A Regional Coalition for Housing

If you are a seller...

1.       Am I required to hire a real estate agent when selling my ARCH home?

No, you are not required to hire a real estate agent.  However, ARCH does not assist with furnishing a purchase and sale agreement or any other legal paperwork related to the transaction.  While ARCH will market your home to our interest list and website, you will need to market it as a for sale by owner and send us a link to a listing showing pictures of the home and contact information for potential buyers.

 

2.      What is the first step if I want to sell my ARCH home?

Please send a letter of intent to sell to the Homeownership Team at homeownership@bellevuewa.gov   Once we receive your intent to sell, we will complete a pricing pricing with information about your maximum resale value.  We will also send you information about the new buyer's qualifications, including income limits.  Please include your contact info and your realtor’s too if you choose to use a realtor.  Once we notify you with the above information, you can start your marketing efforts.

 

3.       Can I sell my home to anyone I want to?

You will need to check with ARCH staff (or your covenant) about the marketing criteria for your home.  For most owners there is either a sixty, ninety day or for some homes an indefinite period of time where, first priority is given to buyers with incomes at or below appropriate income guidelines.  Once this time period is over you can sell it to anyone regardless of their income, but the remainder of the covenant remains, such as the owner-occupancy requirement.  Starting in 2019, home sales will typically require permanent restrictions on buyer's income and household size. 

 

4.       What is the Certification of Household Eligibility form and who signs it?

To ensure that the new buyers are income qualified, they are required to complete a Certification of Household Eligibility form.  A Certification of Household Eligibility form is a statement of each members of the households current income.  Along with the Certification of Household Eligibility form, we will also review the buyer’s Federal Tax Return, W-2s and three months of pay stubs. 

 

5.       Can I rent out my unit? 

All ARCH units are intended to be owner occupied only (primary residence).  Unless the owner has a special circumstance, s/he can request to lease for no more than 12 months.  All leasing requests have to be reviewed and approved by ARCH.   

 

6.       What will ARCH do to help me sell my home to an income-qualified buyer?

ARCH maintains a list of people interested in buying affordable units.   We can help sellers market their homes by sending an email to that list.  We will also post the listing on our website.  We do however require that you do marketing of your own.  ARCH staff will need you to send us a link to your listing that we can provide a potential buyers on our mailing list.

 

7.       What should I do after I have a mutually accepted offer?

        As soon as you have a mutually accepted offer, please submit a copy to ARCH.  ARCH will follow up with your buyer to conduct an income verification process.  Once the buyer is approved, the transaction can proceed to closing.

 

8.    I'm in a short sale / foreclosure situation.  What are my options? 

If you're in a short sale situation, the selling process remains the same.  In case of foreclosure, plesae contact the ARCH office ASAP so we can discuss.  We are here to help you get connected to resources or help you sell.  Please visit the foreclosure section of our website for further assistance:  http://www.archhousing.org/current-residents/foreclosure-financial-assistance.html

 If you are a buyer...

9.       Does ARCH provide down payment assistance?   If so, how do I apply?

There is a House Key Plus ARCH East King County Down Payment Assistance Program that is available through the Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC).  For more information, please call (206) 287-4413.  For other types of down payment assistance programs, please visit the Housing Finance Commission website: http://www.wshfc.org/buyers/downpayment.htm 

 

10.       When will the restrictions go away?

Depending on the project agreement, the resale control agreement (aka the Covenant) is normally in effect for 30 or 50 years.  However, the first sale after the covenant expires may still be restricted. 

 

11.   I heard my future resale price will be restricted.  How will that be calculated? 

Your future resale prices are set by a formula based on various indexes.  Depending on the project agreement, your appreciation index could be the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the real estate index or an average of the Real Estate Index and the HUD Seattle/King County Median Income.   To find out the appreciation index of the ARCH unit you’re interested in purchasing, please contact our office. 

 

12.   Where can I get a copy of the resale control agreement?

Please call our office (425-861-3677) to get a copy of the resale control agreement. 

if you are a realtor...

13.   Can I sell ARCH properties to investors?

No.  ARCH properties are for owner-occupied only.  We do not allow investors to purchase ARCH properties.   ARCH homeowners cannot rent their units unless they have permission from ARCH. 

 

14.  My client is trying to negotiate with me on my commissions.  Can they do that? 

ARCH does not have any policy regarding real estate commissions.  This is a decision that needs to be made between agents and their clients.

 

15.  I want to do an open house this weekend.  Can I put up signs?

ARCH respects the HOA’s policy.  Please check with the Homeowners Association regarding their open house and signage policies.

 

16.  I need a copy of the resale cert and want to know the monthly HOA fees.  Should I call ARCH?

ARCH does not have copies of the resale cert nor the recent HOA fee information.  You can obtain this information from the HOA directly. 

 

17.  Is the process different for a short sale?

Short sales have to follow the same selling process as described above.