Leslie's Blog

I was checking CNNMoney.com today, and they have an article by Fortune Magazine “Hot spots, cold spots--What will happen to the value of your home next year?”  The article gives very good graphics of the US divided into quarters and what the projected home price changes will be in 2007.

 
It is not all doom and gloom and looks quite good for the South.  Where I live in the Seattle-Bellevue area there is a projected price change of 2.8% for 2007 and 4% for 2008 with a median home price of $368,660.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

A few months ago, my daughter and son-in-law were looking for a bigger home (with a yard) to accommodate their growing family.  They are currently living in the home, I grew up in, that Mom sold to them for $100,000 five years ago.  They have been looking quite a while and finally decided on a home built in 2003, for $500,000, that was on property that had wetlands--so much so that there was no yard that they could use.   My Mom and I thought this would be a very poor choice because of the lack of resale value. 

My Mother and I live together in the Wallingford home that she and Dad bought in 1965.  It is a very large home and we both thought that this home would better suit the kids.  So after discussing it, we are going to trade houses.  Mom is not selling it to them, we are just trading locations. 

This is a big deal--Mom and Dad were savers.  Luckily, the kids said we do not have to empty the basement--whew!!  Still, all the rooms are quite full and all of the dressers and closets are full of valuables (?).  Mom wants to have a garage sale but that will be in the summer.  For now, we have to do some liquidation--hard to do for a saver.  Craig's List here we come!

The kids are quite happy about the whole thing (and really cannot believe it) they will get to stay in the same area and this is a better school district.  My daughter is a stay-at-home mom and she is starting to take classes to finish her accounting degree.  This will allow her to continue being a stay-at-home mom longer, which is something everyone is happy about. 

We will be fine with it--and the dogs with have a "doggie door," something they have not had in the past.  The houses are only one mile apart so not much changes regarding services.  Now, if we can just find a place for the grandfather clock,  the extra piano, and the ....

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. 

I've told you before, that Ben Stein could be my hero.  He has impressed me yet again with his article Success Is All in a Day’s Work.  This article talks about a guy, that calls Ben Stein daily sometimes more, that wants to be a famous writer and the advice that Ben gives him.  Ben is very  clear on what the guy needs to do.

I would like to be a neighbor of Ben’s—I am sure I couldn’t afford his neighborhood though.  Just think, he could be out admiring his flowers and I could start a conversation over the fence—he likes to talk and I like to listen.  Boy, do I like to listen.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings. 

Freddie Moorer had a good post (Locked Out and No Place to Go) where he was discussing James Brown and the fact that Brown's son and James Brown's live-in partner were locked out of the house until the estate can be cleared up.  Freddie is encouraging homeowner partners to make sure all the property that is shared is legally jointly owned. 

I agree with that and want to add another reminder with a different twist.  If you are remarried, or have changed your family situation in any way, check all your policies that have a beneficiary on them, to make sure that the stated beneficiary is who you still want to receive the benefit.  I had a job working in deceased affairs and one time a former spouse was getting all of the dead employees 401K benefits because he had not updated his records.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

There is a survey on ABC News online asking the question: What would you do if you saw someone who appeared drunk attempting to drive?   They have you watch the specific short video and then you vote.  They are going to give the results on 'Primetime' tonight at 10 p.m. ET. 

They are also asking: What would you do if you saw a woman abusing a man in public?  I didn't like their choices so I am not voting.

 I will give my response later, because I do not want to influence anyone.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.   

The UPS Truck dropped off my gift to Mom (yes, I should have planned better so it would have arrived on time) but it took me quite a while to decide what to get her--she is very hard to buy for.  I bought her a Kitchen Aid Mixer (in red, her favorite color) which cost me $300.00.  She is going to say I spent way too much--even though her old one is broken and cannot be repaired.

She isn't home because she took the bus to pay her utility bill (she wants to make sure her check gets there) she saves $ .14 because it only costs her $ .25 to take the bus round trip rather than use a stamp.  Mom is very careful with her money.  She washes out bread sacks and reuses them over and over.  She washes all tin foil and reuses it.   She goes to the second hand store and buys clothes or else makes them herself.

All left over food is stored and eaten later--she used to say "it hurts me to go out to dinner," and she really meant it.  When someone takes her out, she always buys the cheapest thing on the menu.

She didn't really grow up with anything, the "Great Depression" was very hard on small farmers--luckily they had a good garden and some cows so they were able to eat and sell cream.  The other night, while we were watching television, she told me about two little boys that had to walk to school in winter and they only had light jackets, so when they arrived at school the teacher would warm water on the stove so they could warm up their hands.  She later went to high school with a girl that only one sweater and she would wash it every day and wear it the next day.

When she and Dad were married they had very little.  They moved to Seattle from North Dakota so they could make a better living.   They scrimped, saved, invested and worked hard.  When they bought a home they would make double payments.  The house I grew up in in Seattle she sold to my daughter and son-in-law for $100,000 about five years ago (it was a real deal for them) she didn't need the money.

The only thing Mom and Dad really splurged on was some vacations--they found a discount cruise company and went very cheaply on trips to Egypt and Alaska.  Also had a cheap trip by going on a Qantas delivery flight (through Boeing) to Australia.

Mom is not poor, but all of those old memories haunt her and she doesn't like to see any waste.  She will get home soon and see the gift on the kitchen table.  There is no card because when she gets a card, she turns it over to see how much I spent on it.  She always gives me a gift of money in the same card that she has used for several years.

I do want to add that Mom is very generous with her time and energy and has given many low interest loans to relatives and friends.  She is soon going to be 82 and mows her lawn and the next door neighbor lady's (she is 90).  She has a great sense of humor and people enjoy her company.

I want her to like my gift--it is practical, pretty and should last her a long time.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.  

Yesterday, I was reading an article in The Seattle Times by Jerry Large entitled “Is there a perfect gift? Here's what some folks think.” 

I have a friend (Pauline) that does dog rescue and she was at a pet store inquiring about a puppy (long haired miniature dachshund that was a runt) she had seen the last time she was at the store.  The store clerk said "it was not doing well."  Apparently, it had been taken from its mother too soon and didn't want to eat.  Pauline took the dog home and she brought it back to good health.  Pauline already had four dogs besides many birds, reptiles and cats and really didn't want another dog.  She was looking for someone to buy the puppy from her.

I have a cousin (Gwen) and her favorite dog is a dachshund and she and her husband didn't have a dog at this time.  So, I called one of her daughter's and asked if she and her siblings would want to get Gwen the puppy for Christmas.  Soon after that, I received a call from Gwen saying they would love to have the puppy if it would come down in price.

I talked to Pauline and she came down in price some, and I put in some money and now Gwen and Hal now have a puppy that everyone adores.   We are all going over to the daughter's home today to celebrate Christmas.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

 Grandson Haiden (I couldn't decide which picture I liked best)

Well, here it is Christmas Eve and I am doing some clean up work on my old emails etc.  I have gotten way behind on this activity--they certainly can pile up!.  I started with eleven pages and now I am finally down to five.  I have kept the emails of people I still want to check on--and finally purged the ones I know are no longer needed.

Now it is time to start getting to the bottom of the area next to my computer--where does this stuff come from anyway?  I sure would like to turn into a "neat nick" for about five days! 

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I want good health, happiness and goodwill to abound.  

I want all nationalities to follow the golden rule (do unto others as you would want others to do unto you) including the USA.  

My Father's parents were born in Germany and came through Ellis Island.  Dad grew up in a very small farming community in North Dakota (Shields).  He learned English when he went to school and always had an accent.  His Birth Mother actually had lived in a sod hut on the plains of North Dakota for a while (she died when he was 13).  His step-mother is the grandmother I knew as my own.  She had a very strong German accent.

My Mother's Dad was all Scott (Stewart) and many of his relatives went to Canada before coming to the United States.  Mom was also born in North Dakota.

My first husband was Icelandic--also from a small farming community in North Dakota and he learned English when he went to school.

In grade school (West Woodland) we were all alike--no diversity.  I went to Hamilton Junior High and Lincoln High school in Seattle and at that time there was not much diversity.  My dancing partner in Gym class was an African American--she was one of the nicest, generous people I have ever known.

Many years later, after I had children, I went to Green River Community College (Auburn, Washington) and had a science partner (Bezad) that was from Iran.  He was about to finish and transfer to the University of Washington.  I asked him where he was going to live when he transferred and he said "I don't know, why do you ask?"  I told him that my folks lived close to the University and maybe he could rent a room from them.  It all worked out and he stayed for a few years--to this day, he thinks of my Mother as his second Mom.  It was very interesting having him there, we were able to taste the food, meet his friends and Mom and Dad attended his wedding.

 After  Bezad moved out of Mom and Dad's, one of his friends (Babak) moved in, he was also a student that came from Iran.  He ended up staying many years and his Mother also lived at my folk's place for a while.

Mom and Dad also had a couple gals rent rooms that were from France--both very nice, interesting and fun. 

When I started work at Boeing, I met a Chinese guy that was born in Bellevue and he became one of my best friends.  I met many of his friends and family and he is the one that introduced me to Dim Sum (Chinese appetizers).

All my life, when I would meet someone different from myself, I wanted to know all about them.   I love accents, I love to hear people’s stories and taste their food.

We are a country of immigrants--it is not a dirty word--it is a blessing!   What is your story?

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

 Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

I just read Ed Bartley's post Guns - even toy ones - in the work place are dangerous and decided I needed to put in a post of my own that is somewhat related.

When my daughter was about 14, she had a girl friend (15) that she hung around with a great deal.  One day my first husband told me he saw the girl driving her Dad’s pickup (by herself) around the neighborhood.  I told my husband “we should tell her folks.”  He said that “it wasn’t any of our business.”  The next day the same girl rolled the pickup with some of her friends in it (including our daughter).  A boy that was riding in the back of the pickup injured one of his fingers.  Luckily, nothing worse happened.

I think of this event so often. It is important to be involved and take action when you see someone doing something wrong that could hurt other people.

 Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

After our recent severe windstorm the Seattle area had thousands of people without power (some still are out) and there have been eight deaths attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning because people did not know to not burn charcoal or use gasoline generators in their houses (including garages).  A big part of the problem is that the information was not getting out to many people that do not speak English (although) an elderly man was found today that had not been foreign born..

 The Seattle Times had on their front page the warning in five different languages hoping to get the word out.   I have attached the link to a pdf file so that you can share it with folks that man not be aware of the danger.

I am also sending a link that was on KiroTV.com on Carbon Monoxide Facts and Safety Tips distributed by Seattle and King County Public Health Department

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

 I was just reading the lunch time news from KIRO TV and came upon an article regarding microbes entitled Fat? Maybe You're Just Big Microbed.   This is important to me because I have been fighting a weight problem for most of my life and it doesn't help when I spend as much time as I do in front of the computer.  I think it is a hazard of real estate that agents end up sitting so much and they should consider making part of their daily routine some form of exercise. 

The article is very interesting and talks about how obese rats and people have different kinds of bacteria (in their gut) from thin rats and people.  I quote:

“A ‘microbial component’ appears to contribute to obesity, said study lead author Jeffrey Gordon, director of Washington University's Center for Genome Sciences.  Obese humans and mice had a lower percentage of a family of bacteria called Bacteroidetes and more of a type of bacteria called Firmicutes, Gordon and his colleagues found.

The researchers aren't sure if more Firmicutes makes you fat or if people who are obese grow more of that type of bacteria.

But growing evidence of this link gives scientists a potentially new and still distant way of fighting obesity: Change the bacteria in the intestines and stomach. It also may lead to a way of fighting malnutrition in the developing world.”

Virginia Commonwealth University pathology professor Richard Atkinson says “I think that gut bacteria affects body weight.”  The article goes on to talk about how there is good and bad bacteria.

 Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle/Wallingford/Bellevue Washington Real Estate Property Listings. 

Haiden in a sleigh at Swanson's Nursery

Haiden on the Beach while vacationing in Mazatlan

Before my daughter delivered my grandson, I told her I would help with college and private school.  Haiden is now 10 months old and I have spent a lot of time researching on the 529 Plans to put money away for his college education.   I thought maybe someone out there might be interested in some of my sources.

The Motley Fool  has a page with many links to information about saving for college.

WWW.Savingforcollege.com is another link I found helpful.

So in lieu of purchasing a rental property, I ended up going with www.independent529plan.org because it is tailored for private schools (although the funds can be used at public schools also).  It was recommended by Suze Orman on her television show.

How Independent 529 Plan Works:

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle/Wallingford/Bellevue Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

I volunteered at the Pancake Breakfast this morning and we sure could have used more customers.   It was the same thing at our last Spaghetti Dinner--not enough people.  It may have been because we are so close to Christmas or because people thought our power was still out from the windstorm Thursday evening. 

When people do come they enjoy themselves and the food.  We have many families that come that are regulars every month and make it a real social event.

These are monthly fund raisers for an organization that is great for our community.  Check on the link and see for yourself all the services they provide.  If you happen to live in Wallingford (or know someone that does) please come to the Pancake and Spaghetti Dinners—they are both very affordable!

Spaghetti Dinner     A Wallingford Tradition Lives On…
Mamma Mia…. Home cooking and dinner with neighbors!! Salad, spaghetti, red sauce and garlic bread!
2^nd Tuesdays,— 4:30 pm -7:00 pm
Adults $4.00   Children $2.00   Dessert $1.50

Pancake Breakfast      Date & Time Change!
Homemade pancakes & French toast. Shhh…..Stan’s secret recipe!
4^th Sundays, — 9:00 am-12:30 pm
Adults $3.00   Children $1.50

 Wallingford Community Senior Center

 Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle/Wallingford/Bellevue Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

I am a "news junky" and often flip between CNN and Fox News.  I do enjoy watching Wolf Blitzer's "Situation Room."  On his program, Wolf has Jack Cafferty discuss a political issue and then Jack asks the audience a question and wants the public to go online to answer it.  Yesterday, I was going to answer the question but couldn't figure out (in a timely manner) how to answer it.  Today, Jack's "Question for the Day" ifor  5 p.m. is:   "Should the 110th Congress make the moratorium on pork projects attached to spending bills permanent?"

This particular question has been a "pet peeve" of mine for quite some time! 

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle/Wallingford/Bellevue Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

I attended the CRS Sell-a-Bration Educational Conference about three years ago.  I found it very inspirational and I came back to work "all charged up."  This year it is going to be held Jan 31st - Feb 2nd, 2007 at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas.

If you are new to real estate and do not know  what CRS stands for, it is the Council of Residential Specialists.   It is a very fine organization that has exceptional classes and gives out the “CRS designation” after an applicant meets the requirements of classes and productivity.

If you are going to attend the conference, it would be fun to meet up as a group.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle/Wallingford/Bellevue Washington Real Estate Property Listings.  

My late husband always had the dream of moving to a foreign country after retirement--I must admit that it still is in the back of my mind.  This morning I found an article on Money Central at MSN.com entitled The world’s best-kept retirement secret, by Kathleen Peddicord, International Living.  The article talks about Nicaragua and how it is safe, stunning and gives incentives for foreign retirees.

Here is what it says about Granada:

Charming Granada, on Lake Nicaragua, is the jewel of Nicaragua's colonial crown, the second-oldest city in the Americas. Its large central plaza is surrounded by 16th-century colonial buildings, great restaurants, museums and other entertainment.

You can pick up a vacant lot in an area of town where you might not want to live right now, but could probably live in a couple years, for around $45,000. You could also buy a habitable two-bedroom, two-bathroom house within walking distance of the center of town for around $80,000 to $100,000. Fully restored three-bedroom, two-bathroom colonial homes are going for $150,000 and up.

I plan on putting Nicaragua on my list of places to visit.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle/Wallingford/Bellevue Washington Real Estate Property Listings. 

Every weekday morning I go to Yahoo Finance to see what the market is doing and check out what the columnists are writing about.  Today, Ben Stein wrote an article A Season For Peace that was so appropriate for the Holiday Season that I wanted to share it--I hope you have time to read it  He talks about a friend he had know since junior high and his financial ups and downs (there were many).  He got into real estate and did extremely well.

Ben sure knows how to tell a good story.  I would really like to meet Mr. Stein, and if he would allow me, I would probably have a weeks worth of questions to ask him.  I like how he values his family, gives great advise, has saved for the future (he makes a great living so he can splurge), and has a great sense of humor.  I know, "no one is perfect," but I don't want to know any of his flaws.  I just want to keep reading his articles and smile.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle/Bellevue Washington Real Estate Property Listings.

While I was on vacation in Belize, I took a boat trip to San Pedro and met two different students that had told me of their experiences in Guatemala where they would live with a host family and go to school (Celas Maya Spanish School) to learn Spanish and also do volunteer work.  The young man was from Denmark and his job was to teach young children their letters.  The young woman is presently a student in California and wants to become an eye doctor and eventually return to Guatemala.  Her job was to translate from Spanish (that a woman was translating to her from one of the many Mayan dialects) into English for the doctors and also help with prescriptions.  She said frequently they would go out to small villages (the whole village would turn out) and give medical aid.  She said she "was very impressed by the amazing work that an eye doctor did there that she finally figured out what she wants to do with her life." I asked her if "older" people participate in the program and she said that they do. 

This is very appealing to me, as is the thought of living in different foreign countries for a length of time.   Sure would be hard to leave my grandson though! It is not as though I do not love my kids (they are great) but my grandson makes me beam just thinking about him.

 I do have to mention that on that boat trip going the reverse direction back to Belize City, I met a couple from Sweden.  One of the things they mentioned that I found very interesting, was that college is free in Sweden.  I had a great visit with them--he used to work for the U.N. in Afganistan and she had been a travel agent.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle/Bellevue Washington Real Estate Property Listings.  

Singing Sands Belize

 Tony's Inn Beach Resort, Corozal, Belize

Mata Rocks Resort, Belize

Jaguar Paw Canopy Tour 

Tikal, Guatemala 

I just returned from vacation to Belize and Guatemala.  Before leaving, I was thinking that I really shouldn't be going away--clients may need me at a critical time!  It was truly a great time.  The people are so friendly and there is so much to see and do (or you can just swing in your hammock in the breeze for as long as you care to).  The beaches are not privately owned so you can walk for as far as you care to--at a couple of places we stayed at we would walk to dinner up the beach and then come back the same way in the dark--many people are doing the same thing.  The snorkeling on San Pedro was the best I have ever done--have you ever petted a sting ray (they have a reserve where the nurse sharks and sting rays are tame.

If you do go, you will want to take bug spray (there are sand fleas) and strong sun block. 

Yesterday I had an appointment to give platelets at the blood center and they said I would need to be deferred for one year because it is on their list as a malaria risk area.  I spoke with people in the country and they said that they had not had a case of it in years. 

Anyway, I feel the vacation was a great thing to do and as soon as I get adjusted to the time change--I will be full speed ahead! 

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle/Bellevue Washington Real Estate Property Listings.