My Amaryllis bloomed! I don’t really know much about this flower except I see them in the stores in December. They are sold with a pot, some dirt and a bulb and are a big hit during the holidays! I purchased one this year and planted it. It amazed me how fast it grew and then this big gorgeous bloom appears. It makes me feel like such a green thumb! This particular one is called a Red Lion Amaryllis. I wonder if it will come back next year!
Now that the holidays are behind us people are now ready for spring and wondering what home improvements they should do to add value to their home. A national study was done by the Remodeling Magazine surveying 65 markets. The cost recovery rate was more than 80%; however, in the Pacific Northwest the cost recovery was more than 100% on the following remodel projects:
Project Cost Recouped
Deck 120.4%
Windows 116.6%
Siding Replacement 117.5%
Kitchen Remodel 125.9%
(The kitchen remodel is minor including countertops; replace fronts of cabinet doors and drawers and hardware. Replace oven and cooktop with energy-efficient models. Replace laminate countertops; install sink and faucet and replace floor covering.)
I think when buyers are shopping for a home they look at these items as most costly and want to make sure that the outside of the house is in good shape. I was surprised not to see roofs included in over 100% cost recovery. If you are planning to do any of these outside projects it would be good to start planning before spring. Builders get more busy as summer approaches and it becomes difficult to retain a good one!
Yesterday, I went to The 5th Avenue Theater downtown Seattle. I saw the musical “Jersey Boys” a story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. It was fantastic….the music, dancing and story was exciting and well worth the money. The songs….Sherry, Fallen Angel, Bye Bye Baby, Sunday Kind of Love to name a few, took me back in time! The 5th Avenue Theater was built in 1926 featuring top entertainers and went through a $2.6 million renovation in the 1980’s. Today it brings approximately 150 live musical performances per year and attracts over 200,000 people from the Pacific Northwest. I always enjoy visiting The 5th Avenue Theater and it is only 30 miles from Tacoma.
I was in Borders Book Store yesterday and had the chance to meet Dia Calhoun who is an author in Tacoma. Dia was autographing her book “The Return of Light” a Christmas Tale for children. It is about a boy, a special baseball and a group of homeless people, a young Christmas tree, brings the return of light to those who need it most. A great book for all ages! Dia has a Fantasy Writing Workshop; she goes to different grade schools in the area and teaches 5th to 8th grade students how to write fantasy stories. What a great way to get children involved and to teach them how to develop their creativity through writing. To read more about the workshop or other books she has written for young people visit her website at: http://www.diacalhoun.com/
These are amazing Rhododendron plants the home owners in Stadium District have pruned into an arbor. The Rhododendron is Washington’s state flower, so we see alot of these plants, but I have never seen one quite like this! It looks like it has been growing for about 30 - 40 years. The picture makes it look like the opening is for trolls to enter, but in actuality the opening is about 6 feet tall. The Rhododendron stays green all year round without losing its leaves and in spring the blooms are big and colorful. Stay tuned… next spring I will get a picture when it is in full bloom!
The first step when purchasing a house is to get pre-approved from a mortgage lender. One important factor in getting approved is your credit score, the higher the score the better your credit is. Lenders pull a report from three major credit bureaus to receive three maybe different scores (numbers). The reason the scores may be different depends on which bureau your creditors report to. The rating is established by a percentage of different factors:
Bill Paying History (35%)
Paying your bills on time is a good thing. If you have late payments, it could hurt your score quite a bit. The more recent late payments the more chances your score will go down. It is better to have one or two mistakes then a pattern of late payments. A series of 30- day late payments is worse then one 60 day late.
How Much You Owe (30%)
It is figured on what you owe versus how much available credit you have on your cards. The more credit cards you have maxed out the lower your score will be. However, owing nothing may not give you a good score in this area because there is no track record of how you handle credit. It is good to have a little bit owing on your cards.
How Long You Have Managed Credit (15%)
If you have too many credit cards and want to cut them up, it might be wise to keep some of the ones you have had for a long time, even though they may be at a higher interest rate. The reason is the credit companies can see past history on how you have managed your cards. You may want to use these cards once a year and then pay them off.
Mix Of Credit (10%)
It is good to have installment loans such as car lonas and also revolving debt which is credit cards to show how you manage different types of debt.
Pursuit Of New Credit (10%)
Anytime you request credit the creditor will pull a credit report which places an inquiry on your report. Too many new inquiries every month is not a good thing.
It is a good idea to annually check your credit by getting a copy of your credit report to make sure there is no incorrect reporting or fraudulent activity.
Fall is officially here when you see the leaves change their color! Tacoma streets in Old Town are lined with the beautiful fall reds, oranges and yellows. I enjoy all seasons, but I think the season with the most vibrant color, is fall. Thanks to the city of Tacoma for planting the different varieties of oak and maple trees. It gives such great pleasure to the people passing by!
