Blah! I'm trying to Blog!

2011-01-10T15:11:00.000-08:00

Adios 2010 Most Memorable Moments

1. Andy's knee injury on New Years Eve.
2. Drew turned 25 and is now the same age as me!
3. Casey's 21 Run. My girl is a legal drinker and I got to buy her the first legal drink!
4. Went to Easter service with my Mother and Father-in-law at their Church in Kirkland.
5. The Bachelor (can’t remember his name) chose Vienna. (She is more memorable than he).
6. Saved up my money and bought my sweetie a new HDTV television. Just because.
7. Noticed that the giggly girls are starting to affect Johnny like they haven’t before.
8. Stepson Colten got to play his Little League game on the new Woodinville Athletic Fields. Very Cool.

9. Hosted some wonderful community service events with the Windermere office.
10. Voters Chose Patty Murray for Senate – the Dem’s defeat Dino Rossi by a narrow margin once again. 11. Ken Griffey Junior ended his baseball career here in Seattle, we were lucky enough to see one of his final games with the boys. Thanks for the memories Junior!
12. I was reminded not to light the BBQ with a lighter after burning off all the hair on my face & arms.
13. Meteor showers in August were amazing!
14. Had a great vacation with the kids in Sunland, then set off with my Andy on a boat trip in honor of our 3rd anniversary.
15. Andrew Jr. and his girlfriend road tripped up from Texas. Had a great time showing them around the gorgeous PNW.

16. My Dad turned 65 and invited everyone to witness while he signed his medicare application.

17. Felt the kick of my unborn grandson in his Mama’s belly.
18. My in-laws celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
19. Thirty three Chilean miners were rescued from a mine shaft after 70 days of being trapped over a mile underground.
20. Johnny was shot in the eye with an Air Soft gun.

21. Johnny’s claim to Camp fame was his creation of the “Toilet Orchestra”.
22. Brittany graduated from Grooming School with top grades and became a Groomer @ Petco.
23. Hello Lexus – Good-bye Lexus…Hello Honda Element!
24. Spent Sea Fair Saturday on a Yacht with Johnny.

25. Worked in the Bigfoot Outdoor store with my parents for 6 weeks. They both can run circles around me!

Wandering Around Woodinville - Wine Tasting at Fortunato's

2010-05-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

Woodinville is Wine Country. It is host to over 59 wineries and 31 tasting rooms and has annual wine tasting events that people flock here to attend.

A few months ago my friend and co-worker Samuel invited me to a little place he likes in town called

This place is out of this world! They feature a different wine maker each week with wine tastings for only $5. My favorite so far was Chandler Reach Vineyards – poured by winemaker Richard Corella. The guy was a hoot, his jokes were bad and the wine was incredible!

There is live music every Friday & Saturday night from 7 til 10. The music is jazzy & blues varies with local performers like Michael Powers (http://www.michaelpowersmusic.com/) Narayan and Janet (http://www.narayanjanet.com) and Jazz in the Corner (http://jazzinthecorner.com/)

Not only do they have wine, but also Beer tasting – and a wonderful coffee shop. The menu is full of great appetizer type foods. There is a wine corner where you can purchase wine to take home, a meeting room and free wi-fi.. I have held a business meeting there as well hosted as a birthday event. Recently they have become a meet up place for Woodinville Chamber of Commerce networking events.

Go see Rudy, Joanna, Karin, John and the Gang at Fortunato’s and tell them I sent you!

17410 133rd Ave NE

Woodinville, WA 98072

Free Covered Parking!

Free WiFi!

Wine Tastings All Weekend:

http://fortunatos.net

Wandering Around Woodinville - Wilmot Gateway Park

2010-05-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

Wandering Around Woodinville - Wilmot Gateway Park
My Husband Andy and I take a day each week to wander around Woodinville. As he is a native and I am still discovering Woodinvilles secret treasures - I decided to share this awesome park!

Wilmot Gateway Park, Woodinville's first community park, is named after Jerry Wilmot, one of the founding fathers of the City of Woodinville. It's located right downtown across from the baseball fields.

Once you park and step through the gates you'll see pathways of engraved bricks, tiles & raised planters. The park has the Sammamish River Trail running adjacent to it and there are walkers, runners, bicyclists and lot's of geese there. We walked for awhile, sat on the side of the river and just enjoyed a lazy afternoon here. Of course - there's always the boyhood stories. How Andy and his brother used to catch fish here - or catch crawdads. Once their parents even let them camp overnight next to the river!

There is also a playground, picnic shelters and nice, clean bathrooms. It's really a great place to have lunch, take a walk or just hang out. I even saw a little bunny in the bushes!

There is also a playground, picnic shelters and nice, clean bathrooms. It's really a great place to have lunch, take a walk or just hang out.

If you would like to wander around Woodinville with me sometime - give me a call!

Teresa K. Nelson

Windermere Real Estate
Thinking of Buying or Selling?

206-571-3645

teresanelson@windermere.com http://www.agentnelson.com/

For Sale: 4BR/2.5BA Single Family House in Duvall, WA, $430,000

2009-10-12T10:38:00.001-07:00

For Sale: 4BR/2.5BA Single Family House in Duvall, WA, $430,000

Shared via AddThis

July 1st, 2009

2009-07-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

What a blast of a day!
We set off for the first official day of crabbing season here and launched off the Port of Everett marina. It was soooo windy, and that means lots of wave action. I was instantly nauseated! Our destination was Baby Island - just North of Langley. We threw out our crab pots and Johnny caught a shark! After hanging over the side for what seemed like forever, Andy brought me to shore of the little island called "Baby Island", which is a very cool small little island which during low, low tides has an ithsmus. (If you are wondering what the heck that is click here! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isthmus). The water was gorgeous blue and the island is covered with shell fragments - making it seem Caribbean-like. A few minutes there and I realized that I had no sunscreen on, and was getting burnt! The boys loved the island! They were exploring all over it. A sea lion ventured onto land and went "humping" its way back to the water, but not before Johnny got to touch it. The first haul from the crab pots was decent, Andy even brought in a pink Starfish. I layed on the beach and loved the warm sun, the boys went to the "top of the mountain" and Andy went back to check the pots again. This time he got a HUGE crab, almost 10 inches in diameter - definitely a trophy! As we drifted back we watched a commercial crabbere checking pots and watched him pick ours, dump in his boat and speed ahead. We lost one pot, probably because they threw it back in deeper water than it had rope for. What a bummer. We stopped again, just off Camano and the boys threw their lines in. Poor Andy - he loves his fishing, but when the boys are with us - he's just a bait man! The depth finder said there were lots of fish, but only Colten caught a fish - little bitty flounder, which we threw back. Nearing the port - we noticed lots of smoke - big fires north of the Marina. I am soooo sunburned, but not nearly as bad as Andy. Great day was had by all today. We made some great memories with the boys.

My Husband Cleans My Car

2009-02-17T17:31:00.000-08:00

Item One.
I am grateful for my GPS my darling husband bought me for Christmas last year. Without it, I would be lost alot. If I don't keep it plugged into the cigarette lighter adaptor though, it won't find a satellite for up to a half hour! Darling husband is very attentive about keeping my vehicle clean, so he likes to unplug it and put it in the glove box. We are relative newlyweds - I have tried sweetly to tell him that we Mommies have reasons for things we have in our car. GPS, random business cards, leftover McDonalds ketchup and napkins, spare make-up etc. RIGHT?
Item Two.
I pulled a bunch of staging items out of an old listing and left them in the back of my car, intending to use them to stage another listing. Darling husband decided to wash my car right before I left, which made me behind schedule and a little irritated. Got to the new listing, which was overflowing with family pictures, some of them in very large collage frames. I removed all of them with little problems, until I came to the 20x30 frame in the dining area. I took the picture off and noticed that there were several large holes that obviously didn't work for hanging the picture the first time. No problem, right? I have a nice, large mirror - in the car. Went out to the car to retrieve it, and guess what? Hubby also cleaned out the back of the car!

Item Three.
The reason I had my OPEN HOUSE signs in the trunk was so that I could put them out when I'm holding an open house - RIGHT?

I really am grateful. I am married to Prince Charming. He cooks, he cleans, he has a good job, all of his teeth oh - and his hair. And he keeps my car nice and clean.

Tell me what you think.

2009-01-05T11:08:00.000-08:00

She Didn’t Like My Picture!

As with most bloggers, I posted my 2008 memoirs and then emailed them to my friends and family http://www.AgentNelson.com/blog.aspx. I posted a picture of my parents that I had taken on their wedding anniversary, which happens to be on New Years day. My mom didn’t respond right away, which is unusual. This morning I received this email from her:

Here is a much better pic of Dad and I...love Mom

I guess she didn’t like the picture I posted….
So, Mom – here is another post with BOTH pictures you sent to me.
Happy 37th Wedding Anniversary!!!

Come Grow Old with Me....

The Best is yet to Come!

Sleepless In Snowy Seattle

2009-01-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

Who ever would have thought that the Seattle area would come to a standstill for over 2 weeks due to SNOW!
My laugh of the morning is a Tweet from a friend who posted, "Never thought I would be so excited to see a garbage truck, and it is not even on my street!" So true, so true!
Here is my list of 2008 Christmas memories!

1. White Christmas - We were stuck in our driveway with over 2 feet of compact snow and ice. Andy (my darling hubby) crashed into the back of our Subaru with the Expedition trying to get out! Our power was off and on intermittantly, which made cooking a turkey a slight challenge. Two of our seven children were unable to make it - the rest were trapped!

2. We are upcoming Rockstars now that we own Rock Band! Both boys have their own Fender Stratocaster's and of course, I am the lead singer!

3. My Mother in law made me the most beautiful quilt I have ever seen.

4. We got our Christmas tree at the gas station on the corner. A noble for $25! I think we'll go there again next year.

5. My husband did a full on 360 (on purpose) in the middle of I-405 at 10 pm in the snow - because he could. That action led to more derelict driving in the snow. My son wants to know why I don't know how to "drift"...

6. We listened to Andy's new John Denver CD all week. I love JD, brings me back cozy childhood memories.

7. I took a bite out of the hottest Jalepeno pepper I have ever encountered. It was so hot that I burned all the way down to my tummy! After a hearty laugh, the waiter brought me a glass of milk - which surprisingly took the hot away immediately.

8. I worked a weekend for my Dad at his seasonal liquidation sale and brought my 9 year old son Johnny with me. Turned into a great working/learning/mother-son thing. Customers loved having him ring up their sale, taking their money and counting their change. He was a hard worker, a good salesman and a tough manager! He earned his own money, made his Christmas list - shopped and wrapped all of his gifts and was proud of what he had done. (tear!) He now proclaims himself the Store Manager - he even sent me on a 15 minute break :)

9. Memorable evening spent with my in-laws. MIL played the organ, FIL played both a small guitar and a harmonica, and we all sang Christmas Carols. (See I told you we are Rockstars!)

10. Never got my Christmas cards mailed out. Drat!

11. Rang in the New Year with my darling husband and our dear friends Steve & Peggy Markey at an Irish Pub in Kirkland.

12. Spent New Years Day with my Fabulous parents on their 37th Wedding Anniversary.It's been a memorable year for the Nelsons, and we have put it in the books for later. I am so excited about what this new year holds for us that I'm having a hard time sleeping. Or maybe it was the back-up alarm on the garbage truck that kept me awake.....oh and it snowed again last night!

Should I sell now or what am I waiting for?

2008-12-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

Should I sell now - or what am I waiting for?

Inventory Levels.
How many people have you heard that are waiting until spring to list their home? Perhaps you know of someone who had their house previously listed, but cancelled only so they could relist again in the spring. By listing NOW you will avoid all the potential competition that will glut the market in March, April & May!

Interest Rates.
A 1% drop in interest rates is equal to a 10% savings in the sales price of a home.
This is causing a surge in buyer activity. Many people are finally beginning to see
this buying opportunity as what it is – an opportune time to Buy Their Dream Home! Who knows how long these great rates will stick around for?

Motivated Buyers
First time home buyers area able to take advantage of the $7,500 tax credit, which expires mid 2009. According to my own tracking reports, people have been sitting at home on their computers, looking at internet listings. They are already shopping for your house now!

Take advantage of smaller inventory levels, historically low interest rates and those buyers who have been waiting for this moment! What are you waiting for? Call me today for your free Market Evaluation.

Bailout - Who is Eligible for Help?

2008-11-13T19:09:00.000-08:00

Lots of articles, lots of talk about the bailout - are you still confused as to whether you are eligible for help?

Here is a quick summary for your reference:
FHA Plan (This applies if you have FHA financing through any number of lenders) Lenders will modify interest rates or forgive a portion of your principal, to bring the ratio of mortgage payments (including HOA dues) to 38% of your income.To be eligible you must:
Have a loan on a primary residence that was made before Jan. 1, 2008.
Contact loan servicers and cooperate on supplying need information.
Be at least 90 days behind on payments.
Not have filed for bankruptcy protection.
Certify that a hardship, such as job loss or illness, has affected your ability to repay
Certify that you did not purposely default to get a loan modification.

CitiBank - They are projecting to rework approximately 130,000 loans. You are eligible for consideration if your mortgage related payments exceed 40% of your income. They are calling loan holders in targeted areas of the country, but Washington isn't one of them so you will need to call them to see if you can be considered.

JP Morgan Chase (owns all of the WaMu loans now) Their loan modification efforts are targeted at option ARMs that are accumulating interest, which will be replaced with fixed-rate loans that are more stable for borrowers and seen as far less likely to default. J.P. Morgan said it wouldn't begin the foreclosure process on borrowers during the next 90 days, as it opens loan-counseling centers and takes other steps to launch the program.

Wachovia Corp. Has initiated a loan-refinancing program targeted at option Arms from the loans it acquired as part of its purchase/takeover of Golden West Financial Corp and Wells Fargo & Co.

Bank of America They have two loan-modification pools targets 265,000 borrowers with all types of mortgages. The other was hashed out with 14 state attorneys generals and involves 400,000 subprime and option-ARM customers serviced by the big lender Countrywide Financial Corp., which Bank of America purchased July 1.

What options do you have if you are having trouble making your payments - but you don't qualify per the above?

Hope for Homeowners- This program provides, new 30-year fixed rate mortgages that are FHA insured - which means you might be able to refinance into a more affordable mortgage). To be eligible for this the home must be your primary residence (and you don't have a 2nd home/investment property), you loan was originated before 1/1/08 and you have made at least 6 payments, you are not able to pay your existing mortgage without help, your total mortgage payments are more than 31% of your monthly income, an you certify that you haven't been convicted of fraud in the past 10 years or provide false information to get the loan in the first place. Hope for Homeowner Website

Credit Counseling - There are a variety of agencies out there that can help walk you through the options specific to you.The Department of Housing & Urband Development Approved Credit Counseling Agencies in Washington (free or low cost)

Talk to your Loan Servicer - Call the number on your statement and find out who owns your loan. Then call the lender directly. They are much more likely to talk to you right now.
Short Sale - This is where the lender agrees to take less than the balance of the loan to avoid foreclosure. In order to be successful with this, it is critical that you work with an agent who has an experienced team to deal with this. Generally lenders are only willing to do short sales on primary residences - not 2nd homes & investments.

Deed in lieu of Foreclosure - Talk to your lender - this is where you transfer title in return for the cancellation of your debt. Although you lose what equity you might have, it isn't as damaging on your credit as foreclosure.

Bankruptcy - When all else fails, this is something to consider.

If you think you need help Do Not Wait! If a loan is modified prior to it becoming delinquent, it will be counted as current and so it shouldn't affect your credit rating.

reprinted with permission

Yep! I survived this year in Real Estate!

2008-11-10T20:00:00.000-08:00

Yep! I survived this year in Real Estate.
I couldn't have picked a better time to be in this industry~
This market is full of great opportunity for both buyers and sellers!
Despite the uncertainty of the financial markets, homeownership continues to be one of the most solid investments one can make.
Homes are more affordable than they have been in years.
Interest rates are at historic lows and there are a variety of great mortgage options available, despite perceptions to the contrary.
The market is beginning to turn around.
Are you thinking of buying or selling?

Bloggerhood

2008-10-11T10:59:00.000-07:00

I see the neatest Blogs - and I'm dying to start! I think I've been to every blog forming blogsite there is. There's no real great instructions on how design what I have inside my head. I even emailed someone who has a blog. He told me to just "write". Great! I WANT to write, I just don't know how to POST the writing! Thanks to Kim Wood who posted a step by step instruction on Active Rain. Please don't ask me how to do this, I'm not sure I understand what I did. But now I can WRITE!!!!!! My plan is to become a community site. I live in Maltby WA, a great little community with fun stuff! I want to show community events - churches, schools, businesses and of course, my real estate expertise, since I am afterall, the neighborhood real estate expert. So by trial and error, I will have my site....Who knows where this could go, but I'm on my way to Bloggerhood!