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Looking for someplace fun to take the child in your life next Saturday?  With so much to do, you'll have a hard time deciding which event to participate in!  

Here's a list of local Egg Hunts:

Saturday, March 22nd

Burien -  Easter Eggstravaganza(Burien Community Center, 4th SW and SW 146th ST)

    Bunny Breakfast, 9 - 10:45 a.m.($3/person, children under 1 yr FREE), Egg Hunt 11:00(broken into age groups); also the Easter Bunny will be here! $3/photo 

Shorewood - Annual Egg Hunt sponsored by Shorewood on the Sound Community

    See link above for more info about the event.  Registration begins at 10:30 at the top of         the hill on 30th SW.  Wear shoes that won't slip on the beach rocks.  Volunteers needed!

Normandy Park -  Annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Cove(1500 Shorebrook Drive)

     11:00 sharp at the Cove. All are welcome - bring your baskets!

Sea-Tac -  Egg Hunt at Angle Lake Park(19408 International Blvd S)

    Starts at 9:00 a.m. sharp! Bring a basket or bag to collect eggs. 

Des Moines -  Spring Egg Hunt at Des Moines Beach Park

    From 9:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. Candy and prizes for every child! Pics with the Easter Bunny     are $2. 

Tukwila - Easter Egg Scramble & Hunt, Tukwila Community Center, 12424 42nd Ave S.

    Breakfast, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m., Hunt begins at 10:00 a.m. sharp! Also, the 2nd Annual Kid's     Closet will take place.  Shop for kids items or reserve a table for $15 and sell yours.  

West Seattle - West Seattle Thriftway

 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

    Bring your kids aged 0 - 10 years of age for a great time at our annual easter egg hunt (It's West Seattle famous!) there are not only goodies     hidden in those eggs, prizes too, maybe even a Wii! Make sure to get here early, the lot gets full quickly and the line gets long!

Also in West Seattle: Egg Hunts at the following community centers: Alki, Hiawatha, Delridge, High Point and Southwest start at 10:00 a.m.  

Sunday, March 23 

    IKEA - Head over to Renton for Easter events and prizes from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

 **If you time it right, perhaps you can make two or three of these events!  Have a blast!

Looking for someplace fun to take the child in your life next Saturday?  With so much to do, you'll have a hard time deciding which event to participate in!  

Here's a list of local Egg Hunts:

Saturday, March 22nd

Burien -  Easter Eggstravaganza(Burien Community Center, 4th SW and SW 146th ST)

    Bunny Breakfast, 9 - 10:45 a.m.($3/person, children under 1 yr FREE), Egg Hunt 11:00(broken into age groups); also the Easter Bunny will be here! $3/photo 

Shorewood - Annual Egg Hunt sponsored by Shorewood on the Sound Community

    See link above for more info about the event.  Registration begins at 10:30 at the top of         the hill on 30th SW.  Wear shoes that won't slip on the beach rocks.  Volunteers needed!

Normandy Park -  Annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Cove(1500 Shorebrook Drive)

     11:00 sharp at the Cove. All are welcome - bring your baskets!

Sea-Tac -  Egg Hunt at Angle Lake Park(19408 International Blvd S)

    Starts at 9:00 a.m. sharp! Bring a basket or bag to collect eggs. 

Des Moines -  Spring Egg Hunt at Des Moines Beach Park

    From 9:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. Candy and prizes for every child! Pics with the Easter Bunny     are $2. 

Tukwila - Easter Egg Scramble & Hunt, Tukwila Community Center, 12424 42nd Ave S.

    Breakfast, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m., Hunt begins at 10:00 a.m. sharp! Also, the 2nd Annual Kid's     Closet will take place.  Shop for kids items or reserve a table for $15 and sell yours.  

West Seattle - West Seattle Thriftway

 9:00 - 10:00 a.m.

    Bring your kids aged 0 - 10 years of age for a great time at our annual easter egg hunt (It's West Seattle famous!) there are not only goodies     hidden in those eggs, prizes too, maybe even a Wii! Make sure to get here early, the lot gets full quickly and the line gets long!

Also in West Seattle: Egg Hunts at the following community centers: Alki, Hiawatha, Delridge, High Point and Southwest start at 10:00 a.m.  

Sunday, March 23 

    IKEA - Head over to Renton for Easter events and prizes from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

 **If you time it right, perhaps you can make two or three of these events!  Have a blast!

This Thursday, March 20, Arbor Heights Elementary School will hold an Auction & Art Fair to fundraise for art-enrichment programs.  Silent auction, art fair, musical entertainment and artist demonstrations.  5:30-8 pm at Arbor Heights Elementary, 3701 S.W. 104th St.

Check out the neighborhood while you're at it; I've been noticing some new sidewalks lately.  They go quite nicely with the new-ish street signs that were put in about a year ago or so.  

Maybe I'll see you there! 

Early this morning four 2007-built, unoccupied homes went up in flames in Woodinville.  These homes were featured in a local, yearly real-estate event called Street of Dreams.  I viewed these beautiful homes last summer, as many thousands of people did.  These homes represented the latest in design, technology and materials; they were also multi-million dollar homes that the Earth Liberation Front refers to as "McMansions".

Apparently, besides these four homes, one home sustained smoke and heat damage, and the other one was unscathed.  Here is the wiki page on the Earth Liberation Front:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Liberation_Front

The ELF is noted as the #1 domestic terror threat in the United States by the Department of Homeland Security. Their modus operandi is arson.  The effects of their insane and inexplicable actions send shock waves through the communities surrounding their criminal acts. Their goal: to "remove the profit motive from the killing of the natural environment." They torched these homes in protest of urban sprawl. 

Today, one ELF activist stands trial for the 2001 fire bombings of cement and logging trucks in Oregon.  I wish the media would stop calling them 'activists' and start calling them by the more aptly suited name 'terrorist', because that is exactly what they are. 

The irony here is that their actions seem to do more harm than the developers they are protesting against.  These homes were built eco-friendly, and one of them was a 5-star Built Green home(built to the highest environmental standards).  While touring the homes last summer I remember the recycled-paper countertops getting quite a bit of attention for its innovativeness.  Indeed, one of the reasons for the homes' hefty price tags was because of the builders' desire to create homes with as little environmental impact as possible, and to incorporate earth-friendly systems and materials into the design of these homes.

Now, four homes are gone in a cloud of toxic smoke thanks to the ELF, and everyone must begin again.  The homes will be rebuilt after insurance payoffs.  But what about the neighbors who've already purchased homes in that cul-de-sac? What about the Realtors who held Open Houses and marketed these high-end listings over the past eight months, where does that leave them? Where does it leave the builders, everyone with time, heart, soul and money tied up in this development? 

The Earth Liberation Front is a covert, clandestine group with no authority.  Every group acts on their own to inflict their beliefs on others through violent measures.  Perhaps if they were to embrace the philosophy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez and other true activists of protest through non-violence, they might win people over and build some momentum.  After all, plenty of people here are opposed to urban sprawl and the destruction of the environment.  But isn't that what city council meetings are for?

...that in 1910 White Center was known as Seola? Most of us residents currently know Seola as the area surrounding Seola Beach Drive, which is off of SW 106th Street just before 31st Ave SW. There's also a Seola Park that is public, located where 35th Ave SW meets SW Marine View Drive.  Seola loosely translates in Spanish to "Know the Wave".

For the record, I do not claim to be the area historian(though I would love that title someday!); I actually learned this from the Greenbridge HOPE VI Project website.   Visit the website and learn all about this project, a mixed-income master planned community located near where the Park Lake Homes used to be, at 9839 8th Ave S.W.  This development includes a renovated community center, 8-unit apartment project that's Built Green, and open spaces including a plaza for concerts, picnics and play. 

There's also a diverse assortment of public art on display; you'll find a map  here, so that you can check out the locally made art and sculptures that enhance the grounds and the atmosphere at Greenbridge. 

Cheers!

I just made some cookies for my Open House, and, not to toot my own horn but - they are dee-licious! 

I love baking cookies just before Open Houses because a) have something to offer to people walking in; b)it fills the house with the aroma of baked goods, since the cookies are still cooling off; and c) I'll have something to do(eat) in case no one shows up!:) 

Here's the recipe...if anyone has a problem with my posting a recipe here, then...no cookie for you!:)

Kissables Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup margarine or butter

2 eggs(OR, I substituted 1/2 mashed banana for the eggs and I think that's why they are so good!)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips

3-4 Kissables pressed into the top of each cookie before baking

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix sugar, eggs(or mashed banana), shortening, and vanilla in large bowl. Add flour, salt, and baking soda to creamed mixture and blend well Add the chocolate chips.

2. Drop dough by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet.  Slightly push a few Kissables on top of each cookie.  

3. (Optional) To further prevent spreading I put the prepared cookie sheet in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

I'm off to the open house now - ENJOY! 

Yesterday I dropped my son off at his friend's house for his weekly Lego Club.  As part of being in Real Estate, we do have to ask those we come into contact with this question every once in a while: " Do you know of anyone who is interested in buying or selling Real Estate in the near future?"

Her answer to me was, "No, not at this time". She then went on to explain that sometimes she and her husband(both in their mid-30's) would like to move to a larger more updated home in a better area.  However, when they consider the fact that their home will be paid off in 10 years, the thought of starting over again in a new mortgage with higher expenses really discourages them from making a move.  

They did a very smart thing 5 years ago - they refinanced to a low rate, 15 year loan.  She admitted that she enjoys watching more and more of her payment going to principal every month. I know I would! Now, people can argue all they want about how you can just get a 30-year loan and pay more principal, or utilize other ways to pay off your mortgage sooner.  But not too many have the discipline to do this month after month. For this couple, it is working out quite well. 

As I was listening to them, I started to think of how refreshing it was to hear that someone, especially in her age group, can put off their desire for fancier digs in the name of future financial security.  Then I started seething a little with jealousy over the fact that they will be completely debt-free in ten years!(In all seriousness, I am extremely happy for them).  They will finish paying their mortgage off just in time to see their oldest child off to college. 

Perhaps as a result of our economic instability living modestly will start to come back into style, and people will stay put in their homes a little longer to build equity; maybe it's time to go back to the basics. 

First thing this morning, I wake up to the national news on the radio, blaring out more alarming news in the housing market: "Housing Slump Takes A Turn For The Worst!", "Median Prices Fall To Levels We Have Not Seen In Ten Years!", blah-de-blah-de-blah.

I could (and will at a later date when I'm not pressed for time) pull up some local stats, but for the present moment I am just going to stick my finger straight up into the air and say, "Waitasecond - I don't think so!" to all this media hype.

Why? Because:

a) All real estate is local. I truly do feel for people having anything to do with real estate in other parts of the country, where prices are indeed falling as quickly as they rose the past few years. But our situation in the Pacific Northwest is different. We have a much more robust housing market here.

b) I'm suddenly seeing "SOLD" strips on signs all over the place.

c) I had 14 people at my Open House yesterday - yeah!

d) I actually had multiple offers on a property that was PRICED CORRECTLY FOR THE MARKET last week.

e) In our office, I am seeing lots more contracts being written, lots more showings scheduled, conference rooms filled with buyers and sellers. 

Yes, interest rates are in flux, but heck, they are still LOW, people. And prices are leveling out for the most part.

Like I said, there's no scientific substance to this particular "market analysis", just my feelings and observations.  But I just wanted to let you know that the sky is not falling!

The Salvadorean Bakery first opened its doors in White Center roughly 10 years ago.  I discovered it when I came back home for vacation from living abroad in Japan.  I used to bring my Japanese language books to study there for hours so that I wouldn't get rusty when I returned to Japan. Hanging out there made me feel right at home, with the delicious array of aromas from the kitchen and the mix of Spanish music including cumbias, baladas, merengue and salsa that was always playing in the background.  I had longed for this type of place in Japan.

When I come to the Salvadorean Bakery I always order the Platanos Fritos con Frijoles y Crema(Fried Plantains with Beans and Sour Cream). It is heavenly, that's all I can say.  I also love their pupusas, which I can only describe as a type of Salvadorean tortilla filled with either cheese, pork or chicken, and served with curtido, which is a spicy pickled cabbage mix.  I also love the pan frances with beans and Mexican cheese; and their chicken soup is the best I've ever had. There's so much there I haven't tried yet because I can't stop ordering the platanos fritos.

Of course their main gig is as a bakery.  They have an unbelievable assortment of baked goods there. Probably most famous are the pastel de tres leches, and their empanadas, among other things.   They now sell all kinds of Latin American food products so that you can go home and try making some of these foods.  As for me, I bought some corn husks, so I'm going to try to make tamales de elote, which is a sweet corn tamale, usually served with sour cream(they also serve these at the Salvadorean Bakery).  I'll let you know how they turn out! 

I was perusing the City of Burien website today when I saw that there was going to be a meeting this coming Monday regarding the design for the new Burien Library. it is expected to be completed in early 2009, and is being built in conjunction with the new Burien City Hall, which will keep the costs of construction, materials, taxes, etc down for us taxpayers in Highline.

(Tangent alert!) For that reason alone, you gotta love Burien.   Ever since I moved my business here from Seattle, my taxes are considerably less and the paperwork is a breeze!

The new, 32,000 square foot library will of course be much larger than the current library, and will share some space with City Hall.  As with all newly constructed or renovated King County libraries, green standards will be adhered to; while it is extremely expensive to build to the highest of green standards, the new library will be built to be environmentally friendly and cost effective.  

The building permit should be issued any day now.  I believe that the old library will house the new Highline Senior Center.  

Interested in attending the meeting? Here are the details:

Public Meeting:
New Burien Library
Monday, February 25, 7pm
Burien Library
14700 Sixth Avenue SW
Burien, WA 98166