Paul Henderson, Realtor ® Lacey & DuPont Washington homes

I work with several elderly people on fixed incomes. I drop by from time to time, not so much as a Realtor but as a friend. If a light bulb is out or they need something else done, I do it. My feeling is we all have one thing in common and that is we will all get older or die trying.

One of these friends has given me several referrals.

But what this post is about is being green. The pressure on older people to recycle and preserve is huge. One day while changing a bulb in a can light for a friend we discovered I had changed that same bulb less than a year before. One thing I've discovered is that seniors are the very best record keepers.

She knew;

• When she bought the bulb
• What she paid for it
• When I replaced the bulb
• The brand and where it was made

Her Granddaughter had told her she should use the new florescent bulbs because they use less energy and are better for the environment.

In fact;

• This bulb cost twice what a regular can light bulb costs
• Lasted less than a year
• Broke up in my hand when I attempted to remove it
• The same wattage regular bulb, operated by the same light switch, has been in service for over 2 years
• Last, the florescent bulb, made in China, is noted as hazardous waste by our Pierce County solid waste authority.

That doesn't seem very environmentally sound to me. How about you?

Authored by Paul S. Henderson, Realtor ®, RE/MAX Professionals, Dupont & Lacey, WA.

(http://phenderson.net) or http://www.lacey-washington.com

©2009 Paul S. Henderson, It Ain't Easy Being Green, All Rights Reserved

Having elderly clients, I try to help whenever I can.

This client was in her early eighties and her family felt she would sign a purchase and sale agreement for a dollar if she liked their smile. My job was to be at every showing and protect her.

The first showing went well even though; my client felt she should offer the people food and refreshments.

The next appointment didn't go as well. The agent never called to cancel and never showed up. This is inconsiderate in any case but to an elderly seller it is devastating. We sat for an hour waiting. She had made cookies to give the right smell to the house. I called the other agent and left a message not to come over. I left with two dozen cookies and a client in tears.

This happened two more times, agents not showing up, before we sold my client's condo. I learned a valuable lesson working with this client. If I make an appointment, I show up, it's only right!

Please show up for your appointments. If you can't make an appointment, please call to cancel. We call this professionalism and consideration!

Authored by Paul S. Henderson, Realtor ®, RE/MAX Professionals, Dupont & Lacey, WA.

(http://phenderson.net) or http://www.lacey-washington.com

©2009 Paul S. Henderson, We call this professionalism! All Rights Reserved

It's not to often I get scared when showing houses however today my hair on the back of my neck was doing the spike.

My client saw this house on my website and wanted to see it. I looked it up on the MLS and followed the showing protocol. The MLS required I call the owner directly. Present all offers to the owner and to notify the listing office with accepted offers when sold. You guessed it, we have a limited service listing. (No key box either!)

I find limited service providers to be creative. I love to present my offer directly to the owner. The one that suffers in such a transaction is the seller. The buyer's agent is in the driver's seat and since I am representing the buyer, I love to drive.

In this case, I called the phone to show number, disconnected. I dial again, disconnected. So I call the 1-800 number for the listing agent and get a prerecorded message.

• Don't call us, call the owner.
• Don't leave a message, we don't check them
• Our office is closed or it is after hours (2PM PST) (Office is in California)
• If you want to talk to an agent push 3
• Don't leave a message, we don't check them. This option is not available.

I called again to go through the seller side hoping they would be more responsive to a client

• If you want to talk to an agent push 3
• Don't leave a message, we don't check them. This option is not available.

I know a lot about customer service and this just drives sellers to full service representation.

I decide to go to the house and go to the door. I want to ask if I can show the house this weekend to my client. This driveway and neighborhood was bad.

• Broken down cars
• Broken down duplexes
• No Trespassing signs
• A big chain across the road

I went to the door, no answer. I have now completed my obligation to my buyer and it is time to try to get back to my car in one piece.

I called my buyer and told her, in my mind, this is not where I would feel comfortable selling her a home. She agreed after I told her this story and we're off to see some other homes this weekend. I now know why this house has been on the market for over 280 days. What a waste of $498...

I have shown and sold limited service listings in the past. You can tell who's in it for the fast buck and who the professional is. This can also be said for full service agents...

Please, by all means, don't make it any harder to sell your listings!

What are your horror stories?

Authored by Paul S. Henderson, Realtor ®, RE/MAX Professionals, Lacey, WA.

(http://phenderson.net) or http://www.lacey-washington.com

©2009 Paul S. Henderson, Don't make it any harder to sell, All Rights Reserved

You'd be surprised to know how much we as consumers spend on do it yourself repairs. Now think about the simple repairs around the house that anyone can do.

The first thing to remember is to trust your intelligence. Many of my clients have advanced degrees but act as if a screw driver needs operating instructions. I recommend a step by step repair book from any hardware store. I own several and loan them to my clients but Home Depot and Lowes have really good reference books that make great gifts.

Many people believe you have to have a huge tool chest to do simple jobs around the house. You can do so many home repairs with a screw driver that it is the #1 tool you should have in your kitchen drawer. A set of screw drivers will cost you between $9.00 and $20.00.

Next tool that is a must have is a hammer. This is a great tool also. Make sure you get one that feels comfortable. Bigger is not always better when it comes to a hammer.

Now I know that the Home inspectors will go wild when I mention the next tool. The tool that my clients call essential is the snake. If you don't know what a snake is, it is a tool that you can use to unplug slow running drains. It works like a charm on these clogs and you'd be surprised how many of my clients call me for a plumber phone number when a simple $19.99 snake can do the job in minutes. (Never use snakes or chemicals in a garbage disposal) Many people pour chemicals down their sinks and if you don't follow instructions, tragedies may result. My retired neighbor had his vision destroyed when he used a chemical cleaner and had it blow back in his face. These chemicals are very dangerous as the poison control centers can attest to. We don't need these left over chemicals in our landfills either. They are deemed as hazardous materials in much of the United States.

I have saved my clients a lot of hard earned money by helping on simple repairs. I show them how and let them help. Then they can do it themselves in the future. I don't claim to be a professional handyman but I have learned from experience that I like to share.

I have one client, who lives in NW Landing in Dupont, which uses home improvements as her hobby when her husband is deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. She does journeyman quality work and she learned it all from videos, books and HGTV.

If the job is too big, by all means call a professional. If you need to fix a squeaky hinge, Do it yourself! You would be surprised how easy it is and what a feeling of accomplishment you will feel in the end...

Authored by Paul S. Henderson, Realtor ®, RE/MAX Professionals, Dupont & Lacey, WA.

(http://phenderson.net) or http://www.lacey-washington.com

©2009 Paul S. Henderson, Call your neighbor or self serve! All Rights Reserved

Dupont NW Landing Home Sales from January 1, 2009 to February 28, 2009.

I go on listing appointments all the time and am confronted by mis-information about sales of houses in the Dupont area. People quote neighbors here-say as being the gospel truth. I decide on tracking these prices for people so they can see the truth. I have combined the first 2 months but intend on doing this monthly from now on.

I have put the addresses in this post to put a face on what's selling and where.

This information is from the NW Multiple Listing Service and from the Pierce County Assessor. All information is deemed reliable but is by no way guranteed.

(BR=Bedroom SF=Square Feet DOM=Days on Market OLP=Original Listing Price SP=Sales Price)

Condo Sales

2 BR 1.75 BATH 1084 SF 2147 Hammond Ave #10B Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM)159(OLP)$217,900

(SP)$198,500

3 BR 1.75 BATH 1341 SF 1726 Kennedy Pl #5D Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM)123 (OLP)$229,950

(SP)$222,000

Home Sales (PRE-EXISTING)

4 BR 2.5 BATH 1951 SF 1208 Hudson St Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM)57 (OLP)$280,000(SP)$230,000

2 BR 2.5 BATH 1340 SF 1997 Braget St Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM)102 (OLP)$252,000(SP)$247,500

4 BR 2.5 BATH 1852 SF 3079 Walker Rd Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM)262 (OLP)$289,900(SP)$269,000

3 BR 2.5 BATH 1655 SF 2285 McDonald Ave Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM) 75 (OLP)$295,950(SP)$276,000

3 BR 2.5 BATH 2020 SF 1722 Cadborough Ln Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM)259 (OLP)$315,000(SP)$280,000

3 BR 2.5 BATH 1812 SF 2901 Hyland St Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM)123(OLP)$295,980(SP)$280,000

3 BR 2.5 BATH 1940 SF 3195 Brown Loop Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM)19 (OLP)$295,000(SP)$295,000

3 BR 2.5 BATH 2120 SF 3045 McNeil St Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM)19 (OLP)$307,500(SP)$301,500

6 BR 2.25 BATH 3258SF 1298 Hudson St Dupont, WA 98327(bank)(DOM)72 (OLP)$339,900(SP)$305,000

3 BR 2.5 BATH 2274 SF 1988 Shipman Ave Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM)270 (OLP)$339,000(SP)$320,900

3 BR 2.5 BATH 2630 SF 3103 Walker Rd Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM)106 (OLP)$379,000(SP)$357,000

4 BR 2.5 BATH 2824 SF 1500 Palisade Blvd Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM)171(OLP)$519,000 (SP)$460,000

Home Sales (NEW QUADRANT)

4 BR 2.5 BATH 1964 SF 1225 Burnside Pl Dupont, WA 98327 PRESALE (OLP)$271,675 (SP)$282,675

3 BR 2.5 BATH 2069 SF 1368 Foreman Rd Dupont, WA 98327 PRESALE (OLP)$285,990 (SP)$285,990

4 BR 2.5 BATH 2065 SF 1349 Burnside Pl Dupont, WA 98327 PRESALE (OLP)$304,240 (SP)$292,000

3 BR 2.5 BATH 2065 SF 1219 Burnside Pl Dupont,WA 98327 PRESALE (OLP)$299,390 (SP)$295,590

3 BR 2.5 BATH 2423 SF 1222 Burnside Pl Dupont, WA 98327 PRESALE (OLP)$300,090 (SP)$300,090

4 BR 2.5 BATH 2063 SF 1232 Burnside Pl Dupont, WA 98327 PRESALE (OLP)$310,358 (SP)$310,358

4 BR 3.0 BATH 2528 SF 1259 Burnside Pl Dupont, WA 98327 (DOM) 35 (OLP)$320,000 (SP)$315,000

4 BR 2.5 BATH 2418 SF 1255 Burnside Pl Dupont, WA 98327 PRESALE (OLP)$315,318 (SP)$315,318

3 BR 2.5 BATH 2586 SF 3132 Sheaser Way Dupont, WA 98327 PRESALE (OLP)$339,373 (SP)$339,373

4 BR 2.5 BATH 2887 SF 1248 Burnside Pl Dupont, WA 98327 PRESALE (OLP)$342,745 (SP)$342,745

5 BR 2.5 BATH 3162 SF 3197 Sheaser Way Dupont, WA 98327 PRESALE (OLP)$352,171 (SP)$351,258

(BR=Bedroom SF=Square Feet DOM=Days on Market OLP=Original Listing Price SP=Sales Price)

Authored by Paul S. Henderson, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, Realtor® with RE/MAX Professionals Tacoma, WA., providing enhanced levels of real estate services to home buyers and sellers in Dupont and NW Landing. Visit my website at www.phenderson.net to search for homes or compare your home with what's on the market. All information is believed to be accurate, but is not warranted in any way.

©2009 Paul S. Henderson,Dupont NW Landing Home Sales from January 1, 2009 to February 28, 2009.

All Rights Reserved