The City of Burien, WA has been busy redesigning itself as a vibrant King County City. A 100-year old community surrounded by many well established neighborhoods including; Seahurst, Gregory Heights, Normandy Park, Three Tree Point, and Shorewood. Residents and business people alike treasure the convenience of Burien’s hub location and great connections. You can drive north to Seattle in 12 minutes, east to Sea-Tac Airport in five minutes, and south to Tacoma or east to Bellevue in 30 minutes. Burien is a waterfront community with six miles of Puget Sound shoreline and expansive mountain views.

New Home Buyer Education

June 5th, 2009
Posted by danita jolly Click Here To Comment »

Attend a Free Homebuyer Education Class: Home buyers can attend a Washington State Housing Finance Commission Sponsored Home Buyer Education Seminar; this 5-hour seminar is a requirement for receiving a loan from the Commission.Other Loans Are Available Now:  Look into the House Key Program for first mortgages for first-time home buyers; and, there are Second Mortgage Loans for Down Payment Assistance available through the Commission when using the House Key Program. There are down payment assistance programs for those with disabilities, for teachers, veterans and those who live in certain rural areas. There is even a conventional first mortgage loan available right now through the Express Loan Program for first-time home buyers that can be used in conjunction with the House Key Plus Down payment Assistance Program.

“Stock the Pantry” Food Drive June 1-14 Burien Bartell’s

June 5th, 2009
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“Stock the Pantry” Food Drive June 1-14: helping to feed out-of-school children and their families during summer months

WHAT: Bartell Drugs launches the “Stock the Pantry” food drive with Northwest Harvest by accepting nonperishable food donations at all 55 Bartell Drug locations from June 1 to June 14.

The drive builds on a long-time relationship between Bartell’s and Northwest Harvest to support in-need families in the communities we serve.

THE NEED: This two-week food drive is especially important to help Northwest Harvest replenish food stocks during summer months–when families that normally depend on free or reduced-price school meals may struggle to provide those meals at home.

Some “kid-friendly” food item suggestions include tuna, instant oatmeal, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, cheese crackers, applesauce and canned fruit in individual serving sizes.

WHEN: June 1 – June 14, 2009

WHERE: All 55 Bartell Drugs Locations in King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties
For more information on Bartell Drugs locations, visit www.bartelldrugs.com

Burien Location:

14901 4th Ave SW, Suite 100
Burien, WA 98166

FAST FACTS:

  • Only 2 out of 5 low-income children who receive a school lunch also receive a lunch in the summer months. – Western Region Anti-Hunger Consortium
  • 16% (approximately 226,000) of Washington’s children under 18 live below the federal poverty level. – American Community Survey, 2006 and Washington Kids Count, 2009
  • Washington children live in families and communities that are facing harsh cuts in health care and other services.

Over the next year in Washington, an estimated 40,000 new kids will drop into poverty, driving up the need for programs that help children and families. – Children’s Alliance, May 2009

  • Children suffer when their parents lose jobs and health insurance and can’t make ends meet.
  • Demand for safety net programs will grow as unemployment rises, further straining a system that isn’t able to meet the need we have now.

First Time HomebuyersYou have until December 1, 2009

May 30th, 2009
Posted by danita jolly Click Here To Comment »

First Time HomebuyersYou have until December 1, 2009

  • To find a home
  • Secure financing
  • Close the transaction

Better start working with your REALTOR® today!

First time homebuyers

If you (or your spouse if married) have not owned your principal residence for the past 3-years.

Tax Credit

When you file your taxes, you will be able to subtract the amount of the credit from the taxes you owe on your federal income tax return. If the credit is larger than what you owe, you receive the balance as a REFUND from the IRS.

How much will you qualify for?

The credit is based on 10% of the purchase price of the home. If you purchase a home that costs $80,000 or more you will start with the full $8,000 credit. If you earn more than $75,000 a year (or $150,000 married filing jointly) there is a phaseout formula you must follow.

Repayment

You don’t have to repay the credit— unless you own the house for less than three years, according to the Internal Revenue Service. If you sell the house during that period, the money has to be repaid the year the house is sold.

Mortgage Rates for Friday, May 29th

May 29th, 2009
Posted by danita jolly Click Here To Comment »

What a wild week!  Mortgage-backed securities took their biggest one-day beating this Wednesday since last October.  More than 200 bps were given up that day, causing rates to jump up ~ .500% from where we started in the morning.  Most of the selloff stemmed from an oversupply of Treasuries issued by the government.  Fears of inflation were a concern, as investors visualized greenbacks being printed off in mass supply by a government trying to artificially fund all of these stimulus packages.  And just when we thought the market was going in one direction (south), it reverses course and gives us back some of those losses.  134 bps were regained today at market close.  This is about as volatile as I’ve ever seen it.  So buckle up and hang on – it’s a rollercoaster ride right now!

 

Best regards,

Ben

 

Rates are based on a 740 credit score, a principal and interest payment, and a 1% loan origination fee.  Please note that interest rates for condos are slightly higher than what’s show below.

Conforming

30 year fixed – 5.000%

5/1 ARM – 4.000%

 

High Balance Conforming ($567,500 maximum)

30 year fixed – 5.125%

Non-Conforming (Jumbo)

30 year fixed – 6.250%

5/1 ARM – 5.000%

FHA

30 year fixed – 5.125%

5/1 ARM – 4.250%

 

 

Ben Lenderman
Home Mortgage Consultant
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
P6447-140
10900 NE 8th St
Bellevue, WA 98004
425-468-8613 Tel
425-301-1897 Cell
866-636-7738 Fax
ben.lenderman@wellsfargo.com
http://www.wfhm.com/ben-lenderman

Entrepreneur Bootcamp-Franchising Basics

May 28th, 2009
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THE TIME FOR CHANGE IS HERE. BEGIN AHEAD OF THE PACK!

When: June 11, 2009

Social: 5-6pm

Session: 6-9pm

Where: Hometask University 1800 S.W. 152nd, Burien WA  98166

Benefits:

  • Straight talk about business and franchising from those that have done it!
  • Apply proven wisdeom to your plans to increase your success.
  • One hour private meeting with Jerrod Sessler for the first 5 people to register.

Have you ever dreamed of starting a business? What is stopping you? Jerrod Sessler, Founder of the international franchise organization, HomeTask.com says, “It is normally one of two reasons… people are either fearful of something. Sometimes it is fear of what may happen and some are not comfortable venturing into something that they don’t know all the details about before they start.”

This eBootcamp is specifically designed to help you if you are interested in or considering starting a business. This will be specifically helpful if you have ever thought that maybe a franchise business may be a good next step for your future.

Jerrod Sessler and Chris Inverso, lead trainer for Yellow Van Handyman will teach this world class session.

About Jerrod: Founder of HomeTask.com, Yellow Van Handyman, Freggies.com, VaultFarm and Hope4Health Foundation. He also serves as the Chairman of the International Franchise Association’s Information Technology Committee, is a Certifed Franchise Executive and a Manufacturing/Mechanical Engineer.

Jerrod has also personally coached dozens of entrepreneurs and leaders of mature companies at various stages in their business. Jerrod lives with his wife Nikki and three kids in the Seattle area. He is a terminal cancer survivor, a NASCAR Driver and a frequent public speaker

Click Here for more information and registration info

 

Cash-At-Closing Progress Report

May 28th, 2009
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Efforts to get the $8,000 first time homebuyer credit available to the buyer at closing have stalled at the IRS office. The Governor has signed the legislation that allows the Washington State Housing Finance Commission to make the funds available. Washington REALTORS® have provided the money to guarantee the program and all that is left is some sort of mechanism to ensure that when the borrower receives the $8,000 from the IRS, those funds are dedicated to pay off the bridge loan. Since working with an agency the size of the IRS is tenuous, we are working on alternatives to make this program available by the end of June. We will keep you updated.

Efforts to get the $8,000 first time homebuyer credit available to the buyer at closing have stalled at the IRS office. The Governor has signed the legislation that allows the Washington State Housing Finance Commission to make the funds available. Washington REALTORS® have provided the money to guarantee the program and all that is left is some sort of mechanism to ensure that when the borrower receives the $8,000 from the IRS, those funds are dedicated to pay off the bridge loan. Since working with an agency the size of the IRS is tenuous, we are working on alternatives to make this program available by the end of June. We will keep you updated.
 

 

Beer Church Golf Tournament benefiting Whisker City

May 23rd, 2009
Posted by danita jolly 1 Comment »

The First Ever

Beer Church
Golf Tournament

A benefit for Whisker City
sponsored by

jerseys.jpg

WE WILL BEGIN ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS
ON MONDAY, JUNE 1st.

For now, get your foursomes lined up and SAVE THE DATE! Sunday, August 16th.

Visit the Beer Church Blog for all the details here.

All proceeds will benefit Whisker City – a shelter for abandoned, abused and neglected pets. There may be some golfers around the Burien area interested so I wanted to pass this along.  It’s taking place at the Nile Golf and Country Club in Mountlake Terrace.  Drinking and golfing all for a good cause!

 

Burien Real Estate Update

May 12th, 2009
Posted by danita jolly Click Here To Comment »

Is everyone is watching and waiting for the right time to buy.

Sellers are now being realistic but are the buyers too stubborn to see a good deal?  It took sellers a long time to realize that their homes were not going to sell at the prices they thought, so now after sitting on the market for a year or more, the prices have been adjusted.  Homes recently put on the market have been adjusted and are coming on the market at fair prices.   Human nature always wants more but are buyers now being unrealistic?  How low will you go?

Take a look at what recently has sold in Burien.  From April to today’s date (roughly 6 weeks), 20 residential homes and 2 condos have sold and closed.  Out of these 22 properties, 40% are short sales and foreclosures.  A 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo at $88K.  Three homes sold for under $150k.  The chart below shows all the the homes that sold during the previous six weeks, how long they were on the market.  The yellow indicates the price ranges that had distressed properties sold.

Interest Rate Update by Ben at Wells Fargo

May 9th, 2009
Posted by danita jolly Click Here To Comment »

Mortgage-backed securities traded in a wide range this week.  There was a massive sell-off in bonds on Thursday but the market gave back some of those losses the very next day.  April unemployment figures came in at -539,000 bringing the Unemployment Rate up to a 26-year high of 8.9%.  The only good news was that the 539,000 lost jobs represented the smallest loss since October 2008.  Meanwhile, rates continue to hold at steady levels.

 

Best regards,

Ben

 

Rates are based on a 740 credit score, a principal and interest payment, and a 1% loan origination fee.  Please note that interest rates for condos are slightly higher than what’s show below.

Conforming

30 year fixed – 4.750%

5/1 ARM – 3.750%

 

High Balance Conforming ($567,500 maximum)

30 year fixed – 4.875%

Non-Conforming (Jumbo)

30 year fixed – 6.125%

5/1 ARM – 5.125%

FHA

30 year fixed – 4.875%

5/1 ARM – 4.625%

 

 

Ben Lenderman
Home Mortgage Consultant
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
P6447-140
10900 NE 8th St
Bellevue, WA 98004
425-468-8613 Tel
425-301-1897 Cell
866-636-7738 Fax
ben.lenderman@wellsfargo.com
http://www.wfhm.com/ben-lenderman

What’s happening on the Burien Restaurant scene…The House

April 27th, 2009
Posted by danita jolly Click Here To Comment »

thehouselogo

New and exciting places are filling old spaces to stay for drinks, appetizers, dinner, and entertainment.  A new addition recently added along 152nd to the local dinner scene is “The House”.  Why eat dinner at The House?  It’s really just like a house!   With artful decor of velvet smooth leather sofa and chairs, candles, stylish lighting, granite counters, vases, mirrors, rich wood tables, bar stools, area rugs, elegant silk pillows, plants, and fresh flowers.  Oh yes, and it has an open kitchen but you don’t have to be the cook!

The atmosphere borders on slightly romantic and casual elegance.  You would feel quite comfortable having a dinner for two, or stopping in with a group for some dinner and wine.  Whatever your mood, there is a variety of separate dining spaces available to enjoy.

The menu changes every other day keeping your taste buds satisfied.  The House offers nightly appetizers, 4 course prix fix dinners for $25.00,  or ala carte meals.

Owners, Will and Stephanie Collier are not knew to the food industry.  They have owned and operated a successful catering business for over a year serving many well known companies as Northwest Air, Alaska Air, Wyeth, Endo Pharmesuitical, and Valley Medical Center.  Wanting to put a face to their catering company, The House was established.

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