As fall creeps into the air here are some items that need your attention around the home. Clean out those gutters one more time before Fall. With this great weather it’s a good time to repair leaks or replace damaged downspouts. Replace some gutter screws, get some decorative spout trays for even distribution of water flow or get yourself a rain barrel.

Central air-conditioning? This is a good time to check your system out. Make sure you’ve cleaned out all the condensation in the drain line. Clean out any algae or other debris. You can easily clean those lines with a bleach mixture.

Before you store away your window screens, make sure they are clean. You can clean them easily with a soft scrub brush and warm soapy water. Clean both sides of the screen. Rinse and allow to dry and you’ll be ready for next year.

Windows can be checked for leaks or cracks and you can decide whether they need to be replaced or not. Tax credits are still being allowed through the end of this year for energy upgrades.

Insulation, water heaters, and furnaces can be checked out as well. When were they last serviced? Have all filters been changed out? There are tax credits still being offered for these energy upgrades until the end of this year.

It’s time to prepare for the Fall and Winter months by getting these easy, smaller projects out of the way.

This is a question often asked by those who want to know if the cost of staging a home is worth the investment in an already down market. Below is some food for thought that will hopefully help you decide what will work best for you.

The Positives

• Staging can help people visualize the amount of available space in a room which they can then mentally picture their own furniture and items in the rooms.

• A clean well staged home can make rooms look larger.

• Elegant decorating and staging can add character to an otherwise empty home.

• Staging can help draw attention to the best attributes of the home.

The Negatives

• Staging a space can make it look claustrophobic and cluttered.

• Some buyers prefer an empty home that they can picture their own items in.

• Staging done improperly can be a significant detriment how well the home shows.

• Staging can be expensive.

Know What Kind of Market You’re In

By knowing what kind of real estate market you’re in, you should be able to get a better idea of whether or not staging your home will be effective or not.

Buyer’s Market

Currently, we’re in a buyers market. There’s plenty of homes on the market to choose from, so anyone selling their home will have some competition. To set yourself apart from the others, staging can be a helpful tool. Elegant decorations can draw attention to the space and “feel” of the room, rather than draw attention to the emptiness which may reveal minor issues.

Seller’s Market

In a sellers market, buyers are competing for your home, so it won’t often require the expense of staging, although it may help your home stand out.

The best advice is to understand your home, and have an understanding of the market. Know whether it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market. Know your homes best features. Find out from a professional stager what would complement your home perfectly. Regardless, understanding your home will help you determine that staging or leaving the home empty showcases your home the best.

TurkFest, the annual Turkish Cultural Festival of Seattle, is recognized for its demonstration of Turkish hospitality through educating and entertaining Seattle community by presenting a thrilling glimpse into Turkish culture. This year, TurkFest celebrates its 10th Anniversary at Seattle Center, inviting us to join a terrific event.

During the festival, visitors will be introduced to numerous Turkish traditions including authentic folk dancing, cooking demonstrations, delicious tea, black Turkish coffee, paper-marbling workshops, and lots more.

The festival dates are October 16-17.
Time: Saturday, 12 pm – 7:30 pm, Sunday, 12 pm – 6:00 pm.
Location: Seattle Center House and Fisher Pavilion roof.
Address: 305 Harrison Street, Seattle WA 98109.

Admission is free.

We encourage you to participate in TurkFest and hope you will have a wonderful experience!

Mortgage rates for loans are the lowest they’ve been in years. If you’re thinking about buying a home or refinancing to lock in these unprecedented low rates, this is a good time to do it. 30-year fixed pricing is hovering around or below 4.5 percent.

Why You Should Buy

1. You’ll get a locked in low mortgage rate that will remain unchanged for 30 years.
2. Your monthly payment may be more affordable.
3. Home prices are lower.
4. Save money by locking in a low rate.

Keep in mind, there is a good possibility that the recession will continue. This means that the home you buy may not appreciate in value quickly, and may even lose value initially, however, the locked in low interest rate will help ensure the possible benefits of long term investment in a home of your own.

What To Expect

- 30-year fixed rates will probably increase over time. Lock in your rate.
- Don’t plan on buying a home with the intention of having it start to appreciate immediately.
- A 30-year fixed rate will be locked in at that rate.

Refinance Now!

If you haven’t already, refinancing your loan to match the lower rates can save you a ton of money over time. If the thought has crossed your mind to get your loan refinanced, talk to your loan officer. No matter how long you’ve held your mortgage, there’s a chance that a refinance can:

- Reduce out of pocket costs.
- Lower your existing mortgage rate.
- Reduce your total mortgage payment substantially.

Mortgage markets change and vary rapidly and without notice. By locking in a low rate now either through the purchase of a new home or via refinance, you may ensure a lower monthly payment with a fixed low interest mortgage rate.

New credit card rule have been enacted from the CARD (Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure) Act, created to protect consumers from predatory practices. Credit Card companies must now give you 45 days advance notice before raising your rates. Their billing statements must be reveal how long it takes to pay off a balance with just a minimal payment being made as a minimal payment increases your interest. Your interest can now only be increased once a year; no longer at the whim of the credit card companies.

They will now have restrictions on over-the-limit fees. You will no longer be able to automatically go over your limit at the point of purchase. Thus, no automatic over-the-limit fees will be applied. There are now fee caps. All Annual or application fees cannot equal more than 25% of the initial card limit.

Under 21? You will now need an adult co-signer or proof that you can pay the card. Gives parents and kids a chance to learn about the responsible usage of credit. Your statements will now be delivered no less than 21 days before your payment is due. Standardized billing with standardized times for receiving payments. Double billing within one month doesn’t exist any longer either as companies were double-cycle billing to change how interest was being calculated.

The new rules don’t cover corporate cards so watch for rate hikes there as the industry as a whole will take a loss in revenue of up to 10$ billion annually due to the current changes. Be sure to look for new fees; like annual fees, processing fees or activity fees. There will probably be cuts in rewards points as well.

Shop around for other cards. Check out all the above mentioned points. Keep those hard earned dollars of yours in your pocket, pay off your balances monthly and check out those smaller banks or credit card companies. Some of the worst offenders of practices that have changed were from some of our largest institutions.

Fall is a great time to shop for earth friendly supplies and teach our children some healthy alternatives at the same time. An average family can spend up to $250.00 on school supplies ie paper, notebooks, lunch boxes, pencils, pens, crayons etc. Not to mention electronics. Many of these supplies contain toxins that can affect our children’s learning and come with a cost to our environment.

Shop for nontoxic art supplies. Double check those paints, markers and glues for toxic ingredients. Look for the AP label for safe supplies. (The Art and Creative Materials Institute or ACMI) This label will indicate that the products are less toxic though not necessarily free of toxins.

Paper is a huge culprit for toxins as bleach is used to brighten the paper so be careful when purchasing paper for your kids. Much of the paper used for school supplies come from endangered forest in the southern US and Indonesia. The paper industry is the 4^th largest emitter of greenhouse gases and the 3^rd largest of industrial waste. Choose your paper carefully, use it sparingly and recycle appropriately.

Do you like art? Would you like to see a good exhibition? Would you hold off if it’s free? We hope not. Seattle Art Museum is one of the best museums in the city hosting a revolving series of exhibits.

Every first Thursday of the month, Seattle Art Museum offers free admission to the public. You have a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the internationally renowned museum for free!

If you’re a senior (age 62+), you can also visit SAM for free each first Friday of the month, while teenagers (age 13-19), have the same privilege every second Friday from 5-9 pm.

Seattle Art Museum is located in downtown on 1300 1st Avenue. Thursday & Friday hours are 10 am to 9 pm. If you have any questions before you decide to visit, you can reach SAM over the phone at 206.654.3100.

We hope you have an unforgettable experience visiting Seattle Art Museum, and maybe you would want to come back again, especially if it’s free!

In case anyone else has been wondering what the black boxes above SR 520, I-90 and I-5 were…

First, no, they don’t take your picture, have lasers, or mail you tickets. The black boxes hovering precipitously above the highways are there to help with traffic. They are Active Traffic Management tools. They are essentially a series of electronic speed-limit and lane status signs that will adjust automatically to help highway-goers navigate with a higher degree of safety and efficiency.

Using Technology Improves Traffic

Active traffic management tools have been proven to be effective at reducing collisions and improving traffic flow in Europe. The use of the technology has reduced collisions by around 30% and increased the total traffic capacity on the roadway.

The goal is to utilize the traffic management signs to reduce congestion and help make travel safer and efficient.

For more information, please see the WSDOT web page for SR 520 and I-90 active traffic management.

Bon Odori is a celebration to remember the gratitude one should feel toward one’s ancestors. Experience this summertime festival with colorful kimono, traditional folk dancing, Taiko demonstrations, and other sights, sounds, and tastes. The public is welcome to take part in the dancing!

Event Details

Location: Seattle Buddhist Church, 1427 Main Street
Event Days: July 17-18
Time: July 17, 4pm – 10:30pm; July 18, 3pm – 8:30pm.
Admission: FREE!
Contact: Ann Oxrieder (206) 329-0800
Email: bonodori@seattlebetsuin.com
Website: http://www.seattlebetsuin.com

 The United Indians of All Tribes Foundation hosts this annual celebration of Indian heritage and culture. This event takes place on the beautiful grounds of Discovery Park in Seattle. The Pow Wow usually averages 400-600 dancers in full regalia, 25 drum groups and 10,000 spectators. In addition there are more than 60 vendors showcasing a unique variety of Native American arts and crafts.

Event Details
Location: Daybreak Start Indian Cultural Center at Discovery Park
Start Date: July 16, 2010
End Date: July 18, 2010
Time: July 16, 4-10pm; July 17, 10am-10pm; July 18, 10am-10pm.
Admission: FREE!
Email: info@unitedindians.org
Website: http://www.unitedindians.org