You're likely approaching moving day with equal parts excitement and dread. The excitement: a new home, a new life - a fresh start! The dread: moving. However, you can't go from "Old, Boring Life" to "New, Exciting Life" without passing through "Moving Day." Thankfully, the day itself needn't be an ordeal, if you keep in mind four things you absolutely should not forget to do. 1. Don't forget to make sure everything is loaded on the van. It's not unheard of for moving companies to neglect to load some items, so before they leave, make sure you go through the house to ensure everything's on the moving van. And don't overlook those places where things like to hide, particularly your closets and cabinets. We're aware of one recent mover who missed a closet full of Christmas decorations -... 03/31/2010

Tonight is our Commissioners meeting in Belfair. Normally the meetings are held every Tuesday morning in Shelton, but...on the fifth Tuesday of the month the commissioners travel to the North end of the County. We don't get this opportunity all that often and it is great to have a chance to share our issues and listen to the locals discuss their concerns. As a Realtor, its important to attend these meeting so you are aware of what your local government is up to. Keeping your clients informed puts them at ease and places you in as an informed professional. Do you agree, as a Realtor or Lender, that being informed by what is happening in your community benefits your business and your clients? 03/30/2010

Wine Touring in Mason County? YOU BET! Check it out! Explore Hood Canal and Mason County through a wine tour! I bet you will be pleasantly surprised at all the different events, venues, shops and what Mason County and the Hood canal have to offer! Wine Touring - Yep - right here in Mason County : here's a link for you to get all kinds of information! I didn't even know this (well I guess I did in the back of my head, I just never put it all together like they have done)!   Hood Canal Wine Tasting Tour. And check out the recently opened "Top of the Cork" Wine tasting room in Allyn WA.    03/27/2010

For all of you who watched the sale price of homes in your area drop...I have good News for you- they are about to start rising once again. Below is a clip from Us News and World Reports. The neighboring cities of Bremerton and Silverdale, Wash.,are located on the Kitsap Peninsula, a slip of land surrounded by more than 300 miles of coastline in lovely Puget Sound. Although the Pacific Northwest greenery is enticing, it's the cities' stable economies that should drive home price gains in the coming years. A large military presence-of the U.S. Navy in particular-helps insulate the local economies from volatility. Meanwhile, the nearby cities of Tacoma, Wash., and Seattleprovide additional employment to the area's roughly 240,000 residents. "About a third of the community works [in either... 03/22/2010

LakeLand Village Homes for Sale and Sold~Market Report~How is LakeLand Village Fairing? Wow. It's hard to believe we are already into March of 2010!  January and February WHERE did they go???? I have been extremely behind in posting market reports for LakeLand Village - due to business picking up and buyers out shopping. This is a good thing not just for me but for sellers and buyers alike!  So what's been going on In LakeLand Village during the month of January and February? In anticipation of the First Time home buyers tax Credit being extended and expanded, it seemed that we started off a little slow as far as buyers making offers on homes. The really interesting part was that the pending sales and sales reflect that the buyers are all shopping in a price range of well under $300,000... 03/21/2010

My husband Dan Griffey is running for office this year. I applaud him for it. There are many challenges along the way but there are just as many rewards, if not more. One thing that I am noticing as we go from event to event and catch all of the hearings that we can, are the issues that effect my clients. Everywhere I go I hear of new concerns and programs to be implemented. Some of them impact the issues I heard at the last meeting that I attended. Some of the items headed for the ballot first will negatively effect my clients if passed by what is coming up on the next ballot. There are a lot of things to consider. Timing is everything but even more important is our knowledge of the politics in our market. I have learned so much (it seems to be a full time job to go with my full time j... 03/07/2010

This is one of my favorite places and I thought it made a fitting picture for this post of a few of my favorite things today. I an effort to see the glass half full, I thought I would compile a little list of the things that made me smile today. Please add your own to this post!     A great hot cup of coffee this morning- dark and bold Sunshine My tulips are popping up I have the house to myself My family will be home soon I just finished a great book I am headed outside to prune my plants it is warm out I can smell fresh cut grass summer is on the way I found my sunglasses my daughter told me she loved me I can hear the buzzing bees and birds chirping The list goes on and on. When you take time to focus on the good stuff no matter how small...pretty soon all you see is the good stuff!   03/06/2010

Do you ever run across people that change your mindset. Maybe you are grumpy or apathetic and they come in and ruin it all with a contagious smile. The rest of your day has now been altered and it spreads. How would you like to be that person? You can be. Positive affirmation can change your world and your business in 30 days. You may be wondering how to implement this. It is simple- change your thought patterns. As corny as it sounds you have to eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive. Zero in on the thoughts that drag you down and replace them with the opposite. You may even have to write something positive and read it out loud. Try it for 30 days. You will see your life transform in amazing ways. It will take practice to recognize negative thoughts when they invade but ove... 03/05/2010

My husband is a firefighter and has warned me many times to be careful when using the propane stove to cook. Long sleeves can ignite in a flash. I always thought I was really careful. Apparently I had become lax. While making breakfast this morning I saw a flash of light and heard a whoof! I was on fire. I yelled to Dan who came rushing into the room and we got it out quickly. My arm is a little tender to the touch but other than needing to go shopping for a new shirt( side benefit) I am fine. This did get me thinking about my kids cooking and my clients who are new to using propane. Before moving to LakeLand Village I cooked with electricity. It was slower and not as much fun as cooking with propane. I used to be so careful, now I have a little reminder on my arm to always be aware of ... 03/04/2010

  If you live in Allyn, LakeLand Village, or Victor your Republican caucus will be at the Windermere office in Allyn, this Saturday February 13th. We start at 10:00 but I will be there from 9:30 on...or sooner. If you have never been to a caucus or want to see what they are all about stop by. If you are not sure where your caucus is just call Dinah Griffey at 360-551-8888 This is an excellent opportunity to help shape the direction you think we should be taking in our local county and state. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have at www.DinahLeeGriffey@gmail.com 02/11/2010

  Went to a party, Mom I went to a party,And remembered what you said.You told me not to drink, Mom,So I had a sprite instead. I felt proud of myself,The way you said I would,That I didn't drink and drive,Though some friends said I should. I made a healthy choice,And your advice to me was right.The party finally ended,And the kids drove out of sight.. I got into my car,Sure to get home in one piece.I never knew what was coming, Mom,Something I expected least. Now I'm lying on the pavement,And I hear the policeman say,The kid that caused this wreck was drunk,Mom, his voice seems far away. My own blood's all around me,As I try hard not to cry...I can hear the paramedic say,This girl is going to die. I'm sure the guy had no idea,While he was flying high.Because he chose to drink and drive,... 02/11/2010

 Many stock futures rose modestly Tuesday as investors are betting that upcoming economic reports will show more signs of growth. A report on the housing market in December is expected to show continued improvement in the battered sector. Major indexes rallied Monday following encouraging signs about growth in the manufacturing sector. Overseas markets mostly rose following gains in the U.S. on Monday. Some Asian markets gave up gains as speculation remains that China's government will continue to try and curb runaway lending in an effort to avoid speculative bubbles. Australia's central bank unexpectedly left a key interest rate unchanged. Australia, which was the first major central bank to start raising rates coming out of the global downturn, said it is concerned about sovereign cre... 02/02/2010

It is common to see the words "apparent owner of record" followed by ET TAL. Did you ever wonder what the letters were referring too? ET means -and UX means- Wife VIR- means Husband TAL- means Others I thought you may like to know the Mystery of the letters the next time you look at a legal description. It can be fun to know a little something that most people don't. Now you are ready for Jeopardy! 01/27/2010

You got to experience it! Playing and recreating on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula; feeling the wealth of Community Spirit. Mason County, State of Washington on the Olympic Peninsula. Where Recreation is King: Scuba diving in Hood Canal, a round of golf at LakeLand Village, Alderbrook or Bay Shore Golf communities, fishing the hundreds of lakes, rivers and salt water bays and inlets, Salmon, crabing, oysters and gooey ducs, hiking the trails of the Olympic Mountains, sky diving... just to name a few.  And the Community hosted Activities, they are scheduled thoughout year for family fun. Yep, Community spirit is prevelant here. The Locals take pride in offering events that feature local culture. For Example: Oysterfest in October, Allyn Days and Salmon Bake in July, the Bite of Shelton,... 01/25/2010

Sales of previously occupied homes took the largest monthly drop in more than 40 years last month, plunging far deeper than expected after lawmakers gave buyers extended time to use a tax credit. The National Association of Realtors says sales fell 16.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.45 million in December, from an unchanged pace of 6.54 million in November. Sales had been expected to fall by about 10 percent, according to economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters. Buyers were no longer scrambling to qualify for a tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time homeowners. It had been due to expire on Nov. 30, but Congress extended the deadline until April 30. The median sales price was $178,300, up 1.5 percent from a year earlier and the first yearly gain since August 2007 01/25/2010

We did it! Once again Windermere Peninsula Properties sent an Agent into the Frigid North Bay waters for a great cause...The Boys and Girls club. If you don't beleive me watch this video from you tube... The Polar Plunge! Catch it all again next year as those in our community dive into Case Inlet in January to make a difference for our kids. If you have not stopped by to see all that our local Boys and Girls club has to offer please do so. They are making a difference in our community one smiling child at a time!     01/24/2010

So my brand new (actually just over 1 year old) washer locked last night and won't open. My dryer door is being held together with duct tape, and I am mad. After recently upgrading to these appliances to save on power and water they both fell apart. So in this day of Social networking I sent the message out to all of my Friends on Facebook warning them not to buy Maytag. A lot of them responded to my frustration and gave me great advice. The message that really got my attention was not from a friend but from Maytag. Within hours of my post I had a response from the company themselves...before I called them! For all of you who may be doubting how effective this Social Networking thing is this is proof that we are on to something. I am also getting great results for open houses and new li... 01/18/2010

LakeLand Village~Allyn~The "Now & Then Real Estate Market" I am always curious about statistics and love to compare things to previous events or years. I thought it would be interesting to take a peak into the past and check out the statistics for homes that sold in the small residential golf course community of LakeLand Village -comparing from 2006 through 2009. 2009 - There were 21 homes sold in LakeLand Village Allyn, WA for the entire year. The average sold price was $244,752 The average dollars per square foot for the LakeLand Village sold homes was $135 per square foot. The average days on the market for the sold homes was 182 days. Actually not too bad.  Buyers were definitely shopping price in 2009 and there were many choices of homes for sale in LakeLand Village throughout the ... 01/14/2010

Where have manners gone? I am not old by any means but I remember my mother teaching me proper phone etiquette. 1. Announce who you are when you answer the phone. 2. Ask the caller to hold as you collect the requested person. Do not tell the caller that the individual is in the bathroom, showering, or any other private act. 3.Do not yell for the person requested. 4.Do not call after 7:00 at night. 5. Keep it brief. I had a 10 minute limit...It sucked! 6. When making calls do not ask the person answering the call who they are before you tell them who you are. 7. Ask if they will take a message...do not demand it. 8. Do not call repeatedly. 9. Calls are for appointments to talk in person. Do not share everything on your mind. You need to be able to see the other persons body language whil... 01/13/2010

One of the first things that buyers look for in a new home are the amenities. So it comes to reason that the first thing that you want to mention when you are marketing are the "Features" and amenities of the home. What it really boils down to however, are the benefits. Benefits are the result of "Features." A walk score is a benefit, just as the schools graduation rates, and local fire department's response times. If we focus on marketing the benefits and sharing the details of what makes our community or homes great we are delivering a value that speaks far more to our buyers than mere features in a listing could ever do. Know your market. Know why people buy in your market and why they call your neighborhood home over other neighborhoods in a given area. When you know these secrets ... 01/12/2010