The tenth annual Backpacks for Kids campaign has begun. This campaign is amied to benefit local families who are unable to send their children to school with necessary school supplies. During this tougher economy, many families have become the working poor, and need help providing the necessities for their families.
To meet this growing need, the Northshore School District, the Woodinvile Chamber Education Committee and the Northshore Kiwanis are coordinating a community-wide drive to collect back-to-school supplies and backpacks.
This year's campaign will run through August 10th. Local businesses and churches are volunteering to be collection sites, several local banks are collecting monetary donations, and civic and youth groups are volunteering to help assemble backpacks. At the end of the campaign over 700 filled backpacks will be distributed to families in need.
For more information on where you can drop off suppies or to make a monetary donation, visit
Backpacks for Kids. Also if you are a famliy in need, you will find information on how to contact someone for assistance.
Sandy Noll
Realtor
Keller Williams Realty Kirkland
425-890-0878
sandy@sandynoll.com
www.letsachieveyourgoals.com
http://positiverealestateprofessionals.com/sandynollrealestateandmore/
Your Residential Real Estate Specialist
Last year I wrote a post, Prayers for Duane Ranstrom asking for everyone to pray for healing for Duane who's heart stopped and he was in a coma. Those prayers were answered and Duane did come out of his coma and his family got him back. It's been a long tough battle, which you can read on CaringBridge in Duane's journal.
Sadly on April 27, 2009 Duane passed away. While it is a very sad time it is also, a great thing for Duane, he was freed from the pain and medications needed to simply sustain.
I ask now that you add Duane's family to your prayers as they will greatly miss their husband, dad and grandpa.
Sandy Noll
Realtor
Keller Williams Realty Kirkland
425-890-0878
sandy@sandynoll.com
www.letsachieveyourgoals.com
http://positiverealestateprofessionals.com/sandynollrealestateandmore/
Your Residential Real Estate Specialist
Last week on the news, I saw a story about a mother who's three girls died in a house fire last fall with working smoke detectors. This prompted an investigation into which smoke detector was actually needed and why. Did you know there were different types? Ionization vs photoelectric.......I sure didn't.
Most house fires fall into the "smoldering" category. The type that occurs when, for instance a cigarette is dropped on a furniture cushion or something is placed on a baseboard heater. These fires take a long time to fully ignite, but smolder for a long time and that smoldering can be deadly!
This week I received from my local fire department, Woodinvile Fire & Life Safety, an informational brochure titled "A Tale of Two Smoke Detectors" with great tips for keeping your family safe and the difference between the two types of smoke detectors and why you should have BOTH types in your home.
An Ionization alarm is most responsive to flaming fires, but research shows most house fires do not start out as flaming fires. This smoke detector does pick up the presence of smoke, but not nearly as quickly.
A Photoelectric alarm is most responsive to a smoldering fire. This detector uses light-sensing technology to identify the presence of smoke.
The third type is the combination alarm which is both ionization and photoelectric all in one. All three look very similar, so be sure to read the packaging or ask for assistance to determine which one you are purchasing. (For a more thorough explanation of the three types visit Cableorganizer.com).
One of the industries Real Estate experts, Denise Lones sends me the Zebra Report which is ALWAYS very informative and this week is no exception. Here's what she has to say about things turning the corner here in Washington:
By Denise Lones CSP, M.I.R.M.
No, I’m not talking about spring. There is a completely different rebirth taking place—and I heard it with my own ears last week.
The sound I heard was the sound of money. Specifically, money flowing from banks. Ah, what a beautiful sound it is indeed.
Where did I hear it? From two builders.
As you may or may not know, in the course of my real estate travels I meet with a lot of Washington builders. I’m always asking them questions about the pulse of the market and how it relates to their businesses.
Last week, one of these builders said to me, “Denise, lenders are lining up to throw money at my clients.” Two had actually taken the time to call him with an offer to pay all closing costs on any property he can sell right now.
That made my ears perk up. Paying all closing costs is a generous offer in any market.
He explained to me further that the lenders are point blank telling him that they have money they need to lend—money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. They also said that they need to disperse this money immediately to comply with Federal requirements.
Now that’s the best news I’ve heard in a long while! Lenders lining up to give away money fast. Did you think you’d hear that anytime soon? I sure didn’t.
They told my builder friend to get his advertising in gear and sell some homes. Needless to say, he was excited. He told me that for him, it actually feels like life is slowly returning to normal.
But wait, it gets better.
A second builder I know told me that a lender called him to offer 3% on any sold home—money that can be used toward anything from closing costs to down payments to interest rate buy-downs.
On a $500,000 home, that’s $15,000 free dollars! Amazing. This is really good news for buyers.
For first time buyers, it’s even better. The first-time home buyer who qualifies for the $8,000 tax credit available now has an opportunity to benefit to the tune of $23,000 from the purchase of a $500,000 home.
I’m so excited about this. I never thought I would see such terms in my lifetime. And I have a feeling it’s only going to get better and better as lenders scramble to compete with each other.
But wait. I’m not done with the good news yet.
Last week, I also attended a meeting for people who sit on the boards of local banks. It was unanimous among all attendees that any and all funds received from the Federal government as “stimulus money” need to go directly to the benefit of homebuyers.
Triple crown! Three pieces of good news for all of us in just a matter of hours. Mark my words, these are the first chugs of the locomotive steam engine of recovery.
Now, I know that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is not perfect. Neither was the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. Nor the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008. Personally, I would have liked to have seen a $15,000 tax credit instead of the $8,000 that was approved. Still, the initial results we’re seeing are hopeful for a more lucrative future.
If we could only get the excessive new construction inventory sold off, then we would see some fantastic gains. When builders stopped building, they focused exclusively on selling their existing inventory. This left a gaping hole in the resale market.
Once builders run out of inventory we will see a huge boost. The resale market will rebound because there will be no new home inventory left. Then, recovery will be in full swing.
Get out there and take this information to the streets. The first signs of recovery are here. I bet you’ll be the first to bring this good news to your clients.
Thanks Denise!! Always encouraging!
Sandy Noll
Realtor
Keller Williams Realty Kirkland
425-890-0878
sandy@sandynoll.com
www.letsachieveyourgoals.com
http://positiverealestateprofessionals.com/washington/
Your Residential Real Estate Specialist
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Achieving your real estate goals is my number one priority. I'm your real estate professional for Kirkland and Woodinville and the Greater Seattle area throughout King and Snohomish Counties.
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