About Thurston County, WA

You've just got to love the name Recess Monkey - and I am pretty sure most kids will be grinning just hearing that name, before even hearing the free concert this weekend.

Recess Monkey is putting on a free concert for families on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 10 AM. It will be at the Kenneth J Minneart Center for the Arts at South Puget Sound Community College. And after the live concert, there will also be fun family activities from 11:00 until noon - so make it a special day with your kids and come see Recess Monkey!!

Olympia Local Foods was recently awarded a $300,000 grant from the US Department of Agriculture to use to expand its reach in connecting local food producers with eager local buyers. Currently farmers and others who produce local food items can upload what they have to sell to Olympia Local Food's website. Then buyers have an ordering period to select what items they want to order.

After the ordering is complete, the farmers deliver their goods to the west Olympia storefront at 2010 Black Lake Blvd SW, Suite B. And buyers can pick up their orders at the store on Thursdays between 3-7 PM. The storefront's hours are expected to expand to 5 or more days a week in May.

Almost everything is produced within Washington state, with about 95% of the items produced or grown right within the Olympia region. This lets the buyers get really fresh items, while reducing the impact of long haul delivery.

So if you enjoy fresh produce, local organic grass-fed beef, honey, eggs, powdered goat milk yogurt, frozen salmon patties, rotisserie chicken, baked goods, and so much more, you will LOVE Olympia Local Foods.

And if you love to help your family eat a little healthier while helping local food producers have viable businesses, do check out Olympia Local Foods today!

Like much of the Olympia/Lacey/Tumwater area, real estate activity is really picking up this spring (well, almost spring) in the Lacey active adult neighborhood of Jubilee.

The Jubilee neighborhood had 5 closed home sales in February 2012, at sales prices ranging from $210,900 to a high of $365,000. Median sales price was $228,500.

There are also currently 6 more pending sales in progress in the neighborhood.

And currently listed and available, buyers can choose from 24 homes at prices from $199,900 to $469,000. So if you are ready for a lifestyle change where the house maintenance is minimal and the range of activities is huge, be sure and consider Jubilee for your next home!

How long has it been since you made a paper airplane?? Just thinking about it gives you that urge to fold up some paper and let it fly, right? If you are near the Olympia area this coming Saturday, February 25, 2012, you can not only give in to that urge but also show your kids how it's done.

The event starts at 1:00 PM at the Olympic Flight Museum, 7637-A Old Highway 99 SE, and is open to all ages. There will be instruction in folding in various ways and techniques to fly those planes with distance and accuracy. The necessary materials are included in the $7 admission fee, and there will be some contests with prizes - and lots of fun! If you just want to go to watch (can you really resist folding that plane and letting it fly?) then the admission is $5 and children under 6 are free.

Oh my fingers are itching to fold up some paper airplanes and see how far they will fly!!

During the toughest of times, there are always a few swindlers who emerge with shady schemes that serve to make a bad situation a lot worse. The current foreclosure crisis is certainly no exception.

Here are the Top Ten Warning Signs of a Mortgage Modification Scam:

1. “Pay us $1,000, and we’ll save your home.”
Some Legitimate housing counselors may charge small fees, but fees that amount to thousands of dollars are sign of potential fraud – especially if they are charged upfront.

2. “I guarantee I will save your home – trust me.”
Beware of guarantees. Unrealistic promises are a sign that the person making them has not considered your specific circumstances.

3. “Sign over your home, and we’ll let you stay in it.”
Be very suspicious if someone offers to pay your mortgage and rent your home back to you in exchange for transferring the title. Signing over the deed gives another person the power to evict you, raise your rent or sell the house.

4. “Stop paying your mortgage”
Do not trust anyone who tells you to stop making payments to your lender and servicer, even if that person says it will be done for you.

5. “If your lender calls, don’t talk to them.”
Your lender should be your first point of contact for negotiating a repayment plan, modification, or short sale.

6. “Your lender never had the legal authority to make a loan.”
Do not listen to anyone who claims that “secret laws” or “secret information” will be used to eliminate your debt and have your mortgage contract declared invalid.

7. “Sign this now; we’ll fill in the blanks later.”
Take the time to read and understand anything you sign. Never let anyone else fill out paperwork for you. Don’t let anyone pressure you into signing anything that you don’t agree with or understand.

8. “Call 1-800-Fed-Loan.”
Some companies trick borrowers into believing that they are affiliated with or are approved by the government or tell you that you must pay them high fees to qualify for government loan modification programs.

9. “File for bankruptcy and keep your home.”
Filing bankruptcy only temporarily stops foreclosure. If your mortgage payments are not made, the bankruptcy court will eventually allow your lender to foreclose on your home…

10. “Why haven’t you replied to our offer? Do you want to live on the streets?”
High-pressure tactics signal trouble.

Your best bet for making sure that scam artists don’t end up with your shirt as well as your house: Contact a Certified Distressed Property Expert. CDPE agents are tapped into scams as they emerge and committed to keeping clients connected to legitimate solutions.

Cynthia Schmier
RE/MAX Country
206 Yelm Ave W, Yelm, WA 98597
360-400-3475
ShortSalesYelm.com

Disclaimer: The above brokerage assumes no responsibility nor guarantees the accuracy of this information and is not engaged in the practice of law nor gives legal advice. It is strongly recommended that you seek appropriate professional counsel regarding your rights as a homeowner.