Leslie's Blog

A while ago, I blogged “Oh oh, my purse fell in the toilet” and I told of that misadventure.  This is chapter two.  It really did mess me up--ruined my Palm Pilot and I thought it had ruined my cell phone.  Actually the cell phone dried out, after a few days, and when I put in a new battery it worked. 

Today, I was asking for information from a listing agent that was in an airport taking off for Italy.  He has a blackberry and can get emails while he is traveling around the world.  I thought this would be great since I am going to Spain next month and could stay connected.  I asked him what he recommended and he emailed me back it is a BlackBerry® 8830 World Edition Smartphone (there is an on-line discount for $100 right now).  I was quite impressed but I would not be able to use it to open the key boxes.  Also, I only go out of the country maybe once or twice a year and I think the Verizon guy said I could rent one.

I decided to get the Palm® Treo™ 700p Smartphone (it is also $100 off on an on-line discount).  I also am buying insurance--nope it is not going in the toilet but there is always another catastrophe around the corner. 

You technical folks already know this stuff so just ignore me.

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

For those of you that are contemplating whether it is good to pay off your mortgage or not Yahoo.Finance.com has an article by Ben Stein in his "Your Money or Your Life" column entitled When Paying Off Doesn't Pay.  Mr. Stein says, "Why not just pay off the mortgage slowly but steadily and hang onto the liquidity that makes life so much more comfortable instead?  There's nothing magically good about having a paid-off mortgage, but there's something seriously bad about not having ready liquid assets even if your home is paid for."  He doesn't seem to be a fan of borrowing against a house with a home equity line of credit.

He talks about how the rate of return on "broad U.S. stock market indexes over very long periods is close to 9 percent"  If you have a 6.5 interest rate on your mortgage "you'd earn roughly 6.5 percent by paying it off early."

He does discuss foreign investments, "As I've said many times, I recommend the EFA ETF for investments in European, Australian, and Asian developed economies -- it's especially heavy into the United Kingdom. I recommend the EEM or the ADRE for investments in developing countries in Asia, South and Central America, and Eastern Europe."  I concur with this and have done very well this year.

I have been trying to persuade my Mother to invest in foreign equities but so far have not had much luck.  She has not been happy with what her mutual funds have been doing and is thinking of switching to C.D.'s.  Guess I will have to try again "on a good day." 

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

If you go to this link, N.J. Dog Crowned World's Ugliest, you will see an article on I found on ABCNEWS.com.  The dog was crowned the winner last night and came in second place the year before.  Elwood, is a 2-year-old Chinese Crested and Chihuahua mix.  He was rescued two years ago, "the breeder was going to euthanize him because she thought he was too ugly to sell," said Karen Quigley, Elwood's owner.  She said "people love him and adore him."

I want to know what kind of a personality he has.  I looked the breed up on the American Kennel Club to get more information.  Does he scare other dogs? 

I'm a dog lover and have two spoiled toy Manchester terriers.  That is Manny on my logo--I bought him from Saint Lazar, a breeder close to Atlanta, Georgia.  I go to their website whenever I need "a puppy fix." 

Nothing about real estate in this article except that we really love our dogs here in Seattle.  My website has a link to the Dog Parks in Washington State.

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

I know some people that are starting out blogging do not know how to get pictures in a format so that they can post them.  I use Photo Bucket, for image hosting in order to post pictures on my blog.   It is free.  I am not one of those great technical computer folks but this works for me.  They have a browser feature that you can use to upload images from your pc, video, web url or mobile phone.  You can then email them, put them in a slide show or copy them to place in your blog.

I have my logo stored there and whenever I need it I long onto Photo Bucket and copy it.

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

For quite a while I have been trying not to get plastic bags from the grocery stores.  This is a very interesting article from ABCNEWS.Go.com, written by Mark Rice-Oxley, "Plastic Bag Revolt Spreads Across Britain, Spurred by a Filmmaker's Documentary, the English Town of Modbury Became the First in Europe to Ban Them Outright."  

The British filmmaker, Rebecca Hosking filmed a documentary of the coast of Hawaiian beaches, "Sea turtles can't read Wal-mart or Tesco signs on plastic bags," fumes Hosking, who returned to Britain in March. "They will home in on it and feed on it. Dolphins mistake them for seaweed and quite often they'll eat them and it causes huge damage."

Back in her hometown, Modbury, she had a local screening for her town’s shopkeepers.  After viewing the documentary all of them decided they would support a voluntary ban on plastic bags.  Now larger towns are wanting to get on board and calling to ask how Hosking accomplished this.

The article is quite lengthy and goes into how much damage plastic does to animals and the environment.  At the link there is a picture of Anya Hindmarch's "I'm Not A Plastic Bag" bags.  They are sold at the Sainsbury's store in Camden, in London.  "The limited edition bags have been seen on the arms of A-List stars such as Keira Knightley, Lily Cole, Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Alba."  I am now going to have my own personal ban on getting plastic bags from retailers.

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

You probably know that Ken Griffey Jr. is in town playing for the Cincinnati Reds against the Seattle Mariners.  The news stations have been saying they expect Seattle to give him a warm welcome.  The Mariners are hosting a pre-game ceremony on the field for him tonight, so we will find out then.  KIROTV.com has an article Ex-M's Superstar Ken Griffey Jr. Returns to Seattle.  On the site, they have an on-line survey asking if you would like him to return to Seattle and play for us.  Right now 63% of the participants are saying "yes."

I like Ken Griffey Jr. and one of my all-time favorite sports photos is when he is on the bottom of a pile of players with such a wonderful grin on his face.   My question is why do we embrace him but not Alex Rodriguez?   Wasn't Alex just as great?  Didn't he help us?

I really do not know the answer to my question--I just feel bad that he gets booed whenever he is here.

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

There was an article in yesterday's Seattle Times "Whole family can gear up for fun on kid-friendly bike paths" By Stephanie Dunnewind.  She gives six different trails in King County that are "kid-friendly"--that means they are good for novices (that would be me).  Some of the longer trails you can make much shorter, depending on ability.  The longest trail they mention is the Green River Trail:

Length: 122 miles.

Details: "The trail gets nicer as you go farther south, especially once you hit rural Kent. Getting on the trail at Fort Dent Park (6800 Fort Dent Way, Tukwila) and going south is a great idea. There are also lots of playgrounds at little parks along the trail, which makes it nice for younger kids who need to get out of the trailer or off the bike to play frequently. On a sunny day, it still remains somewhat cool thanks to the river. Access points are a little hard to find; the city of Tukwila facilities guide www.ci.tukwila.wa.us/recreation/rectrail.htm) is very useful for figuring out how to get onto the trail and where to park. The wonderful views of Mount Rainier more than make up for any access issues."

Info: www.metrokc.gov/parks/trails/greenriver.html.   

I have also found a link to Group Health Bicycle Saturdays & Sundays.  This is sponsored by the City of Seattle.  Two days a month, through September, you can bicycle along Lake Washington Boulevard south of Mount Baker Beach and around Seward Park.  Lake Washington Boulevard will be closed to motorized traffic from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

I was never allowed to ride my bike in the street and, therefore, never did become a very good or confident rider.  I am intrigued by those long distance trips people take on their bikes.  There luggage is placed in a motor vehicle and is waiting in their hotel room when they arrive.  I did find a Bicycle Tour website called BicycleTour.com where you fill in the Country, State and activity and it will do a search for you.

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

Nothing about real estate this time, it is personal finance and saving (my second favorite subject).

It is that time again, when teens are out of school and need something to do.  I highly recommend a summer job (don't we all).  Not only does it alleviate the boredom, it can give a sense of accomplishment and pride.  My sister-in-law has some very wealthy step-children and one summer she made her daughter and one of her step-sons get jobs at McDonalds.  She said "it was so good for them both, it taught them responsibility, and it may be the only job the boy will every have in his life."

A summer job can also be very lucrative.  In one of my past blogs, Five Gifts That Will Make Your Kids Rich it discusses the merits of Roth IRAs, which you probably already have heard about.  What is important is to get their value across to the child.

IRAs only cost about $100 to open and you can invest as much as your child makes (yes, they have to earn it), up to $4,000 a year. "Tax-free compounding over time produces a powerful payoff: A $1,500 yearly contribution will be worth nearly a million bucks in 50 years, assuming an 8 percent average annual return."

"Few teens are likely to be excited about saving their hard-earned babysitting money for retirement. So, if you can, offer to match what they make in an IRA. Want another way to ramp up their enthusiasm? Slip a little cash into the gift card too."

They might also take an interest if you ask them what products they really like and do some research with them for stocks or mutual funds.

You may want to start the concept of saving early.  I remember, back in grade school, we had banking day (do they still have that?) I really liked seeing in my bankbook how the total kept getting bigger--what reinforcement.  I will tell you that I still like the number getting bigger!  

Grandparents have the ability and opportunity to help in this effort.

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

Yesterday, I blogged about the Fremont Fair that is going on this weekend.  If you go to this Seattle Times link you can get to a slideshow.  You may want to check it out to see if you want to attend next year in case you missed it. 

The Fremont fair is still going on today and the link will tell you all about it.

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

The Seattle Times had this article today by Amy Martinez "One big chunk of downtown Seattle up for sale".  It is nearly 13 acres in what is known as the "Denny Triangle" and it is something the Clise family has been accumulating for four generations.

Martinez says in her article "The Clises held on to their land and considered cashing out only after the city adopted new rules last year allowing developments in the Denny Triangle to rise 40 stories or more.

With a core staff of 35, Clise Properties is too small to develop the land on its own, Clise said. He hopes to complete the sale by year's end, though he reserves the right to not sell if bids come in lower than expected.  Based on recent sales of downtown land, outside real-estate professionals estimated that the portfolio could sell for $350 million to more than $600 million."

Clise would like to see mixed use of the property which would include condominiums, office buildings and hotels.   They do not want to sell the property in pieces.

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

It is beautiful out right now and a perfect way to start your summer would be to attend the Fremont Fair.  It is going on today and tomorrow.  The SeattlePI.com has an article “Come one, come all to welcome summer with Fremont's goofy parade and fair” that talks about some of what you will find there--"an eclectic mix of art, music, crafts and people."  

The parade starts at noon today and begins at Northwest 36th Street and Third Avenue Northwest, heads east to Northwest 35th Street and Fremont Avenue North, south on Fremont, then east on Northwest 34th Street to Gasworks Park.  (Do note that the parade it is known for naked bicyclists participating. 

There is music today from 10:45 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. this evening and  from 10:45 a.m.- 6:30 tomorrow, and if you check out the first link it names who the performers are and what time they will be playing.

They would like a $1.00 donation and all money collected goes towards Solid Ground (formerly the Fremont Public Association).

What Solid Ground believes...

• Our community has the resources, will and ability to end poverty.

• All people have the right to food, shelter, social justice and opportunities.

• Racism perpetuates poverty. To end poverty, we must undo racism.

We believe that together, we can build a community free from poverty, prejudice and neglect in which all members stand on Solid Ground with the skills and confidence needed to achieve their dreams.

For more than three decades, Solid Ground has helped our most vulnerable community members overcome economic crises and develop the skills and resources they need to thrive. We are proactive in our approach to ending poverty, meeting emerging community needs head-on and addressing them through innovative solutions. Our 30 programs have helped hundreds of thousands of people break the cycle of poverty.

Solid Ground began in 1974 as the Fremont Public Association, operating food, clothing and job banks in one of Seattle’s then poorest neighborhoods. Our programs expanded to meet emerging needs throughout the region, and today we are one of the most comprehensive human service agencies in King County.

Our mission is steadfast: to achieve a just and caring community free from poverty, prejudice and neglect. Compassion and respect for all people are our highest values."

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

According to the Northwest Multiple Listing Services June 6th, 2007 report, Condo sales dipped last month. Brokers reported 99 fewer pending sales compared with the same month a year ago for a 5.5 percent decline. In King County, where about two-thirds of the pending sales occurred, the volume nearly matched year-ago numbers. Brokers notched 20 fewer pending sales for a 1.8 percent decline from twelve months ago.

Prices for condominiums continue to jump at a fast clip. For last month’s closed sales, the median selling price system-wide was $270,000, up 18.4 percent from a year ago. In King County, the median price for last month’s closed sales of condos increased 17.6 percent, rising from $246,500 a year ago to $289,950.  

I have had several clients tell me that they believe that prices of condos and homes are going to go down (one client told me this 2 1/2 years ago).  Buyers have sat on the sidelines while the prices have continued to go up.  Those Buyers that have jumped in have seen the value of their properties go up and tell me about it every time I talk to them.

If a property is viewed as a bargain it still will go quickly and the client needs to be ready to jump on it.  That means having that pre-approval letter in hand and the mindset to act immediately.   It is not the time to give a "low-ball" offer, someone will snatch up the property while you are waiting for a counter offer.  Sometimes, it takes sellers missing out on a few properties to understand this.

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

This is not my own title; it is from an AP article today on MSNBC.com discussing how much some of "the rich" are willing to pay for luxury items.  "NEW YORK - Forget about the $350 stilettos. Shoes with status these days come with $1,000 price tags. And $600 handbags have become so bourgeois. A-listers don’t want to be seen with anything costing less than $5,000."

Don't get me wrong, I love looking at nice things.  When I was in my late teens I would go to the high-end department store, Frederick & Nelson, in downtown Seattle and look at all of the china, crystal and furnishings they offered.  Oh, and let me not forget about the jewelry!  (I do not remember spending much time looking at clothes.)

I go to the Street of Dreams luxury home and garden tour every year to look at beautiful homes that have been staged in creative ways.  I love it when I get a client that wants to look at properties for $2 million and up.  I have great admiration for architects, designers and builders--and not to forget the artist's work that embellish these homes. 

But, I appreciate it when other people are choosing to spend their money on these things rather than me.  My friend, Stacy, that I have known since 7th grade has three houses that I am sure are all decorated and furnished in a way as you would see in a home and garden magazine.  I was with her in Turkey when she took hours in a carpet store deciding on a carpet for her Arizona home.  She has a lot of artistic talent that she puts to good use. 

One day, years ago, I thanked my Mother for making me feel I didn't need a lot of "things." I told her it made life so much easier.  But I do thank you people for having and creating great stuff that I can look at and appreciate.

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

I just received an email from the Kent, Washington Chamber of Commerce that the Washington State Department of Transportation is going to have a SR 167 - HOT Lanes Pilot Project.  The WSDOT explains it as:

 "State Route 167, located in King and Pierce counties, connects communities between Renton and Tacoma and provides the Puget Sound region with a vital alternative to Interstate 5. The SR 167 HOT lane project is a four-year pilot project that will convert nine miles of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on SR 167 between Renton and Auburn.

The SR 167 HOT lanes will provide toll-free, express trips for transit and carpools, and also allow solo-drivers who pay a toll to use the lanes when there is space for more vehicles. Solo drivers will need to open an account to get a Good To Go! transponder to mount on their windshield. The tolls will be debited from the driver’s pre-paid account electronically upon entry — there will be no toll booths. Tolls are used to keep traffic in the HOT lanes flowing at 45 mph or faster, even when the regular lanes are congested."

Among the benefits they list is increased efficiency, safety and congestion relief.  This is scheduled to open in 2008 and the DOT would like your comments.  The link is to the Washington State Department of Transportation where they give all of the information and you can give your comments.

Please visit my site for information and support.  Seattle, Bellevue, Queen Anne, Wallingford, Fremont and Redmond and Kent, Washington Real Estate Property Listings   

I was reading Yahoo.Finance.com (one of my favorite things to do) and came across an article entitled "My So-Called Financial Life" by Penelope Trunk.  Her theme is that you should change your job if you want to, and that sometimes you have to make big sacrifices to do so.  She talks about how she and her husband moved from big money jobs in New York City to much less lucrative jobs in Madison, Wisconsin.  It is a good article.

When I was divorced from my first husband I got a roommate so that I could meet expenses and have some money to save.   I have friends and relatives that would be much better off financially if they would get roommates--but this is their choice. 

It was at that time that I became interested in the stock market and my 401K.  For a long time, the company I worked for gave bonuses and I would dump them in my 401K.  I was also fairly frugal (not compared to my Mother, but certainly compared to most of my friends).  Because I started seriously saving early the compounding interest over time makes me feel financially secure.

Back to her theme of changing jobs if you want to.  It took quite a while for that to happen because I liked the paychecks and didn't know what I really wanted to do.  I always thought I wanted to be a psychologist but the company I worked for would only pay for a degree in business or engineering.  Hence, I finished my business degree--and will never be sorry for that; because it did enhance my job skills and made me more valuable to my employer.

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

Meridian School is located in the historic Good Shepherd Center within North Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood.  It has Kindergarten through 5th grade classes.  I know about this school because I volunteer at the Wallingford Senior Center that is located in the same building.  The other day the children put on a play and the senior center had an ice cream social for them afterwards.   I had an opportunity to speak with several of the students and asked them how they liked the school--they all enthusiastically said that they did.  I have also spoken to parents and they feel the same.

The Meridian Schools approach to learning is thematic. They "teach core subjects of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies together in a larger context, firing imaginations and weaving learning together."

They "enrich our core curriculum with instruction in Spanish, art, music, physical education, computers, and library skills. Artists of the renowned neo art school teach weekly art classes. Our students regularly use the dedicated computer lab and our extensive library is continuously updated. Classroom instruction is enhanced with field trips to a wide variety of community resources, and gardening is mentored by the Tilth Association."

If you are going to be in the market for a private school--this one comes highly recommended. 

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

I just received an email from the Independant 529 Plan--it is their college savings quarterly.   It has a link to reading lists for preschoolers through highschool.  Also from this email a client can go to their own account and make a contribution on the spot.  They gave this reminder "Any contributions you make to your Independent 529 Plan account before June 30, 2007 will be applied to 2006-2007 tuition costs. So don't forget to make that last minute contribution before the rates change."  

This happens to be Suze Orman's favorite plan 529 plan and is geared toward saving for private colleges.  I have an accounts with them and the Washington State Get Program--for my grandson's college education.

The other great news is that my daughter and son-in-law are going to have another baby.  It will be our Christmas present. 

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

When I wake up in the middle of the night and often will read to put myself back to sleep.  Last night I picked up the latest catalog of Road Scholar that came in the mail.  My favorite vacations are educational combined with travel; and I was so engrossed with the catalog that I read the whole thing.  Besides typical basic information like number of nights stay, meals included, departure dates, itinerary and price, they usually tell how much walking will be involved.  The excursions are for adults of any age and here are some of them:

Moscow Today and the Golden Ring of Russia

Approaching Land’s End:  Hiking Cornwall

Athens to Santorini:  A Voyage Into Aegean Antiquity

Umbria and Tuscany:  The Heart of Italy

Everyday Venice:  Beyond the Piazzas

Tulips and Traditions:  Cruising Holland’s Canals. 

The Living Heritage of Turkey

Window to Morocco

Namibia:  Southern Africa’s Technicolor Safari

China, Tibet and Yangtze River

Costa Rica:  Managing Paradise

Dog Sledding in a Winter Wonderland (Minnesota)

Ansel Adams, Yosemite and Mono Lake:  A Photo Expedition

New York Theater:  Behind the Velvet Curtain

The Battle of Gettysburg:  Days of Thunder

Alabama Golf Mecca:  The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

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

KIROTV.com has just announced Committee Chooses Feb. 19 For Wash. Presidential Primary

This is a big deal for we political news junkies.  Many states are doing this so that they have a "greater stake in selecting nominees and shaking up the 2008 political calendar".  See the following article from a recent USA today, California moves up presidential primary. 

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

I know, probably half of you cannot relate to this problem but I thought I would just mention it.  I have never liked placing my purse on the hook of the bathroom doors because I always pictured someone reaching over the door and taking it.   Last week (after a great lunch with my sister-in-law that was visiting from Fresno) I placed my purse on the back of the toilet.  No, it was not zipped up, yes it was way too full, and yes, it tipped over and fell in.

My sister-in-law happened to find a new garbage bag in the bottom of the waste basket (remember to look there if you ever need one) and I put everything in it.  I washed my car keys and when I arrived home dumped everything into the shower to deal with it.

The worst things were that it destroyed my Palm Pilot (I had to get a loaner ekey from the MLS to use until I get a new one and my cell phone seems to also be ruined.   I also ruined a perfectly good purse.

If this had happened before an appointment with a client it would have been an even worse disaster.  I know--this is bathroom talk, but you can always use advice from unexpected sources (maybe).

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