Jacquie Cliff - Short Sale Expert

What would you do if the power was out for a week?

This winter should be enough of a reminder that we need to be prepared for emergencies both big and small. Even here in Lynnwood, there were a few days when it was just about impossible to drive anywhere without chains. You know it is bad when my husband that grew up in the wilds of North Idaho won't drive on the roads. Thankfully, here in town those conditions are usually pretty temporary but for outlying areas roads and services can get cut off for days and that is why it is important to be prepared!

With this in mind, if you are up north, you may want to put it on your schedule to visit the second annual Emergency Preparedness Open House January 29 put on by the Stanwood and Camano Island Relief Societies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

This year’s event will focus on a variety of topics, including creative food storage recipes, canning techniques, water purification, and emergency foods and tools for college students and if focused on preparing people in Snohomish, Skagit and Island counties for emergencies.

Emergency supply kits will also be focused on, with an emphasis placed on designing kits to fit the necessities of each individual’s age and physical needs.

Do you have a 'get home kit' put together for your car? Do you have a box ready with everything you need in case you have to evacuate your home? This free event will cover a variety of potentially life saving steps you can take to prepare you and your family for disasters both big and small.

RaeJean Hasenoehrl, co-planner of the event, noted that special attention will also be placed on pet care. “Our pets are important members of our homes and they rely on us for their comfort and safety,” she said. “The likelihood of your pet surviving an emergency such as a flood or a harsh storm depends so much on the emergency planning you do today.”

Animal emergency supply kits are easily prepared and a pet care buddy system can provide peace of mind for your family and your pets.

Emergency Preparedness Open House will take place on Saturday, Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 795 Ell Road, Camano Island. Admission to the family-friendly event is free.

The city of Everett is adding a new park in the Evergreen neighborhood to the list of upcoming projects.

By making use of half $1 million from the Snohomish County Conservation Futures fund, the city has acquired a 2 acre parcel at 528 Madison St. to be developed at some point into another neighborhood park.

The property previously belonged to Janice Deckmann who had inherited the property from her mother. There is still a home on the property, and the city is considering renovating it and renting it out until the property is developed.

Tired of having kids birthday parties at your house?

If you are like me, you can only handle having your kid's birthday parties at home for so long before it changes from a party to a yearly obligation to suffer through. Luckily there is a solution to having parties at home, and that is places in the Lynnwood, WA area that you can have host your birthday parties!

Chuck E. Cheese - Lynnwood, WA
This is the traditional kids birthday party place, and they love it, bad animatronics and all. Honestly when my husband hears a party is going to be at Chuck E Cheeses, he does his best to be VERY busy with something too important to break away from. It is loud, the pizza is only so-so and it is loud, did I mention that?

Pump it Up, - Lynnwood, WA
I have been here several times for birthday parties and the facilities are far from anything spectacular, but the kids love playing around on the massive bouncy houses. Reading the reviews on Yelp it seems to not have a great reputation, but I am thinking that is an issue to the fact that facilities that host kids parties hire expendible teens for very little pay. Interestingly enough though, the Pump it Up in Kirkland has great ratings so you may want to check them both out and consider if it is worth the drive.

Traxx Indoor Raceway - Mukilteo, WA
We did my daughter's 7th birthday here and everyone had a ton of fun! Us adults even sneaked in a trip down to the adult track. The only complaint I can see a person might have is that it is loud, but you are at an indoor raceway so I think that sort of goes with the territory.

These are just a few of the places around Lynnwood that you can use to get the kids parties away from your house. Yes, it might cost a little more, but cleanup is EASY and the kids have fun without destroying your house.

Have a suggestion for a place to have kids birthday party around Lynnwood, WA??? Post a comment and share your favorite place to throw a party!

Are you in the Lynnwood area? My daughter would like your help!

This my daughter Morgan's first year in the Girl Scouts and is working hard to earn her Cookie Queen Merit Badge. This means she has to sell 250 boxes of cookies before January 24. She is working hard and asking everyone she runs into, but I am trying to do my part and enroll as much help from the community as possible.



To help her achieve her goal, give me a call at 425-773-3149 or email me at Jacquie@jacquiecliff.com so we can set up a time to drop by, or we can even take orders over the phone or by email this year!

I know it means a lot to her to earn this badge, and she is working hard to earn it, so your help in achieving it will be greatly appreciated.

Real Estate Market Statistics for Lynnwood, Washington

For today's market update we are looking at what single family homes are selling in Lynnwood, WA. These numbers come from our MLS, are current as of this morning and cover the last 180 days of activity. Do bear in mind that there is likely less activity in the last 180 than in the rest of the year due to the holiday season.

	2 Bedrooms	3 Bedrooms	4 Bedrooms	5+ Bedrooms	All Bedrooms
# of Units Sold	8	136	99	39	282
Total Dollar Value	$2,132,300	$35,264,260	$30,705,335	$13,657,283	$81,759,178
Average List Price	$276,725	$266,957	$316,743	$352,293	$296,514
Average Sold Price	$266,538	$259,296	$310,155	$350,187	$289,926
Average Market Time	85	73	75	67	73
Average Square Feet	1500	1676	2178	2558	1969
% of List Price	98.33	97.4	98.07	100	97.97

For the properties that are selling, the market times are not bad! The problem is that right now there are 317 single family homes on the market in Lynnwood, so competition is pretty stiff to get those contracts. This makes marketing and pricing VERY important. Think about it, in 180 days only 8 two bedroom homes sold in Lynnwood. Just over one a month!

If you are preparing to sell your home in Lynnwood, my advice is to prepare your home as best as possible and price your home aggressively!

Considering seeling your Lynnwood, WA home?

These numbers are very general, and if you are considering selling your Lynnwood area home, let me come by and discuss what we can do to get your home sold and what price it will probably sell at. You can reach me at 425-773-3149 or email me at Jacquie@JacquieCliff.com to set up a time for us to meet!