Rhonda has a post over at her Blog regarding the low interest rate environment that prevails today.  Rates under 5% are hard to believe even for very seasoned agents, loan officers and those in the title and escrow profession.

The last three weeks have been remarkable and quite frankly Lynlee and I, and I presume many others in lending and title/escrow business, have had little time to breath under the refinance work that came in during December and the Holiday Season.  I’m not complaining about work but, only speaking for myself, it was an incredibly difficult (and continues) period because 2008 was the Christmas that really never was.   It is the downside of being in the escrow business.  Your time.

Lynlee and I worked numerous nights into the wee hours at the office.  On the 23rd, we worked until nearly midnight to get funding packages ready for overnight delivery to lenders after a full day work and scrambled for loan officers and agents to get borrowers signed from Tacoma to Bellevue to Everett.  Oh, did I mention the snow?  It wreaked havoc on FedEx and UPS overnight deliveries for payoff checks and loan documents to lenders all across the country.  Some documents are seemingly lost forever, others just arriving this week.

I had to chain up for days to get to get out of my driveway and the hill I live on to get to the office, only to take them off once on the freeways, only to put them back on to get to clients homes in the hills of Bellevue and Tacoma and beyond.

The stories are plentiful of owners of other businesses such as mortgage brokers and title offices who had to pick up staff such as underwriters, processors, funders among others to get them into the office to work on transactions so that loan officer and agents transactions closed on time.

One late evening on my way home I dropped off documents and closing Settlement Statements to a local lender, only to peer into the lower level windows and see funding staff working on files while it snowed hard outside.  Glanced at my watch…9pm.  Didn’t we receive funding conditions from these gals via e-mail at what time????  Oh yes, it was 5:30 AM !   Still there at 9pm.

Who is going to say “thank you,” to those two ladies and all the others that work behind the scenes to make your transactions go without a hitch, while sacrificing time lost with family during the Holidays.

I did.  How about you?

To all the Title Officers, escrow officers, processors (big thanks to them), underwriters (unbelievably slammed), funding depts. and other support staff—those who are never in the limelight, don’t have sales awards or other platitudes adoring their offices, but come with their work ethic, lunch pail and get the job done, all the while wondering about the economy, how prior co-workers are coping with layoffs etc.. ……………..you deserve a great big “Thanks.”

– Tim & Lynlee, Legacy Escrow

Frustrated Home Buyer

Remember when JFK said we would go to the moon?  Remember the excitement of being part of something new!?  Let’s create a big, fat wish today that we, in the Seattle area, want to constantly be the prototype for the Country with regard to an MLS and how it functions.

We are the trendsetters (we being Seattle) as to The Internet and how people use it.

 Here’s a “workshop” post.  I think “the mls” is “broke” and it needs fixing.  You decide for yourself after reading this. We all “accept” that people start their search on the Internet…right? 

Let’s all take a good, hard look at HOW they start their search on the internet.

OK…I’m Average Joe and I think I want to move to Kirkland.  I go to the internet and I Google “Kirkland” and I find this super-duper site provided by The City of Kirkland.  It tells me:

Where all the parks are

It gives an an “on demand” video stream of all of the Kirkland Council meetings and provides the minutes of the meetings, so I can see if it’s the kind of place I might like to live.

There’s even a link to Kirkland TV on every topic I might be interested in…WOW!  I like this place called Kirkland.  They certainly care about keeping everyone informed, and they clearly embrace new technologies.  My kind of place.

Bur where in Kirkland might be the best place for me?  OK…lets Google “Kirkland Neighborhoods”. I find this great link to everything I ever wanted to know about Kirkland Neighborhoods.  I find the cool Explore Kirkland site and even Walking Maps sorted by the various Neighborhoods.  Wow!  Every Neighborhood in Kirkland has it’s own Association!  What a wonderful sense of community, and they certainly take their Neighborhoods seriously!

Isn’t this Super-Cool!!!  I can figure out everything I need to know in my jammies, without leaving the house…at 1 a.m!  That’s the kind of place I want to live in!  They have embraced Technology!  Woohoo! 

My world’s a better place because the City of Kirkland cared enough to make everything they do, and everything I need to know, accessible on the Internet!  I’m going to buy a house in Kirkland!  YAY!!!

SO JOE TAKES THE KIRKLAND NEIGHBORHOOD MAP (that he found on the Internet) TO A REAL ESTATE OFFICE, because he doesn’t know which Neighborhoods of these he can afford to live in.

BEFORE looking at houses on the Internet…he has a few questions.

Agent:  Can I help you?

Joe:  Can you please hit a button on your computer over there, and tell me the median price of a home in each of these neighborhoods?

Agent:  What’s your price range?  I’ll be happy to show you some homes right now!

Joe:  Well..no…I really just want to know which of these neighborhoods on this map here from the City I can afford to live in.  I’m not ready to look at homes yet.

Agent: Do you have a pre-approval letter?  I’ll be happy to get our lender over here and tell you how much you can afford.

Joe: (starting to get angry) Lady, I just want to know the median price of these neighborhoods!  Can you help me or not!?  OK…let me make this easier for you (you idiot).  Just tell me the median price of this neighborhood.  This one.  Here on the map of Kirkland Neighborhoods.  “Lakeview”  Just go over to the computer and hit a couple of buttons and tell me what the median price of Lakeview is, PLEASE!

Agent: Well, you don’t need to get angry, sir.  I am more than happy to help you, but you OBVIOUSLY don’t know what you are doing, because the mls doesn’t HAVE a neighborhood called “Lakeview”, (Mr. Smartypants).

Joe: Hmmm?  How about this one over here…”Norkirk”?

Agent: “We” call that East of Market. kindof.  When you get down here some agents call that “Downtown”.  Some agents just put in Kirkland for all of it.  Would you like me to do a search by Zip Code?

Joe:  NO!  I don’t want you to do a search by Zip Code!  According to this great map the City “gave me” there are a dozen neighborhoods!  I don’t want TWO zip code answers!  I want TWELVE median price answers you freakin’ moron!  One for each of these REAL Neighborhoods!!!

(Joe leaves in a huff.  Agent says to agent next to them in the office, “one of those Microsoftees.  Boy are they a pain in the ass”  They think they know everything.)

Joe goes into a different real estate office:

Joe:  Can you please hit a button on your computer over there, and tell me the median price of a home in each of these neighborhoods?  Joe hands the agent the same great map the City of Kirkland “gave him” on their cool site.

Agent: Here’s “our” map.  This is the one “WE” use.  It’s broken down by all of these code numbers that only agents know. 

Joe: Can you give me a few minutes to study this thing, because all of my research so far geared me to searching by the neighborhoods.  The real neighborhoods.  The one’s the City and the people who live here use.  (Joe realizes he’s not going to get anywhere until he figures out this stupid “code map”, so he gives it a quick study.)

Agent: Do you have a pre-approval letter?  Do you want to go see some houses today, because it’s really a Great Time to Buy!  Can I make some appointments while you study “our” map?  How many bedrooms do you want?  Do you have children?  Pets?  Where do you work?  Here’s some testimonials from some of my clients who love me.  Here’s a link to my website with lots of useful information.  Here’s a Buyer’s Guide to help you understand all the things I’m going to be doing for you.

Joe: (I wish this agent would shut the fck up, so I can look at this map.) You know what.  I think I’m going to go get something to eat.  Can I borrow this code map to read while I’m eating?

Agent: What’s your price range?  I’ll line up a few houses to see while you’re eating lunch!

Joe: $750,000

(Joe leaves with the secret code map and never returns.  Agent says to agent next to him, “Well…what the heck is wrong with that guy?  Where IS he?  I’ve made five appointments to see these houses.  What am I going to do?”  Other agent, “You know what they say, “Buyers are Liars”.)

Joe tries to decipher the secret code map.

Joes’ Wife: Honey, did you figure out which neighborhoods we can afford in Kirkand?

Joe: Well, I’ve spent all day in two different real estate offices, and I can’t get a straight answer out of anyone!  This stupid realtor code map doesn’t help at all!!! They are calling ALL of Kirland, Area 560!

Joe’s Wife:  Honey…I know you’ve wasted a whole day with this stupid real estate agent stuff.  We don’t need an agent!  Let’s just go Google “mls Kirkland”and look at some houses and calm down, OK?

Joe: OK.  Sorry.  I didn’t mean to take it out on you.  I’m just SO FRUSTRATED!

Joe Googles “mls Kirkland”.  He finds Kirkland Home Search – The MLS Online He clicks “home search”.  He changes the drop down to “King County”.  He clicks on “Kirkland”.  He puts in his real price, not the lie he told the agent to get the heck out of that office.  He puts in minimum of 3 bedrooms. It says “10 Actives Found”. 

Joe: This site says there are only 10 houses in Kirkland priced between $500,000 and $525,000.  I thought there was a record number of houses for sale?  This can’t be right!

Joe’s Wife: Try $450,000 to $550,000.

Joe: OK.  That’s better.  It says 58.  Still, not as many as I was expecting based on what I’ve been reading in the paper.  A whole City only has 58 houses in our price range?  Let’s see if I can figure out which of these Neighborhoods they are in. (He clicks “View Actives List”.)  Honey?  What do you think “active” means?  Can’t they just say For Sale!?

Joe’s Wife: Now down’t get started.  Just get to the houses, OK?  What do you see?

(Joe says FCK…it’s starting at the most expensive house at $550,000.  I don’t want her to see this.  Good, here’s a re-sort button from lo to hi.)

Joe: One second, honey.  OK…here’s a really nice one for $450,000.

Joe’s Wife: That looks nice.  What’s a “split-entry”?

Joe:  I don’t know.  Can’t these G’damn agents speak English!!!

Joe’s Wife: Calm down.  What neighborhood is it in?

Joe: I’m looking at the pictures.  It has wood floors.  Those look like new windows.  Looks pretty nice.

Joe’s Wife: What neighborhood is it in?

Joe: It doesn’t say.  It says “Kirkland”.  Here’s a map of where it is…I can see a train track.  FCK…THIS ISN’T WORKING!!!

Joe Wife:  Honey, I think we really DO need to get an agent.

Joe: NO!  Fck that!  That’s why they are doing this!  They are making it impossible for me to do anything!  All I wanted was the median price of the neighborhoods in Kirkland.  Is that too much to ask!?!?  No.  No agent.  They are not going to win!  NO!

Joe’s Wife: (Crying)

Joe: (turns on the football game.)

I think it’s broke and needs fixing.  What do you think?

I recently heard the term “balloon frame” from someone on Twitter discussing the fire hazards and potential dangers to firemen.  It was a local person, and so it caught my attention.  I have never heard a home inspector advise a home owner that they were buying a home with a “balloon frame”.  Nor have I ever heard a home inspector note the potential hazards.

Here are a couple of links regarding balloon homes and firemen that the Twitterer was kind enough to send me.

I would appreciate comments from anyone having knowledge on this topic.

Thank you.

We have a few hours to go before we ring in the New Year of 2009.  But I wanted to take a few moments to thank all of our readers, my fellow writers, and the many people who comment here, for making Rain City Guide the special place that it is.

Tomorrow will mark my third anniversary of blogging.  Honestly, I can hardly imagine my world without it.  It’s been a rewarding experience and, I value my “blogfriends” and my “blogclients” more than…well, more than lots of things.

Tonight at midnight, I’ll take a cup of kindess, probably hot chocolate, and think of all the special people in my life.  Not the least of which being, Dustin and Anna Luther, Jillayne Schlicke, Rhonda Porter, Tim and Lynlee Kane,  Robbie, Steph and Harrison Paplin, Galen Ward, Deborah Burns…these wonderful people are part of my extended family.

And as the Coke/Walmart young man said: “When you stock up on Joy, there’s enough to go round”.

Thank you everyone, for being part of the Joy of my Life.  Many Happy Returns…

How do you give back to “the anonymous many”?  Those who “speak back” to me in comments, are my most prized and loved readers.  Imagine singing to an audience that provides no perceivable reaction?  But I also appreciate the thousands of silent readers who sometimes email privately, and more often stay in the shadows.

What do you give to “an internet audience” whom you appreciate SO MUCH, and yet cannot “see”? Priceless Gifts you can enjoy today…and for many years to come…as long as the links don’t break.

What a wonderful gift we have in the internet.  Unbelievable that we can experience this Pulitzer Prize Winning composition, The Little Match Girl Passion by David Lang performed at Carnegie Hall.  We even get to see David Lang’s own account of what he hoped to convey with this piece.   Gift #1

Award Winning Photography from the 2007 Winner of the Photobloggie Awards.  Imagine making a 2009 Calendar for your own personal use, using 12 of these magnificent photos of your choosing. Gift #2

We love our dusty old cookbooks, and the new ones as well.  But what a gift to be able to SEE and almost SMELL a recipe via the wonderful world of video on the internet.  I chose this half moon ravioli recipe, made with Azumaya,  because of its simplicity.  A ten minute from start to finish gourmet fantasy that you can “stuff” with pretty much anything you want.  I would use ricotta cheese vs. mascarpone.  Gift #3

We are the internet, you…me…RCG.  A powerful, growing force to be reckoned with.  I give you a tale of how the power can be unleashed in real, and meaningful ways without bounds:  Gift #4

2009 will not be a year of great change.  It will be a year of Great Hope for Change, one small step at a time, via you and me acting the best we can in each moment.

I would very much appreciate any return gifts you may have, via links, sent to me, ArdellD at Twitter.  I will continue to share my passion for real estate with you…and hope you will in like-kind, share your passions with me.  Be change; influence a mind.

Buon Natale!