Eastside Value Buyer’s List

Today I launched a weekly series of MLS searches to discover the best prospects on the Eastside for investors and handy owner occupiers to buy houses at a discount.  This is an amalgamated list of bank owned homes that already appear to be fairly priced, estate sales, out of state owners, listings with data entry errors, houses sitting unsold for an excessively long time – a whole variety of searches I use to find situations with distressed owners.

Learn more here:

Eastside Value Buyer's List

Not only is the menu fully satisfying with well executed hearty American fare, but they have special signature touches that will bring you back again and again.  For example the breakfast waffles and the pies to buy to take home are especially delicious!  Natural maple syrup, sweet potato fries, comfort food and a friendly atmosphere. And the kids will love the giant model airplane (which I was told can really fly, or could really fly once upon a time?) hanging from the rafters.

A good weekend might start out with a Saturday breakfast here before heading over to the nearby Country Village for some shopping and to see the barnyard animals that live there and cruise the parklike grounds of the old fashioned shopping center, which looks like a little old town with quaint buildings, ponds and old boats and trains, plenty of toy stores, ice cream, snacks, and a coffee house, beads, fabric, quilting and house goods, and an antique store too.  And a train ride for the kidlets!  In fact you might be here all morning and have to go back again to Crystal Creek Cafe for lunch!

Daniel and I did check in at Country Village in Bothell which is a wonderful shopping location in the snow, or anytime before Christmas!  They already have their giant tree decorated and preparations for Santa’s visit are well underway.  The chickens were less cheerful than the ducks and the visiting wild goose, but seemed fairly ok with it.  The rooster Daniel made friends with stood on one leg the whole time, leading us to imagine what it would be like to be out in the snow in our bare feet!

If you are not from Seattle or considering coming here for your next “hometown” and you are from a place where there is a lot of snow in winter, it might seem quite strange that we close down the town for a week with only 6 inches of snow in total over several days.  It’s because we get snow so rarely, like three or four times during the winter, that no one is set up for it.  We don’t have the “snow army” standing by that would mean business as usual, and so it is more practical to close down for the few days when it’s actually an issue.  Those of us that primarily work from our “virtual offices” think this is just one more reminder of the future of business, less driving and more time for the important things.

• Bennett Home, Award winning, respected WA builder almost 30 years
• Superbly maintained by original owner since 2007
• Corner lot, adjacent to lush trees
• Approx. 3525 square feet
• Open, airy and spacious floor plan
• 4+ Bedrooms and 3.25 Bathrooms
• Main floor designed for entertainment, Family Room, Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen and Office
• Main Office/Den with French doors and deep closet
• Family room has gas fireplace for chilly Northwest days
• Gourmet kitchen offers plenty of room for several cooks in the kitchen
• Granite slab counters, Double oven, Large kitchen island, maple cabinets
• Large size pantry with double doors
• Generous size Master Bedroom suite
• Spacious Recreation Room on third floor with closet and full bath, could be 2nd Master suite!
• 4 Bedrooms on the second floor with 2 Baths
• Laundry Room with full size washer and dryer
• Fabulous upgrades of millwork
• 3 car garage
• 2 Decks
• Large yard with raised beds for gardening
• Back yard is fully fenced, adjacent to lush green lot and trees
• Northshore School District
• Short sale, bring all offers

Hooray for the Survivors!!! Relay For Life 2009

Relay For Life, Relay For FUN

Hi there-  I just spent the last 24 hours walkking with my teammates around a track at Skyview Junior High School in the Northshore School District.  Why did my friends and I do that, you may ask?  We were participating in an annual event called The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.  Relay For Life was started by an oncologist in Tacoma in 1985…  since it’s inception this fundraiser has brought in more than 3.5 Billion dollars for cancer research and support of patients.  Not only is this my fourth year participating in this important community event, it is my third year of being team captain of Friend’s For The Fight (against cancer).

The object of the event itself is to pay tribute to those that have been taken from us by cancer, and to honor those that have survived and/or continue to fight cancer still.  The event begins with a lap just for Survivors, as the other 600 or so participating members of the community line the track cheering them on in their success.  As a survivor myself I can attest to the powerful transfer of positive energy that this walk of fame gives to the Survivors…  After the initial kickoff lap of Survivors, then all the participants take to the track and continue 3through the night having at least one member of the team on the track at all times.  The symbolism being that cancer never sleeps, and neither do we in our fight/vigilance through even the darkest hours.

Luminaria

One of the most touching parts of the entire event is the Luminaria ceremony.   Around 10 pm, the track is lined with lit Luminaria that have been decorated by participants and members of the community in honor of those who fight and memory of  the people that have gone before.  A lap of silent candlelit reflection follows a short ceremony of acknowledgement, accompanied by bagpipes playing Amazing Grace…  It is hard to convey in words the strength and solidarity this ceremony imparts on the participants.  Join us for it next year!

I would suggest that anybody who has been touched by cancer, whether personally or through a loved one, seek out a community relay event to participate in.  The entire community aspect is so uplifting it benefits all who participate.  I originally became involved in support of some of my clents and their families.  Now I Relay to spread the good word and works of The American Cancer Society, in the hope that a cure is not far away.

The Luminaria Ceremony

A huge THANKYOU goes out to all of my friends that supported me in the fundraising for this worthy cause.  Our team raised more than 4,500 dollars, the relay in total collected 116,000 from 60 total teams.  This money benefits our communities directly through outreach programs for cancer patients, and indirectly through the funding of Bio-Tech research in the fight against cancer.

Bothell Neighborhoods

Prior to 1993, the nearby city of Woodinville was unincorporated, and some of its neighborhoods were considered part of Bothell and were being considered for annexation. The people of Woodinville voted in 1992 to incorporate, and incorporation was official early the next year.

Schools

Bothell is home to Cascadia Community College and the University of Washington, Bothell, which became a four-year degree-granting institution in the fall of 2006. The two institutions share the same campus, which opened in the year 2000, and are closely linked. Also, there was an ITT Technical Institute campus in Bothell, but it was disassembled in 2005. Schools for Bothell students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade are part of the Northshore School District.