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Homebuying classes sell out across Seattle

<p>Photos from Wednesday's BeersAndHomeBuying.com class.</p>

If you're in the market to buy a house, you will likely get unsolicited advice from friends: like how much to put down or what neighborhood you should choose.

Now there's help in the form of beer, food, and conversation.

Christian Nossum is a realtor who hosts monthly home buying classes across Seattle bars and restaurants. He also hosts a weekly radio show to share real estate wisdom and answer questions.

"Helping people fully understand and navigate that entire process, I think is super valuable," said Nossum. "And I don't think it's going away anytime soon."

Nossum says he pays for food and drinks for 20 or more potential home buyers at a time. He helps show them that it's not always about having the highest offer as long as they have a solid one.

"We had two offers last week where the buyer wasn't the highest offer," said Nossum. "One was $20,000 higher, but we had better terms. So if you know how to set up your offer, you can still get it accepted even if you're not the largest down payment or purchase price."

Nossum says, in this case, the buyer allowed the seller to stay in the house rent-free for a couple of months while they looked for another home. Avoiding the stress of packing and moving was worth $20,000 for the seller.

Nossum also says that a lot of people put down around 5 to 10 percent as a down payment. Not everyone has tens of thousands of dollars in cash to pay over asking.

Nossum says Seattle's tight housing market keeps him busy, but it is a calling he's had since he was a teenager--watching infomercials about real estate and even selling his parents' house as an early 20-something. Now he's on a fast-track to be a leading realtor for millennials.

"I think there's a huge need for good, honest real estate agents out there," said Nossum. "Because for the most part, it's everyone's biggest investment."

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