Unlikeable People

Despite your best intentions to get along with the people you meet, occasionally you’ll encounter someone you simply do not like. If this happens to you, here are a few tips on how to proceed with tact.  Focus on the positive. Even though this person has habits or characteristics that drive you crazy, don’t focus too much on these negative attributes. Try to find something positive to focus on instead. Though this might be difficult, it will likely help you tolerate this person a bit better.  Be kind. It’s true what they say: Act the way you would like to be treated. You don’t need to go out of your way to be friends with an unlikeable person, but at least be nice. If you are polite and kind to him, perhaps his actions will eventually reflect yours. Also, don’t talk badly about him behind his back. Try to be truly kind. This is to help you stay positive and perhaps let go of the negative feelings completely. Love your neighbor as yourself!

Seafair Returns for 2022

Known and loved as an unofficial Seattle holiday since 1949 Seafair will make its much anticipated return this year with a full slate of events including the Torchlight Parade, Pirate Landing, the Seafair Cup races, local parades, and the Blue Angles will unveil their new jets- the Boeing F/A 18 Super Hornets. Their back!! www.seafair.org

Foundations of Good Credit

The main tool lenders use is your credit score because it gives them a quick picture of your credit history. Good credit health is critical to getting the loan you want. Here are some of the things lenders assess when deciding whether or not to give you a loan: • Credit age: Lenders will want to see a long credit history from a variety of financial institutions. Lenders love to see cards that have been open for a long time, even if you don’t use it today. Closing accounts when you pay off debt only lowers this score (sometimes just temporarily). Think about keeping some accounts open that you’ve had for a long period of time, even if you don’t use the card. • Credit card utilization: Financial institutions will want to see a credit card utilization below a certain range, though each has its own scale of what’s acceptable. It’s a good idea to use less than 30% of your available credit. Lenders want to see that you have a great history of paying down debt and keeping usage low. • A blemish-free history: Mortgage companies want to see that you’re able to repay loans. A missed payment will ding your credit score and show on your file for lenders to see. Always make payments on time. • Debt-to-income ratio: Your credit utilization figure, total debt, and your income will allow lenders to calculate your debt-to-income ratio. This allows them to assess risk by looking at your capacity to repay a further loan. That’s why it’s important to keep your file up to date and to keep your debt low. • Collateral: Lenders will want to see what kind of assets you have that could be used to repay the loan should you default. Collateral could be equity in a house or business. This will provide security against the loan and increase chances of a loan being approved.

West Seattle Bridge - Repair Update

The final phase is underway! Rising 140 feet above the Duwamish over 100,000 daily vehicle trips and 20,000 bus trips were made before the bridge was closed in 2020 because rapidly growing cracks. Repair crews have been busy since the decision was made to repair the bridge built in 1984. The crews are currently cutting temporary access points in the bridge deck and building suspended platforms. They will be fastening sheets of carbon-fiber to wrap the concrete around the interior and exterior along with injecting epoxy into cracks. Post-tensioning cables as well as fortifying work to the four piers are under construction. The project is on schedule to reopen the bridge by June 30th 2022 providing the specialized concrete is availiable due to striking concrete workers.

LED Switch

Do you still have any old incandescent or halogen lightbulbs in your home? Here are 4 reasons why you should switch them out with LED bulbs: 1. You’ll save $. LED bulbs use 75% less energy, and last much longer than old-style bulbs. 2. No toxic mercury. Some lightbulbs (fluorescent and others) still contain mercury, and when they break you can be exposed. 3. Less maintenance. LED bulbs last up to 50 times longer than an others, as they’re more solid and durable. 4. Cooler. Halogen bulbs burn hot, and while there aren’t many incandescent bulbs left around after they were phased out in 2014 in the US, LED lights are still cooler than both and can reduce cooling costs.

Color Scheme Websites

Whether you’re redecorating a room, designing a website, or just looking for inspiration to add pop to your wardrobe, there are several websites that help you create beautiful color schemes. Coolers: coolors.co/ The Coolers site (also available as an app and a Chrome extension) creates color palettes based on images you can upload, or you can simply browse their endless array of popular color schemes. Muzli: colors.muz.li/ With Muzli’s color palette generator, you start with one color and Muzli offers options for other colors that coordinate well with it. Colormind: colormind.io/ Like many similar websites, Colormind will produce color palettes based on images you choose or offer random color schemes for inspiration—but Colormind lets you save the colors/lock them until you land on a palette you love.

Job Hunting - Watch Social Media

When competition for jobs is steep, there are ways to get a leg up on other applicants by using social media in smart ways. LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com) is a great business networking platform that can help you make connections, Twitter (www.twitter.com) and Facebook (www.facebook.com) are great to keep up-to-date with industry news, and all are sites which allow you to find employment opportunities. Think of it as a virtual networking breakfast or lunch but from the comfort of your own home. For job searching, experts recommend: • Signing up for LinkedIn Premium. Not only will it avoid leaving footprint marks of profiles you check (so profile owners can see you visited them), but it also shows that you mean business. • Utilizing the search function, research the profiles of people who have the kind of role you are looking for (you can do this on LinkedIn and Facebook). Then look at their connections within the organization. This will give you a great insight into what that organization is looking for skills-wise, and how they like career information presented. • Sending connection requests to and following industry peers, potential recruiters, and organizations that you’re interested in working for. Follow up with a note asking if they have ten minutes to hop on a networking call, where you can sell your skills and experience to fill any potential vacancies. • Sharing industry news on Twitter. As you grow your connections you’ll be seen as someone who has a finger on the pulse in your industry.

Seattle CityPass

It is hard to find fun family outings this time of year. Seattle has a lot to offer and CityPASS makes it easy and will save you money. www.citypass.com  Space Needle – Day / Night admission, including two visits to the top within 24 hours.  Seattle Aquarium – General admission to all major exhibits, plus interpretative shows.  Argosy Cruises Harbor Tour- A one-hour narrated harbor tour.  Museum of Pop Culture – General admission experience including Sound Lab.  Woodland Park Zoo – General admission to all of the exhibits.  Chihuly Garden and Glass – General admission, plus a complimentary audio tour.

Off-Season Resorts Offer Amazing Value

Winter is a great time to explore some of our states beautiful resort properties for a substantial discount. We can still get nice days and with fewer tourists you can appreciate these resorts without the big crowds. • Suncadia Resort – This time of year enjoy their cross country ski trails, winery, drives to Salmon La Sac and explore historic Roslyn. • Semiahmoo Resort – This time of year walk the beaches, build a raging fire, on a nice day rent a boat, or day trip to Vancouver BC. • Sun Mountain Lodge – The winter views will be amazing right now! Horse drawn carriage rides or a snowshoeing adventure. • Quinault Beach Resort – Ocean Shores is a nice place to be even if it rains. Enjoy a long walk or take a drive on the beach. • Bandon Dunes Golf Resort – Top golf resort in the nation. This time of year the winds usually slow down a little. I been there in the winter several times. There is not a bad time to be at Bandon!

Advice for First Time Buyers

The best advice is to learn from the mistakes of others. Here are three common examples: • Not knowing what you can afford. Examine your budget, get a copy of your credit report, and sit down with a qualified lender to determine how much of a loan you can afford. Feel free to ask me for a list of lender recommendations, then make sure you comparison shop for a mortgage. • Forgetting to consider the overall costs of home ownership. You can make the monthly payment, but remember to add in the cost for homeowners’ insurance, property taxes, utility costs, plus maintenance. • Paying too much for a beautifully staged home. The home looks perfect, but will it look that way when you move in your furniture?