Debbie's Blog & Ramblings

On my own and all alone – Part Four

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 01:34:34 -0500

Part One: http://activerain.com/blogsview/645303/On-my-own-and

Part Two: http://activerain.com/blogsview/645405/On-my-own-and

Part Three: http://activerain.com/blogsview/645422/On-my-own-and

I'm opening my own office! I can finally talk about it. No more hiding - no more sneaking around making plans. Everything is right on the table. While it's earlier than I planned, it's kind of a relief.

My broker at RE/MAX, Larry Telfer, has displayed an unusual level of professionalism when he decided that in order to live my dream, I needed to part ways with his office.

Thursday things really hadn't quite sunk in. I kept checking the MLS. I still had access. I kept looking at my license on the wall. I kept counting my listings. I was waiting for a shoe to drop. Finally I had to talk to Larry and see where all this was going to go.

"This is going so much smoother than I expected. I'm almost feeling guilty but it's too late to change my mind. This has been so pleasant, but we need to get down to brass tacks".

"What do you mean?" asked Larry.

"I have 23 active listings, and 9 pending files"

"When you get your broker license, you'll still have 23 active listings, provided they sign up with you. I'm not calling them, and I'm not trying to take them. As for your pending files, we may have to work something out to have someone here assist, but you can participate in them to the fullest extent allowed by law".

Now I truly am speechless. Chocked up, and my eyes fill up with tears. This man is being so kind. After all, the broker owns the listings. Larry must know my clients are loyal and most have already told me they will not list with anybody else should this happen earlier than planned.

The mutual admiration society continues. Larry gave me advice on setting up my bookkeeping system, my bank accounts, and even gave me some supplies to last until my shipment comes in. We waited until my last closing Friday to do the paperwork. I raced to the post office and sent everything to Anchorage by Express Mail. Hopefully it will be at the Real Estate Commission on Monday and they will process my paperwork quickly.

In the meantime, I hope everyone understands why I'm not answering calls or emails. Things will kick into high gear next week!

On my own and all alone - Part Three

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:36:18 -0500

Part One: http://activerain.com/blogsview/645303/On-my-own-and

Part Two: http://activerain.com/blogsview/645405/On-my-own-and

So, five days to clean out my desk. My poor husband is probably having a nervous breakdown running his fishing charter right after getting off the plane. I run a few errands and head back into the office. Of course, the tension is in the air, and every gives me a blank stare and goes silent I walk in the door.

After quietly packing a few boxes, I just cannot stand it another moment. I go to Larry's office and ask if he has a moment, and he does.

"That went a little different than I expected. I've got to tell you a few things. I respect you more now than I did when I got out of bed this morning. I've learned a lot from you in the last six years, and I want you to know that our relationship means a lot to me. When I left my last office, it wasn't like that."

He says: "I am going to really miss you around here. You are easy to talk to. But I am looking forward to seeing you at the broker's meetings because I think you will bring a lot to the table. I don't want this to be a negative experience for you, and I hope we will always continue to be able to work together".

WOW. I'm almost speechless. (That doesn't happen very often!)

We talk a while, and I want to let him know a few of the things I've learned from him.

I've only witnessed Larry losing his temper four times. I've been told it has happened more than that, but it's a pretty rare occurrence. What I've learned is that when you don't do it every day, people stand up and take notice when you do. If you scream and shout and make everything a drama, people eventually go numb and don't even pay attention. I hate drama. That's why God didn't give me girls.

Another thing I've learned... one time that anger was directed at me. I fell apart, and I didn't even try to defend myself I was so shocked and surprised. I struggled with emotion for quite some time, and after about an hour, decided to go home. I was going to think about it overnight and approach him in the morning - if I came back at all. However, in that period of time, he'd learned what had really happened was not what he'd thought had happened, and was sitting quietly in thought. I didn't know and was trying to leave. His voice cracked when he said my name, and he asked me to come into the office. I closed the door, looked at my hands and tried not to cry. He told me what he'd learned. He spoke softly, earnestly, and his voice was so gentle and humble. He was also sitting there, struggling with his own emotion. He asked me if I would forgive him, please. Something was in his eye. I continued to look at my hands, quietly said "It's okay" and he said, "No it's not", and I said let's both just forget. We did.

It takes a big man to say he's sorry, and they'd better be pretty convincing for me to believe them.

I'm going to miss working with Larry, but bigger dreams lie ahead!

On my own and all alone Part Two

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 23:53:07 -0500

So, I last left you with a very brief description of the last time I switched brokerages...

Larry asks me if I have time at 2:15 to chat. I don't then, but I did "now". So we did it right then. I knew what was coming - I think I'd expected it even sooner. I just want to get it over with. He asks me to close the door and sit down. I do.

"I have two questions for you, and I hope you answer them honestly"

1. " I know you hope to have a brokerage someday. I've heard someday is coming up. Is it true that you are looking to do this in the near future?"

I smile somewhat embarrassed and say, "I'd hoped I wouldn't me making this move until late October with a grand opening November 1, but yes, it is the works"

2. "Have you attempted to recruit any of my agents?"

"I do not feel what I've done should be construed as soliciting the agents at RE/MAX. I have discussed my ideas for office policy, training, and my own thoughts on how I want to run a brokerage. If it was construed as recruitment, it was not the intention."

Of course, now I'm almost shaking. I respect this man, and I've worked with him for about six years. We've always been able to talk, and even when we disagree, it is always done with respect. In some ways, he is my mentor. I think I'm about to lose a friend.

Larry continues: "Of course you realize, I am going to have to ask you to leave RE/MAX and clean out your office. Do you think you can do that by Monday?"

Wow. Five days to clean out my desk. And ten minutes until I pick up my husband at the airport.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

I'm not sure what to tell Chris when I pick him up a few minutes later. He's not quick to forgive and never forgets, and when I left my first brokerage after 3 years, it was a gut wrenching experience. First, I was deeply hurt. I cried for three days, even after I'd made up my mind where I was going and that it was the right move. Months later, I reached the anger portion of my grief. It took months to rebuild my business, and I was pretty cranky throughout the process. While it had worked out to my advantage over the long haul, it wasn't an easy process.

I don't think he really heard me when I told him it was going to be different this time.

On my own and all alone - Part One

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:38:46 -0500

It's been no secret to those that really know me that I've been planning to open my own office for a long time. I've had my Associate Broker license since 2002. I have set ideas about how to run a brokerage, and I really want to give other agents the opportunity to learn and appreciate what a career in real estate has to offer.

For various reasons, it got put off. While my children were growing up, I was just too busy being a mother. As they left for college and to live their lives, various causes crept in to take my time and energy. Eventually, that yearning started really burning me up inside, and I started to explore my options.

Since March, I've read four different franchise offering agreements. It was a real eye-opener in some ways, but surely dry reading in others. I began bouncing my ideas around, first within my own head, and then slowly opening my circle to those I trusted. I got a lot of great feedback over the last several months, and slowly my plan began to take place.

Over time, I started to open up that tight circle, and trust a few more people. My ideas had refined and grown into solid plans. Eventually, I eliminated three of the franchise agreements, and settled into one. I still haven't signed that agreement but I should be within a few weeks.

So, everything was going fine until... someone told my broker.

The last time I switched brokerages it was not a pretty scene. My broker called me into his office at 9:45 and told me to have my desk cleaned out before the end of the business day. My keys were confiscated on the spot, and my MLS privileges were suspended immediately. The broker had contacted my sellers and made appointments, or tried to, to have them sign new listings.

It's much different this time, which makes me wonder... am I doing the right thing?

My birthday, beautiful day, part two

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Tue, 20 May 2008 22:18:56 -0500

Yesterday I told you about part one of my birthday adventures. I'd lost a nice fish, learned a bit about running the boat, and then we were approached by the United States Coast Guard Patrol boat.

My husband is accustomed to this procedure, but I'll admit I was a little intimidated. They asked a lot of questions about the boat, checked the registration, and asked for my husband's identification. They didn't actually come on board, since it's a small boat, but the announcement "Your vessel is being boarded by the United States Coast Guard" was about as comfortable to me as presenting my passport in strange country for the first time.

I later learned that with the charter fishing boats, the inspection takes about one hour because the checklist is much more intensive than with a pleasure craft. I wonder how the clients, who are paying big bucks to go fishing, feel about this. If they complain and get a refund, the charter captain is out a lot of money and with fuel prices, there isn't a lot of profit in charter fishing anyway. They say they'll only get you once per season, but they won't do inspections at the dock.

But that's another rant. We passed inspection with ONE exception. Since the boat has an actual gas tank in the hull instead of portable red tanks, we were supposed to have a marine certified fire extinguisher on board. It was labeled as a "terminatable offence". We were about to be escorted back to the harbor. By the way, that was their terminology, not mine. I love it when the government makes up words.

The little boat is a little overpowered and there is no speed limit on the water. By the time they caught up with us, we had a fire extinguisher AND a full tank of gas. Well, kind of. They didn't follow us all the way back because they decided to check another boat just leaving. I've got to admit, leading them on a high speed chase was fun!

So... back to the fishing grounds we go. On the way, I saw humpback whales, seals and when we started fishing a porpoise came really close to the boat! I saw his eyes and his "smile".

It wasn't long before the downrigger line started screaming again. My husband says "You've got a really big fish on there!" I say, "No, I don't, I have that seal over there!" The seal I pointed to took a quick dive, stripping a hundred yards of line from my reel, then pops up, let's out a squeal, and shows me a flasher hanging from his chin.

I let the professional take over while I handled the boat. Even though we were in neutral the boat wanted to drift a little too close to the rocks. My sweetie managed to get the flasher back but I have a feeling that seal will not be biting any more herring.

After all that excitement, we decided to head home. Chris dropped me off at Tee Harbor and I walked home while he took the boat back to Auke Bay and drove. By the time he made it home, I was showered and changed and even had on makeup, ready to go out to dinner since I blew my chance at fresh King Salmon. We had a great time, and on the way home, I took this photo with my new i-phone.

My birthday, beautiful day, part one

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Tue, 20 May 2008 01:32:57 -0500

My husband kept asking me what I wanted for my birthday. All I really wanted was to go fishing.

We went in the "little boat", an 18 foot Almar that was just equipped with 4-cycle motors. For those of you that don't know much about small engines, the old 2-cycle motors rattle, make a lot of smoke, and roar like a chain saw. A 4-cycle motor purrs quietly like a kitten with very little exhaust, more like a car engine. You can even talk on a cell phone while sitting right by the motor!

When we bought the little boat, my husband and his father said that perhaps I could learn to run that boat and be able to use it when the big boat was not available. That was about five years ago. While we flirted with the "lessons" now and then, I really didn't get to operate it much.

I even made notes. Step by step, from checking fuel, to untying the lines, to the rules of the harbor.

What a beautiful day. Sunshine, very little wind, and almost flat calm water. Chris showed me how the easy steer bracket mounted from the larger motor to the smaller one so that we could steer with the wheel instead of by sitting on the stern. SWEET!

Lines go into the water. One gets a downrigger and the other is a flat line. The herring are cut expertly by my husband, the charter boat captain. We talk about the equipment on the boat, the shoreline, water depth, the weather which is outstanding. Hardly a word about work or teenagers - pure bliss!

Then it hit. That beautiful sound of the screaming reel every woman loves to hear. (Okay, guys love it too) Deceptively, the fish played gently, making me think that perhaps it was a "shaker", or an undersized King Salmon under 28 inches. We played around in the magic tug of war for about 10 minutes. I'd gain a little, the fish would gain - the back and forth that makes fishing so fun.

Just as my husband went to net the fish, the battle ended. I'd tugged too hard or maybe tightened the drag too much or maybe I didn't set the hook right, but I had the classic "Unauthorized release of a legal King Salmon". I'd lost my fish. My husband, being the sweetheart that he is, announced that it was MY birthday fish to catch, or NOT.

Well, I lost the fish, but the day wasn't over. Just as I started to relax, along came the Coast Guard.

793 Kilowatts – down from 1851 Kilowatts! It wasn’t as hard as I thought.

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Sat, 17 May 2008 10:31:02 -0500

If you live in Juneau, you know about our energy crisis unless you live under a rock. On April 16, at about 4:00 AM there was a series of avalanches that took out over 1.5 miles of power line and several towers, cutting Juneau off from the hydroelectric plant that powers the community.

As a result, the entire capital city of Alaska and our 30,000 residents have been running on diesel fuel. It was estimated that it would take 100,000 gallons per day to keep the lights and heat on. Due to drastic conservation by members of the community, we have been burning half the projected amount.

Of course, much of that conservation was due to the fact that we are experiencing an increase of almost 500 percent in our per kilowatt rate. We will be paying nearly 55 cents/KW for the next few months while repairs are made.

For most of us, this is going to hurt and for many it will be a budget breaker - especially young families with children and the elderly. When your average bill is $100 it will be $500. Our average bill is $200 so that would have made our bills $1000. That was simply not acceptable.

My husband and I are fortunate to live in an energy efficient home that doesn't have electric heat, but we've taken steps to conserve diesel too because that is over $4.00 per gallon. The heat is turned down and so is the water heater.

You wouldn't know it from the history, but really, we were lazy about electricity. We kept our hot tub at 105 degrees all the time. It wasn't uncommon to leave lights on when nobody was in the house, or sometimes even in the room.

Necessity forces conservation. I've got a landscape plan I'd rather spend money on!

Here's what we've done so far, reducing our consumption by over 50%

•1. Obviously the hot tub is turned off. I miss it and so does my husband but there's no way it's worth $1000 per month!

•2. We are very careful to only use lights we need, and in some ways have even changed our habits to work with the increasing daylight hours. We have more compact fluorescent bulbs than we used to and try to use those lights that are equipped with them.

•3. I unplugged everything not in use. The electric ovens are only used once a week or so and are now turned off at the breaker box. The microwave has an LED display so I didn't need two.

•4. Instead of using the automatic feature of my coffeepot, I plug it in each morning to make coffee, and unplug it as soon as the coffee is done. I have the kind with the insulated carafe so it stays warm for several hours.

•5. The instant hot water dispenser under the sink has been unplugged.

•6. We use our propane cook top or the propane BBQ much more often. Baking is a serious luxury.

•7. I try to get to the dishwasher before the cycle is complete in order to air dry the dishes. Many times I just hand wash the dishes, but the jury seems to be out on which is more efficient.

•8. We adjusted the aerator on our septic system to come on and off periodically instead of running constantly.

•9. I let my hair dry naturally and rarely roll or curl it now. I'm lucky to have some natural curl in my hair, but when it's only 40 degrees outside it is no fun to leave with a wet head!

•10. I use our high efficiency washer to wash clothes, mostly in cold or warm water, and hang them on a rack or hangars to dry. At first I hated this. Crunchy towels, stiff clothes and misshapen socks and undergarments did not appeal to our family at all. An older friend taught me a little trick that has really helped! After the clothes are dry, put them in the dryer for just a few minutes. The action of the dryer knocks down the scratchy and rough spots. You don't even need a heated setting to do this.

There is still so much more we could do, but we to give up TIVO and we still aren't fully trained to turn off our computers completely. We are not giving up our 55 gallon aquarium which fortunately isn't heated. We are delaying the setup of a 300 gallon aquarium though!

It is my hope that someone reading this can reduce their own bills as well. We will keep you posted on our family's efforts and continue to be thankful this happened in April instead of January.

Ketchikan's Bridge to Somewhere

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 02:19:45 -0500

When I go to Haines next weekend, I've got to meet Roger Maynard. For a fresh new look at issues in Alaska, I invite you to visit his website: http://www.rogermaynard.net . It is with Roger's explicit permission I bring you the following.

I'm sure you've all read about the supposed boondoggle of the "Bridge to Nowhere". Many of us within the state understand the real story. We've all discussed it at one time or another, but I've got to admit, Roger's got me beat when it comes to telling this story!

Alaska: Ketchikan's Bridge to Somewhere

Posted on April 5, 2008 by rogermaynard

Once again Ketchikan's Gravina Access Project is in the news. Ten years ago we thought the bridge was expensive; now estimates are approaching $398 million. There are plenty of arguments pro and con-especially considering the price tag, but it's time to lose the misleading label, "Bridge to Nowhere."

News media pundits have described Ketchikan's Gravina Access project as a bridge from Ketchikan to an island with only a few dozen residents, but that's not an accurate picture. Each year over 500,000 people travel between Ketchikan and its international airport on Gravina Island. With no roads and limited boat service, the Ketchikan International Airport is the only way in and out of the city for most folks.

For those who are still having trouble picturing the transportation issue in this popular-but-isolated Alaskan city, let's use your home town as an example. Use your imagination:

First, dig a moat around the International Airport near your town. Make that moat about a quarter to a half mile wide with varying terrain on both sides. Put ships in the moat-ships on which your community depends for its existence; ships tall enough to require a 200-foot clearance to pass under any bridge.
Put one ferry on the moat that makes a round trip to the airport every thirty minutes. Charge each passenger 5 dollars to walk onto the ferry and ride one way; much more if they want to take their vehicles. The ferry is small, often filled to capacity, with minimal room for passengers to sit during the 7 or 8 minute ride across the moat.
Make folks walk from the ferry to the airport terminal, uphill, on a concrete sidewalk (no escalator) that is sheltered from frequent wind and driving rain by a plexiglass roof and windscreen on one side. Most people carry their own bags regardless of size or number, age or infirmity, unless they want to pay a private "airporter" service for assistance.
Now place your community emergency services on the side of the moat AWAY from the airport, except for one or two crash trucks and one or two firemen. In an emergency, additional ambulance personnel, firemen, rescuers, policemen and bomb technicians will all have to wait for the little ferry in order to respond to any emergency at the airport. All of your airport employees will ride the little ferry to work, and home again at the end of the day.
Put a small parking lot near the ferry terminal on the city side of the moat, where folks can park while they stand in the rain and wait for the ferry.

Now that you've customized your airport to provide the same level of service as the Ketchikan International Airport, let's modify your town:

Erase all of the roads leading into or out of your town. That's right, they don't exist. Your only way out is by ferry or air. You will likely find yourself flying several times a year.
Surround your town with water and mountains, leaving little room for expansion or small industry of any kind.
Add a statewide ferry system-a few 350-foot vessels that will carry up to 499 passengers. Let these boats stop in your town several times each week, usually at inconvenient hours; only once a week does a boat connect to Seattle, a 3-day trip each way. Make them comparatively expensive to ride.
Finally, take another look at the small island on which the airport sits. It is quite large-95 square miles-with large areas of gentle terrain and room for some small industries, warehouses, shipping companies, boat marinas, recreational opportunities, parks, and some top-notch waterfront residential property.

Now that you have the picture, we can start discussing the proposed bridge. There is plenty to talk about in terms of costs, benefits, economics and aesthetics. Some folks are in favor of the project; some are against-but let's stick to the facts.

This is clearly a bridge to "somewhere." It's time to lose the politically inspired, misleading and insulting title, "Bridge to Nowhere."

Just goes to show you cannot judge a story with a sound bite!

Energy savings – some easy targets

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 23:49:12 -0500

Everyone in Juneau is trying to find ways to reduce their energy costs. A catastrophic avalanche took out over a mile and a half of power line from our hydroelectric plant and cut off Alaska's capital city. Everything is operating on huge generators. It's estimated to take 100,000 gallons of diesel every day to keep things running. In turn, our rates are soaring to an estimated 50 cents per kilowatt hour.

Needless to say, every little bit helps. If we all conserve enough, maybe we won't need to ship in so much fuel. After all, it takes a lot of time to find that kind of supply and get it here, and it isn't cheap!

Here are some examples of what our family has done so far:

• Obviously, turn off lights when we aren't in the room. I was surprised at how I automatically reach for that light switch when I enter a room. Sometimes it isn't even dark! Part of that reflex may be because we are just coming out of winter when it was dark all the time.

• We switched out some of the more commonly used lights for compact fluorescents. We'd purchased these but never had gotten around to installing them. Talk about money lying around! HINT: I've been told that many of these have a warrantee. The catch is, you need to keep the receipt and the packaging and take them to the place you bought them!

• Close off the rooms you are not using. We are recent empty-nesters. There are a few rooms in the house that are rarely used. Surprisingly, I found electrical devices plugged in. Phone chargers with no phones attached, lamps, alarm clocks, televisions, and even a stereo that was ON but with the volume turned down!

• After cleaning these rooms, I turned down the heat and closed the doors. Since then, I came to realize that I have less carpet to vacuum (Now there's an idea - an excuse to vacuum less!)

All this was on the first day. I've tried to improve a few other habits, but it takes a while to break routines. Baby steps, baby steps, and one day at a time!

Feel free to share your ideas!

More on the Juneau Alaska energy emergency

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:05:50 -0500

Anybody who lives in Juneau or has been following the story knows our community is in crisis. To catch anybody else up to speed, Wednesday morning at about 4:00 there was a massive avalanche that destroyed over a mile and a half of power line and several towers just a few miles north of our hydroelectric plant which is 40 miles south of downtown.

Our electrical rates are expected to increase from about 11 cents per kilowatt hour to at least 50 cents per kilowatt hour and stay that way until everything can be repaired, which could take months.

Our community has asked the state of Alaska to declare a state of emergency and has requested funding to get us through this crisis. In the meantime, while we are operating on diesel, everyone is being asked to do their part to conserve energy. At normal levels of consumption it is expected that AEL&P will need 100,000 gallons of diesel to keep the city running - DAILY.

Last January, we had our highest electrical usage month with 2742 kilowatts used. That bill was $275.39. Since then, both of our sons have moved on, so our usage is considerably less. This most recent bill shows total kilowatts used as 1412 and a bill of $173.28.

This morning while setting up an online profile at our electrical utility, I needed a meter reading from a bill that hadn't shown up yet. I learned our usage climbed up a little to 1851 kilowatt hours for the last billing period. Ouch. We've got some work to do in this household!

Over the next several days, I will be studying electrical usage and passing along the tips from our family so that others may conserve as well. Stay tuned!

It's official - well almost. State of Emergency in Juneau

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:58:39 -0500

If you didn't already know, Juneau Alaska is having a huge problem. Our electricity is generated 40 miles south of town at a hydro-electric plant. Yesterday, at about 4:00 AM there was a huge avalanche, over a mile and a half wide. This took down our power and the city is currently running on diesel generators. We don't even have enough fuel in town to keep this up for long, and we are thousands of miles away from a refinery. Everyone is being asked to conserve as much as possible. There is more information in my blog.

The Assembly will hold an Special Assembly Meeting

TONIGHT - Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.

in the Assembly Chambers.

The purpose of this meeting is to ratify the City Manager's Declaration

of a Local Disaster Emergency.

The regularly scheduled Assembly Finance Committee previously

scheduled for 5:00 p.m. tonight in the Chambers will take place

immediately following the Special Assembly meeting.

For additional information, please contact

Special Projects Officer Maria Gladziszewski at 586-0218.

Photo by Mike Laudert / Alaska Electric Light & Power Co.

Time to ratchet things down... more on the energy crisis in Juneau.

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:27:10 -0500

This is basically a continuation of my earlier post, which you can find here: http://activerain.com/blogsview/471789/Honey-Turn-something-OFF .

For those of you who don't know yet, Juneau is serviced by a hydro-electric plant south of Juneau. This morning around 4AM there was a catastrophic avalanche that took out over a mile of power line and several substations.

Juneau is now operating on diesel generators. We are also a few thousand miles from the closest refinery. It takes weeks to get a fuel shipment here. It's possible the community will run out of fuel completely before another shipment arrives. Everyone has been asked to do their part in reducing the demand.

So we've shut down almost everything we don't consider necessary. The empty rooms have their doors closed and nothing plugged in. Tomorrow I will clean out our second freezer and unplug it. My husband and I agreed we will indulge ourselves with the hot tub for another day before we shut everything down because we need to be able to monitor it while we drain it completely.

We discussed having dinner by candlelight from now on, or at least until this crisis is behind us. When the oven is on, it will be used for more than one item at a time (throw potatoes in there if nothing else).

He's even opened up to the idea of a few solar panels on the roof, although this is a rain forest and it's kind of dark and dreary most of the time.

One of my clients has promised to send me some energy saving tips, but for now, we are just turning off those things we can live without. It feels strange to think that eventually we may be camping in our own home. If you have energy saving tips that don't involve tearing the house apart or replacing appliances, we are listening!

Thank God this didn't happen in winter. We are probably more able to adapt than the single parent working 2 or 3 jobs just to put food on the table, but it's a little frightening.

A 500% increase in rate per kilowatt hour will hopefully be countered by a significant decrease in use. If I can keep our dollar output equal, I will accomplish my goals.

Honey, Turn something OFF!

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:07:57 -0500

50 cents per kilowatt hour.

I'm reminded of a comedy skit where a father is described, standing by the electric meter, watching it twirl around and around. I think when I get home, I'm going to make sure to use my hot tub because certainly we will be draining everything and shutting it down in the next few days. Here's what is in the local news:

UPDATE : Juneau loses Snettisham power for extended period, avalanche to blame
Juneau has been choked off from its chief supply of electricity by an avalanche.

Gayle Wood of Alaska Electric Light and Power says it happened at about four this morning.

She says it was hardly noticed, except by Thane Road residents, because of diesel generation they had running at the time and low load demands at that hour.

She says it was a massive avalanche about three miles from the Snettisham power house that took out about a mile and a hour of transmission line. That includes damage to four to five towers, she says.

Wood says the community will be virtually reliant on diesel generated power for two to three months with the exception of power that can be generated through the Gold Creek, Salmon Creek and Annex Creek facilities.

The electric utility official says customers can expect to see some very high bills.

Residential rates were at 11 cents per kilowatt hour.

Wood initially estimated it would go to 30 to 35 cents, but has since revised that figure to 50 cents and adds that's a conservative figure.

Since the area is very unstable, Wood says they don't expect to start repairs for two to three weeks since they need to wait for avalanche danger to subside. She describes the terrain in the area as very steep. At this point, they're trying to assess the damage from the air.

Wood calls it the worst disaster they've ever had on the Snettisham line. She used the word "catastrophic" and called it "a hard hit."

Wood stressed the importance of conservation during this time. Right now, she says they're trying to figure out how to secure enough diesel to handle this kind of long term need.

Ferry System finally scores a home run with Jim Beedle

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:24:32 -0500

Like most small towns, Juneau has a short list of family names well known throughout the community. Ones of those surnames is "Beedle". Everybody knows at least one. Many of us know several.

Jim Beedle works hard, and has for many years, in various positions throughout the Alaska Marine Highway system. These boats are at times the only link to the outside world from our rural villages, most of which can only be accessed by boat or small plane.

High up positions within state government are appointed positions. No qualifications other than a friend in the right place seems to be required. These jobs pay extremely well and the benefits are top rate. As long as the boss still likes you, the job is yours... as well as a healthy paycheck... until the next administration.

For many years, our Alaska Marine Highway System has been run primarily by "outsiders" who have little knowledge or experience in running such a complicated transportation system. The last appointee had only taken one ride on the ferry system, many years ago.

The Alaska Marine Highway System is part of the Federal Highway System and as such, receives federal highway monies. In addition, Alaskan pay hefty fares for themselves and their vehicles. In many areas, it is the only way to travel, especially with a vehicle. Many towns and villages are serviced by the AMHS and over the last several years, administration has been very political, turning one town against the other.

Finally, the state of Alaska has wised up, and hired Jim to run the system. He has worked in vaious capacities throughout the ferry system since 1975. He's the kind of man who isn't going to ask someone to do a job he isn't willing to do himself. This is a welcome change from prior managers.

Many people say there is no place to go but up. Employee morale and customer satisfaction is at an all time low within the AMHS. The schedules have disrupted sports teams, school events, commerce and personal pleasure trips. The aging ferry fleet is unreliable. Demands upon the system have stretched to capacity.

Jim, you have a really tough road to hoe in your new position, but we know you are up to the task. If anybody can fix this broken system, it's Jim Beedle.

Juneau Alaska Affordable Housing News

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:06:53 -0500

Summit Housing will be making a presentation in Juneau on Thursday, April 17th at 5:15pm at the downtown library. Summit Housing Group, which is an affordable housing developer based out of Missoula, Montana. They have been looking at Juneau for several years and have found a potential site that would work for their development model. They typically build developments that range from 25-75 units, but in several places they have over 200 units. They build primarily in Montana and Wyoming and are familiar with building in harsh climates and hard markets.

Please join the Affordable Housing Commission at this presentation.

Big words, small child, broken hearts and a plea for help

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:55:57 -0500

This one is long. It isn't pretty. I don't have any photos on here yet, but I hope you read it anyway.

Gabriel was born January 2, 2001. He has two little sisters, Adria and Alaina, born just a few years later. Our entire office lights up when they come to visit their daddy. Everybody loves them. It gets a little loud, but then again, they are little kids. You cannot help but smile when one of those little faces shows up in your office.

Gabriel is a ray of sunshine. He's a friendly, outgoing child. Shawn, his father, works in my office. His advertising niche has always been this great little cartoon "The Adventures of Gabriel". Even if you weren't in the market, you couldn't help but read to see what the little tyke was up to each week.

Several months ago, Gabriel started getting sick. He would get really bad headaches, get tired easily, and sometimes get sick to his stomach. Then he would start having seizures. Each time, things got worse than the time before.

Desperately, his parents sought medical help. The problem was, there was no diagnosis. Nobody knew what was wrong with this little boy. We live in Southeast Alaska. We've got some pretty good medical care here, but nobody here could figure this one out. They spent a lot of money travelling from one specialist to the next, all over the country, hoping for a diagnosis.

It's easier to fight the monster when it has a name. But this monster eluded the experts for many months of expensive trips to specialists all over the country. Finally, just a few days ago, they got a name. "Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes".

Now that they know the name, we find there really is no treatment. This family has always been generous with their time and money. They organized a number of fundraisers for a friend when her child was ill. Shawn is the President of the Alaska Association of REALTORS and gives hundreds of hours of his time for worthy causes.

Now, they are in a really tough position. They really need to spend time with their children, but they also need to pay the bills. Lots of bills - medical, travel, and of course, house payments and basics like utilities and food. Their father needs to take some serious time off work and be with the children.

So, my friends, I'm looking for ideas for a serious fund raiser. My brain is tired. I have mastered the $3,000 fundraiser and I've pulled off a few $5000 events in my life but this time I'm over my head. I haven't been contributing much around here the last month or so because of this and a few other life events, but here I am, asking for your advice. My friend needs help and I just cannot come up with any really good ideas.

"But that’s less than what they paid for it!" Is it really a LOWBALL?

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:34:38 -0500

Yesterday I submitted an offer on a house for my buyers. The listing agent thought perhaps it was an April Fools' joke.

It wasn't.

The house has been on the market for almost 10 months. The current owners have only had the house for just about two years. So, for almost half the time they've owned the house they've been trying to sell it!

The offer was approximately 10% below the current asking price and 5% below the sold price two years ago when the market was hot. The current owners repainted the entire house in very bright colors. I know they've done some other work, but most of that was deferred maintenance. I did run a buyer's analysis and came very close to the number in the offer.

So, who's joking here? Just a few points I wish I could tell the sellers...

•1. The price you paid has nothing to do with the value in today's market.

•2. Things you consider improvements may be objectionable and unattractive to other buyers.

•3. If your house has been on the market for 10 months it may be time to consider a price reduction.

•4. It's an offer!

Another note... the house is almost vacant and has been for months. The heat is turned WAY down in most of the home. The listing says "motivated!"

1.5 BILLION DOLLARS – Thanks, AHFC!

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:14:24 -0500

The mission statement is "To Provide Alaskans Access to Safe, Quality, Affordable Housing".

Since 1986, Alaska Housing Finance Corporation has contributed over 1.5 billion dollars to the State of Alaska through cash transfers, debt service payments and capital projects after paying all their own operating expenses. This is also after they spend millions each year helping Alaskans with their housing needs. It is nothing short of amazing, and I'd like to recognize the good people at AHFC for their efforts.

Woah. 40,000 points. How did that happen?

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:11:52 -0500

Tonight I was finally posting a few articles I'd written for Active Rain, many while I was on vacation and without internet access. I've got a list of ideas and some drafts. Since some of them were timely but getting stale fast, I decided to just get them posted before they were outdated. Many of my drafts will not be posts at all.

When looking at the home page I was surprised to notice I crossed the 40,000 points mark. It's been quite a journey. I have learned so much here. I've benefited from agents, brokers, loan officers, stagers, home inspectors and more - from all over the country. I only hope eventually to give back as much as I've been given. There's so much knowledge and experience available here.

Now, just to make things clear, I don't just blog for the points. I use the points to moderate and control my activity. I try to make sure my comments received are less than the comments I've left. I read many blogs that I just don't comment on because I have nothing that I can add to the conversation.

Still the rewards of points are obvious. It helps with SEO. It keeps me out in front of the public. And it's fun. Yeah, I'm a little competitive. Who isn't in this business?

Chicken Little can STILL relax in Juneau!

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:41:47 -0500

Last year, about this time, I did a post http://activerain.com/blogsview/54400/RELAX-Chicken-Little regarding the Juneau market. I was going to use that one as a template to do a similar market report tonight. What I ended up with though was a side-by-side comparison of the two markets. Current market statistics are in bold.

The comparison notes are more interesting than what I was originally going to post. I find it interesting that really, not much has changed. If you just look at the statistics, you will see some areas that comes across as fairly dramatic, but if you look at the size of our market you will see how a single listing or sale can throw off everything (like highest and lowest priced home).

There are 76 (73) single family homes, ranging in price from $185,000 - $1,200,000. (219,000 - 795,000)

The average asking price is $386,031 (364,108). The median is $354,900. (359,900)

<250,000 - 8 listings (7 listings)

<300,000 - 16 listings (11 listings)

<350,000 - 13 listings (15 listings)

<400,000 - 14 listings (19 listings)

<450,000 - 9 listings (11 listings)

<500,000 - 5 listings (5 listings)

<600,000 - 6 listings (4 listings)

>600,000 - 5 listings (1 listing)

There are currently 19 (18) listings under contract, meaning they have an accepted offer and are heading to closing. They range in price from $135,000 - 499,900 (85,400 to 539,900). The average asking price is $336,439 (298,411) and the median asking price is $338,000 (294,750).

This means at this time there is about a four month supply of homes on the market. National statistics indicate that a six month supply of homes is an indicator of a balanced market. If you take out the high end homes (those over $500,000) we really only have about 3.5 months worth of homes on the market.

In February and March of 2006 there were 24 homes sold, prices ranging from $150,000 - 561,500.

In February and March of 2007 there were 22 homes sold, prices ranging from $189,000 - 594,000.

Reasonably priced homes in good condition are still selling! Relax.

Juneau is under attack. Again.

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:34:01 -0500

For as long as I can remember there's been a push to move the seat of government from Juneau to somewhere near Anchorage. You can almost set your calendar by it. Every time it happens, people plan for the worst and hope for the best. Property prices predictably start to fall but bounce right back after the battle is over.

One of the things you need to understand is FRANK. Not the governor we chased off - but Fiscally Responsible Alaskans Needing Knowledge. This basically means that if the legislature, or the capital are going to move, the costs must be approved by the voters of Alaska.

Here's a tally of the votes on the subject.

In 1960 the vote was 56% against moving it.
In 1962 the vote was 55% against moving it.

In 1974 the vote was 57% FOR the move and in 1976 Willow was selected. Finding out the cost passed 56%

THEN
In 1978 the bond measure failed 74%

In 1982 the vote was 53% against moving it.
In 1994 the vote was 55% against moving it.
In 2002 the vote was 67% against moving just the legislature.

Now, the legislature is talking about repealing the FRANK initiative and just moving the legislature. There are three bills with some level of destruction to Juneau currently in the legislature. It's tiring. And it's expensive, divisive and harmful to our state.

I'll be relieved when it's over. Again.

Spring Garden Chores in Southeast Alaska

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 21:31:47 -0600

As the winter snow melts, gardeners start to get a little fidgety. There's so much to do this gardening season, and most of us just cannot wait to get started. However, the ground is still frozen and of course a late frost or even snowstorm could undo weeks of work between now and mid-April. There are still plenty of things one can do to help get the season started:

•1. Start some seedlings indoors. Things like tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, cabbages and many flowers should be started now. Make sure to start with sterile germinating mix and clean pots.

•2. As the snow recedes, winter litter is exposed. My property seems to be covered in small sticks and branches that blew down from the trees during the winter. Much of this is loose and can be picked up now. If you have animals you have other cleanup tasks to tackle. This is a great way to stretch those muscles you haven't been using and get a head start on getting your property ready for a great gardening season.

•3. If you haven't done so already, get those seed and plant orders done. Many plants, trees and seeds are sold first come, first serve.

•4. Perhaps in winter you didn't get around to cleaning, sharpening and oiling your tools. This is a good time to make sure you'll be ready for spring and summer. If you have broken tools, plan for their replacement. I like to make a wish list of tools I'd like then watch for them to go on sale. (Gardeners are naturally thrifty!)

•5. Don't remove your winter mulch and protective coverings quite yet. The weather the last few days is just a teaser. Feel free to get the weeds as they try to come up. Taking their foliage now will weaken the plant and make it easier to control later.

Spring will come soon. There may be a few setbacks, but the seasons are one thing we can count on. My daffodils and crocus are just starting to peek out of the ground. How is spring coming along where you are?

You just might be a renter if…

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 03:19:33 -0600

You have no down payment. If what you have to put into the transaction is less than first, last and deposit on a typical apartment... you just might be a renter. With no down payment, you will usually pay a higher interest rate and more in loan fees.

You have bad, or no credit. Lenders aren't going to give you a low rate because you are young and cute.

You need the sellers to sell $20,000 or more below true value. When did your financial situation become their problem?

You need the sellers to contribute more than customary contributions to closing costs. Once again, why is your lack of participation in this process the seller's problem?

Pay off those student loans. Don't buy the brand new car or motorcycle. Slow down. Get a library card and read instead of hitting the bar scene every weekend. Save up some money.

Do something to build up your credit and savings.

Contrary to popular opinion, this isn't a buyer's market. This is a balanced market.

Now if only one or two of the above apply to you, it's still possible for you to buy a home. If all four situations above apply, fix it and come back later.

Another AR Success Story – They read my blog!

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:13:46 -0600

Today I had the pleasure of meeting a really nice couple. They had looked at a house with the listing agent, and when they learned about representation, they decided it was time to get a buyer's agent.

From what they told me, they spent a lot of time reading websites, trying to get a feel for what the different licensees in our area were like.

Then they read my blog, and started to see me as a real person.

Now I'd heard about this happening to other people and it's even happened to me a few times, but somehow this really meant a lot to me.

We met at the house they really thought they wanted to buy. They did get there before me and had walked around the exterior of the home. They did find a few suspicious things, so when I got there we investigated more thoroughly.

Sometimes I'm glad when I wear jeans! We did go in the crawlspace (Yeah, I know. But we did)

While with some work it could qualify for VA financing, we found some significant issues. I really did not feel comfortable having them purchase a home in need of so much work. We returned to the office where I printed off about a dozen home listings. Notes were made about the ones I'd seen and they are going to spend some time narrowing things down a bit. I made notes of the ones that were my listings, so that representation was clear.

I'm especially honored that these young people, both military veterans, find the right house.

Nice people, prequalified, ready to buy, motivated and friendly. I couldn't ask for anything more.

The Nothing Box - Men vs Women

Debbie White (Southeast Alaska Real Estate) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 22:56:29 -0600

Those of you who don't want jokes or funnies, just click the back button. I rarely, if ever post something like this but I've got to admit it was the most hilarious thing anybody has sent me in ages. Thank you to my sweet husband, Christopher, for giving me the best belly laugh I've had in ages!

http://www.marriageresourcecenter.org/videogallery/4/med/VideoWidget8.htm

Debbie White is an Associate Broker with RE/MAX in Juneau, Alaska. When not laughing hysterically at the funny jokes her husband sends, she enjoys fishing, hiking, gardening, travelling, and of course, selling real estate. You can learn more about real estate in Southeast Alaska at http://www.isellalaska.com