Lake Forest Mark North Seattle Realtor

Sunday couldn't have been a more gorgeous day, so headed on over to the LFP Farmer's Market after my workout at the LFP Gold's Gym this morning.

The sun was shining, the LFP Commons parking lot was packed full of people, and good, fresh, locally grown food was in abundance.

I had the pleasure of meeting Eric Rivera with Sound Bites Sauce and Spread Co., and who also attends culinary school and runs a fantastic food blog at www.ericriveracooks.com

Here he is ringing up my order of Cabernet Pepper Crackers and Lime Reisling Oil:

Holy Guacamole, you really have to try this stuff. I can't wait to put some on a flank steak and throw in on the BBQ. And be sure to check out his blog. It has a plethora of fantastic recipes.

Here is a great pose by the obvious wallflower Stephanie with La Pasta at 9118 35th Ave NE.

Her boss, Alessandro, who is from Perugia (where I coincidentally spent three weeks last October) makes his own pasta and sells it at various farmer's markets around the area. Yowza. Be sure to give them a call at 206.527.3301

Enjoy the rest of the pics:

Live Entertainment:

Oysters: 2 dozen for 12 bucks? Awesome!

Must be where Jack in the Box gets meat for their sliders:

As a proud sponsor of the next Pink Polka Dots benefit, I urge you to come to the Shoreline Performing Arts Center on Saturday, February 21st to join in the fun and benefit a great causeThe Brian Waite Band will be performing "20,000 Volts Under The Sea: A Rock and Roll Adventure

100% of proceeds from ticket sales and 10% of CD sales will go towards Fund the Cure for Pediatric Brain Tumors.

The concert is a benefit to Fund the Cure for Pediatric Brain Tumors, and you can buy your tickets online at PinkPolkaDots.com or at the LFP Third Place Books. Buy your tickets now, because there is limited space. Tickets will be available at the box office under the name on your credit card. For donation or purchase questions, contact ppdtreasurer@comcast.net

The Pink Polka Dots Guild was started in 2006 by friends of Sydney Coxson when she succumbed to a brain tumor at the age of 11. They raise money for pediatric brain tumor research at Children's Hospital in Seattle. They call themselves "the pink polka dots" because they were Sydney's favorite things.

Last year, The Guild presented Dr. Olson of Children's Hospital with a $56,686 check and filmed an appearance on Evening Magazine. They started in March 2006, and since then have raised almost $100,000!!

So, give it up for the Pink Polka Dotters and come down and join the cause.

You'll be glad that you did.

My best,

Lake Forest Mark

Here is some useful information during this frigid winter of ours.........

20 Ways to Cut Energy Bills

1. Don’t overstock the fridge; this blocks the air from flowing and uses more energy.
2. Use a toaster oven for small meals or reheating.
3. Use a slow cooker rather than the oven.

4. Use glass or ceramic pans, they hold heat better and allow you to cook at a lower temperature (25 degrees lower)and for the same amount of time.

5. For Christmas lights, use LED lights.
6. Buying a new TV? Buy only EnergyStar rated.
7. Dry clothes on an indoor drying rack instead of using the dryer for everything.
8. Refrain from using the fireplace when its 20 degrees or below, most of the heat escapes out the chimney.
9. In a wood burning fireplace, use logs that are 4-6 inches in diameter; they are more efficient and produce more heat.
10. For an efficient furnace, change your furnace filter monthly.
11. Replace your furnace motor with a variable speed motor; this allows your furnace to operate on a lower fan speed and use less energy.
12. Buy a programmable thermostat; program it to run when you need it and less when you are not at home or at night.
13. Plant deciduous tress around your home; they shade in the summer and allow sun during the winter when they have lost their leaves.
14. Install an energy efficient pet door; these have a better seal and prevent heat loss.
15. Lubricate door locks and hinges to allow them to close better and get a better seal.
16. Check your recessed light cans for leakage and replace with sealed cans.
17. If you are considering moving; find a place with good southern exposure and take advantage of passive solar for heating during the winter time.
18. Reverse your ceiling fan rotation to push the heat down into your living space.
19. Unplug appliances and others items not in use. If you leave things plugged in they still use energy even in the off position.
20. Limit use of bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans; use them only when necessary as they are a major source of heat loss.

Everything is relative, as Einstien proved, and when things are pretty horrible all over, being not so bad is good.

While we here in Seattle are not as affected by the economic downturn and reeling housing market as much of the rest of the nation, we are still feeling some pain.

That is why it is nice to hear that Seattle has been named Seattle its top U.S. real estate market to watch next year by the Urban Land Institute in its Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2009 report released Oct. 21.

It is not a completely rosy picture. Some of the negatives mentioned were:

• the market braces for rising downtown office vacancies; now at 10 percent
• Tepid job growth will flatten rental rates
• Housing demand drops and prices will slip, but stay above national averages (remember, it's all relative)

In spite of this, the ULI rates Seattle market a strong ‘buy’ for apartments, and the ‘number-one buy’ among industrials is the Puget Sound ports.

According to their webiste, the Urban Land Institute is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit research and education organization supported by its members.

Founded in 1936, the institute now has more than 40,000 members worldwide representing the entire spectrum of land use and real estate development disciplines, working in private enterprise and public service.

As the preeminent, multidisciplinary real estate forum, ULI facilitates the open exchange of ideas, information and experience among local, national and international industry leaders and policy makers dedicated to creating better places.

Sounds like they've done their homework. And if you do yours (hopefully with the help of a skilled agent), you can navigate your way around this marketplace effectively.

My best,

Lake Forest Mark