Displaying blog entries 11-20 of 21
The Clackamas County Tax Assessor's Town Hall Meeting will be Novemeber 7. 2009 at 1:30 to 3:00 PM. to answer your questions about property taxes. The meeting will be held at the Hoodland Community Center at 25400 E. Salmon River Road, Welches.
Put your seatbelts on. The property tax bills are coming. Welches, Brightwood, Government Camp and Rhododendron and all Oregon Trail School District property owners are putting funds towards the long overdue high school which has been sorely needed for over fifteen years. Before your head hits the floor and the smelling salts are out you may want to read this Clackamas County Press Release for an explanation of why the taxes are going up substantially.
It's too bad by delaying the inevitable need for so many years the costs have increased substantially for the new high school project.
Read about the bond funds for the school district.
July and August pending sales proved to be substantial for the year with the biggest number of closings to date in September. It's been over a year since we have seen a monthly total of fifteen sales! Although there were none in the over $400.000 range, there were a few in the $300,000 area. Only one forest service cabin closed after the August flurry of sales. On a very positive note, only two of the fifteen sales were bank foreclosures.
Media reports indicate the third quarter of 2009 saw the greatest number of foreclousre filings yet. We are fortunate that the numbers of foreclosures have not hit levels in other states from 50 to 80% of their entire sales numbers.
Here are September's sales:
LEARNING TO FLY!
In the 1930's and 1940's, there were numerous women's magazines. Ladies' Home Journal and Good Housekeeping were two of them. They showed women in the role of the day - housekeeping. They suggested the number of times per week the home should be dusted, scrubbed, organized, and otherwise kept spotless. They suggested ways to look good when the "man of the house" arrived home from a tough day at the office. In short, those magazines and their publishers set up an impossible regimen of expectations for their readers.
Many of us know women who have spent much of their lives trying to live up to the model housewife role prescribed by those magazines. The trouble is, many of them have (or had) dreams of their own, like wanting to write, or to travel, or to participate in the freedoms only men then enjoyed.
Today, any of us can achieve our dreams. All too often, however, we are still denied our destiny by the expectations set by others. We are bombarded by radio, TV, CD, DVD, and WWW messages that insist we follow their example, their guidelines, or their models. We allow our dreams to wither and die - waiting in line for their turn to blossom - never receiving the water of encouragement needed to grow and bloom.
What about your dreams? Need some encouragement to help you "think outside the box?" Begin by spending time with others who have already achieved their dreams. Leave your nay-sayer acquaintances behind. Read inspiring biographies. Pick up a copy of "Think & Grow Rich" or "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." If you haven't yet learned to "fly," pick up "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" or "Illusions" by Richard Bach.
As Jonathan says in the book, "Don't believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you'll see the way to fly!"
The multiple listing service has recently published their September sales statistics. Here are the numbers for the mountain:
Did you know that approximately one in three people who apply for a mortgage loan or refinance last year were denied approval according to the Federal Reserve? Overall, loan applications and originations were cut in half in 2008 compared with 2006!
Walk-aways are increasing! Despite postitive news on increased sales and in some areas, prices even going upward, many owners according to Housing Predictor will walk away from their mortgages if housing prices continue to fall. In fact, a recent survey indicates one in three owners will walk away.
When I think about the housing crisis and tsunami of foreclosures that have hit the market I think about Sub-prime Mortgages. This was the first wave of loans that caused foreclosures according to the media. There are many myths that surround sub prime loans and this recent commentary of 10 sub-prime mythes published by the Cleavland Federal Reserve, Senior Research Economist, Yuliya Demyanyk.
THE MEANING OF POVERTY!
A colleague passed this delightful story along:
One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how much poverty exists in the world. They spent several days and nights on the farm of a very poor family.
Upon their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" The son's answer? "It was great, Dad!" "Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked. "Oh yeah," said the son.
"So, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father. The son continued, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, and they have the whole horizon."
His son added, "We have a small piece of land to live on, and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who work for us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, and they have friends to protect them."
With this the boy's father was speechless. Then his son finally said, "Thanks Dad, for showing me how poor we are."
Too many times we forget what we have and concentrate on what we don't have. What is one person's worthless object is another's prize possession. It is all based on one's perspective. It makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for the bounty we have, instead of worrying about wanting more. Take joy in all you have, especially your friends.
Hit the brakes! Stunning knotty pine cabin on a quarter of an acre! Just listed at $270,000!
(right in Rhododendron)
You're going to love this home! The warmth of the wood throughout the house gives this special mountain house a place to call home. From the petrefied wood stone fireplace to the high vaulted ceilings and windows everywhere to let the forested setting in, it just says relaxation from top to bottom. It's only a block to the Zig Zag River and minutes to premium ski areas and golf. It works well as a primary or second home. The detached oversized two car garage makes a perfect compliment to the home with bonus storage over the top. Easy care yard doesn't take time away from fun. I love the covered decking with super entertaining areas for friends. Fire up that barbeque. Pride of ownership throughout this welll maintanined home makes it a must see for the mountain home buyer!
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PLAY THE FAMILY GAME!
Feel like you're losing touch with your children? Wish you understood your spouse better? Want to enjoy closer family ties without the background noise of X-Box games or loud music? Does everyone seem to scatter the moment their last bite of food is swallowed? Introduce them to "the family game!"
It's a fun way to bring your family together at the dinner table and keep them there - without complaints. Furthermore, you'll soon have them willingly sharing their dreams, disappointments, likes & dislikes, interests, successes, and innermost thoughts. Finally, you will have created a new family tradition your children will delight in passing on to their own families.
Introduce your version of the family game at the end of a dinnertime meal when everyone is present. Don't make a big production of it, just ask everyone to remain at the table. Tell them you've heard of a fun game and would like to play it with them. Explain that each person at the table gets one turn (and only one turn). You begin by asking a question that everyone, including yourself, has to answer. For instance, your question might be, "What's the most embarrassing moment you've ever had?" Go around the table and let each family member contribute.
Once everyone answers, let the person at your left ask the next question. It might be, "What's the worst birthday present you've ever received?" or maybe, "If you could go back in the past and live in a different time, when would it be and why?" You'll be amazed at the sharing your family will suddenly experience.
Once the "family game" becomes a regular part of meals, add this twist: Before being seated, tell family members that they may sit in any seat at the table except their normal seat. The catch is that they must also "act" like the person normally seated in the chair they choose. This can produce hilarious results.
If your family seems fragmented and scattered, play "the family game." It's a natural for bringing joy, depth, communication and understanding back to your loved ones
Displaying blog entries 11-20 of 21
