One of my favorite ladies has always been Erma Bombeck. She said it like it was...and it was funny! Here are a couple of her quotes to kick off your week! All of us have moments in out lives that test our courage. Taking children into a house with a white carpet is one of them. Car designers are just going to have to come up with an automobile that outlasts the payments. Did you ever notice that the first piece of luggage on the carousel never belongs to anyone? Don't confuse fame with success. Madonna is one; Helen Keller is the other. How come anything you buy will go on sale next week? I take a very practical view of raising children. I put a sign in each of their rooms: "Checkout Time is 18 years."  My kids always perceived the bathroom as a place where you wait it out until all the... 06/15/2009

It was definitely time for a brain break! Things have been busy in our local Belfair real estate market which means that I have been extremely busy. I sometimes forget to take care of myself during times like this....Then it hits me - I need a BRAIN BREAK!     YEAH!  Let's go! This is how I take a Brain break when needed! A ride on my motorcycle whether it be for an hour or days....  I don't need long to feel re-energized and ready to go! Nothing clears the mind better! My husband and I left Allyn,WA around 9 in the morning and rode up to Kingston to catch the Ferry to Edmonds. Love riding on the ferry - the scenery is spectacular and what a great way to get from point A to B without the hassle of traffic!  From Edmonds we found our way to Highway 2. Great road for riding. Very little t... 06/14/2009

Mason County, Washington had 813 homes for sale during the month of May 2009 compared to the 928 homes that were for sale in the same month one year before. The month of May 09 also posted 52 single family homes sales, while May of 08 produced 76 sales that is a percentage change of -31.6%.   Pending sales for the month of May was only off by -5.8% from a year ago. May 09 had reported 65 pending sales compared to 69 pending in May of 08.   Months of Inventory, based on the Closed Sales, at the end of the Month of May 09 was at 15.6. Months of Inventory, based on pending sales, was 12.5.   The Average Active Price for a single family home in Mason County during the month of May 09 was $302,000. The Average Sold Price came in at $192,000.   The Average Square Foot Price of a single family... 06/11/2009

I am in awe of Hood Canal. This picture was taken from Brinnon. I showed some clients property via her mother because both of them were stationed in Iraq. I try and send as many pictures as I can. The good the bad and the ugly so that they can have a fair assessment of the property. This one is a gem. I loved the view. I think they are strongly considering this one- and why not it is marvelouse! 14+ acres with this view for under $130,000! If you would like more information on Hood Canal Properties please give me a call at 360-551-8888 or visit me on the web at www.TheNorthwestLife.com 06/05/2009

  Yes, folks, the football team of North Mason High School (the Bulldogs) under Coach Pugh is getting into shape for the fall season.  The ninty degree temps make it a tough week for the team as they get toughened and into shape to take on all the opposition.  This week and next will be light or no contact as they are running and learnig play execution, so we expect them to do well!     06/04/2009

Floor time is a gift from your company to you. The top dogs spend anywhere from 5-30 thousand dollars a year promoting their name. Hmm cool. But a company like Windermere may spend 5-10 Million a year promoting their name. As a consumer Most of us recognize this name. Now if I had one that said Josh Murphy Real Estate, you would have no idea Which would you rather sit by, your cell phone that you have posted on a few websites, threw in a few real estate guides, or the phone line of your company that is on every sign that you list and your fellow agents, not to mention the name itself that is promoted infinitely. You want to be where the buyers and sellers are right? Let them come to YOU. I know you're busy, so am I. Floor time can be used very constructively to work on your deals as you... 06/01/2009

  Along the North Shore of Hood Canal is a special waterfront home for sale to bask in the summertime sun and fun. The North Shore of Hood Canal offers affordable waterfront homes for sale such as this cute as a button cabin with approximately 83 feet of bulkheaded waterfront. What makes this so special? the deep deep lot is a rarity along the Hood Canal waterfront, as well as the other amenities this waterfront cabin and property for sale offer. The original owners since way back when have used this get away cabin since it was built. The history is just as fascinating as the property itself! But now it is time to pass the possiblities of owning waterfront along the Hood Canal along with new memories and new experiences to new owners....   The North Shore Waterfront cabin is serviced b... 05/24/2009

I just thought I would share this beautiful picture of the Hood Canal.   provided by the North Mason Chamber   Thanks for stopping by Josh Murphy Windermere Peninsula Properties   05/20/2009

If for whatever reason you happen to stumble accross Belfair Washington, my goodness will you be glad that you did. Belfair is an area that is so unique it is extremely hard to even understand. Belfair itself is a valley, cut down the center is the famous Hood Canal, and at the very tip of the "hook" is Belfair, attop the West side of the valley, is the Olympic Mountains...absolutely breathtaking on a sunny day!   In the summertime, Highway 3 that you travel to enter to Belfair will most likely have a small waiting line, but moves quickly once you get into town. People come from far and wide to par-take in our Lifestyle.           The Hood Canal is the pinacle of our tourist attractions. Every year it blesses us with Oysters, Clams, Crab, Shrimp, and Salmon GALORE! The area of Belfair i... 05/20/2009

The Belfair real estate market seems to be a lot more active in the last month.... Let's take a look and see what spring has brought to the Belfair, WA real Estate market.  Homes for Sale in Belfair, WA- (These are homes only for sale that are actively listed with real estate agents). Active Listings : 122 - this is an increase from the month of March of 22 homes. Average Median Price : $272,500 Average Market Time : 191 days Price range : Lowest $74,900; highest is $1,495,000 (waterfront home on North Shore Hood Canal) With the Inventory having increased  once again since the end of March on through April and into May, there are a lot of great choices and opportunities out there!  Buyers don't miss your chance! This is an overall look at all homes in the 98528 zip code and includes wat... 05/18/2009

Hood Canal &  Puget Sound Waterfront Homes for Sale Are you dreaming or have you been dreaming about a waterfront home on Hood Canal or Puget Sound?  Well ..... you might want to start taking a good look because there are some phenomenal opportunities and homes for sale along Hood Canal as well as in Grapeview and Allyn along the Puget Sound. Lots of Choices, Lots of Style, Lots of Prices!!!  South Shore of Hood Canal currently has:  18 waterfront homes for sale. The amount of waterfront homes for sale along the South Shores of Hood canal seems to be the popular spot for sales..There have not been this many choices though in a long time. Don't miss out! 3 pending sales 1 sold in the last month. North Shore of Hood Canal currently has: 24 waterfront homes for sale. This has increased ove... 05/17/2009

It truly pays off to strategize and come up with a plan to "get a head" of the competition when selling a home. How do you get ahead of the competition?  Getting your home ready to sell and marketing it at the right price right from the beginning.  I recently met with meticulous sellers in the Belfair area who had the desire to "move up" as well getting closer to the big city to cut down on commuting time as the kids are getting older and more time seems to be spent on the road...  The market they were going to be moving too was considerably higher priced than where their current home is located in Belfair; so there was some real wants, needs and expectations along with some serious number crunching.  When I sat with them to go over their goals,expectations and desires to accomplish se... 05/15/2009

  These are the Home Stats and community info for Belfair, Washington.Please call Dinah at 360-551-8888 if you would like more in depth information on this area or Allyn, Union, Shelton, Bremerton, Port Orchard or Grapeview.                                                  Belfair                Mason County      Washington        The United States Population 7,532 48,120 5,790,538 281,422,131 Area in square miles 64 744 62,976 3,554,141 People per sq. mi. 117 65 92 79 Median Age 38 48 37 36 Median Family Income $50,642 $47,333 $44,655 $40,591 Civilians 41% 39% 47% 46% Armed Forces 1% 0% 1% 0% Not in Labor Force 31% 37% 26% 28% Education Levels Belfair Mason County Washington United States K-12 29% 33% 25% 31% High School Diploma 20% 22% 16% 19% College Graduate 7% 8% 12% 28% Post Gradu... 05/09/2009

In Flint Michigan the City has taken the proactive approach of removing old abandoned homes from certain neighborhoods. The concern is that they attract crime.There is also potential for injury if someone were to go inside exploring such as a small child might do. I think removing these home is a good idea. In fact it is being stated that the property values are going to rise almost instantly! Now for part two. The above all sounded like a positive move to me until it was mentioned that the city is considering asking the residents in the remaining nice homes to relocate to other "better" neighborhoods in an effort to save money. The City has not approached homeowners yet but are crunching numbers on saving money by not providing some services such as garbage to just 1 or 2 people on a ... 05/06/2009

All 145,690 of us here on Active Rain have different methods, techniques and ideas that we incorporate into our business. Everyone of us has things that work, and things they don't. My tid-bit, be as active on as many sites as you can, anything with your name and the business you are working for is a great thing. Make as many free profiles, spread your blogs to all the sites you can, get yourself out there.     If you had to pass on advice to a rookie, what would YOU say?   I would love to hear what your doing that works/isn't.   Have a great Wednesday!   Josh Murphy Windermere Peninsula Properties 05/06/2009

   What does REO stand for?REO stands for Real Estate Owned. This means that the homeowner defaulted on their loan so the bank has foreclosed, or repossesed the property. REO's can be a good way to get a great price on a home. There are usually some repairs that need to be made but more often than not they are cosmetic. I always recommend an inspection when purchasing an REO. Most banks sell these homes as is but you do want to make sure that you are making a informed decision when you purchase. It is hard to say what has led to the home foreclosure- they are a variety of reasons. Most of them financial but some are due to abandonment,  job loss or possibly a disaster in which the home was no longer able to be occupied. No matter what the reason you can find excellent and informed repre... 05/02/2009

Amongst the tall cattails on the Theller Wetland Trails-a questioning bird calls to it's mate. Dressed in black with a wing of red she waits. The waters ripples against the land the grasses sway- still she pauses and then calls to him again. The sun breaks free of the clouds grasp and gleams off of the ponds face. The fish below know and the snail on the leaf can see that all of this... ...is just how it was all meant to be. 04/29/2009

Looking at what has been happening the last few weeks and working with buyers who are looking for something pretty particular, I have now found that the market is changing.  If you are a buyer who does not want to deal with a shortsale because of the length of time of approval and the hassles, or a bank opened property (which are usually not in the best condition)- your choices are becoming limited if you are in the 250-300 range in the Belfair and Allyn market area. They are actually even limited somewhat in the lower range as they generally need repairs or something that costs extra...  Below or above - fair game but right in that market - the choices are not what you would think. You know how when interest rates start changing (either up or down), how before they start creeping back ... 04/29/2009

Would you believe that I CAN'T find the one that turns them on? A house - A "home" - you know - the one that POPS in their mind and heart with a few compromises.  Nothing has "turned them on" - no sparkle in the eye; or running from room to room from the kids...no "my furniture would fit perfectly here...."  just hmmm.... well it might work with no sparkle but a feeling of resolve... I sat and listened to their criteria and their tastes and goals and my first initial thought was "piece of cake."  They were very realistic.... and we should be able to look at quite a few choices... Well it isn't and there aren't.. .  The inventory has been reduced considerably in the range of $225 -$300k that is stick built and a reasonable value and something they would consider... Their choices that fit... 04/28/2009

Doesn't mean they didn't make a few changes. So here is a simple scenario. You submit an offer, they want to change the purchase price, so instead of chicken-scratching all over the purchase and sale, they submit it on a counteroffer form, and send it ALL over signed, you sign the one line on the counter offer form if you agree... BUT Who says its that simple.     YOU need to read through the ENTIRE contract again and make sure they haven't made a few other changes as well. In my case it was the title company, no big deal. Obviously you would have to initial next to the changes they have made for the contract to reactivate, but that doesn't mean that they are not there. As you thumb through the contract you may be surprised at a few changes that they have made, but not addressed on the ... 04/27/2009