My wife and I were driving around the neighborhood the other night in our old truck named chuck and were very pleased to see how many lights are up. It seems like even in the tough times people still have a great Christmas spirit which is awesome to see. We are sure there are more lights up this year than last. I hope your local neighborhoods, just as LakeLand Village, Allyn Wa are seeing the same results. Merry Christmas to everyone and have a great new year, Ryan 12/06/2008

I picked my daughter Megan up from a school dance last night. She had a great time. It was a lot of fun even thought the music was loud.(I thought kids liked loud music, it drowns out the annoying parent voices in their heads!)But she said she wanted to tell me a story about a girl that she was talking to at the dance,I braced myself for a scary story. Megan said when she went in to use the restroom there was a girl sitting on the floor looking very dejected. She ask if something was wrong and the girl responded with a mopey, no. Meg could not help herself and said, I can tell something is bothering you, or you would not be just sitting on the floor while everyone else is having a good time out there. The girl responded with a boyfrind story, and how he had broke up with her, and was no... 12/06/2008

Now we are in the advent season and the weather is cooler, but today the sun shone on the water and we had blue skies.  Here we enjoy so many recreational activities all year long.  Our scenery is unbeatable and the Puget Sound waterfront living is like nothing else.   Where else can you sail, kayak, row, play golf and ski all through the winter? Real estate prices are better than ever and the interest rates are in the mid five percent range.  Come and enjoy the best lifestyle anywhere!             12/05/2008

Did you know that in Allyn, Washington along the North Bay, of Case Inlet we have a mystery rock? It was discovered many years ago and appears to have ancient Indian writing on it. I was told that someone had tried to excavate it a long time ago, but after digging hundreds of feet down was not able to locate the bottom. Many of the locals that have been here for years know of this rock, but I am not sure how many of the new comers do. Allyn has a lot of large rocks just sitting around,and not really attached to anything at all. They are not part of a cliff or a ridge they are just gigantic boulders placed here and there. I will include a photo of the rock next time I am out. Until then I will be looking at all of the large Allyn Boulders a little closer. 12/05/2008

Do you remember Teddy Ruxpin? He was the hot toy in Christmas 1988. Kids loved him and parents could not believe that they could buy a teddy bear that would share bedtime stories with their kids. I too was amazed when a little girl I was babysitting had one, and I could watch him move and listen to him speak. I thought it was the coolest. What toys do you remember from Christmas past? 12/05/2008

Are you trying to make ends meet. At the last moment do you get that payment in on time? Do you feel left out, because as much as you struggle those that are not making it any more have all of the options available to them. I am right there. Real Estate was a lot lighter this year. I am into the savings, and making ends meet is a lot harder. Every month I get it done, but for how long. I called the credit card co. and asked if I could make arrangements to reduce the payment amount short term, and they would not help me, because I was not late. They actually suggested that I don't make my payment... then call. I was hoping to be on the up and up and do a preemptive strike. What is wrong with this country, when everyone wants a hand out and no one wants to honestly try, and those that do ... 12/05/2008

On the First Thursday of each Month, Allyn Community Association members gather at the Boat House Restaurant in Downtown Allyn to discuss Community Business. I was there with my new early Christmas Gift, a Panasonic compact camera, and snapped a shot of the members. I asked all of them to Shout out "LOCALISM" instead of cheeze. The Allyn Community is very excited about having their Community talked about in LOCALISM.   12/04/2008

In case you did not know, here is a little piece of trivia. Polar Bears in Washington State love ice cream.I thought it was crazy, but then how often do you get a chance to let them have a lick. As you can see this Polar Bear is well on his way to a total ice cream binge. By the way their favorite flavor is Spumoni.At least it happens to be this guy's favorite. 12/03/2008

      This was my moon tonight. I love the colors and the fact that it is not just for me, but for all of us. When I am far from home, I look up and see my moon, and know that it also belongs to those I love. There is something mystical about it... 12/03/2008

  This picture was taken on a trip our family made to Eastern Washington. We had a great time. and the kids and I thought it would be a lot of fun to stop and check out this giant wagon. Dan reluctantly got in, and I had to grab his picture.This is a park in downtown Spokane.If you ever have the chance I would recommend stopping by. The handle is a slide to get out. 12/03/2008

"Sparky" and "BuckWheat"  visit Allyn, WA! (that is the Headline for the community of Allyn this morning!) What a great morning staff meeting this morning at Windermere Peninsula Properties which is located in Allyn and Belfair WA. Our usual routine Tuesday morning meeting was pleasantly changed as our special speaker this morning was  Rich Jacobsen with the Active Rain Community. Rich brought along Mark Flanders with Olympic Northwest asking him to tag along (or maybe he was DRUG ALONG?? Not sure about that one - Mark was a little on the quiet side. We'll have to ask about that....)  At any rate, we hope they enjoyed being here with us as much as we did with them. It is always cool and exciting to actually meet someone in person once you have "met" them on line. But this was a little ... 12/02/2008

A BIG 'Thanks!' to the agents and staff of Windermere Peninsula Properties in Allyn WA for enduring participating in our meeting this morning! Richard Bell, Managing Broker of Windermere Peninsula Properties (with two offices serving the North Mason market - Allyn and Belfair) is a member of ActiveRain, along with several of his agents, including Dinah Lee Griffey, Valerie Spaulding, and Michelle Roethle. I had commented on one of Richard's posts a couple weeks ago, and our dialog turned into an opportunity for me to visit their office and talk with their agents about Web 2.0, Social Media, Blogging, and ActiveRain. Along for the ride was my trusty companion and SoundBiteBlog Sidekick, Buckwheat (aka Mark Flanders). If you're part of the NWMLS in the greater Seattle area, and would like... 12/02/2008

Have you ever seen a sunset so beautiful you could never forget it? I took this picture last fall, and I found it again today when I was digging through old folders. It is one of my favorites and it reminds me of how truly beautiful nature can be.I am sure this winter will bring many more inspiring evenings. 12/01/2008

The seagull does not keep track of market trends. The seagull does not worry over the morning news, and the latest stats. The seagull flies. The seagull drifts through the clouds with out a concern. Time is what it is and the day will bring what ever it does.Tomorrow will come, the sun will rise, and the seagull will fly.The Seagull is free. 12/01/2008

The Tacoma Narrows bridge is incredible. We recently added a second bridge and it has dramatically reduced the commute times. I for one actually enjoy heading over the bridge now. Once known as Galloping Gerty for the rocking and rolling action the bridge experienced before collapsing in the 20th century, it is considered and icon of Washington State. 12/01/2008

When I left for Seattle this morning there were high hopes that the day would be sunny and beautiful. I could literally see it on the horizon. When I arrived back in town however, there was no hope of  sunshine. So I curled up with a great comedy, my girls, and a hot cup of Christmas cocoa. 12/01/2008

It's hard to believe that the Holidays are upon us! But even with the holiday activity,there are still people out there buying and selling and everyday  people ask me what is going on in the real estate market in Belfair and Allyn? I love reviewing the stats for the different areas and sharing that information with each and everyone who asks! Today we are going to look specifically at the real estate market in Lakeland Village in Allyn, WA.   Here's the latest for  the month of November. ACTIVE HOMES FOR SALE IN LAKELAND VILLAGE: (these are what a seller is up against for competition and what is available for buyers to purchase). There are currently 31 active homes for sale listed with realtors in LakeLand Village.  The average days on the market for these homes is 278 days. The averag... 12/01/2008

First Post of the Month... and would'nt you know it, I just have to provide a statistical report for Mason County Real Estate for the two week period of November 1st through November 15th. I know there are some local Realtors and industry followers out there just waiting anxiously for this informative information.  The following Real Estate data - is what it is. You tell me how we're doing. Real Estate Sales for November 1 through November 15, 2008 posted 30 total sales in the amount of $5,085,625. Single family homes on less than 5 acres accounted for 16 of the total sales. New single family homes posted 2 sales. There was 1 sale of a Multi-family unit, 1 sale of a Commercial property and 1 Condominium sale. Land sold with a Mobile recorded 3 sales. There were also 3 sales of Land Only... 12/01/2008

I love writing Haikus and there has been a lot of inspiration on Active Rain this week. I have read several posts about clouds. the pictures are incredible, and I thought I would share one of my own with a Haiku. If you are not familiar with a Haiku it is a form of poetry from Japan they are simple and usually about nature.When writing one they do not have to rhyme, and they probably should not. Just have the first line with 5 syllables- the second with 7- and the third with 5 again. This is a great way to get kids to write, and it can be a lot of fun. Once you start good luck stopping! Shifting in the Wind All colors of the Rainbow Pictures in the Sky 11/30/2008

Sometimes I think the hardest part of buying or selling a home is agreeing on everything. It is going to have some give and take somewhere down the line. He wants a huge garage- she wants to live in a community with CCR's. He wants acreage, she wants a jetted bath. Maybe you find a home in your price range that has it all, but most of the time someone will have to make a concession somewhere. If you are in the Market for a new home have you made a list of wants? Have you shopped on-line together to see what you can both agree on? It is important when asking your Realtor for help that you have a basic idea of what you are looking for and why. New houses are coming on the market everyday,and there are terrific deals to be had right now. So if you are starting to look, start with a list, a... 11/30/2008