first-time homebuyer tips

The best advice is to learn from the mistakes of others. Here are two of the most common mistakes I see: • 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. Ask your REALTOR® for several lender recommendations and comparison shop for a mortgage before looking for a home. • 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, utilities, plus maintenance.

7 Steps to Happiness

Albert Schweitzer once wrote, “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” Here are seven steps you can take today to achieve more happiness and success in your life: 1. Believe In Yourself. Identify your natural talents and abilities. Do what you enjoy and what you do best. Truly successful and happy people find joy in their working lives. Invest your time in what you do best. Focus on your strengths and not your weaknesses. 2. Develop a Vision. First, define your path and start working your plan. Write down a vision for yourself and your life. Be specific. What do you want to accomplish? What do you want your life to look like in 5 years, 10 years? 3. Develop Good Habits. Happy and successful people choose good habits. If you’re watching too much TV, chronically late, or eating poorly, make a commitment to change your bad habits into habits consistent with your goals. 4. Show Gratitude. The happiest people are also the most grateful people. Count your blessings frequently and you’ll quickly start seeing a change in yourself and the world around you. 5. Take A Chance. Seize opportunities! Success and happiness does not come to those who sit and wait for it to be brought to them. 6. Give to Others. Studies reveal that the happiest people are also the most generous. Do, say, or give something nice to another and see how your own life improves. 7. Take Responsibility. You hold the key to your future. Take responsibility for your actions. Choose the work you like to do, and do it well. Ultimately, you are the master of your fate. You choose your own future by the decisions you make and the actions you take.

West Seattle Golf Course

West Seattle Golf Course is the pride of our city’s courses! Designed by H. Chandler Egan two time winner of the U.S. Amateur and The Gold Medal at the 1904 Summer Olympics. Besides designing WSGC he built Eastmoreland, Waverly CC, Indian Canyon and partnered with Alister MacKenzie to redesign Pebble Beach as we know it today. PGA of America Head Pro Colin Gants has won two national PGA President Council Awards and has been the steward of WSGC since graduating from the UW in 1990. Colin will once again oversee the final round our city’s premiere amateur tournament – The 85th Seattle Amateur Championship this July. Playing WS requires all of the shots and tons of strategy to stay below pins on the steep greens. You need to learn to hit off uneven lies and work the ball to find correct spots in the fairways. The views of Mt. Rainier and downtown Seattle are spectacular! The course is in outstanding condition! 4600 35th Ave SW 206-935-5187 premiergc.com

Player Profile – Phil Mickelson

I will be rooting for Phil Mickelson to win his fourth Green Jacket and become the oldest player to win the Masters! Phil has won 42 PGA events including 5 Majors. He is the last player to win on Tour as an amateur; he won the Tucson Open in 1991 while attending ASU. By winning as an amateur he received a 2-year exemption and was able to skip Q-School. Phil has had an amazing run in the top 50 world ranking! He broke into the top 50 in 1993 and has never left. With top 10 finishes already this year he is sure to stay in the top 50 for quite a while. Never finding the coveted world number one (ask-Tiger) he has spent 270 weeks in the second spot. Phil also holds a record that he doesn’t want; he has been runner up at the US Open six times. Part of the reason I am a fan is because he has emulated Arnold Palmer’s playing style and gallery recognition. Go Phil!

Got Clutter?

Got Clutter? Author Peter Walsh says do the trash bag tango! Have your family go around the house with two trash bags in hand. Place items to throw away in one and items to donate in the other. Do this often and you’ll clean up in no time!

Life’s Truisms…

• Money doesn’t bring you happiness, but it enables you to look for it in more places. • Your conscience may not keep you from doing wrong, but it sure keeps you from enjoying it. • The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket. • A closed mouth gathers no feet. • Money isn’t everything...there’s credit cards, money orders, and travelers checks. • A modern pioneer is a woman who can get through a rainy Saturday with a television on the blink. • Misers aren’t much fun to live with, but they make great ancestors.

West Seattle Will Thrive!

You might be worried about living in West Seattle sans bridge but Westseattleites are not easily scared away. West Seattle was incorporated as a city in 1902 and annexed into Seattle along with the City of Ballard in 1907. If you are worried about the detraction of home values just wait until the new bridge is built or the current one is repaired. You have all you need and much more! Alki has 135 acres of public space and a sandy beach with views of downtown, shipping lanes, and the Olympic Mountains. This is paradise right in the city and with the bridge out it should be less crowded and more relaxing for those living in West Seattle. Lincoln Park is a nature lovers gem with old growth forest, miles of walkways, tennis courts, ball fields and a saltwater swimming pool. It is a great place to birdwatch for Bald Eagles and watch the ferry traffic. West Seattle Golf course was designed by U.S. Amateur Champion H.Chandler Egan in 1940. Incredible layout makes you hit a wide variety of shots; most from uneven lies. The final round host of the Seattle Amateur Championship is a stern test for all skill levels.