I was fortunate to have just listed a property where the seller is cooperative when it came to staging. They even set the stage for their backyard by asking me first, "what do you think of a little table and chair here"? Now, that's setting the stage for a cozy little backyard. Set up conversation areas but make sure they all face towards the house. Pack away the scattered toys and trampolines! Swings, tree houses, sports court and basketball hoops are fine. The patios and decks should be power washed. The transformations are incredible from it alone. If necessary, restain the deck with beige or gray color - red stains on decks in outdated. AAHHH the beauty of plants! To de-emphasize unsightly  views or flaws on a deck, try using hanging plants Cover the BBQ Grill if it is questionable ... 03/10/2009

  Here are the events happening at the Covington Library from Tuesday, March 10 - Monday, March 16th. The events are Study Zone, Anime or Manga lovers - for teens, Power point computer class, Free conversation to improve your English. Event Type: Study Zone (K-12) Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 Start Time: 6:30 PM Library: Covington LibraryDescription: Grades K-12Drop-in during scheduled Study Zone hours for free homework help from volunteer tutors. High School Math on Wednesdays and Thursdays only. Age(s): Teens, Children & Families   Event Type: Teen Programs Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 Start Time: 4:00 PM Library: Covington LibraryDescription: Teens in grades 6-12Do you love Anime or Manga? If yes, then join this club. Age(s): Teens Event Type: Study Zone (K-12) Date: Wednesday, ... 03/09/2009

  "The snow level will reach..."  Oh how often we hear that in our forecast here in the Pacific Northwest.  The meteorologist always says, "There is a change of snow tonight and it will be as low as 500 feet."  So does that mean I might get to go out and make snowman tomorrow, or am I under 500 fee at my house and I don't have much chance of the white stuff???   Well today I came across a website that I fear won't help us predict the weather any better, but it will tell us the elevation of any place on the map - our homes, your parents place, Mt. Rainier - any place in the world.  You can even map out your next driving vacation and it will give you the elevation along your travels.   It is called, "HeyWhatsThat Path Profiler".     And for the record, the elevation at my house appears t... 03/08/2009

As an Accredited Staging Professional, I was taught that the outside of your house is just as important. Everyone knows that Great curb appeal, and a memorable first impression is essential. In a hot market people will overlook the sight of your yard and the clutter on your house. Not these days, where there is much more to choose from So stage the outside of your house. Start by looking at the outside of your home through a stranger's eyes. Go and stand outside in the street if you have to. Can you see your house or is it blocked by a big bush or a tree? If so, time to trim or wack it off. All windows should be clear of vegetations to allow maximum light into the house. Large, large trees overpower the house. What about the grass? We are aiming for green and no bare spots. Remove all t... 03/06/2009

      Happy Friday!   Here is my selection of quotes for this week.  Thanks for stopping by and I will see you next Friday.   ...geri                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   There are years that ask questions, and years that answer.   -Zora Neale Hurston           If you really do put a small value upon yourself, rest assured that the world will not raise your price.          -Anonymous           Keep your fears to yourself, but share your inspiration with others.                                                         -Robert Louis Stevenson           Why not make the best of things?  Any fool can make the worst of them.                                               -Charles L. Bromley, Cleric   03/06/2009

 What's happening at our Newly Remodeled Covington Library?  Not only it is a place to borrow books and a place to study, but  a string of daily events are happening here that could benefit you and your families. Check back to this blog site for weekly updates on events.  Here are a list of scheduled upcoming events for this week. Study Zone Event Type: Study Zone (K-12) Date: Thursday, March 05, 2009 Start Time: 6:30 PM Library: Covington LibraryDescription: Grades K-12Drop-in during scheduled Study Zone hours for free homework help from volunteer tutors. High School Math on Wednesdays and Thursdays only. Age(s): Teens, Children & Families Strategies to Support Your ADD/ADHD Child's Gifts Event Type: STARS Training Date: Saturday, March 07, 2009 Start Time: 10:00 AM Library: Covington ... 03/05/2009

The first step in selling your home is to let it go and move on. Take the memories with you, you don't want to leave it  behind. Emotional attachment is one of the worst blockage when it comes to selling your home. The next step is Staging. When selling your home, you must think of your home as your house, and your house as a product. You must present it like a product at the grocery store. People will be drawn to it if it looks better than the other product. Advertising a messy house or an empty house is like throwing your dollars away. Do you doubt it? Try flushing a dollar down the toilet. Can't do it,  can you? Why sell your house "as is" when you can present it "the best it can be"? Even used cars are polished and detailed before they put it out on the lot. When you sell your car, ... 03/05/2009

1. Stand in the doorway. See what buyers see before they step into a room so you can make the changes. The buyer will not buy the house if he or she won't step into a room. Staging draws them into every room.   2. Pick a Staging point. Ask yourself, " how will a buyer use this room?"If it's a bedroom, the staging point is usually the bed. If it's a music room, the Staging point is probably an intrument of some sort. In a living room, the staging pint could be the beautiful fireplace. Stage the room around a focal point. 3. Make a plan. Don't worry that this plan will be casted in stone, it's made to be changed. It's only to help you to get started. Go with your feelings. If you don't like it as you planned, change it. 4. Clear the clutter. Take out all pictures, mirrors, and accessories... 03/03/2009

    Covington Arts Commission Presents...   City of Covington's Annual "Student Art Walk" March 2 - 31, 2009   Art Walk Reception to be hosted by Kiwanis Club of Covington - March 2, 2009  6:00 to 7:30 PM     The Art Walk runs Monday, March 2, 2009 through Tuesday, March 31, 2009.  To kickoff the event, the Kiwanis Club of Covington will be hosting a reception on March 2nd in the Covington Community Room at the Covington City Hall.  The event partners local schools and downtown businesses to exhibit student art during National "Youth Art Month," an annual observance each March to emphasize the value of art education for all children and to encourage support for quality school art programs. This year, the Covington Arts Commission received 413 pieces of art, compared to just 181 pieces ... 02/28/2009

    Happy Friday to all!    Here is my selection of quotes for the week, I hope they inspire you, make you think or just bring a smile to your face.   Have a wonderful day and I will see you next week.   ...geri   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A friend hears the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.                                            -Pioneer Girls Leaders' Handbook         How exciting are your dreams?  Most people don't aim too high and miss; they aim to low and hit!               -Bob Moawad         The real art of conversation is not only to say the right thing in the right place, but to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment.    -Dorothy Nevill         Pray for a good harvest, but keep on plowing.    -Nanc... 02/27/2009

Don't Miss the Boat I was talking to a couple the other day about selling their home.  They said that they are thinking they would like to make a move this year, and they are going to start getting the house ready so they can bring it on the market in time for the "selling season". I asked them what they meant by that, the "selling season."  And the told me, "You know, late spring and summer, when the weather gets nice, the kids are out of school and people start buying." What I shared with them greatly surprised them, and it might surprise you too. In the Seattle area, the "selling season," as this couple liked to call it, begins in March.  And if you wait for late spring and summer, there is a strong chance you will have missed the best month of the year to have your home on the marke... 02/26/2009

  I love living in Covington. Remember the days where there was only one Johny's supermarket and a Valley Bank. People told me I live in the boonies. Well look at the "boonies" now. We have roundabouts which I thought at first the city was nuts, but it turned about very well. I haven't seen any traffic congestions yet and so far no accidents that I've witnessed. No more worries about power outages in these intersections. Even though I often wonder where all these people come from when so many cars on Kent-Kangley. Nevertheless it still flows smoothly. The recent new addition to the community of Costco, L/A Fitness, Home Depot and many other restaurants, made me not ever want to leave Covington. The great schools we have in Covington makes it even more desirable. What more could you wan... 02/22/2009

    Happy Friday to all! I hope everyone has had a wonderful week.  It is hard to believe that another week has come and gone and we are fast approaching the end of February.  Soon these winter images will fade from our minds and be replaced with flowers and sunshine and lazy summer days!  Have a wonderful day and I will see you next Friday. ...geri ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the end, it is not the years in your life that count.  It is the life in your years.  -Abe Lincoln         No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.  -Eleanor Roosevelt         It is never too late to be what you might have been.   -George Elliot         If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.  -Yogi Berra            02/20/2009

For the buyers who hasn't yet heard. Here are some of the details regarding the tax credit for first time buyers that have been released so far -  The tax credit has been scaled down to $8,000 from $15,000, or 10% of the value of the home for any first time homebuyers who purchase homes from the start of the year until the end of November.  It starts phasing out for couples with incomes above $150,000 and single filers with incomes above $75,000.  Buyers will have to repay the credit if they sell their homes within three years. A lot of people are dissapointed that the $15,000 didn't get passed, but $8,000 is better than nothing. So, let's hope that it will be enought to stimulate the real estate market.   02/14/2009

The hard economic times are having an affect on so many of us, and the school districts are no exception.  This week the Kent School District Board of Directors took the first steps to begin to prepare for the financial problems they know they will be facing next year.  They have established two lists of potential reductions and changes.   The first list called, "Potential Initial Reduction Items for 09-10" contains administration and support services items that the board intends to reduce by $2.0 to $4.0 million as a first step in meetings the districts financial needs. The second list called, "Community Work Session Choices" contains over $30 million of programs that directly impact schools, students and the community.  On February 24th and 26th, you as a community will have the oppor... 02/14/2009

    Happy Friday to all! I hope that your week is wrapping up nicely!  Wow, how quickly Friday's come around and I find myself once again sharing some of my favorite quotes. I hope you like this week's selection... I hope they make you think, inspire you, motivate you or just make you smile. See ya next week! ...geri    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A happy person is not a person with a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.       -Hugh Downs        Character building begins in our infancy, and continues until death.   -Eleanor Roosevelt       If you always live with those who are lame, you will yourself learn to limp.   -Latin Proverb       Half the failures in life arise from pulling in one's horse as h... 02/13/2009

For the homeowners out there who just can't hang on anymore to their mortgages. There are options out there. Some of my clients, although they have heard of short sales, they don't know about the process and that some lenders don't make it easy for you to just walk away. Banks out there are offering loan modifications. If you think a loan modification would not be appropriate for your individual needs, one solution to avoiding foreclosure could be a short sale. A short sale is an agreement from the lender to allow the you to sell the house for less than what is owed on the mortgage. They will have to consider your current hardship and if the property is worth less in today's market than what is owed. Hardship include change of income due to job loss, reduction in salary, illness, death ... 02/10/2009

  Many of you are wondering if real estate is still a wise investment.  In the past months we have seen the equity in our homes slip backwards, and if you recently bought your house you might not be able to sell it for what you paid for it.  The stock market has taken a dive and our hard earned savings are just not what they use to be. So is buying a home still the right thing to do.  YES!  And for many reasons. First off, the joy of home ownership.  There is a pride in knowing that it is "your" house.  You work hard, you save up your pennies for the down payment and then eventually you realize that dream and you have your very own home!  Secondly, is the cost analysis.  As I said, we have seen the values of our homes slip over the past few months, but as a long term investment real est... 02/08/2009

Happy Friday to all!  Once again I am here to share a few quotes that I have found through my travels this week.  I hope y'all enjoy!  See ya next week.  Until then have a wonderful day! ...geri ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Love is like playing the piano.  First you must learn to play by the rules, then you must forget the rules and play from the heart.    -Unknown       Life is like a ten-speed bike.  Most of us have gears we never use.  -Charles M. Schultz       Opportunities?  They are all around us...  There is power lying latent everywhere waiting for the observant eye to discover it.   -Orison Swett Marden       You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him.  --Leo Aikman       Courage is ... 02/06/2009

 A. Budget. Instead of budgeting what you'd like to spend, try using receipts to create a budget for what you actually spent over the last 6 months. With this approach, it factors in unexpected expenses, such as car repairs, illnesses, etc., as well as predictable costs such as rent. B. Reduce debt. Generally, lenders look for a total bebt load of no more than 36% of income. Since this figure for some people include their mortgage, which typically ranges between 25% and 28% of income, you need to get the rest of installment debt---car loans, student loans, revolving balances on credit cards---down to between 8 to 10% of your total income. C. Figure out Expenses. Try wiriting down everything you spend for one month. You'll probably see some great ways to save. Little expenses add up. D. ... 02/03/2009