Did you receive your “Official Property Value Notice” over the weekend? Let’s just say that I’m not surprised to see how much our values have gone up…although, in my opinion, I think the 2018 assessed value of my home is higher than what I could most likely sell it for. [Read more…]
Homeownership & Lifestyle
Homeownership is more than a mortgage — it’s about community, lifestyle, and long-term planning.
This section includes personal insights, community involvement, and home-related topics that reflect the broader experience of owning and living in the great Pacific Northwest.
Why is My Mortgage Payment Going Up?
June 28, 2018 by 2 Comments
If you live in the greater Seattle area, you may be receiving a notice from your mortgage servicer stating that they need to adjust your mortgage payment because of an “escrow shortage”. We actually just received such notice from our mortgage servicer. [Read more…]
Update on the penny floor project
April 28, 2018 by Leave a Comment
I’ve been meaning to share this post… it’s a little painful. Hopefully it will help others who are considering doing a penny floor. As you can see from these photos, we’ve had some issues with moisture. Hubby thinks it’s probably because we took too long to finish the job. I’m no pro, however (that doesn’t stop me from having my opinion that) I think it’s mostly because we did this on a basement floor. And living in Seattle, our basements can get damp. In reality, we’re probably both right… you can see the pennies starting to discolor in my last post. [Read more…]
Higher Property Taxes Impacts Everyone
February 23, 2018 by Leave a Comment
If you live in King, Pierce, Snohomish or many other Washington state counties, you have some sticker shock when you see your 2018 property taxes. King County is reporting that the average home will see their taxes increase by 17%. The City of Sumner in Pierce County may see a whopping 22% jump to their property tax. [Read more…]
My Seattle Kitchen Remodel: Selecting Countertops
August 4, 2017 by 1 Comment
A few weeks ago, I shared that we’re remodeling our kitchen. Boy-oh-boy what a chore it is…we started the process months ago and are just starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. As I’m going through this first hand, I thought I’d share tidbits of things we’re learning along the way. Today, I’ll share the story of our kitchen counters.
Let’s start by discussing what we had on our “old” kitchen (photo above). [Read more…]
