This year as we continue to honor our military men and women around the world, I would ask that you take time to pray for their safety and mental toughness and for their families that are here at home. All the freedoms that we possess in this country are due to their work.
So when you can worship freely, walk into a store safely, express your opinion (even when it is different than mine), choose and own your special home, always remember and appreciate that these freedoms have been bought and paid for by the soldiers who protect us.
Happy Anniversary My Dear Jessie-Joy. Our Life Together was a Season Of Firsts.
On November 7, 1998, I was blessed to marry a precious woman of God, Jessie-Joy Baker. It was a season of firsts in our lives.
First time I was loved unconditionally, and boy did I need a bunch of that.
First time I knew what it was like to be married and have the assurance and comfort that the only way our marriage would ever end was “until death do us part.”
First time that I considered someone else rather than myself, because they were more important to me than I was . First time I understood lovemaking.
First time Jessie ever had children and she loved our boys as strongly as I did.
First time we had a daughter and she loved our daughter even more than our sons.
First time our kids presented us with a grand baby. Now we have three! . First time I understood the relationship of sisters.
First time, we lived in a brand new home.
First time, I understood the true relationship with God (yes, it was Jessie that led me to the Lord).
First time, I knew the awful disease of cancer and the first time I ever saw anyone fight this disease without fear but with hope and strength and dignity.
First time, I heard a testimony about angels. (They visited her in the hospital)
First time, when Jessie told me that someday I would be able to love again, because Jessie knew I still had love to give to another and she knew there was the person out there who would honor that.
First time, I understand and witnessed how a person can die peacefully and calmly with a smile and go straight to heaven to be held by our Lord.
First time, I ever hurt and grieved so strongly about a death.
First time, I rejoiced so strongly in the perfect Gift that God gave for my wife. She was a perfect Gift and the knowledge of that soothes the hurt and grief of loss and replaces grief with thankfulness for the blessing.
Jessie died and went to heaven last month, one month before our 11th Wedding Anniversary. I am thankful that I had more than ten years of marriage to my best friend. I pray for you all that you will someday or have been blessed in your marriages with ten years as special as I was given.
Please take a minute to pray for and with your family and especially your spouse. I wish you a life of firsts as wonderful as I was able to share.
Jessie-Joy Baker McNinch Memorial Celebration Video
The memorial service video for Jessie-Joy has been completed and is posted here. It is 90 minutes long and requires kleenex, but it is a powerful celebration of her life. For our family and friends find a quiet place and make sure you are with someone you love when you see this.
The McNinch and Baker families are so appreciative of our friends at Renton Christian Centerfor bringing us together and making this day one to be remembered. The original reason to make a video was for our family and friends who could not be present. Actually this video will become a memory of Jessie-Joy that our grandkids and great grandkids can watch so they know just how loving and beautiful their grandma was.
Other posts the talk about Jessie's Life,Jessie's battle against cancer, and Jessie and Gary's love story are available on these links. Or by now you can just google Jessie-Joy McNinch or friend me on facebook and read the wonderful comments there. I will have DVD copies available which obviously are much more clear than these, just call or send an email, tweet me, ask on facebook or even send a snail mail request and I'll send you one.
Gary Keller tells the story of the founding of a unique real estate company and an open book, agent centric business model. Interesting the history of our company and how it has moved with profit sharing for agents, open financials, agents making company decisions and huge growth.
Jessie-Joy Baker McNinch was born on May 30, 1961.She passed to Heaven on October 6, 2009 at her home in Renton, WA.
Jessie-Joy is survived by her husband, Gary McNinch, sons Jeremy (Maureen) McNinch andJaKe McNinch, grandchildren Clayton, David and Audrey McNinch, parents Scotty and Lily Baker, sister Tina (Bradley) Saint John, brother Jim Baker, many aunties, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Jessie lived in Bellingham and Sacramento while growing up.She started her career in law enforcement at the age of 20 as a Communications Officer in the WSP.She was a dispatcher in Kennewick, Everett, and became the Station Supervisor in Bellevue.In 1997 the WSLCB hired Jessie as a Liquor Enforcement Officer working in Ephrata and Seattle. She retired in 2005.Jessie loved her co-workers and her work in law enforcement. Her career was exciting; she received many awards and worked with many charities.
Gary and Jessie-Joy were married in 1998 and she started a second phase of her life with kids and then grandkids who she loved dearly.
A Celebration of Jessie-Joy’s wonderful life will be held on Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 1:00 pm at the Renton Christian Center Foursquare Church, 16640 SE Old Petrovitsky Road, Renton. www.RCCFoursquare.org
Donations can be made in Jessie’s name to the Massage the Mams Team for the Susan G Komen Cancer Research Fund, www.the3day.org/goto/Gary.McNinch
Jessie-Joy’s life is a story of God’s love and grace, holding Jessie and then placing her in a position to love others.She was a great example and help to her family and friends. From earthly struggles, through God’s grace and faith, she loved many in her life and continued to love and serve until she was in Heaven.
You may have noticed that I haven't been posting my normally helpful amount of real estate news, tips and homes for sale the past 3 weeks. Please read this guest post from my friend Liz Moras. She tells the story of Jessie's fight and then last Tuesday her passing away and arriving after a straight shot to Heaven. Now Jessie is dancing, talking, praising, singing and greeting our friends who went to heaven before us.
My team and the great friends at Keller Williams in Renton have handled my business. Please look on my facebook page profile, there is a rolling memorial that has been started by our friends.
Thank you to all my friends, Realtors, and clients who have been praying for Jessie. Your prayers have been answered, as they always are. The Gary McNinch Team home website is www.RentonHomeFinder.com
In its press release, the FOMC noted that the U.S. economy is "picking up following its severe downturn" and that financial markets have "improved further".
It's the second consecutive post-FOMC statement in which the Fed appears somewhat optimistic -- a signal that the recession will end soon, or has already ended.
That said, the economy still has some soft spots and the Fed made a point to single them out. Each poses a distinct threat to economic recovery.
Ongoing job losses
Sluggish income growth
Tight credit conditions
Also in its statement, the Fed confirmed its plan to hold the Fed Funds Rate near zero percent "for an extended period" and to honor its $1.25 trillion commitment to the mortgage bond market.
However, the FOMC changed its timeframe on the mortgage-backed bond buys, extending its deadline to March 2010. This move should help the Fed keep mortgage rates from rising too high as the economic expansion takes hold.
Market reaction to the Fed's press release is positive. After an early day sell-off that drove rates higher by about a quarter-percent, most of the pressure is easing. Pricing is worse on the day overall, but well off its lows.
Renton Dog Park Opens with a Bark and Nicely Done.
City of Renton just opened the Cedar River Off Leash Dog Park. I was looking at homes in Fairwood the other day and swung by to take a look. Nicely done. Kudos to the city and the RUFF (Renton Unleashed Furry Friends) volunteers who raised money and worked on this project.And sometimes it' s important to remember that some people love their dogs more than their kids.
401K Retirement Funds for a Downpayment? Lots of Tax Implications.
Using 401(k) Funds For A Downpayment? First, Consider The Tax Implications.
As downpayment requirements increase, anecdotally, Renton and Kent home buyers are tapping 401(k) plans for extra cash.
Classified as a "hardship withdrawal", loans against your retirement funds can be cheap and simple.
There's no credit check or approval process
There's only a small set of paperwork
Money can be available in as little as a day
But just because you can get access to your retirement money doesn't mean that you should. 401(k) withdrawals should only be made after careful consideration. READ THIS AGAIN, THEN CALL ME AND I'LL REFER YOU TO MY CPA FOR ADVICE!!!!
There are some serious negatives, specifically with respect to taxation.
If you open a 401(k) loan and don't repay according to the loan terms, the withdrawal ends up getting taxed as income, plus a 10 percent penalty for people under 59 1/2.
That's a stiff penalty.
But, even if you do repay the loan on time, you're still getting leaving yourself subject to double-taxation.
Taxation #1 occurs when the loan is repaid using post-tax dollars
Taxation #2 occurs upon final withdrawal at retirement
Furthermore, when you borrow against a 401(k), you assume the opportunity costs of having that money out of the market. Since March, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 44 percent. THIS IS AMAZING IN ITSELF, in my humble opinion. If your 401(k) was empty, you'd have missed those gains forever.
Taking a loan against a 401(k) isn't necessarily a bad idea, there just may be better choices. If you're planning to withdraw from your 401(k) to make a down payment on a Renton home, talk with a qualified financial professional first. We want to help you spend your money on a great Renton home and make it a special investment, but more importantly we want you to do it with a financial plan.
Bernanke and Clues About the Future of Renton Mortgage Rate -- How about Everyone's Best Guess?
Ben Bernanke Leaves Clues About The Future Of Mortgage Rates
On the 1-year anniversary of the Lehman Brothers collapse (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT HAS ALREADY BEEN A YEAR), Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said Tuesday that the "recession is very likely over at this point".
Equities improved on the day, mortgage markets worsened, and Renton home affordability suffered.
The days of ultra-low Renton mortgage rates may be coming to an end.
Since last September, mortgage bonds markets have been in Rally Mode. As the Financial Crisis of 2008 worsened, investors fled the relatively risky world of stocks and moved dollars into safer investments like cash and bonds -- including the mortgage-backed kind.
Risk aversion is common when market uncertainty exists but last year's aversion was so strong that, by late-November, it had forced mortgage rates down to an all-time low.
Since November, however, rates have been on the rise. Stronger economic data and a NATIONAL general feeling of optimism have helped stock markets recover and some of those gains are coming at the expense of low mortgage rates.
Therefore, if you're wondering what mortgage rates might do going forward, listen to the words of the Federal Reserve Chairman. If he sees economic recovery ahead, it's probably going to happen.
It should spell higher mortgage rates into 2010. In fact my guess is rates will be in the middle 6's by next summer. And my personal opinion is that the economic slowdown-recession-depression or whatever you want to call it in the Puget Sound is not over. It is going to be another year or two and many local families are going to struggle. Our area entered the depression late and we may be the last to come out of it.
Give us your thoughts about the local economyand we will talk about the Renton Real Estate economy. The old adage, as most are, is true "Real Estate is Local".
Our thoughts from the Gary McNinch Team Renton Realtors.
FHA 203K Rehab Loans for those fixer upper Renton homes
Great info from Cathy and Kimberly of Evergreen Home Loans about the latest in Rehab loans for buying Renton fixer upper homes. They sent me this email with the latest. It's important to have great resources at your disposal to answer these type of questions. So here is the info from Evergreen:
In the world of real estate sales, personal development and growth, Zig Ziglar was one of the best of the originals. His outlook was always serve others first and then you will receive. Here is a cute movie where his son Tom has taken some of his dad's favorite sayings and modified them for Twitter, the latest sales tool. Enjoy.
How to Change Your Address Online with the Post Office
How To Change Your USPS Mailing Address Online
After we sell your old Renton home and help you buy a new Renton home, filing an official Change of Address form with the United States Postal Service is one of the most important steps in the moving process.
It's how bills, letters and catalogs find you after your change of residence. Of course you may not want all the catalogs and crap because most of us do our shopping online, but anyway we still need the mail. And besides I like my mailman.
Strangely, though, a lot of people wait until the last-minute-before-moving before telling the post office that a Change of Address in needed. As a result, mail gets lost-in-transit as "undeliverable".
It doesn't have to be like that.
In addition to the USPS' own online forms, there are third-party companies that combine secure online address changes with money-saving coupons for sure-to-be-needed utilities including cable, phone and electric.
If you're moving to Kent or relocating to Renton, think about updating your USPS mailing address as soon as you have a move date. This will give the postal service enough lead time to process your order and, if the move doesn't go through as planned, you can always cancel out.
They key is to make sure your mail delivery stays uninterrupted -- from one home to the next. We want this part of the process to be as smooth as we promise the rest of the process will be. And of course we stand by our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
By its most common definition, a quitclaim deed is a document by which one person passes legal and financial ownership of a home to another person.
It's also a way for an owner of a home to remove himself from the title to the property.
Often misspelled as "quick claim deed" or "quit claim deed", quitclaim deeds have a multitude of applications, including:
Assigning a home to a trust or entity
Adding a partner to title after marriage
Removing a partner from title after divorce
In order to quitclaim a property, the grantor must have the legal right to assign the property to a grantee, or else the quitclaim deed is worthless. For example, you can quitclaim your interest in City Hall to your neighbor, but it would have no practical or legal consequence because you don't actually own City Hall. Although with the taxes we pay, we really should have a legal right to occupancy in the courthouse or library.
This is where quitclaim deeds vary from warranty deeds (or grant deeds) -- the types of transfers that occur when real estate is sold by the Gary McNinch Team. In instances of the former, the title to a home is guaranteed to be clear. That is why we work with great Title and Escrow Companies like Ticor in Renton.
Before using a quitclaim deed on your own home, consult an estate planning attorney. Transferring real property can trigger a will, or trigger taxes -- it's important to consult a professional for help. ***** NOTE PLEASE READ THIS AGAIN. IF YOU NEED THE NAME OF A GREAT ATTORNEY, CALL ME AND I CAN HELP YOU OUT. *****
There are so many ins and outs of our real estate business, make sure you use a veteran group to sell a home in Renton. We hate it when we see someone get poor representation and then we hear the story about how their agent messed up. Call us we will do it right.
Why An 800 Credit Score Doesn't Really Matter When Buying A Newcastle Home
Why An 800 Credit Score Doesn't Really Matter
Since mid summer of 2007, Renton mortgage lenders have clamped down in many areas of underwriting, but none more so than in the area of credit scoring.
Minimum FICO levels are up 120 points or more and conforming mortgage lenders now levy large fees on borrowers whose scores are below 740.
Keeping your credit scores high is a worthwhile goal, but it's not always easy to do -- especially when you don't know the ins-and-out of how the credit scoring system works.
The Wall Street Journal wrote a terrific piece on credit scoring this week. It's full of helpful, relevant tips for home buyers, homeowners, and everyone else.
Aside from covering the five basic components of a credit score -- shown at right -- the piece provides insightful advice on credit-related topics including:
The difference between a "hard inquiry" and a "soft inquiry"
Why paying for your credit report is a foolish use of funds
Why it doesn't matter if you have an 800 FICO
The article also talks about the optimal balance a person should carry on their credit cards to get the biggest FICO boost.
Credit scores determine your mortgage rate. Therefore, do what you can to keep your scores high. Follow the tips in the Wall Street Journal article and lean on public resources like myFICO.com.
Having good credit can be a real money-saver, not only in the interest rate on your monthly investment when buying a Renton home, but it affects your car insurance and house insurance and many other payments. Save the money, Month after month after month. Use the savings for your kids, or your toys or even better yet give it to your favorite Renton church or charity.
More great info from your Renton WA Real Estate Team. We want you to be satisfied real estate customers for life and send us referrals to your friends and family. So thanks for helping build our business and we hope this is helpful. Sorry about the rant about credit, I just hate to see our friends waste money.
Family Budget, Where Does Your Money Go? And What About Dave Ramsey!
Where Does The Money Go?
Where does the money go? And what about Dave Ramsey?
If you're like most U.S. consumers, more than half of it goes to housing and transportation costs.
According to the government's most recent Consumer Expenditure Survey, spending patterns are little changed from years prior.
More money is spent on entertainment and less money is spent on dining out. Beyond that, the figures are somewhat static.
Meanwhile, using on the survey's industry-by-industry breakdown, we can see how monthly housing payments and daily commuting costs impact a household's budget. Lately many of our friends and some family have started or completed the Dave Ramsey Financial University program. Imagine, learning how to build a budget, not waste money and learn restraint, until the only debt left is the house. Novel concept since we just came out of the "use my home equity as an ATM" mentality.
For the budget-conscious, going out less often and bargain-shopping can help pad the bottom line, but not as much as living in a less expensive home or moving closer to work.
Even a refinance into lower rates can make a difference. When you want to talk about moving to a less expensive home, or selling your Renton home and moving up, or headed for give us a call, we can get you to the right place in your financial plan.
Shift on Appraisals, Lenders Add Power and Critics - Series - NYTimes.com
New Rules for Appraisers when you are buying or selling your Renton home. Great article by the NY Times explaining the change in the requirements for appraisals.
In fact, I was talking with an appraiser the other day. Veteran local appraiser and he had completed an appraisal and was "sure I am going to have to send another explanation." Because he was far outside the parameters usually allowed in making adjustments. But he was responding to the Renton real estate market in it's current form and getting a true value of the home he was appraising.
I think it is great that appraisers are not being pushed to the limits on the value of a Renton home as they were (read WAMU did it) during the boom. But it is too bad that the pendulum has moved so far the other way that veteran appraisers have to spend extra time rejustifying their prices.
Give us a call, email, tweet, text or drop us a line if you are wondering about the value of your Renton Home or what the neighbors homes have sold for. We have a great tool Market Snapshot that feeds live from the MLS. Free and no pressure.
Closing your Renton Home Purchase On or Near Labor Day, Plan Ahead, We Will Help!
Closing Your Renton Home Purchase On Or Near Labor Day? Plan Ahead.
As the unofficial end of summer, Labor Day weekend is popular vacation time for American families.
And this year, with home sales on the rise and mortgage rates relatively low, early-September figures to be a popular closing date, too.
These points may appear unrelated, but there is an important connection between them.
Like workers in every other industry, employees of the mortgage, title, and real estate industries are just as likely to be taking time off on and around Labor Day. And especially the great professionals that the Gary McNinch Team relies on to help our clients. Ticor Title and Escrow in Renton, Evergreen Home Loans in Seattle and others, THEY DESERVE A COUPLE EXTRA DAYS OFF! Because they bust their butts for us!
For buyers with pending contracts, therefore, the closer that early-September closing date gets, the fewer industry folks that will be working to help close on your new house.
The same goes for households in the middle of a refinance.
With less than 4 weeks until Labor Day, you can take steps today to prepare for other people's time off. Here's a few of them:
Notify your lender of any planned vacation time between now and your scheduled closing.
Purchase a homeowners insurance policy and prepay the first year, effective your closing date. Send proof of payment to your lender.
Have Power of Attorney forms lender-approved and signed by all parties, if applicable.
Deposit gift monies and/or retirement fund withdrawals into an acceptable bank account, if applicable.
Schedule your final walk-through far enough in advance to resolve any issues that may arise
Have your funds ready for closing at least 1 day early.
And, perhaps most important, fulfill your mortgage lender's requests for additional supporting documentation within 24 hours of notice. This includes requests for updated paystubs, bank statements, and tax returns.
The best reason to handle these tasks in advance is that, by the time Labor Day is around the corner, basic mortgage approval tasks will already take longer to complete -- from clearing conditions to sending a wire. Reduced staff means slower response times.
Stay ahead of the curve and help save yourself from potential headaches down the road.There are over 180 items that we have to take care of for our satisfied clients, this is just one. Common knowledge from experienced real estate agents. And, if possible, avoid closing on the Friday before Labor Day and the Tuesday after. On these days, staffs are the most lean of all.
All-Natural Pest Control That's Effective And Safe For Kids And Pets
In between visits from the exterminator, it's not uncommon to see the occasional ant, spider or roach or insect around the house.
In fact, Sunday evening a group of neighbors were having a bbq in Ashburn our townhome community in Rentonand someone started digging up a small crack in the sidewalk. Then of course the ants came out to see what was up. OH MY GOD...... Spray the ants ...... so they were drowned in gobs of ant killer chemical.... Everyone had a different opinion. Leave them alone, kill and burn them all, move the chair, flee madly running and screaming. It was pretty fun for a few seconds. Me of course grew up farming and a few little ants don't cause too much problem.
But what to do about it?
One solution is Terminix SafeShield, a new, eco-friendly home pest control product introduced earlier this year.
Formulated by an independent pesticide company, Terminix SafeShield is a non-aerosol bug spray whose active ingredients are all-natural. The formula is said to control 25 types of in-home pests and kills bugs fast.
Because of its natural composition, SafeShield is safe for use around kids and pets -- a huge advantage over chemical-laden, off-the-shelf products. However, this same composition is also the product's weak spot. Its oils and ingredients are most effective as spot treatments -- not long-lasting ones.
Although it's meant to complement a professional Terminix treatment, SafeShield can be purchased by-the-bottle at the Terminix website.
Just a little environmentally friendly info from the Gary McNinch Team your Renton Realtors.
Foreclosures Concentrated in 3 States, Great Deals in Renton Too
Foreclosures Continue To Concentrate Across Just 3 States
Foreclosure-tracker RealtyTrac reports that the number of foreclosures nationwide rose 7 percent on a month-to-month basis last month.
However, 3 states dominated the foreclosure list, tallying more foreclosures between them than the rest of the country combined.
California : 30.0 percent
Florida : 15.7 percent
Arizona : 5.4 percent
On a per-household basis, the states ranked 2, 3 and 4. Only Nevada's foreclosure rate was higher.
Now, we point out these statistics for two reasons.
The first is to remind you that foreclosures can be highly local. For all of the foreclosure-related stories that run in the papers and on TV, defaults make a much larger impact on home values in some areas versus others.
And, second -- foreclosures can represent a terrific buying opportunity. Not every foreclosed home is in pristine condition, but there is a plethora of affordable housing out there, suitable for first-time buyer, move-up buyers and investors, too.
Furthermore, as banks get better at disposing of foreclosed homes, the process of buying one isn't as challenging as it was, say, 12 months ago.
So long as buying foreclosures is a high-touch process -- and it is a high-touch process -- you may want to have a human face and agent to guide you through it. Or you may not (and of course that would be a mistake) I mean you wouldn't do surgery on yourself would you? Then don't try and buy a $350,000 Renton home by yourself either.
The complete RealtyTrac report is available online. Just give us a holler and we will find everything you need.
One of the most important ways that our team sells Renton homes is on the net. No one uses print anymore. Facebook, Twitter (a micro blog) and regular blogs are the way we get info to people and people find us.
Here is a great post from John Novak, Keller Williams Realtor in Nevada. For all my business friends and clients check out the post by Mari Smith.
Helping my business partners to prosper too. Good for one of us is good for all of us.
How quickly could your business grow if you could speak with 15-20 people at a time? What if your friends had an easy online way to recommend you? How can you use links, photos, and video to virally promote yourself and your ideas? All of this can be accomplished with Facebook Events.
Spend a few minutes watching Mari's fast-moving video and you'll definitely come away with some new insights on how to see and be seen on Facebook, how to actively engage others and leverage the Facebook platform, and how to effectively market your events.
More great info from your Renton Wa Real estate team. We just don't sell houses the way we used to do it!
Independence Day Celebration in Renton WA at Coulon Park on Lake Washington
Take a look at the City of Renton webpage about the great Independence Day Celebration at Coulon Park on Lake Washington in Renton.
Saturday Afternoon Party, Saturday evening Fireworks. Thank you to all the sponsors and the City Employees who work to make this great while our families can party.
This great day is sponsored by the retail establishments in the Landing, so make sure you support our local businesses.
Enjoy the day with your family, friends and neighbors and if you are thinking ofrelocating to Rentontake a look at the city website and you will see how much is happening in our community.
Our freedom has been earned and paid for by our service men and women. When you see a military person or their family this weekendmake sure and take a moment to say thank you and express your appreciation. Enjoy the red, white and blue.
We subscribe to the Keller Williams Realty Company Motto, "God, Family, then Business." Enjoy all three this weekend.
And nobody predicted just how big the government's stimulus package would be.
Now, on June 30, with the year officially half-over, it's as good a time as any to remember that people are much better at interpreting the past than predicting the future. Economists can make educated guesses about the future, but they're guesses nonetheless.
It's like watching the Weather Channel. A meterologist can look at the data and say it's going to rain next week, but the forecast is never 100%. As Gary Keller, founder of Keller Williams Realty, said last fall, "real estate is local and saying that real estate in one place is the same as another is the same as saying the weather is the same everywhere."
So far this year, mortgage rates have been up and down, credit availability has been higher and lower, and home prices have varied immensely from neighborhood to neighborhood.
There's another 6 months until 2010 and there's no reason to expect the current volatility and uncertainty to change. Yesterday, a new client asked me what I thought would happen in our Renton housing market in the next year or so and my answer was "more of the same"...... still flat with rates up and down and another load of adjustable rate mortgages coming due this fall to increase our distressed housing supply."
The world is unpredictable and so is the U.S. economy. Therefore, consider making your personal finance decisions based on the information at hand today instead of on an educated guess about the future. Remember we only have 3 months to find the right home and get an offer written if you are using the "first time home buyer $8000 tax credit." Do not hesitate on this one.
National Open House Sunday -- Come See Us in Ashburn
Today is National Realtor Association Open House Sunday. Realtors from all over are holding open houses to highlight the great inventory of homes and we have lots of homes for sale in Renton.
Jamie Dorn and I are highlighting a beautiful one bedroom townhome in Ashburn. Come see us just south of Valley Medical Center in Renton. We'll be there from 1Pm to 4Pm.
Please take a look at this great Ashburn condo virtual tour.
Environmentally Smart and Green, how about Propane Powered Lawn Tools
Why Propane-Powered Lawn Care Tools Are Earning EPA Accolades
Motorized garden tools come in two varieties -- gas-powered and electric-powered.
If you take a close look, however, you'll notice that professional landscapers and gardening experts almost always choose the gas-powered types. This is because gas-powered garden tools both outperform and outlast their electric counterparts.Plus I always loved to whack down the biggest weeds especially after a long shift chasing down speeders and felons. I could space out, relax, get dirty and get back to my farm roots.
On the downside, gas engines are an environmental nightmare.
According to the California Air Resources Board, a typical 5-horsepower, gasoline-powered lawnmower produces more pollution in 60 minutes of operation than a Toyota Prius produces in 800 miles of driving. And I like my new Prius lots (43+ mpg no matter what).
The environmental pollution created by lawn care products is one of the reasons why the Eco Trimmer by Lehr is getting such good buzz. As the first propane-powered garden tool, the Eco Trimmer combines the lawn care power of a gas-powered tool with the environmental accountability of an electric one.
The propane-powered tool emits 96 percent fewer carcinogens than a gas-powered tool and is completely non-toxic to ground and soil. Its performance is highly-rated, too. Now that we live in the Ashburn townhomes, I can do a little (very little) flower gardening, but no more weed wacking, moving, trimming etc. Oh well at least I won't be polluting the earth like the olden days. Gonna head out and put together the new barbeque now. Enjoy your week.
The Eco Trimmer sells for about $200 on Amazon.com and is available in most major hardware stores, in fact I saw it at McLendons in Renton and Home Depot in Tukwila the other day. You can read more about the product and its environmental impact at the official Lehr website. Gary McNinch Team Renton Wa Real Estate with more good information for all home owners, from approval, to purchase to maintenance too.
Tighter mortgage guidelines since late-2008 are forcing home buyers to make bigger downpayments. Anecdotally, the change has led to a surge in buyers taking gifts of cash from family members. Especially First Time Home Buyers taking advantage of the $8,000 Tax Credit.
If you're among those accepting a cash gift from family, it's important to know that you can't just deposit the money in your bank account.
There is a proper way to accept a cash gift and it requires 3 distinct steps:
Complete and sign an acceptable gift letter
Document the gifter's withdrawal of funds with teller receipts
Document the giftee's deposit of funds with teller receipts
See, mortgage lenders pay close attention to gifts-for-downpayments. For one, lenders have to make sure that downpayment cash is "clean" (i.e. not laundered). And, secondly, they want the gift to really be a gift and not a loan-in-disguise. Underwriters see this as a red flag, but once you have the proper paperwork in place the purchase of the home can proceed.
This is why lenders will often require that a signed, dated letter accompany the home loan application.
As an example:
I am the [relationship to recipient] of [name of recipient] and this letter serves as evidence that I am gifting [name of recipient] [amount of gift] to be used for the purchase of the home at [complete address of property].
This is a gift -- not a loan -- and there is no expectation of repayment.
Signed, [Signature of gifter]
To further appease lenders, gift recipients should make sure that gift funds are not commingled at the time of deposit. If the gift is for $12,000, for example, the bank's deposit slip should indicate that a $12,000 deposit was made -- nothing more, nothing less. Instead of trying to do this yourselves, call the Gary McNinch Team and we will get you directly in touch with a great lender that we trust Evergreen Home Loans. They have helped our clients with this process in the past.
Don't add a random $50 check to the deposit, in other words. If you have a separate deposit to make, make it as a subsequent transaction with its own receipt.
It's also worth noting that gifting funds between family members can create both legal and tax liabilities. If you're unsure about how donating or receiving a gift may impact you, call or email me directly. If I can't help you with your questions, I can refer you to Cheryl Clark, CPA. I ask Cheryl's advice quite often to help our clients. Gary McNinch Team Renton Wa Realtor with more great info to make sure you purchase exactly the Renton home that fits your needs.
Trulia Answer -- Will He Call Me and Get Some Help to Buy Maple Valley Home??
love this house Trulia Question on a Property in Maple Valley from a buyer named Chris Home BuyerRenton, WA
i would love to know how much they bought this house for as i like the house and would seriously consider an offer at around 265k do you think this would be pushing my luck ?--This question is about this property: http://www.trulia.com/property/1079842663-23804-SE-281st-Ln-…
This home is in Glacier Park development, across the street and one block from highly rated Glacier Park Elementary. Originally Bill Ruth owned this property and sold it to Capstone Homes who built these homes in 03,04,05.
The current owners purchased in November 05 for $299K and appear to have a first and second loan for $285K at the time of purchase. Probably put 5% or 15K down payment. Anyway, it is hard to tell because the square footage on the King County Tax records appears to be in error. I'm not sure exactly which model this home was, since there were quite a few floorplans.
These homes were great with high ceilings, lots of windows and bright, and location to the school and Elk Run Golf Course is great. These homes sold quickly in the hot market of 04 and 05. If the current owners paid off a normal amount in 4 years, they probably have about 25-35K equity. They were originally priced at 309K and did a 10K reduction after two weeks. At 8.2% cost of sale on current list price of $300K, they are just about even if they sell for full price. This is actually better than people who got loans up to 103% of value and now are way underwater on their value and are selling their distressed homes or short sale.
If you are interested in taking a look at this home and are a serious and qualified buyer call me and my buyers agent will help you out. The listing agent is a veteran too, so it should be fun, if you like it and we decide to make an offer. I think that $265K is too low, but in this market you never know, especially considering the amount of loss of value in Maple Valley market the past two years.
Let me know if our team can help, call, shoot me an email or text. Good luck, Gary
Gary McNinch Keller Williams SES Renton 206-696-2329 Trulia Pro gary@garymcninch.com Web Reference: http://www.RentonHomeFinder.com
So, the question is ??? Will he call me for help. Some buyers don't know that the sellers pay all the commission so our services for the buyer are paid by the SELLER.
Discount Points and Financing When You Buy a Renton Home
What Are Discount Points?
Most often referred to as just-plain "points", discount points are an up-front fee charged by a mortgage lender in exchange for a lower mortgage rate.
The dollar value of one point is one percent on the loan size. Discount points appear on Good Faith Estimates and HUD-1 Settlement Statements on Line 802.
Historically, each 1 point paid by a borrower lowers an offered interest rate by a quarter-percent. Since the late-2008, however, this relationship is skewed.
Depending on market conditions, 1 point paid by a borrower can lower a mortgage rate by up to 0.875 percent.
As an example of how points work, a $200,000 home loan may be offered at 5.500 percent with 0 points. With 1 discount point paid at closing -- $2,000 -- the mortgage rate may lower to 5.125 percent.
In addition to lowering your interest rate, discount points may be tax-deductible, too. Therefore, be sure to provide your home settlement statements from the previous calendar year to your accountant during Tax Season.
About Gary McNinch's Renton, WA Real Estate Website: The www.rentonhomefinder.com web site provides Downtown Renton, Renton Highlands, Kennydale, Newcastle, Talbot Hill, Cascade, Kent, Skyway and Fairwood, Washington real estate information and resources to guide homeowners, homebuyers and real estate investors through the process of selling and buying a house, condo or other realty property in the Renton area. Gary McNinch Garie, Garry, McNich, McNitch, or McInch has services to help you get the best value for your Renton home and this website offers home buyers and home sellers a superior comparative market analysis (CMA), a way to view real estate and MLS IDX listings including virtual tours, prepare your home for sale, and more. Investors looking for real estate investment properties to invest in need look no farther. Anyone selling a home, buying a home or seeking housing can learn more about our realty services, and will appreciate working with a Renton REALTOR who knows the area so well. Through trusted partners, we also provide real estate and financial services to consumers looking for houses for sale or selling their home in Renton, WA, such as mortgages, credit history, new homes, foreclosures and other services. If you've already tried to go the for sale by owner (FSBO) route and find you are needing a partner who you can trust in the sale of your most precious asset, Gary McNinch can take care of your special needs. It really doesn't matter if you spell it REALTOR, Realator or Realter, realty, realety or reality, real estate or realestate, Gary speaks your language.
After we 
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is getting such good buzz. As the first propane-powered garden tool, the Eco Trimmer combines the lawn care power of a gas-powered tool with the environmental accountability of an electric one. 
Tighter mortgage guidelines since late-2008 are forcing home buyers to make bigger downpayments. Anecdotally, the change has led to a surge in buyers taking gifts of cash from family members. Especially First Time Home Buyers taking advantage of the $8,000 Tax Credit.
Most often referred to as just-plain "points", 
