Real Estate Field Notes

4th of July FireWorks & What it Means to Me!

Congress established Independence Day as a holiday in 1870, and in 1938 Congress reaffirmed it as a holiday, but with full pay for federal employees. Today, communities across the nation mark this major midsummer holiday with parades, fireworks, picnics and the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner" and marches by John Philip Sousa.

The 4th of July is a favorite holiday of mine because it sparks good thoughts of freedom, patriotism, one nation under God, warm weather, picnics, smiles, food, games and more.  I love the colors:  red, white & blue  I love the songs:  The Star Spangled Banner, This Land is Your Land, America the Beautiful etc.  We sang all those songs in elementary school music.  Mrs. Brosterhous was our teacher by the way.   That was at Kenwood School in Bend Or.  And that was many years ago when life was simple?  Right?

How about you?

A fun website to test your knowledge of the fourth is:  http://www.pbs.org/capitolfourth/  I suggest you review the site before taking the quiz.  I obviously haven't watched the Capitol Fourth in awhile.  Even if I had, my memory fails me often.

What I Would Tell My Sixteen Year Old Self?

What would you want to tell your 16 year old self if you could?
Submitted by Bea.

Sixteen year old Shelly Ann Ohrling:  love who you are, understand the unique person God created and appreciate each and every gift you are discovering He gave you. Do not be ashamed of your looks, your personality, your home, your parents, your body or anything else.  Be proud, be humble, be cheerful and hopeful of what the world has in store for your young self.

Shelly, do not allow anyone to tell you different: you are a beautiful person inside and out.  Do not listen to hurtful criticism again and again. Learn that you are good and that you do not deserve anything but respect.  And also remember you are humble enough to ask for forgiveness when you slip up, when you trip and that you can get up quickly when you are pushed to the ground by life.

Never give up, Shelly on what you know to be true.  Remember those carefree days of youth:

• Jumping into the water at Tumalo Park and feeling the icy water as you swim underwater to the big rock.
• Skating in circles around your patio with friends or by yourself
• Playing all sorts of make belief games like school, church, restaurant and covered wagon
• Lying alone on a blanket in the backykard looking into the sky and listening to the wind in the huge poplar tree thinking
• Planting nasturtiam seeds that actually grew
• Riding bikes for hours with neighbor friends
• Playing with the Chandler Girls, the DeGree girls, Janelle, Vicky and more

The Need for Speed or Serenity?

I drive quite a ways every day to work and can make a choice in routes.  My GPS told me (lovely lady we call Blabs or Nags) that the fastest route is via the freeway, but the shortest distance is via Deshutes Way.

So every day I make the decision based on aesthetics or speed.  Deschutes Way is a lovely route around Capital Lake.  That is the choice I usually make as it is a way to feel the connection with nature and to observe the array of people making their way around the sidewalk that circles the lake.

This morning the sun was shining and the people were fascinating as usual.  From clothing, to gait, to gestures, it is a story in itself.  There is one lady who strides with a pigeon toed gate forcefully as if on a mission most every day.  She is not young, but she is definitely strong.   She makes me smile everytime I drive by.  Then there are the the athletes in lycra running in pairs visiting with no effort evident in their progress.  Mixed in, I see the social walkers visiting and strolling like the entire day is free.  I love to see the "mad chatters" because they remind me of my own walking days with girlfriends.  The miles ticked off mindlessly with the conversation the focus of the experience.  We covered so much territory while deepening an already solid relationship!  I can't help but notice clothing also.  The baggy shorts, the tights, the mismatched shirt and pants, the perfectly put together colorful ensembles all are eye candy for passersby.

In contrast, a drive on the freeway offers the reliable annoyance of speeders, wild lane changers, text messengers, and sharing a general need to get somewhere in a fast & furious manner.  Which way would you choose?  The answer is probably: " it just depends......... 

 

New Listing in Park Place: Lacey Washington

Awesome craftsman home in lovely Lacey community near huge Rainier Community Park, shopping and bus lines!  Home is updated in and out:

New exterior paint

New interior paint

New light fixtures

New carpet, vinyl, and countertops

Newer heat pump

It feels like home when you walk into the entry with nice size dining room to your left.  Great room area has a cozy fireplace and plenty of windows to look at the rose garden in the nice size back yard.  There is just enough lawn to take care of and enjoy.  Nice size bedrooms upstairs and heat pump for year around comfort.

1850 sq feet +/-

3 bedrooms/2.5 baths

.17 acre lot

Culdesac

Well-maintained, friendly neighborhood!

Call Shelly at 360-402-4859

E-mail shellyfield@greenerealty.com

Wedding in South Lake Tahoe

We are back from our trip south to South Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park and Angel's Camp in the gold rush country of California.  Some highlights of our trip and a link to some wonderful pictures of the wedding below!

View from our condo 7500 ft altitude: nose bleed heights.  Magnificent. 202 Tramway in S. Lake Tahoe.

Merging families meet for first time:  Megan & Eric with Frazier, Shirley, Jeff, Alicia and Elayna, Eric's family.  We had our first breakfast in S Lake Tahoe at Ernie's.  Bert's was just down the street.  Good food, good people.

 

South Lake Tahoe is a strip connecting Nevada & California with casinos on the state line.  Jay and I did a quick walk through of the casinos and basically went in one door and out another.  Not for us; not even the cheap breakfast.

Speaking of food, (and when aren't we) there are some great choices in the area.  We had wonderful Thai food at a place on Kingsbury Road called "Thai One On".  Their pandango curry was excellent and servings were generous.  We also had a wonderful breakfast at the "Red Hut".  Their eggs and hash browns are excellent and a bowl of fresh berries and fruit was the perfect addition.  Our main source of great food came from Megan & Eric's caterer.   We had a barbecue after the wedding rehearsal potluck style.  And on Saturday the catered dinner was outstanding.

All in all it was an excellent time.  We left Tahoe and traveled through Yosemite National Park to Angels Camp where we stayed two nights and saw some great scenery.  We went to Murphy's, the Ironside Winery and Columbia State Park.  All worth seeing and exploring.

Sample Pictures of the Just Wedding

Routines....good, bad or Ugly?

Yes, it is Tuesday AGAIN. One day before Wednesday which is the infamous "garbage day" at our house aand three days before Friday.  Does that work for you?  And what am I thinking on this morning before I gget ready for the day.  I have a usual routine for most times of the day.  How did they start and how can they change and do they need to change?

My week day routine goes something like this:  wake up or at least get up at 6:30 a.m. after Jay says "the ccoffee is on".  That means I have enough time to use the restroom, put on my robe and pour a cup of joe when it hits the 4 cup mark.  I like my coffee strong and that seems to work.  Will I still drink it if I don't get it on the mark.  Yes.  I am not that OCD after all.  Next, I take a few sips and adjust myself to the being awake thing.  Usually a cat is on my lap hoping to get ahead of the newspaper.  Marilyn is the usual culprit cat always looking for a warm lap or spot.  Jay has the news on and flips between that and Squak on the Street.  Both are not very uplifting in the state of our current economy.  But there you go.  It is part of the routine.  I read the paper and sometimes am able to discuss some current issues with Jay.  I like that.  Reading and discussing thing.  We are pretty intelligent people believe it or not.  And we are older than dirt.  I am 60 and he is almost 60 kind of.

He "jumps in the shower" around 7:00 a.m. and I reach for the laptop if he hasn't handed it to me.  I take this opportunity to turn off the tv and enjoy some silence.  He will soon ask me on his way out the door, "what time are you leaving?"  I say, I don't know and he goes around doing the curtain shutting, coffee turning off (it turns off on its own by the way) and locking the front door....... these are his security routines.  I reopen the curtains, unlock the door and turn on the coffee some days.  Others, I am into the shower right behind him.

What about today?  I look at each day pretty carefully as I think about what it is I want to do.  I am quite aware of the blessings afforded to me with a flexible job, a lovely place to live and the choices I can make about my time.  It hasn't always been this way.  For so many years the kids were the schedule or the job was the schedule.  I still work, but I have more leeway in the hours.

What about you?  Do you spend some time moving into your day?  Or is it a rush of activity in a short period of time when you barely make it out the door in time?  I really recommend my way.  It is such a wonderful way to start a day.  Add some prayer and some music and it is perfect.

Routine brings peace and changing up the routine adds some grace.  Take it easy, some days take it slow and always be mindful of the blessings however small in your life.  I am.

Open House Success? How do you know?

It is Monday and the Open House was Sunday.  What do you tell your sellers?  Were there actually guests?  What were there comments?  How do you remember what they said or how many people came?  Is it all a blur or do you have a method to keep track for each of your listings?

These are important questions to consider when you hire a real estate agent to sell your home.  Sure, they can tell you there will be an open house or open houses.  But how do they gauge the results?  The seller works hard to prepare for the occasion.  They should  vacuum, dust, was the windows as needed, clean the bathrooms, fluff the pillows, etc., etc.  All this plus they need to figure out where to go on Sunday afternoon when they may prefer watching a ball game. 

A client oriented agent will always have a guest registry with an area for comments.  The agent will put up lots of signs and directionals.  They will invite people they know who may be in terested.  And after the open house they will communicate the results to YOU, their client.

Yesterday, I did all of these things.  I put up four signs with balloons, I had my guest registry, I printed extra flyers, I had my property book ready with all the pertinent information and two people came.  No one came as a result of the newspaper ad or as a result of the signs I put out.  The couple who did come were clients I invited.  Granted, it only takes one interested clilent to purchase a property.  But I am looking for exposure on a hard to see house.  What can I do when the home is miles from town, up a road that is hidden from the other homes.....? 

Today I am having our marketing director create a promotional ad for the newspaper.  Tomorrow I will take flyers to the MLSA meeting.  I will send out flyers to the agents in town.  And I will keep in touch with my clients letting them know all I am doing to sell their lovely home!

Open House Today 1- 3pm 11710 66th Lane Se Tenino WA 98589

 You are cordially invited

to see an incredible home

on 4 + acres

on a hillside.

Ever thought of "treehouse" living?

Give it a try, or at least a "look-see"

This 2800 sq foot home

with daylight basement

is in the trees, on a hill, very private and like new condition.

Out buildings include a greenhouse, a garden shed, and a detached garage/shop area.

Plenty of space to build a larger shop or to park the RV.

Old HWy 99 south to left on Waldrick Rd, appx 4 miles to left on 66th Lane Se

Just follow the Greene Realty signs.

 

Real Estate Agents go on Tour Thursdays: Oh Boy!

Greene Reaty Group agents go on tour of new listings on Thursday morning every week of the year.  Yesterday, my new listing at 11710 66th Lane was on tour.  After our meeting at the office, we carpool to homes all over Thurston County.  We headed out to Steamboat Island Rd for the first home.  It is a waterfront property that is a "re-list" by Missy Watts.  The home just didn't sell on the last go around, so try, try again.  Agents who have seen the home before grumble a bit about going back.  But the owners have done some work and the house shows better!

Second we drove south on I-5 to a nice rambler on 6 acres that would be great for horse lovers.  House was immaculate and actually is the home to twin toddlers who were comfortably watching Veggie Tales with their nanny and her toddler.  And still, the house was neat as a pin.!  We walk through quickly observing the condition of the home, the floorplan, the upgrades (or lack of), and get a rough idea of the home so we are better prepared if we hget a "floor call" asking about that home.  It helps to say, "Yes, I was in that home recently, and........."

Our third home was near Offut Lake and was unique in that there has been no septic installed.  (Forget using the bathroom at this place :-) )  It is new construction on a small lot, up a steep & narrow, bumpy driveway that will be tough to sell.  We saw it without the listing agent who had to return to town to go to a home inspection.

My house was third on our list and my owner was ready.  The tour went well with agents giving it good reviews.  Need to get people inside to see what it has to offer and that is hard.  A home in rural Thurston County up a lane with no street views makes drive-bys impossible.  I am having an open house on Sunday.  I will put up lots of signs and hopefully get some lookers.  You are welcome to join us!  

Our tour ended in downtown Olympia at a little vintage home with granite counters (go figure).  It will sell quickly as it is a popular area and it has a nice backyard with alley access.

PS:  Our tour started with our company owner, Jim Greene, buying us all coffee at Starbucks and the day ended with hime offering us all chair massages at the office that he paid for.  He is a great guy and a very giving person.

 

Home for Sale-- Shelly Field's New Listing

Cedar home sits on a hill on a private 4.06 acre property.

2800 square feet

3 bedroom/3 baths

Daylight basement

Heat pump

New paint/cedar siding

What's not to LOVE?

Private, parklike setting

Wildlife sitings always

Peaceful, tranquil living

Be King of the Hill

 

 

 

Rock fireplace in upstairs living area

Walls of windows to maximize the view

Dining room

Open kitchen with custom hickory cabinets

All appliances stay

Kitchen island moves to fit in gap between two cabinets!

Kitchen with island "in gap"

Dining room from living room

Vaulted ceilings

Skylights

Light and bright space

Charming garden shed in the trees

Outdoor storage

Property backs up to Fort Lewis for added privacy!

This custom cedar home is only minutes from Tumwater.  If you like to fish, swim , or boat Offut Lake and the Deschutes River are less than 3 miles from home.  The Chehalis-Western trail is right down Waldrick road if you like to bike or hike.  Wow!  So much to offer for just $389900.00  Daylight basement would easily become a mother-in-law apartment.

Call me today to take a look inside.