Topic guides
Situation guides for Seattle & Eastside buyers and owners.
Some situations do not fit the standard buy or sell playbook — buying on a work visa or from overseas, landing on the Eastside with a relocation offer, searching around a school assignment, transferring a home between family members, clearing a lien, or selling land to a builder. Each hub below collects the steps, numbers, paperwork and Washington-specific rules for one of those situations, plus the articles and city guides that go deeper.
Family transfers
Gift of equity and selling a home to a family member in Washington.
A gift of equity is the difference between a home's appraised value and the price a relative actually pays. The lender treats that difference as the b…
Title & closing
Selling a house with a lien in Bellevue and Greater Seattle.
A lien is a legal claim recorded against your property for an unpaid debt. You can still sell: escrow orders a title report, lists every recorded lien…
Land value
Selling an older Eastside home to a builder: land value vs. retail sale.
Builders back into an offer: expected finished value, minus construction cost, minus permits, financing and profit, equals the land they can pay for. …
Visa & foreign buyers
Buying a home in Bellevue as a foreign national or visa holder.
A non-US citizen can buy a home in Bellevue. Visa holders with US employment income (H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN) usually qualify for standard conforming or ju…
Tech relocation
Relocating to Bellevue for a tech job: rent first or buy now.
For most people relocating to Bellevue on a tech offer, renting for six to twelve months is the lower-risk move when the role is new or the equity is …
Schools & addresses
Buying by school assignment in the Bellevue School District.
Bellevue School District assigns students to a neighborhood school based on the home's address and the current service-area map. Boundaries are review…