Did you shop at a major retailer this holiday season? If so, this dialogue will probably ring a bell for you: You are at the cash stand... Sales associate: Good day.  Did you find everything all right? You: Yes, I did, thank you. Sales associate: May I have your phone number please? You: (???) Uh...sure, its xxx. Sales associate: And your e-mail address? You: Why? Sales associate: So that we can put you on our list to receive our latest updates and coupons. You: No thanks! Sales associate: All right. (Starts ringing items.  At this point sales associate points out small-purchase items at the cash stand in an effort to raise the items per transaction). Would you be interested in (random useless item)? It's only 99 cents. You: No thank you. Sales associate: Would you like to save x perce... 01/03/2010

Coupon Sherpa's blog post "9 Ways To Save On A Move", is a great reference for those of you who are planning to make a move soon.  I can especially relate to tip #8, which is to Dump Some Junk. How many of us have items, boxes and trunks full of stuff and jettisoned furniture that sit in storage(either at home or-gasp-at a storage unit that must be paid for month-to-month)?  And upon moving, how many of us bring all of that unused stuff with us to our next location only to store it away again? I personally know people who pay over 4 figures a month to keep stuff stored.  Stuff they never see or use.  I think that this is hands down the best tip in the article.  Sell it, give it away,invite it back into your home, whatever...but if you don't use it, you don't have to take it with you. It... 11/28/2009

Julie Rains over at Wise Bread has written an excellent article entitled, "What It Really Costs To Own A Home".  It's a great run-down of all(or most) of the costs of homeownership.   Now, of course I'm all for investing in a home, but the real costs of ownership cannot be ignored, and need to be given serious consideration when buying a home.  However, there's much to be said for the intangible benefits that draw people to buy a home in the first place.  The main point of the article is to make sure you set aside enough money every month so that you can eventually deal with the maintenance issues that are bound to pop up. Enjoy! http://www.wisebread.com/what-it-really-costs-to-own-a-home#comments 11/20/2009

Selling Your Home On Your Own? Many homeowners decide to try selling their home on their own.  You may be one of them.  Below are some tips to keep in mind when selling your own home.   However, if the time ever comes when you think you may need assistance, a full-time real estate professional can actually save you time and money in the following ways:  A real estate professional can hold your home open at any time in order to get as many buyers through your home as possible. A real estate professional can screen all inquiries and only show your home to QUALIFIED BUYERS. A real estate professional will take on all responsibilities of advertising and marketing, from placing ads and creating/distributing flyers to direct mailings/e-mailings and direct promotion to hundreds, if not thousan... 10/28/2009

When I think of Realtor Safety, usually the things that come to mind have to do with protecting myself from the actions of strangers in various situations. Self-defense is, in my opinion, a very necessary skill, particularly when you're in a field like Real Estate where you're working with the public and in many different geographic areas. However, the one thing I never imagined I would have to do was protect myself from MYSELF.  Let me explain: I fell down in a house today while out previewing at Broker's Opens and sprained my ankle.  I had a moment where my mind was more intently focused on the room I was heading to than on my footing.  I fell down one step and twisted my ankle.  I was on the ground a good 2-3 minutes, with the agent standing over me asking if she could help me up. Al... 10/20/2009

That's the excited claim I hear coming from my radio every morning.  A local commercial is advertising foreclosure workshops and stating several examples in their commercial of great deals to be had. "For example, a house in Tacoma valued at X was recently sold for X.  That's $100,000 in instant equity!" Question is, how are they determining "value"? I'm not certain myself, but from hearing the examples it sounds to me like they are using the previous purchase price to determine value.  You know, the prices from 2005-2007 that were inflated to begin with.  That is not the value anymore. Sure, there may be a little bit of instant equity.  But $100,000 or more? You'll be lucky to purchase a bank-owned or foreclosure and reap 4-or low 5-figure gains right off the bat, and that's after you ... 09/15/2009

I really hate to complain.  Truly, I do.  But today I have experienced a succession of customer service failures, and frankly I'm at the point of exhaustion and complete frustration.  It's 6:30 p.m. and I just want to go to bed and start over tomorrow. Today was my son's first day of school.  He is supposed to catch his bus(for what was to be his first bus ride ever) at 8:08.  We arrived at the elementary school around the corner from our house, his bus stop, at 7:55 a.m. and checked in with the principal to find out exactly where we are supposed to wait, since it wasn't addressed in the letter that I received from the school. No biggie I guess. So we wait. And wait. A bus finally comes at 8:20 and does not turn in to the bus zone but speeds past, and stops more than half a block away. ... 09/09/2009

Did you know that less than 5% of the population donates blood? Roughly 60% of the population is eligible though, AND 95% of us will need blood at one point or another in our life times.          Prudential Northwest Realty has joined forces with Cascade Regional Blood Services and will hold its Blood Drive on Thursday, September 3rd from 10:00 until 2:00 p.m. PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT AND JOIN US! 127 SW 156th Street Burien, WA 98166 Can't make it on Thursday? Our other office locations will also hold blood drives during that week. Call me for more information.  Thank you for your support! Lisa Bosques, Associate Broker Prudential NW Realty - Burien PH: 206-595-5866 e-mail: LisaBosques@PNWRealty.com           08/24/2009

I just got an e-mail from Two Clever Marketing Services.  I clicked on the e-mail because it said something about 'expired' listing postcards.  Here's just one of the postcard images in their expired listing postcard collection: When I first saw it, I thought, "Wow". As in, I don't know what to make of it.  I personally think it's funny(perhaps because I have an 8-year old boy and potty humor is all the rage in our house these days). But how would others take it if they received a postcard like this in the mail? Then again, the purpose of direct mailing should be to grab the attention of the recipient.  And the way to grab attention, as we all probably know, is to elicit some sort of emotional response or connection.  This is one postcard that will get talked about and perhaps passed ar... 08/23/2009

Who needs Google when you have Activerain? I received a suspicious e-mail today from an individual named Elvis Baker, Private Relocation Agent.  He says his clientele includes celebrities, government officials and other clients from the Gulf region. Big fat hairy deal. i'm surprised he didn't put a "Mr." in front of his name, he's so gosh darn dignified and all. I read through the e-mail(which I will copy below) - basically, Elvis says he needs a residence for his client and client's mistress in Burien of all places. (Maybe Mr. and Mistress Moneybags would be interested in attending a "Raising Backyard Chickens" workshop with me once they move here and become my neighbor!). Anyway... ROFLMAO.  That was the first sign that something was amiss. So this "Mr. Baker" is asking me to send him... 07/31/2009

Just spotted - this notice from www.WashingtonLawHelp.org regarding a Property Tax deferral program.  Visit their website for more information. ********************************************** Help for Homeowners Affected by Economic Downturn Property Tax Deferral Program Available for Fall Taxes   Olympia, Wash., June 9, 2009 - Homeowners on limited incomes can apply to defer paying their second half property taxes due Oct. 31.   Applicants must have an annual household income of $57,000 or less in 2008, have owned the home for at least five years, use it as their primary residence, and have sufficient equity.  Deferred taxes cannot exceed 40 percent of equity.   The deferred taxes must be repaid, with interest, when the property is sold or no longer used as the homeowner's primary resi... 07/24/2009

After I finish a long day of real estate, I am usually reading late into the evening. What kinds of books and articles do I like to read? Why, anything having to do with real estate, of course. One of my top two favorite real estate blogs is BloodhoundBlog.com. I found this post the other day and thought about how well written it was. I was thinking about writing a post along similar lines; then, when I got to the bottom of the post the author, Greg Swann, gave permission to re-post. So that is what I am doing, because I couldn't have said it any better myself. ************** This from Greg Swann's Arizona Republic real estate column (permanent link): Here’s an intriguing question: Given that it’s so easy to search for homes on the internet, why do you need a buyer’s agent? Face it, if ... 07/19/2009

Burien, WA - the new Burien Town Square **Here's the e-mail that I received from Sarah Heath, Community Sales Assistant over at Burien Town Square: Dear Lisa, Greetings from Burien Town Square! For a limited time, we are able to offer reduced pricing on 11 select homes at Burien Town Square. Savings up to $80,000 from original prices! Studios (531-533 sq. ft.) #316 WAS $229,950 NOW $199,950 #318 WAS $236,950 NOW $199,950 1+Den/1 (810-905 sq. ft.) #309 WAS $369,950 NOW $324,950 #327 WAS $364,950 NOW $299,950 #330 WAS $324,950 NOW $299,950  #419 WAS $379,950 NOW $299,950 2/2 (1059-1074 sq. ft.) #431 WAS $424,950 NOW $399,950 #432 WAS $452,950 NOW $399,950 2+Den/2 (1074-1377 sq. ft.) #722 WAS $649,950 NOW $599,950 #732 WAS $531,950 NOW $489,950 Live/Work Loft (993 sq. ft.)   #228 WAS $429... 07/12/2009

On Thursday the Burien Farmer's Market moved to its new location at Burien Town Square, between the new library and the new condo development.  There seemed to be more booths than ever, and we are coming into the peak of the season with all kinds of wonderfully fresh and inexpensive produce and flowers.  There are also arts and crafts booths, baked goods, composting supplies, and more.  I kept hearing comments from shoppers saying that they found it much easier to park here than at the previous location in Olde Burien.  I would have to agree.  It also seemed quite a bit busier.  We're there every week as usual, handing out balloons to the kids, dispensing real estate info and advice, and participating in our community.  Here are some photos - stop by and see us next week! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^... 07/05/2009

Today was my 8 year-old son's last day of school - hello, summer vacation!! Here we are, my son has the entire summer off, and I just completed my intense 8-week plan for generating sales, which I should be kicking off right about NOW.  Gotta take advantage of the prime season. But I also need to take advantage of the fact that my sweet boy is home all summer! What fun things are we going to do? Tomorrow, we will probably go to Seahurst Park and check out the minus tide.  By the way, did you see the massive starfish with dozens of legs at the last minus tide? Here's the pic from B-Town Blog. I hope that little guy's still there tomorrow. On Thursday hopefully my son will be up for helping Mom at the Farmer's Market, and hanging out with Grandma for a bit. On Friday, he'll go to Grandpa'... 06/23/2009

**WARNING FOR AGENTS: TOTALLY UNORIGINAL YET VERY USEFUL INFORMATION AHEAD** I say the above only because I think it's pretty safe to say that most of us real-estate agents have the below information posted somewhere on our website.  It really is an excellent summary of what we as agents communicate to you, the seller, during the listing appointment, along with the area statistics and comps(and of course our wonderful marketing strategies) to help you arrive at a price for your home. Whether you're in Week 1 or Year 2 of your property being on the market, taking a look at this list from time to time will serve as grounding, a managing of expectations, a reminder to you to keep your eye on the prize(the sale) and do what's necessary to sell your property. I only have two questions for yo... 06/19/2009

Come to Burien Town Square this Saturday, June 13th for the opening of the Burien Transit Center, the new Burien Library, City Hall, Town Square Park and condominium and retail building.  There will be the ribbon-cutting at the new library/city hall building first, and then tours of all the new facilities will be offered.  There will also be programs and entertainment, as well as sponsor booths.  Come by and visit us at the Prudential booth! It will be a fun day, and a big celebration for the city of Burien.  Don't miss it!  Festivities start at 10:00 a.m.  See you there!   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Thanks for stopping by my blog!You can reach me at 206-595-5866, or e-mail me: LisaBosques@PNWRealty.comOr visit my website:  www.98146online.comI am an Associate Broker and Marketing ... 06/09/2009

Prayer We have two agents in our office who, for about the last year and a half, have had what we've come to call, "career listings". You know, those certain listings that you really want to sell, but fear that in your heart of hearts never, ever will. These poor ladies - every week at the office meeting they've had to endure questions from us, their peers: "So, how's your listing in ___?" "It's still there..." is the usual reply.  We can all relate, can't we? Well, this past weekend one of the agents(let's call her Sharon) walks in the door and loudly exclaims, "OH MY GOSH! I just sold (let's call her Pammy)'s listing!" Now, "Pammy" has a number of listings, but we all knew the one she was talking about.  Then she says, "and my sellers got an offer on their house!"  We knew which listi... 06/08/2009

There's a phrase we sometimes like to use in our office that goes something along the lines of, "It's better to under-promise and over-deliver" than vice-versa.  Sometimes I wish we would remember this when taking photos and creating the marketing for our listings. It's understandable to want to point out every single feature of the property and highlight their benefits.  It's our job as real estate agents and marketing specialists to do what we can to make the property as appealing to potential buyers and their agents as possible. However, I believe that often times we can be guilty of not looking at the property through the eyes of a potential buyer.  By not doing this we risk offending the buyer and his/her agent, possibly to the point of not being able to see past the embellishments... 06/03/2009

Q.  Where can you buy these... and these... and a loaf of this... and a bunch of these...?  A.  Why, at the Burien Farmer's Market, of course!  And someone in particular would really like to know...    Are you gonna be there or not? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Thanks for stopping by my blog!You can reach me at 206-595-5866, or e-mail me: LisaBosques@PNWRealty.comOr visit my website:  www.98146online.comI am an Associate Broker and Marketing Specialist with Prudential Northwest Realty Associates.   I specialize in homes located in the Burien/North Highline/West Seattle area, and I am here to serve all of your Real Estate needs.  Your success is my goal!•    What Is My Home Worth?•    Search For Properties•    Search Foreclosures•    Search Sold Property Data By Neighborhood   06/03/2009