Clouding up one's Title: It is Easier Than You Think....I recently sold one of the most gorgeous Craftsman houses I have seen in a while in Seattle, Washington!  We have so many gorgeous houses, but I just loved all of the details of this one.  The sellers had left in a lot of the quaint period details while still doing an extremely nice upscale remodel.  One of the owners was an architect and obviously used beautiful design, materials, and some of the best contractors around!  There was only one problem....My buyers were A+ buyers with absolutely no credit issues and money in the bank.  They were approved with conditions and one of those was a cloud that showed up on the title report for the house. A cloud on title means that a seller can not convey full property rights to a buyer.  So... 12/06/2007

Seattle Property Management RD House Real Estate & property Management 206-728-6063 www.rd-house.com * Happy Brithday* Ricky D- 10 YRS OF Service In Seattle Property Management Location: Bell town Bell town Down town Mid Town Queen Anne Condos SFR, SMALL MULT PLEX management 5% Rentals per unit159 Denny Way #110Seattle, WA 98109(206) 728-6063 office(206) 728-6175 fax www.rd-house.com Your real estate is a valuable investment and we can help you protect that investment with sound expertise. Our goal is to provide you the best property management service available in Washington State Please feel free to contact us Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.Ricky D Sadler Broker/Senior PM @ 206-728-6063 or email rickyd@rd-house.com Summary of ServicesOwner/Tenant Relations: As your agent, ... 12/06/2007

The Braeburn on Seattle's Capitol Hill Offered By RD House Real Estate & Property Management INC 206-728-6063 Location: The Hill Courtyard, Fitness Club, Pea-Patch, Dog WalkLibrary Lounge, Yoga Studio, Zen GardenArt Studio, Business WiFi Center, Pool Room Gourmet Kitchen Sky Terrace 14 Seat Theater This Studio Has it all less than you Think! *** 995.00 MO Plus Parking 75.00 have it all parking small pet close to everythingCall Ricky D 206-728-6063 for your showing Photo Gallery Information Contact Information Ricky D Sadler 206-728-6063 Pricing and Availability Rent: $995.00 per month Available Date: Thu Nov 29, 2007 Deposit: 595.00 Minimum Lease: 12 Included Utilities: ggg Property Location 1420 E PineSeattle, WA 98122Features Bedrooms: 0 Bathrooms: 1 Located on Floor #: 7 Square Foota... 12/06/2007

Seattle is known more for it's drizzly, and rainy days especially in winter.  But this year we got a Christmas Season surprise with a day of snow flurries on December 1st and in the middle of a Saturday afternoon of Christmas shopping.  Since I was not holding an Open House at one of my listings, I was enjoying a day off.I was out with a friend shopping for Christmas decorations at University Village when the snow began falling...it was beautiful.  Something I  had always wanted to experience, Christmas shopping with snow falling!        Finishing up at University Village, we went to Target in West Seattle and enjoyed seeing the homes in West Seattle transformed into shades of white and gray.  Driving the long way back, we drove along Beach Drive along the Sound, then around to Alki Bea... 12/04/2007

                                        Then Bring us Some Figgy Pudding!  Here it comes, a superbly fun event for your holiday season! People from all over the Puget Sound look forward to this musical competition full of a tongue-in-cheek spunkiness! It may be too late to pull your caroling team together, but dont miss the crazy fun, costumes, silliness, and best loved carols! Figgy Pudding is on Friday, december 7th this year, from 6:00 to 8:30 PM at Westlake Center. http://figgypuddingpmsc.org/newfiggy.asp See ya there! Fa la la la la!  - Julianna   Please note, you are reading a blog written in December of '07. For the '08 competition, please refer to this useful link. Thank you. http://figgypuddingpmsc.org/figgypuddingpmsc.org/Senior_pages/figgyhome2.htm   12/04/2007

 A Seattle Carriage Ride is a fun this to do at this time of year.  Their "standard Christmas in Seattle rides start at 4th Ave. between Pike and Pine.  Carriages are lined up waiting for fares.  Passengers are to load from the first available carriage.  Most carriages will hold up to 6 standard sized adults.The Seattle carriage rides "during our Christmas Season are short rides. It usually lasts about 10-12 minutes, depending on traffic.  The price runs $25.00 per carriage, no reservations are accepted for their short ride."  After my daughter and son-in-law's wedding, they were picked up by one of these carriages and taken to their hotel.  For more information, click on the link above.Another popular way of enjoying the Seattle Christmas lights is to participating is the "Argosy 2007 ... 12/04/2007

  My husband and I had our 3 boys fairly closely in age....(we had 3 under the age of four to be exact, what were we thinking? ) One of our favorite things to do during the holidays when they were small was to load them into the mini-van and head out to look at Christmas lights. Lake Wilderness Country Club here in Maple Valley was one of our favorite spots, driving through the neighborhood oh so slowly, headlights out...oooohing and ahhhhing over the elaborate displays. Of course my husband couldn't refrain from letting us know there was NO WAY he would ever live there because he would never have that much Christmas Spirit!! (Scrooge) There was definitely some magic in those moments; being together, feeling safe and loved.  Of course the boys are older and our traditions have changed..... 12/04/2007

Today in Seattle and around the Pacific Northwest we had record-breaking rainfall today(about 5 inches of rain in 48 hours).  At least it washed away the 2-3 inches of snow that we got on Saturday. But the heavy rain has left much damage in its wake, including wet and flooded basements.  Today we helped our neighbor get all of the water out of his basement; he was on his way to work when he noticed the water bubbling up from the drain.  Thank goodness he had a huge Shop Vac, and that the power didn't go out.  And that he caught this before he left for work and not when he came home.  We must have dumped close to 200 gallons of water. (Geekbooks.com has a great, short video and some good information on how to deal with flooding, by the way). This experience got me thinking more about bas... 12/03/2007

Heartfelt sympathies to all our friends in the Northwest getting bombarded by the winds and storms!! Best wishes for a speedy and safe recovery.In the meantime,  anyone needing to dry off, we welcome you to Palm Springs.  Tomorrow's forecast:  Sunny, High 77 degrees, low of 60 degrees.     COME ON DOWN!!   12/03/2007

I was so hyped up to begin working on my "to do" list that I created after reading the post "A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine go Down...Goal Setting & Business Planning Part II" by Colleen Fischesser.  I had spent a lot of time working on the goals and was full of enthusiasm.  Then in the middle of the night I noticed that my bedroom floor was wet-and also the area in front of my bedroom.  (Yes, it is raining here in Seattle).  My bedroom is in the basement.So, I was up at 2:30 in the morning mopping up water.   I was also outside with a flashlight (in the pouring rain) to see if I could see a crack in the cement or anything. This is the house that my daughter and son-in-law own because we have traded houses because they have had a baby and needed more room.This is the last day of... 12/03/2007

Concerns when documenting your down payment?  I found an interesting article in the New York Times all the way from June 2nd 1909 about a little old lady who had her money stolen from her mattress.  Mrs. George Shea was visiting her sister on Alki all the way from Deluth, Minnesota and planned on purchasing property in the Seattle area.  Her husband sent the money via The Great Northern Express Company and she planned on putting it in the bank the very next day.  Mrs. Shea and her sister decided to go out and spend some time in Seattle and came back to find her room ransacked and her money gone.Two things struck me as odd about this article:  1.  The article called Alki a suburb of Seattle which is funny because Alki is now considered a neighborhood of Seattle, but I can see how back in... 12/03/2007

Today, the Seattle Times has an article "Homeowners in debt, seniors prime targets of riskiest loans" by Susan Kelleher and Justin Mayo.  It is a follow-on to yesterday's story "The Fleecing of Frances Taylor."   "Taylor refinanced her home three times in just three years. Those loans stripped away more than $50,000 of her home equity in fees alone and eventually obligated her to mortgage payments that were nearly three times her monthly Social Security check of $761." Today's story is about predatory lending.  "Targeting homeowners for mortgages based solely on the financial stake they have in their homes is universally regarded as predatory lending and is illegal under state and federal laws. But experts say that hasn't stopped lenders from doing just that."More than one in three borr... 12/03/2007

UPDATE: The Seattle Times has an article today “Man charged with bilking 96-year-old of $600,000” by Susan Kelleher The article talks about how Tyrone Dash, 59, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of stealing from Frances Joy Taylor, a 96-year-old widow with Alzheimer's who went bankrupt after turning her financial affairs over to Dash, according to charging documents filed by the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.  I am writing this post for the benefit of seniors everywhere.  It is the story of Frances Taylor, a woman that had lived frugally and when her husband passed away she "assumed management of the 13 apartments that they owned.... In 2001 Frances Taylor owned "about $2 million in property and investments.  Over four years, her business manager cashed out nearly ... 12/02/2007

Seattle Sellers:  Take note:  The market has changed, but you can still sell your house with good results!Obviously the mortgage industry has played a major part in this new Seattle buyer's market. Loan programs are stricter and as a result the pool of qualified buyers has dwindled down. Even though this means there are less buyers competing for your home, you can be sure that the buyers out there are stronger more qualified buyers! Now that Seattle has found itself in a buyer's market, many home sellers are having to adapt. In order to be competitive in Seattle's new buyer's market, Puget Sound sellers should have every edge possible! Here are some of the things that could help your home get noticed! Hire a full service Realtor!!!!! This is probably one of your biggest investments – no... 11/30/2007

Location: Seattle, WA Bell town Down town Queen Anne Condos SFR, SMALL MULT PLEX management 5% Rentals Lease up flat fee 1/4 of first month's rent159 Denny Way #110Seattle, WA 98109(206) 728-6063 office(206) 728-6175 fax www.rd-house.com  Your real estate is a valuable investment and we can help you protect that investment with sound expertise. Our goal is to provide you the best property management service available in Washington State Please feel free to contact us Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.Ricky D Sadler Broker/Senior PM @ 206-728-6063 or email rickyd@rd-house.com  Summary of ServicesOwner/Tenant Relations: As your agent, we will advertise your property to locate and qualify tenants suitable for your property. We handle the negotiation of leases, collection of advanc... 11/29/2007

History of Toys for Tots   Toys for Tots began in 1947 when Major Bill Hendricks, United States Marine Corps Reserve and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed 5,000 toys to needy children. The idea came from Bill's wife, Diane. In the fall of 1947, Diane handcrafted a Raggedy Ann doll and asked Bill to deliver the doll to an organization, which would give it to a needy child at Christmas. When Bill determined that no agency existed, Diane told Bill that he should start one. He did. The 1947 pilot project was so successful that the Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots in 1948 and expanded it into a nationwide campaign. That year, Marine Corps Reserve units across the nation conducted Toys for Tots campaigns in each community in which a Marine Reserve Center ... 11/29/2007

The Braeburn on Seattle's Capitol Hill Offered By RD House Real Estate & Property Management INC 206-728-6063 Location: The Hill Courtyard, Fitness Club, Pea-Patch, Dog WalkLibrary Lounge, Yoga Studio, Zen GardenArt Studio, Business WiFi Center, Pool Room Gourmet Kitchen Sky Terrace 14 Seat Theater This Studio Has it all less than you Think! *** 995.00 MO Plus Parking 75.00 have it all parking small pet close to everythingCall Ricky D 206-728-6063 for your showing Photo Gallery Information Contact Information Ricky D Sadler 206-728-6063 Pricing and Availability Rent: $995.00 per month Available Date: Thu Nov 29, 2007 Deposit: 595.00 Minimum Lease: 12 Included Utilities: ggg Property Location 1420 E PineSeattle, WA 98122Features Bedrooms: 0 Bathrooms: 1 Located on Floor #: 7 Square Foota... 11/29/2007

One Picture is Worth Ten Thousand Words: refers to the idea that complex stories can be told with just a single still image Let RD House Real Estate & Property Management show you the Property Management Business 206-728-6063 Location: SEATTLE METRO Knowing what to look for in good Property Management Company andWhat questions to ask when shopping for Professional Property Management?Any manager can give you list and list of what they do for you and preach how well they can manage your properties- but asking a few good questions put your property and tenants ahead of the rest.Sometimes just knowing the right questions to ask can be daunting when you just inherited or closed on a new property, or realize that you may need help. We can help you with this task. Asking blanket questions can... 11/29/2007

  Seattle Real Estate:  Tips and advice:  Saving yourself some money from an especially rainy day....It is important to make sure and take every precaution to keep your house water tight, but in Seattle we need to be especially mindful of some pretty important home maintenance in order to protect our investments! We actually do get a lot of blue skies here in Seattle along with our rain and it is important to take advantage of those lovely sunny days in order to keep our homes water tight! Here are just a few of my ideas:Some Seattle Blue Sky Day Jobs to Check off your list: Gutters!!!RoofSidingWindows/DoorsVegetation controlGutters: Please, please, please – have your gutters cleaned and checked twice a year – or at the very least once a year. I, too, thought that the cascading waterfal... 11/29/2007

Some of the most used green buzz words are, environmentally-friendly, sustainability, greenwash, and life-cycle cost. To help understand a client motives the interview process becomes the key. Don't be shy about asking probing questions like what does an environmentally-friendly house mean to you? You might find out that it means they want natural landscaping full of indigenous plantings or they may desire a house with bamboo floors.  Make sure there is a common dialog.  Years ago, when I was just starting in real estate, I was terrified that my clients would find out what I didn't know. I survived by out questioning them. We are frequently exposed to green type TV and radio ads talking about how this company reduces their carbon footprint or uses post consumer waste to make new product... 11/28/2007