picture appears to be pregnant. If you're looking for a family-friendly neighborhood and/or ideas about what it's like to have a kid in Seattle, check out Cascadiakids.com

I love SE Seattle--Beacon Hill, Columbia City, Seward Park, Hillman City. There isn't a clear minority (they're very diverse) and they designed as self-contained walkable communities. My priorities are to have a grocery store, coffee shop, library and at least a couple of places to eat within walking distance. It's also important that we're close enough to work that we can see our kid at the end of the day--no long commutes. We have to have transit accessible.

Look at your priorities. Get a temp place somewhere near work if possible--a year flies by when you have a baby.

Best baby resource in Seattle (meet new parents, find stuff): Birth and Beyond in Madison Valley. The First Weeks class is a drop-in group moderated by internationally recognized expert and all around nicest person you'll meet Ann Keppler. Go there and ask where you should live.

Where are you moving from to use as a barometer? Seattle is a pretty safe city. I've lived here for ten years but have also lived in Houston and Philly. I would walk just about anywhere in Seattle pretty much anytime, the other two no way. Not if you paid me a kajillion bucks. Returning to Seattle after 5 years out east I feel even safer in this city. That's not to say that nothings going to happen but I don't have a constant set of vigilance if I get off my normal path. If you're coming from a bigger city you might be less off put by areas than you would coming from a small town.

Another thing that might help is some info. Do you have kids? Do you drive or are you public transit/bike bound? Do you work a normal 9-5 or are your hours unpredictable? Some of that can help not just figure out where to avoid but also what neighborhoods will meet your needs. Wouldn't you try to figure out where you want to live than choose a neighborhood by default because it's not on your list of bad places? I whole heardedly agree to check the offender website but more when you're trying to whittle between a few places you are interested in.

A site that I have found useful to convey that type of information in a comparative way is www.homefacts.com It tells you the # of sex offenders within a mile of a given address. Also gives you the pictures and addresses of same. Has pretty good info on crime stats and breaks that down in the dropdown menu into violent vs property crime.

It's all relative as I don't think there are many in City neighborhoods that rank as high as some of the Eastside neighborhoods. But if you compare apples to apples...Seattle to Seattle, it can be extremely helpful.

It's easier to get people to talk about the best neighborhoods...then you can test the ones they don't mention using homefacts against the ones they say are good. But you have to use an address...it can be somewhat random from most any property listed for sale.

Hope that's helpful.

Great answers below. I just want to add the suggestion that when you call the DPD, ask if you can complain anonymously. We were allowed to do that re: an issue in our neighborhood (not to DPD, but another agency) and were told they take anonymous complaints often. This structure sounds like it is not only out of permit, but out of code. The DPD has a financial interest in investigating, as that department is funded in part based on its income from permit fees and fines.

I understand that you want to be friendly with the neighbors, but also consider that if she's building an eyesore, it can affect your property values as well, if potential buyers pass you by because they don't want to look at the eyesore. By saving her own money by not filing a permit (and not having a structural engineer, architect, permit review process), she may be taking money out of your pocket.

All good answers below, I won't bother including yet another link to Seattle DPD. If its in another city, then obviously contact the Dept of Planning and Development (name can vary) for the local jurisdiction. If you are in unincorporated King County contact the King Co. Dept of Development and Environmental Resources: http://www.kingcounty.gov/property/permits.aspx
Generally speaking, call the local planning development and go from there.

Finally, take note of the first answer below: Neighbor will hate you. I strongly encourage you to keep lines of communication open and to de-escalate conflict as much as possible -- wars between neighbors are always expensive and very unpleasant...

If you live in the City of Seattle, I would call the Department of Planning and Development, they have a Compliance Division, which sounds like what you are looking for and look into Filing a Complaint.

http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/Compliance/Filing_a_Complaint/default.asp

As far as I know, you need a permit for any structure larger than 100 sq feet. You can check to see if she has a permit here-

http://web1.seattle.gov/DPD/permitstatus/

If she doesn't, she'll probably have to pay a big fine, stop work, and be pissed at you forever...

Good advice below. Its certainly not enough to merit hiring a lawyer because you'll probably spend that much if not more on the lawyer's time. So if you have the time and the inclination to fight the battle, its worthwhile because the county does correct itself occassionally.

This is a situation that many home owners are encountering. I've had conversations with folks from the tax assessor's office to discuss options for appealing property taxes.

The amount you pay in property taxes is not directly correlated with the assessed value of one's home. So if one sees a decrease in value from the previous year, one can't expect a direct decrease in property taxes. There are other factors involved, such has which taxing district one's property is located and what budgets have been approved within each district.

This link provides a brief explanation of how property taxes are determined within each taxing district.
http://www.kingcounty.gov/Assessor/AboutUs/HaraMessage.aspx

My suggestion would be to contact the assessor's office to see what your options are for some sort of appeal.

Good luck!

It's the County's screw up (if a screw-up it is). I'm gonna say you're probably sol but it doesn't hurt to ask.
http://www.kingcounty.gov/Assessor/TaxpayerAssistance/Appeals.aspx

Good Luck

Doc, be VERY careful in buying at a foreclosure auction -- if that's your intent. When a bank forecloses on a home and sells it at auction, there is no guarantee whatsoever that you are getting clear title to the property. There are a lot of horror stories out there...
http://getforeclosures.blogspot.com/2007/04/auction-horror-stories.html