Team Reba Real Estate

A local mortgage professional who we sometimes work with sent out a notice today.  See the comments below in Italics. 

Most of you are aware that Down Payment Assistance programs like Nehemiah, etc. are history effective October 1st. Lenders are requiring that loans using DPA’s fund by September 30th. Therefore, some lenders are requiring locking and submissions by August 15th and others by September 12th.  

If you have any clients that need this program, now is the time to do it. While there is a movement to get the programs reinstated, it’s anybody’s guess as to how that will turn out. Let me know if I can help you in any way. 

Jerry Rutherford 

Professional Mortgage, Inc.
22659 Pacific Hwy So Suite 101
Des Moines, WA 98198
Phone: (206) 870-5050 Cell: (206) 356-1711
Toll Free: 1-800 764-5626
Email: jrutherford@pmiloans.com
www.pmiloans.com
WA Lic. # 510-LO-35158

I’d been receiving some other industry requests asking for feedback to be sent to legislative members who were responsible for voting.  It seems that even with support from the NAR and mortgage professionals who see the daily need for programs like Nehemiah, the folks in government decided to act rashly anyway.  I guess it’s typical politics as usual because government frequently seem like a massive pendulum going to extremes and only after protracted battles and lawsuits will it go to the center and make sense.

Not everyone knows that I’m a big gardening fan but there are times when I’m walking around a client’s home that I can tell they’re surprised by the number of plants that I can identify by sight as we walk around and I’m giving them my staging advice for the exterior of their home.  Yes, staging includes that all important “curb appeal” which will often mean taking a hard look at the aesthetic of the exterior of a home and the surrounding gardens (or lack thereof).

At my last home, the one I just finished closing on the sale of last week, I had done extensive exterior work using a contractor to build a wrap around deck, patio, raised beds, etc.  Not only was this nice for my own personal use, but it was great in the eventual resale of the home because of all the extras that it provided.  In the bedding areas I put in mostly perennials but some of the spaces were also used for organic gardening for our own vegetable food supplies in the spring through fall.  Most of the plant choices were made to be low maintenance as well as drought-tolerant and we had rain barrels installed to catch water runoff from the deck for use in the garden to limit seasonal summer water use.  With food prices and gas prices being what they are today, it is nice to have an onsite garden which helps limit the number of trips to the store for fresh produce and keep our household expenses down.

To keep up on various gardening ideas I frequently read the NWLife section of the Seattle Times, specifically, the gardening section. In the July 2nd edition there was an article on the “native plant of the month” named Sisyrinchium, aka Blue-eyed grass.  I’m looking for ideas for my new home where we have an area that ends up with an occasional water run-off area caused by the topography of the lot and neighborhood.  My thoughts in attempting to limit actual run-off and to help in slowing down the water and helping it to percolate more slowly into the ground is to put in a mini-marsh like garden where water can collect and there will be plants that help the process and that can survive and thrive in that environment.

The blue-eyed grass seems to be one of many that can fit into my little scheme.  Granted, I realize I’m taking on a multi-year process of putting this in place and my first goal is to stake out the spot in our new lot that will become our new vegetable garden, but collecting ideas is part of the fun of gardening.

The best tidbit of info that I gleaned from this article though was the website put together by the Washington Native Plant Society where you can find more information on native plants, including the places where you can buy them.  Growing native plants is a smart move because you’ll have fewer high-maintenance plants to deal with because native plants typically have already figured out how to defend themselves against pests and they usually require less watering than more fussy plants that have been transplanted to our environment.

So, over this holiday weekend, if you’re out gardening - have fun, be safe and “go native!”

I’ve been giving blood at Puget Sound Blood Center (PSBC) for about 15 years or so now.  While I will admit that I haven’t been giving as much as I used to (1x - 2x per year versus 6x) the change in frequency has mostly come from changes in my own personal circumstances of work location, being out of town more frequently, and general convenience factor.  Factors that I recently provided in the survey PSBC sent out to see how they could improve repeat giving of blood.

Having a strong local blood supply is important and many people do not realize that blood has a shelf life, like any other fresh supply product you can think of - such as fruits and vegetables.  So, to keep the supply full and to get as many types of blood possible the PSBC must constantly work to remind and urge the public to give. 

My own blood type is AB+, which is the 2nd most rare type of blood.  Although AB patients can also receive type O, it’s usually preferred that the same blood type be used for certain medical procedures.  I get contacted regularly via email with reminders to give.  I used to give at a location in Bellevue (on 112th) that was down the street from my old work office at Westmark Electronics.  Then, when I went into software sales and worked remotely from my employer, I went to a location on 105th in Seattle near Hwy 99.  Now that I live in Renton I haven’t found (ok, I need to look) what the closest location is to me.  I keep thinking I’ll look and see if the local hospital (Valley Medical) has a program since they are only about a mile from my house.

Given the blood transfusion my dad needed after my parent’s accident last year it’s been on my mind more than ever.  Give blood, and give often.  There will be many families that will be thankful for your gift of life.

The City of Seattle is ahead of the game when it comes to finding alternate energy and providing opportunities for its utility customers to get off the grid.  A couple of ways you can start your path to going green is by signing up for the GreenUp program which provides a choice of adding non-polluting power sources to your billing and usage.  Right now you can select either a 25, 50, or 100% participation level.  Check out the website at www.greenupseattle.org to get started with enrollment.

Another site you can check out to get other ideas about how to live a more “green” lifestyle can be found at www.seattlecan.org, the site for Seattle Climate Action Now.

Oh, and as an added bonus for signing up for one year of the alternate energy program you can get a free THEO Chocolate bar and a coupon for a 2-for-1 admission to one of their factory tours.  I’ve been on this tour and it is really outstanding.  Not only is it some of the best aromatherapy you’ll ever experience (HELLO! You’re walking around all chocolate!) but it’s a great way to learn about the process of making chocolate.  When THEO moved into the old Red Hook Brewery in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood they became one of only 11 worldwide roasters of cocao, the main ingredient used in chocolate products.  They not only make fantastic chocolate but a large number of their products are organic and/or fair trade creations, which is much better for the planet.  Private tours can also incorporate food and wine pairings with the chocolate they produce, as well as the nibs that are a by-product.  Nibs can be used in food preparation and aren’t like regular chocolate.  I personally loved them but my partner wasn’t as thrilled.

Lastly, THEO also recycles the husks of the cocao beans and they can be purchased by the public for use as mulch.  Yes, that’s right, you can have your yard smelling like chocolate too!  I don’t know though, what if all my female friends and neighbors ended up wandering outside my house just to sniff the yard?  Could it be a selling point for a house?  Hmmmm…. I’ll have to consider it….

If you’re considering buying a condo - I recommend this book.  If you already live in a condo and have discovered it has more going on (arguments, lawsuits, assessments, hassle) than you expected when you bought it - I recommend this book.  If you are considering joining the board of a condo association you belong to and want to know what to expect - I recommend this book.  If you are already on a board and a big issue has just come up and you have to deal with it - I recommend this book.

So, have you figured it out yet?  I recommend this book.  And, I’m not being paid to recommend it, although for full disclosure I will say the company that published it (Sphinx Publishing/Sourcebooks) contacted me several weeks ago and sent me a free copy of Condo Owners Answer Book to read, with a request that I write a review.  I get asked to do stuff all the time, and more commonly, I am asked to BUY things all the time - so to have a company ask me to read something and comment was slightly new and I have to say that reading is one of my major pasttimes so this was an easy request for me.   

For those that are considering a purchase of this book, the relatively inexpensive amount of money that it would take to buy, considering all of the issues that you can be confronted with as a condo owner, makes it worth every penny.

I’ve been selling real estate for 5 years and I’ve owned several properties for about 12 years.  Given that I am in the midst of property, property contracts, and clients every day I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned in reading this book.  That’s right, the attorney who wrote it is one sharp cookie! :)  Her name is Beth A. Grimm and she’s worked in condo law for quite some time.  She’s got a fun website called: www.CaliforniaCondoGuru.com that’s worth checking out, particularly if you’re in California, where Ms. Grimm holds her license to practice law.

Some of the elements that she put into the book (some I knew and some are new to me) are things such as being sure to ask for minutes from a board prior to purchase and to have that as part of your document review.  Many telling items are covered in board meeting minutes and you’ll learn a lot about the property you’re about to move into by reading them.  Such as, is there an ongoing dispute among owners or the board?  Is there a pending lawsuit?  Are there safety issues in the building?  Is a large assessment being considered?  The list can go on and on.  The importance of getting these during a purchase review period is large because these aren’t public documents and they must be requested by the owner of the unit - buyers aren’t allowed to ask the board for non-public documents but members of the association (the seller) may have copies of them, actually, they have a right to them.

A website that she points out, that I wasn’t familiar with before, is www.condocerts.com.  Some associations will post their meeting minutes here - but it’s not a requirement.

I like also that Ms. Grimm takes a very no nonsense, practical approach and she doesn’t gloss over the pitfalls of ownership in condos. There is strong coverage of each topic and all are explained in simple terms.  Additional items I liked were the appendix sections at the end of the book.  In fact, I wish Appendix B would have come in earlier since there are likely people who miss it when reading the book and getting to the end think that these are just boring references sections or part of the Glossary that precedes them.  Appendix B lists national and international sites that are quite useful resources for condo owners.  Groups such as Community Associations Network, Community Associations Institute (CAI), National Association of Housing Cooperatives (NAHC), and even The Canadian Condominium Institute (CCI).  There are others listed as well but I’ll let you buy her book to get them.  If you like what you read from this book there are other books that she has authored  or recommended as well that you might want to check out.

I want to point out too that for those of you out there that think any ole’ real estate attorney will suffice if you’re in need of help in a condo association - you’re wrong.  Condominium laws are an animal almost unto themselves so if you’ve got an issue you should go to an attorney that knows your local state condo laws inside and out.  Most general real estate attorneys do not know the intricacies of condo law and statutes.  If you’ve ever read a condo CC&R, bylaws, and other documents as well as condo law legislation you’ll understand why it’s so complicated and a section of real estate all on its own.  A recent example came up with a client of mine who owns a unit as an investor but he sits as President on the small HOA board.  A unit in the building is potentially under foreclosure because of a loan default and the unit owner is also in arrears of his HOA dues.  My client was asking me about how to place a lien on the unit in the event the unit is sold - which may be imminent - and I directed him to a condo attorney as well as advising him to read his regulating documents for his association.  He was hoping that the process would be simple, much like when he puts liens on his client’s properties (he’s a contractor) but my concern was that he wouldn’t complete the process correctly and that it would be key for him to get proper advice on how to move forward.

Today I’m attending a forum on providing middle income housing opportunities in the City of Seattle and surrounding areas.  It’s called the Workforce Housing Action Workshop.  The morning is mostly consisting of listening to speakers and a panel discussion and this afternoon will be set up to do group work and to provide feedback for moving forward.

From what I’ve seen so far on the development side there are questions about the amount of time needed to go through design review and permitting processes as well as parking costs and requirements.  One of the financial issues that is coming up is whether or not subsidizing of middle income housing is appropriate or available.  Politically, I can’t see this being very popular.  Thankfully, as the day progressed it was notable to many that this option was steered clear of by pretty much everyone (which was roughly 150 people) and consensus was that this shouldn’t be the answer.

Environmental concerns flowed throughout the conversation with people from Cascade Land Conservancy being present but that was of interest even without them being here.  Business energy tax credits are also thrown in as part of the possible methods of incenting developers to make good buildings and projects but overall there is a belief that for the Seattle and King County public we must make this part of the overall package just to make anything that is put together amenable and acceptable to the public.  While many of the participants were in their 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s there was much discussion about how we must get the 20’s and 30’s involved in helping get higher density neighborhoods and planned acceptable into neighborhoods and to prevent or reduce NIMBY-ism as it normally applies to these topics.

Overall, the consensus was that permitting process need to be streamlined; zoning and building codes need to be revisited and perhaps overhauled since Seattle is more difficult than any other local municipality; and that it’s going to be important that businesses get involved in considering how they might help with making middle income housing affordable for their workers, which led into the additional element of today’s discussions of possible Employer Assisted Housing.  One area of interest as a model is Austin, TX where they do “SMART Growth“.

As the notes from today’s meeting come out I’ll do an update to provide a window to you, the public, into what considerations are being made.  We need a healthy real estate market in all housing levels for the Puget Sound area to remain vibrant and liveable and to continue a big part of our quality of life around here.  This will mean that we need your support too to get the politicians to agree with these plans and to implement them.  Let’s all get educated together…

I am a board member for FEAR Project and we recently were approved as a non-profit on www.GoodSearch.com a search engine that gives donations for each search conducted via its site.  Go to www.GoodSearch.com and you can pull up FEAR Project on the drop down menu for the non-profit you want to support, then every time you do a search they’ll donate to our cause!  You’re going to search for things online anyway so why not make it a positive thing all the way around by including a donation to a fantastic organization!?!?

If you don’t know much about FEAR Project yet, read on…

Our mission at the FEAR Project is “to reduce the prevalence of sexual violence and its affects in communities through the use of personal narrative and multimedia.”

What this means, in a less clinical, more heart-felt sense is that we tell stories about sexual trauma people can relate to and understand. By listening, the vocabulary and concepts necessary to identifying and coping with our emotional responses to trauma will become more apparent. The details to the stories are unique, but the traumatic response is the same; understanding communities are essential to empathy and victim support.

Healing starts with talking.

Thanks for considering us!

Did you know that the City of Renton has a program whereby residents with qualifying income can get free repair services for their home?  Here are some of the requirements:

1.  must be a homeowner/occupant in Renton city limits for at least 1 year.

2.  complete the application process at www.rentonwa.gov (Insert HRAP in search box).

3.  Have an income not greater than the following for family size/maximum annual income:

1/$43,050

2/$49,200

3/$55,350

4/$61,500

5/$66,400

6/$71,350

Repairs and services available are as follows:

Electrical issues such as faulty lights, switches or plugs.  Plumbing items: faulty toilets, clogged drains, leaking faucets, faulty water heaters.  Disability modifications: wheel chair ramps, grab bars, hand rails, non-skid surfacing, hand held showers, bath seats.  Safety items: smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and locksets. Other:  servicing faulty furnaces, faulty gutters, and roof leaks.

These are all important long term safety and structural issues for a home so if you qualify, or know someone who might, get more info by contacting manthony@ci.renton.wa.us or calling 425-430-6650.

For those of you who haven’t been down to the Tacoma area recently you’ve missed a lot of changes.  The downtown area now has several interesting museums including the Museum of Glass.  Not only does Chihuly get his day (actually more like years) in the sun here but other glass artists are being highlighted at smaller galleries such as the Rebecca V Gallery where a group of glass artists’ exhibit is showing till March 15th.

Join Rebecca V Gallery and twelve established & emerging glass artists for our first annual WINTERGLASS exhibit. Meet the artists, while enjoying wine and hors d’oeuvres. Sales will benefit Tacoma’s Hilltop Artists in Residence program.

Glass artists include: Makoto Ando,  Michael Church, iLan Epstein, Melissa Misoda,  Joe Miller,  Christopher Perry, Greg Piercy, Evan Schauss, Jasmine Zimmerman, and more.Cover artists: Michael Church, iLan Epstein, and Melissa Misoda

One of our contributors, Eric Aasness, had a birthday yesterday and I thought I’d post a public HAPPY BIRTHDAY to him here.  He’s probably receiving the card we sent him today from all of us at Team Reba.  We’re looking forward to our upcoming luncheon at Quinn’s up on Capitol Hill in Seattle with Eric and his sidekick, Allison Potter, as a way to catch up, talk some biz, and enjoy a fun new eatery in the city.  They actually have wild boar sloppy joe’s on the menu!

Eric has a long history of being a top producing lender in the local area, and it helps that he’s got a background in economics from his college days.  Because of his great expertise and understanding of the industry, Eric’s even been tapped by Tom Kelly to be his permanent fill-in when he’s away on vacation.

If you haven’t worked with Eric before, I can tell you that he knows how to get the job done.  He’s done some great work for our clients - although he’s not the only lender we’ll work with - and I would highly recommend him to others.  I also love that he’s a giver as well.  He has been very involved in local school districts where he lives and he has helped some pretty major fund drives that benefit the local school system and its students.  That’s my kind of person.

He’s also a lot of fun to be around.  An avid fisherman and all around sportsman and outdoorsy type he leads his son’s scouting expeditions and more.  Happy birthday to you, Eric and we look forward to sharing many more years of business and friendship with you!