Courtesy of Doug Ward, here is this week's financial outlook.

Tops in Doug's report is the past news of the week that while prices are down, the inventory is also down.

I was having the exact same conversation just yesterday with some clients. Between the two of these items which is most important? To me the decreasing inventory is the critical item every time.

Sure, we all want the investment we have made in our homes to pay off and it seems like increasing prices is the way to achieve that. But, prices can only go so far, so fast before the market needs a breather. Push them too far, too fast and there will be a backlash. Buyers stop buying and the inventory goes up. When the inventory goes up the prices will inevitably go down. That is what many parts of the country are experiencing. Some worse than others. Thank fully we here in the Northwest are not being hit as hard as many parts of the country.

But there is no need for me to summarize Doug's news. Please check it out for yourself here.

Doug Ward, Sr. Loan Officer, usbancorp Mortgage Advisers, LLC, can be contacted at 425 885-9544

-Chris