Jamie Carroll ~ S&B Real Estate Team ~ Vancouver, WA ~ Clark County

Kids and adults alike have a blast at OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) on the east bank of the Willamette in Portland, OR. Walk through a giant heart, tour a submarine, shake your booty in the earthquake house, and engage yourself in hundreds of other interactive exhibits. Whether it's your first or fortieth visit - you'll walk away with a smile! In addition to regular exhibits, OMSI has a featured exhibit (Leonardo DaVinci through May 3rd), an OMNIMAX theater and laser light shows. (Extra fees for the extra fun!) Learn more at: http://www.omsi.edu/

This Sunday, March 1st, OMSI admission is only $2! This is a huge savings over their regular admission of $9-11. Even better? They have $2 admission on the first Sunday of EVERY month! So, if you can't make it this time, mark your calander for next month, and the month after, and the month after...

OMSI is located at: 1945 SE Water Ave, Portland, OR 97214

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 9:30a - 5:30p. Closed Mondays.

Regular Admission: $11 adults, $9 kids 3-13, $9 seniors over 63

March 1, 2009 OMSI admission is only $2!

You'll find links to other great family fun spots on our website at www.MyRealtorIsJamie.com. For information on real estate in SW Washington, call us at 360-609-6775 or visit the "Contact Us" page of our website at www.MyRealtorIsJamie.com We are here to help!

Rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 5.04 percent this week, down from last week when it averaged 5.16 percent, said Freddie Mac today. Last year at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.04 percent. The 15-year rate this week averaged 4.68 percent, down from 4.81 percent. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.64 percent. Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) averaged 5.04 percent this week.

Couple this with low prices and motivated sellers and you've got yourself what's known as a Buyer's Market. If you don't buy in a buyer's market, when do you buy? That's right, in a Seller's Market! And who wants to do that!?!

To learn how to take advantage of this market, call us at 360-609-6775 or visit the "Contact Us" page at www.MyRealtorIsJamie.com. We are here to help!

In honor of President's Day I thought I'd talk about the stimulus plan recently signed by President Obama. While every bit of the stimulus bill affects all of us, because my career is Real Estate I pay most attention to the housing portion. (Just as an auto manufacturer would pay most attention to the auto industry bailout.) Here is a brief summary of the new housing tax credit:

The tax credit in the Stimulus Bill has been scaled down to $8,000 from its previous level of $15,000, or 10% of the value of the home for any first time homebuyers who purchase homes from the start of the year until the end of November. It starts phasing out for couples with incomes above $150,000 and single filers with incomes above $75,000, and buyers will have to repay the credit if they sell their homes within three years.

This is an improvement on the Bush administration's $7500 tax "credit" that was really a loan. The new credit is truly a credit and only needs to be repaid if the home is sold within three years. Hopefully, anyone buying a home has plans to keep it for longer than three years anyway, as with any investment wealth is built over long periods of time. Also, it's important to point out that a "first-time homebuyer" is not necessarily a first time homebuyer. The term refers to someone who has not purchased a home in at least three years.

In addition, there's news that the Obama administration is trying to hammer out a new program to subsidize mortgages to fight the credit crisis. The plan would seek to help homeowners before they fall into arrears on their loans, whereas current programs only assist borrowers that are already delinquent. There are no details yet on this plan, but I will be monitoring this news in the weeks ahead.

If you'd like to learn more about how you can benefit from the new housing tax credit, call us at 360-609-6775 or visit the "Contact Us" page at www.MyRealtorIsJamie.com. We are here to help!

It's February and it's chilly here in Washington - 28 degrees as I write this! (Okay, not as cold as Minnesota or anything, but still cold!) A lot of energy is used during the winter months and a lot is wasted due to inefficiency. This series has covered things you can do to conserve energy today, this week, this month, and now culminates with things you can do this year. Today's tips are more involved and more costly than the previous lists but with some planning and budgeting you can conserve energy and reduce your bills.

To do this year:

• Have insulation blown into uninsulated walls. Many vintage home have little to no insulation which can make the inside feel surprisingly like the outside! Homes of ANY age will have areas of light or spotty insulation that could be beefed up. Have an energy audit (free through many utility companies) done to find where you're losing heat.
• Replace old, inefficient appliances. There are often rebate incentives on EnergyStar qualified models and you can have your old appliances recycled, often free of charge. Also, remember that a well-stocked fridge and freezer operates much more efficiently than a nearly empty one so purchase the size that is right for your family.
• Upgrade drafty windows. This is a costly investment but the increased efficiency of new windows will cut your energy bills and make you more comfortable to boot. If you can't afford to do them all at once, start with your draftiest ones and go from there.
• Check for rebate and tax incentives. Some home improvements done for the sake of efficiency qualify for tax breaks, rebates, low interest loans, subsidies, etc. Check for programs that are available in your area by looking online or contacting your electric and gas company.

Not a do-it-yourselfer? We work with great vendors and can refer you to someone you can trust for your home improvements. Just call the JMC Group at 360-609-6775 or visit the "Contact Us" page at www.MyRealtorIsJamie.com. We are here to help!

Can you think of anything more enticing than jumping in the Columbia river in February? I didn't think so! But, seriously folks, there is reason behind the madness.

The Polar Plunge is a fundraiser benefiting Special Olympics athletes. There are over thirty Plunges each year in fifteen states across the country and this is the third year it's happening in Oregon. You'll have two opportunities to Plunge in Oregon, one in the Columbia and the other in the Deschutes. To participate you must register and raise a minimum of $50. For that $50 you not only get the opportunity to jump into the freezing cold river, you also get a Polar Plunge long-sleeved t-shirt, a bowl of soup, and a warm fuzzy feeling knowing you helped a worthy cause! There's even a costume contest which will be judged by S.O. athletes, with a prize going to the best costume!

Here are the important details:

February 21st, Broughton Beach on the Columbia River. Register here: http://www.soor.org/plunge/portland_where.html

February 27th, Riverbend Park on the Deschutes River. Register here: http://www.soor.org/plunge/bend_where.html

So, dig out those Speedos and dive into a great cause! If you choose to do this, I'd love to hear (and blog) about your experience. Just give me a call at 360-609-6775 or visit the "Contact Us" page of our website at www.MyRealtorIsJamie.com.