Stop Procrastinating

Procrastinating is a learned behavior. The good news is that it can be combated, as long as you’re focused on how to prevent it. Here are 5 steps to help you stop procrastinating and get in gear this New Year. 1. Get Rid of Distractions – Turn off the phone, shut the door, put on headphones, whatever it takes to drown out tempting diversions. 2. Break Tasks Into Chunks – Things like “wash dishes, do laundry, and vacuum” are more specific, and chances are you’ll be more apt to tackle those tasks than the gargantuan-sounding “clean the house.” 3. Do Your Hardest Task First – The sense of accomplishment when you complete the biggest item on your list first will help propel you forward toward crossing off more things on your list. 4. Perfect is the Enemy of Done – Keep in mind that if you’re only striving for perfection, you’re less likely to even start a project. 5. Reward Yourself – Give yourself a pat on the back for getting stuff done, whether the reward is a night out or simply a favorite treat.

Pricing a Home to Sell

In a hot real estate market, an overpriced home may sell easily. However in a softer market, an overpriced home may sit on the market for months. How long is too long? Well, it depends on the specific market. In general, if a home is on the market more than 2 months with no serious buyer interest, it’s usually a sign of an overpriced home. The first buzz of activity usually occurs in the first month a home is on the market. During that time, there’s lots of activity: scheduled showings, and open houses. If agent activity is slow, it may indicate that agents think the home is overpriced and not worth showing to their clients. If your home is on the market longer than 3 months, and you have no buyer interest, there is either something wrong with the home, or it’s overpriced. What are the tell-tale signs that your home is overpriced? The first thing to examine is other properties in the neighborhood. If your home is priced well above these properties without some specific reason, it may signal a problem. Second, how long has your home been on the market? If it’s longer than 1 month with no buyer interest, it’s time to think about a serious price reduction. Finally, if you priced your home by taking your purchase price and added the cost of any remodeling, you may be disappointed. The value of your home is not determined by how much you have invested into it, but what the market is willing to pay. Be careful not to get “upside down” on your home by spending beyond its market limit with remodeling improvements. If you’re thinking of buying or selling soon, and require competent and caring representation, please call me at 206-226-0565.

Spring Home Maintenance Tips

Keeping your home in tip-top shape requires regular maintenance. Keep this list handy for tasks that should be done every spring.  Test smoke and carbon dioxide detectors. If the alarm doesn’t sound, change the batteries.  Let water run in unused sinks and flush unused toilets. This helps flush out built-up grime.  Clean out gutters. Removing leaves and other blockages keeps build-up from molding and allows water run-off to flow properly.  Check missing or peeling paint. Walk around your house and look for any places that need touchups or repainting.  Trim trees and bushes. Keep hanging branches clear from house walls, the roof, and the window ledges.

Charitable Giving Tips

Use these handy tips to ensure you’re making the best decisions when it comes to doling out charitable gifts. □ Seek out an established charity. Especially in times of crisis or disasters, charities seem to pop up out of nowhere in response. A good check that an organization is established is that it has at least been approved for tax purposes as a non-profit. Ensure charities are registered as tax-exempt with 501(c)(3) status (check IRS.gov for “EO Select Check” to verify that an organization is registered as exempt). □ Research the charity in question. Consider your gift a financial investment and conduct due diligence before deciding how to invest it. Check out sites like charitynavigator.org and guidestar.org, which have done a lot of the work by vetting organizations based on criteria like financial stability, funding, transparency, and ethical practices. □ Give an unrestricted donation. Once you’ve established the organization handles its funds well, consider giving money that isn’t earmarked for a specific effort. This gives the charity freedom to decide how to use the gift (and lets it decide what is most helpful). □ Look for a matching gift. Find out if your place of employment, church, social club, or a neighborhood business is currently offering to match financial gifts to certain charities. Taking advantage of a matching effort helps the donation go even further.

Good Credit Score

Obtaining a decent financing rate and snagging a good deal on big-ticket items like cars and a home often depends on the quality of your credit score. There are a lot of things you can do to keep yours high.  Get a copy of your credit report. You can review your credit report for free once a year through AnnualCreditReport.com, so take advantage! This is your opportunity to make sure your data hasn’t been compromised and inaccuracies haven’t slipped through since you last reviewed. Look for variations of your name, unfamiliar addresses, and accounts you didn’t open. Your information may have gotten mixed up with someone else’s, or you may have caught an identity thief in the act.  Dispute errors. If there is inaccurate information on your credit report, file disputes with the lender and bureau(s) reporting the error(s). If you have documentation proving your case but the creditor believes the notation is accurate, a credit bureau agent will review the documentation instead of simply siding with the creditor.  Pay more and charge less. Paying off debt is one of the best things you can do to improve your credit score. Keep any credit balances you have to a minimum. Don’t close unused accounts if you don’t need to (especially if you’ve had the credit account for more than 3 years).  Always pay the bills. Payment history makes up a significant amount of your score. Pay all of your bills on time and, even if you can’t pay something off completely, at least make the minimum payment.

UW Cherry Blossoms

The Yoshino Cherry Trees that are set in the heart of the University of Washington campus were originally planted in the Arboretum over 90 years ago. In 1964 the trees were transplanted at the Quad bringing thousands of visitors to campus each spring to witness their beautiful rosy bloom. Every year they reach peak bloom for about two weeks as early as mid-March to as late as mid-April. This is a great time to plan a trip and think about alternatives to congested parking. Think about jumping on the Link Light Rail and walking about ½ mile. Enjoy!

Mariners 2024

Seattle Mariners have begun their 47th season in hopes of making it into the playoffs once again. Dave Niehaus always had a positive attitude that this year was the year! Last season the Mariners came up short winning 88 games and finishing 2 games out of the race. Every year changes are made, some of our favorite players get traded and new players come to take their place but that’s baseball. The Mariners have one of the best pitching staffs especially the starting rotation. Can we avoid striking out so much? Some of the big names that will be missed are players like: Marco Gonzales, Robbie Ray, Eugenio Suarez, Teoscar Hernandez, and Jarred Kelenic. Some of these players will shine on other teams and that’s how it goes. We must wish them the best! Welcome home Mitch Haniger who was a player we considered a star who just needs to stay healthy. We have a solid 2nd baseman in Jorge Polanco that has 112 career home runs and has been an All-Star. We will finally have a full-time designated hitter in Mitch Garver. Also keep an eye on hard-throwing reliever Gregory Santos. Santos is just 24 years old and has the potential to be a shutdown late inning star. Seattle has one of the most beautiful ballparks in the country and a loyal fanbase to root on the boys of summer! Make plans soon to attend a game or two this season and Go Mariners!

Improve Your Posture

There’s something you can do right now to look better and prevent years of backaches, headaches and other painful symptoms as you get older: Pay attention to your posture. • Take the wall test. Stand with your head, shoulder blades and buttocks touching a wall with your heels 2-4 inches away from it. Slide your hand behind the curve in your lower back. You'll feel about one hand's thickness of space between your back and the wall. If there's too much space, tighten your abdominal muscles. If there's too little space, arch your back. Walk away from the wall and maintain this posture. • Keep your body in alignment when sitting. Rest both feet flat on the floor while keeping your knees level with your hips. Sit with your back against the chair, using a cushion if you need support. Stretch your head toward the ceiling and tuck your chin in slightly. Keep your upper back and neck straight and shoulders relaxed (not rounded or pulled backward). • Exercise to strengthen your core. Start with easy stretches and exercises (check out www.aarp.org/fitness). Work up to taking classes in Pilates, yoga and strength training. If you already have back or other physical problems, talk to your doctor before you start a program, and work with a physical therapist or personal trainer. • Keep your bones strong. Maintain a healthy diet rich in calcium and vitamin D. To prevent osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), do weight bearing exercises such as walking, jogging and climbing stairs.

Mary’s Place Luncheon

Ensuring that no child sleeps outside Mary’s Place provided 270,173 overnight stays and 836,937 meals served in 2023. Take part in their annual dream big luncheon on April 18th at the Seattle Center Pavilion. Gifts will be matched up to 1M dollars thanks to the generosity of Amazon. Come learn about their work and impact goals. Experience the joy and power of keeping vulnerable families housed and fed in their time of need. marysplaceseattle.org

Visit Langley “The Village by the Sea”

Winter is finally behind us and having a fun destination for a daytrip is always appreciated. Langley is a postcard kind of town about 30 minutes from the Clinton Ferry docks on Whidbey Island. My dad lived in Freeland for 20yrs, and we would often take the drive into Langley to hangout and shop. There are some great restaurants and locally owned stores on main street. Explore the Langley Whale Center, enjoy the Whidbey Art Gallery, learn a lot at the Whidbey Historical Museum, and look for orcas and gray whales from Seawall Park. If you want to make a weekend out of it there are some very nice accommodations in Langley! The Inn at Langley is first class with 28 rooms built on the bluff to the waters edge. Enjoy a day away from the city!

People Who Walk Live Longer

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted an 11-year study of 2,896 adults in their late 50’s who had been diagnosed with diabetes. Researchers found those subjects who walked just two hours a week had a 39 percent lower death rate from all causes! They speculate that if every healthy person in the United States walked briskly just 30 minutes a day, the incidence of many chronic diseases would go down 30 to 40 percent. So grab your shoes and get walking…your body will be glad you did!

Chambers Bay Loop

Spring is here so it’s time to get outdoors. Chambers is more than golf, enjoy amazing views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains while walking the paved 3.5-mile roundtrip loop. There is some serious incline from the bluff near the clubhouse down to the waters edge! When Pierce County developed Chambers, they required non golfers have access to the beautiful and unique property. Enjoy the walk at Chambers Loop!

Get Back on Track

One of the best ways to stay fit is to have at least one athletic hobby: walking, swimming, bowling, tennis, golf, skiing, bicycling or even dancing. If you enjoy what you’re doing, you’ll stick with it. Second, a workout partner can make the time go by more quickly, and you can have fun at the same time. Whether it’s a family member, friend or co-worker, a workout partner will encourage you on the days you may want to slide. Third, hire a trainer if you have trouble maintaining an exercise program. A trainer can guide you through a program that works for you. Remember to vary your workouts. This prevents overworking certain muscle groups, and it will keep you motivated.

Home Inspections

A home inspection is not mandatory when you purchase a house, but I recommend that you have any home you’re planning on buying inspected by a licensed inspector. In fact, I’d insist upon it. A home inspector has the training and expertise to provide an objective opinion about the condition of the home. The inspector will carefully examine the home’s structure, roof, plumbing, electrical wiring, heating and cooling system, and appliances. He or she will provide a written assessment of the house’s condition. The inspection will tell you what repairs might need to be made before buying. The inspection can alert you to any serious problems the house may have—before you buy the house. There’s a period after a contract is accepted when you can have the inspection completed. Fees are paid to the inspector by the buyer. If there are problems or repairs that need to made, you can request in writing during the specified period that these repairs be made as a condition of the sale.

Carnegie Quote to Live By

You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world’s happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime. Dale Carnegie

Free trials and Free Subscriptions

The next time you sign up for a free trial offer, be sure to read the fine print. While these offers can be a great way to try out a product, you might be agreeing to buy additional products and services if you don’t cancel within a specified time. It’s called the “negative option feature,” and it requires the customer to cancel or opt-out of a recurring charge for future products. While it’s not illegal, some questionable online merchants pre-check the consent box or bury the details under terms and conditions, making returns difficult. If this has happened to you, you’re not alone. A Visa survey showed 29 percent of American consumers have been victims of this option. The Better Business Bureau says it has received thousands of complaints from people who learned the hard way by signing up for online trial offers for acai berry supplements, detox products, teeth whiteners, free government grants and debt consolidation services. Best advice? Before you buy or subscribe, read the offer carefully, pay attention to pre-checked boxes and check out the business at www.bbb.org.