Arts in the Park in Puyallup

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate at Arts in the Park at the Pioneer Park Pavilion in Puyallup. This was my first time demonstrating and being on the other side of the booth at an art fair. I really had a great time.

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Happy 15th Bloggoversary to The Mortgage Porter

It’s hard to believe that 15 years ago, I began “blogging” with The Mortgage Porter. When I started this blog late November 2006, I would have never imagined that it would become such an important part of my mortgage career.

I’ve met some wonderful people and have had amazing experiences that would have not happened had I not started typing out my first post about the beginning of mortgage originators being licensed (or just registered if they work for a bank or credit union). I would have never imagined that I would be interviewed, be asked to speak at events and that I would wind up attracting clients I really enjoy working with all from blogging. It’s truly been a gift that I’m thankful for! [Read more…]

32 Years Ago Today

My how time goes by when you’re having fun! Thirty-two years ago, I began my career in real estate. My first job was being a “doc-puller” at Safeco Title in Seattle. I really enjoyed being the receptionist for Safeco since I believed that I had more job security…back in those days, employees were quickly hired and laid off depending on what was going on in the real estate industry. This was before title companies used “temps” to fill those types of positions. Eventually I was promoted to work in a title unit. I “retired” from Washington Title Company as a Branch Manager of the Federal Way office in 2000. [Read more…]

Friday Flashback: Mortgage Rates from 15 years ago

My husband and I have been cleaning out the garage and I came across an old mortgage rate sheet from August 2001. Mortgage rates were a bit higher 15 years ago. If you paid a 1% discount point, your rate for a 30 year fixed would have been 6.500% on a 30 day lock.

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30 Years in the Real Estate Industry

2014-01-27_0929It’s taking me a couple days to write this post because it’s hard for me to fathom that this month marks my 30th year in the real estate industry. Thirty years ago, I was hired to be a doc puller at Safeco Title Insurance Company. I was promoted to Customer Service and promoted again to work in the title units. This picture of me is from a calendar that Chicago Title created to promote “Unit 5”. And yes, that is Chuck Knox, Coach of the Seattle Seahawks, and my hair was as big as the shoulder pads!

I worked at a couple title companies over the years…the last one was my favorite, Washington Title Company. I was one of the first people recruited to launch Washington Title. It was a great time to be a “title rep” and I worked with a great team.

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Friday Funny on Debt

All sarcasm aside, if you want to buy or refinance a home, think twice before going deeper into debt.

If buying or refinancing a home in Washington state is on your radar, please contact me – I’m happy to help you with your mortgage needs and develop a game plan.

DIY Sea Shell and Sea Glass Sconce

Just for fun, I decided to take a plain sconce and glue sea shells and glass that we’ve collected to it. My husband and I collected a majority of the sea shells from beaches along West Seattle.2016-01-20 22.04.43
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DIY Sea Glass Mirror – Part 2

I must admit, my sea glass mirror has been hanging in the bathroom for a while now…I just haven’t had the time to write this post to share my results. In my last post, I had a base of flat glass glued along the border of the mirror.

The next step was to glue larger pieces of sea glass layered on top of the flat glass. Before actually gluing the glass, I selected the pieces and set them where I thought I’d like them to be, rearranging them as needed. [Read more…]