My follow-up visit was early yesterday morning, the day when I brought in my blood pressure log that I've been keeping for six weeks. My helpful and patient doctor reviewed my entries carefully and said to my surprise " well, things look pretty good". He later explained that my blood pressure was consistent with men of my age and below the hypertensive level. He also explained that everyone's blood pressure increases over time as our bodies age and the importance of keeping a watch on things.
Even without any symptoms, a blood pressure level in the pre-hypertensive range can increase your risk of stroke, heart attack, heart and kidney failure. High blood pressure is often referred to as the "silent killer" because you can have it for years without knowing it. In fact, nearly one-third of the 75 million Americans with high blood pressure don't know it.
Under recent guidelines, a resting blood pressure reading below 120/80 millimeters of mercury is considered "normal". If your resting blood pressure is consistently 140/90 or higher, you have high blood pressure. Any reading between these levels places you in the pre-hypertensive category. Under these guidelines, any reading over 115/75 increases your risk of cardiovascular complications. These numbers aren't just for men, women are certainly not immune from having high blood pressure either.
I'm not trying to spoil your weekend, just a friendly reminder to have your blood pressure checked regularly. In fact, maybe you should consider buying one of the handy home blood pressure monitors like the one I have, it may be more accurate and convenient than using the one at the pharmacy.
Check your blood pressure today and take whatever steps necessary to keep it low and under control.
Greg Saffell
(206) 617-2247
REMAX Performance Plus
We have heard the stories for years about strange 911 calls and the extra burden it puts on the emergency service. Now you can listen to ridiculous calls on the Internet and view videos on You-tube. I read one this morning about a woman who called 911 to complain that her boyfriend wouldn't marry her. Another one from a disgruntled diner complaining about that lack of shrimp in her order of fried rice, and demanded to have the police intervene on her behalf. These poor 911 operators must get these useless calls all day long. I think you can be fined and even arrested for abusing this life-saving communication system.
King County has a new website that provides all the non -emergency phone numbers in a given area. You can visit the site, enter your zip code and then download and print the non-emergency contact numbers for the Fire Department, Police 
Department etc. I don't know if this will help minimize the calls from weirdo's but it's good information for the rest of us. Please reserve emergency resources, use 911 responsibly.
While we are on the subject of emergencies, another good Government site for emergency preparedness is
3 days 3 ways . This site provides a lot of good information on planning for potential power outages, floods and other disruptions and emergency situations.
Kent residents should... Make a plan, Build a kit, Get involved.
Greg Saffell
(206) 617-2247
REMAX Performance Plus
Another nice home recently became available for purchase in the golf course community of Meridian Valley Country Club in Kent. This home was built in 1974 and has been nicely updated over the years. The tri-level home is beautifully landscaped and enjoys expansive views of the golf course. The home has three separate living rooms and multiple decks that overlook several fairways. The master suite has a walk-in closet and an updated master bath.
Some of the features this home enjoys:
This home is currently listed for $770,000 by Carol Bartoletti of REMAX Team One
If you would like a personal tour of this home or any other golf course home please contact me.
Greg Saffell 206 617-2247
Here is another Kent Golf Course Home 
Most of the people I know do not actually enjoy grocery shopping, it's just something they have to do. I guess that makes me somewhat unique because I like grocery stores. I especially like ethnic grocery stores because of the wide array of unusual merchandise. There are many to choose from in Kent, and I have visited most of them at one time or another. Even when I visit cities in other states, I'll try to seek out their ethnic enclaves and wander around their markets like a kid in a candy store.
I do most of the cooking in my home and like to try new recipes. I have a large collection of cook books, many of which feature ethnic cooking using ingredients not found in the large local supermarkets. Although I have noticed lately some markets are adding ethnic sections to better serve the changing population. Part of my interest in trying new recipes is hunting down the proper foods and spices to complete the dish. It's just an interesting experience and I learn something new with each visit.
I was in Kent's largest Hispanic grocery store this weekend picking up some ingredients for Posole. The La Huerta International Market is owned by Juan and Rossy Murguia. They opened this store in 2005 with an investment of $50,000. Over time it has expanded to over 5400 square feet and now could be considered a mega-market for Hispanic foods. As these pictures illustrate, this store is a shopping event. Every aisle features neatly stacked canned and packaged goods on display. The store has a well-stocked meat department with a butcher available for special orders. Towards the back of the store you'll find the bakery with fresh baked goods. La Huerta even has it's own restaurant if you don't feel like cooking it yourself.
La Huerta has two locations, one in Kent and one in Tacoma. The next time you're in the area, make it a point to stop by and immerse yourself in this Hispanic wonder.
La Huerta # 1
405 E. Smith Street, Kent, WA 98030 253 520-0198
La Huerta # 2
5605-A Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98408 253 474-1645
Greg Saffell
(206) 617-2247
REMAX Performance Plus
Information About Kent WA Real Estate
Discovering wonderful ethnic foods in Kent
A couple of years ago I scheduled a listing appointment with a woman who was referred to me by a neighbor. My neighbor said that her friend was elderly and that she was thinking about selling her home and moving to an apartment. I had a brief telephone conversation with the woman about her plans, prepared for my appointment and arrived on time.
The modest home was on a busy street in a reasonably nice neighborhood but needed some obvious sprucing up. I could tell right away that the woman was a little nervous having me there so I kept talking about our mutual friend and what a nice neighbor she was. After touring the home we sat down at the kitchen table and enjoyed a pleasurable conversation unrelated to real estate.
Of course we finally got around to the business at hand and I slowly explained the process of selling her home. She was horrified by the paperwork and daunted by the complicated tasks at hand. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. She said " Greg, when my husband and I bought this home nearly fifty years ago, there was one sheet of paper to sign. We both signed at the bottom and made all our payments directly to the real estate company until we paid off the mortgage".
"It's too bad it's not still that way", I said, "but I will explain every document to you so that you understand the entire process, and you will not be asked to sign any document until you know what you're signing". That seemed to satisfy her and together we worked toward an eventual smooth closing.
I really enjoyed being in this situation and having the opportunity to help educate her on the listing and selling process and disarm her fears of the burdensome paperwork involved. We might become too familiar with all these documents and assume that they are readily assimilated by others, which is obviously not the case. This sale was more fun and rewarding than most because she made me aware of my responsibly to help my clients understand this complicated endeavor and just enjoy the rewards of being a teacher.
Shortly after this experience I was fortunate to take the SRES course ( Seniors Real Estate Specialist ) and now enjoy working with the senior market regularly. This one quiet woman taught me an important lesson, always take the time to explain.
Greg Saffell
(206) 617-2247
REMAX Performance Plus
Information About Kent WA Real Estate
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Representing buyers and sellers in Kent and surrounding communities. Well educated and competent with an easy going style.
The city of Kent Washington is located west of the Cascade mountain range and is the fourth largest city in King County. It is located directly between Seattle and Tacoma and covers approximately 29 square miles. Kent's culturally rich population is nearing 90,000.
Kent was the second city in King County to incorporate (1890). Kent began as an agricultural area originally growing hops estimated at over a million pounds a year. Much later the Kent valley was known as the "lettuce capital of the world". The verdant valley was subject to flooding until the Howard Hanson dam was constructed in 1963. Over the years agriculture has given way to commercial and industrial development which has led the city in new directions of commerce.
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For now, I'm going to use this section to post links to sites of interest to residents and visitors to the Kent, Wa area. Just click on anything that looks interesting.
I tried to sell my home myself. It was on the market for over nine months. I knew I had to get help and a friend recommended Greg. His assistance and advice in preparing the home to sell surely worked. The home sold in ten days.
John G.
I was being transferred to Olympia, Washington from my home in Renton. Greg sold my current home in just over a month. He also found my terrific new home near Olympia in record time. Olympia is quite a distance from Renton, but he was there with me all the way.
Carol J.
I had lived in my home for over seven years but needed to find something larger. Greg provided the guidance I needed to sell my home quickly. Some complications arose during the process that he handled very efficiently. I love my new home and would recommend Greg to anyone.
Jennifer G.
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