Casey's Blog

Spokane Refinance -- Bank of Whitman

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:43:52 -0600

As I am sure everyone has heard, rates are near all-time lows. My phone has been ringing off the hook with new and old clients trying to take advantage of the sub 5% interest rates that are available right now.

!!!NEWSFLASH!!!
I am not the only Loan Officer experiencing this.

There is a refi wave rolling through the entire nation and lenders are entirely SWAMPED! Turn times have increased, Wells Fargo today released a note saying to lock no shorter than 45 days and were wanting 60day locks to be safe. Some lenders like Chase reprice for the worse half way through the day (even when the MBS Bond market is climbing and showing no reason for a reprice) to keep new applications from coming in. They don't have the manpower to process and underwrite the amount of loans they have. The lenders that were starving for loans a few months ago have more than they can handle! We are in unprecedented times. Sure we had refi booms in the past. As early as a few years ago, but the army of Underwriters were there to take on the load. With the lenders losing money hand over fist this past year major cuts were made, and the processing and UW departments were not spared. Now with the immense amount of applications submitted, they can't keep up!

It is now common to see loans take up o 22 BUSINESS days from submission to funding!

Guess what? I have not experienced these turn times. Matter of fact, I just closed a purchase in less than 2 WEEKS from start to finish.

Why? We do EVERYTHING in house! We have our own processing and underwriting team, great relationships with title companies, and appraisers. Our streamlined system offers 24hr UW turn times, and on top of all this, we have some of the best rates out there!

If you have a purchase transaction that needs a quick turn time, give me a shot. If you are looking to refinance, but don't want to wait a month or more for the transaction to go through, give me a call. With turn times only going to get WORSE in the near future, I pride myself on my speed, accuracy and white gloved service.

I guarantee you will be impressed.

Not so good news for Spokane

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:41:12 -0600

But not so bad for Spokane Valley. CQ Press City released their annual Crime Rankings today and Spokane out-ranked Seattle and Portland, while Spokane Valley, Bellingham and Bellevue came in toward the bottom of the list. In Idaho, Boise and Nampa also came in toward the bottom.

"We're faced with more and more violent crime than in the past," said Spokane Police Sgt. Joe Peterson. "It's a more violent world for sure."

Here is how the Washington and Idaho cities stacked up on the list. FYI 385 cities were polled nationwide.

No. 39: Tacoma
No. 55: Everett
No. 84: Yakima
No. 98: Kent
No. 123: Spokane
No. 165: Seattle
No. 166: Federal Way
No. 192: Vancouver
No. 220: Nampa, Idaho
No. 258: Boise
No. 274: Bellingham
No. 299: Spokane Valley
No. 337: Bellevue

Where to watch the game? Check out FanSpan.com!

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:25:56 -0500

After graduating from the University of Oregon, a good friend of mine moved to Seattle to begin his career. An avid UO Duck football fan, he found it frustrating to find a local bar to watch his Alama Mater play on Saturday. He knew he couldn't be the only one, so he developed:

University of Oregon graduate Ryan Lewis '02 founder of www.FanSpan.com has a solution. www.FanSpan.com gives sports fans the opportunity to search for a local, fan-friendly sports environment to watch their favorite teams. The website locates and categorizes these bars/restaurants as watch sites, and identifies them by the teams and sports they associate themselves with.

Lewis says, "Our vision for FanSpan.com is to connect sports fans in both a virtual environment as well as a physical one. With FanSpan.com, people will be able to find a local fan-friendly atmosphere to watch a game, get a hold of old friends, and make some new ones. We want to help foster the community that sports create."

"Macadam's Bar & Grill (an Official UO Watch Party Location in Portland, OR) is one of many watch sites on FanSpan.com," said proprietor Ryan Steele. "FanSpan.com allows us to promote our establishment to sports fans looking to watch their favorite teams, but it also allows us to promote other events that are going on that will appeal to our patrons as well."

Membership on FanSpan.com is free; however, non-members will be allowed to use the watch site search function. Logged-in members have the ability to:

~ Search for watch sites
~ Review and critique watch sites based on different criteria
~ Upload personal photos and videos to their profile
~ Locate friends and fans in their community or around the nation
~ Post blogs
~ Create and join groups

The current watch site list covers over 2,500 bars and restaurants across the U.S. pertaining to the following sports: Football (NFL & NCAA), Soccer (MLS & English Premier), Mixed Martial Arts, NASCAR, Basketball (NBA & NCAA), Hockey (NHL & NCAA), Rugby and Baseball (MLB & NCAA).

To sign up, go to FanSpan.com.

Looking for Greek/Italian Food in Spokane? Check out Opa!

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:53:22 -0500

My, recently married into the family, greek brother-in-law had told me about Opa! Pizza and Greek Cuising in north Spokane months ago and today I finally had the chance to check the place out. Short and to the point, it will NOT be the last time to go! That's for sure!

I met my wife and daughter there for lunch. Unfortuantely, I did not have a chance to check out their pizza (which they boast is the best in Spokane), however you know I am next time we go there! Both my wife and I ordered the gyro and my daughter tried their pita pizza. We all loved it. Prompt attentive service that was perfect. There seemed to be an extensive wine list and the menu blends Greek and Italian flavors. Amazing appetizers, salads, soups and pastas, as well as authentic family recipies from the kitchen.

Opa strives to have fresh, authentic Greek and Italian cuisine, and consequently they receive many compliments for this authenticity. My borther-in-law absolutely loves it and reminds him of his grandmothers home made dishes...especially the baklava!

Branch out and check something out that North Spokane lacks - a selection of cultural foods. Below is the website to their restaurant and feel free to fire off any questions to me about it. I loved the place and would be thinking of going back for dinner if I wasn't so full!

http://www.opainspokane.com

Opa Pizza is located on the corner of North Newport Highway and East Hawthorne Road.

Where to watch the game? Check FanSpan.com!

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:09:44 -0500

Membership on FanSpan.com is free; however, non-members will be allowed to use the watch site search function. Logged-in members have the ability to:

To sign up, go to FanSpan.com.

Most Energy Efficient States

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:31:49 -0500

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranked California, Connecticut and Oregon at the top of a list of states improving energy efficiency to respond to high prices, energy security and global warming.

A report released Monday rated Idaho as the most improved state in this category, moving from 25th two years ago to 13th. California, Connecticut and Oregon were followed in the Top 10 by Vermont, New York and Washington state. Also, Minnesota and Massachusetts were tied, and New Jersey made the top tier of states.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy rated the states on "a wide range of the proven effective and readily available efficiency strategies." Among areas examined were building codes, transportation and land-use policies, utilities' efficiency programs, financial incentives and support for research.

The West is doing something right in regards to Energy Efficiency! With 3 of the top 6 states in the nation and Idaho making the biggest jump in 2 years, it looks like we are taking the necessary steps to improving our future.

2008 Spokane River Clean-Up - 10/4/08 - High Bridge Park

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:00:26 -0500

The Most Fun You'll Ever Have Picking up Garbage

The 6th Annual Spokane River Clean-Up is THIS WEEKEND.

Saturday, October 4 at High Bridge Park.

Start making your plans now and sign up to volunteer for this years event.

Come join me and hundreds of other volunteers as we clean up the Spokane River. Last year over 750 people picked up over 4 1/2 tons of trash and recycled over 2,500 pounds.

Spokane's Friends of the Falls do an amazing job with this event.

For more info go to:

http://www.friendsofthefalls.org/

http://friendsofthefalls.org/documents/cu08-flyer.pdf

And to register check out:

http://friendsofthefalls.org/src08_safety.html

Green Tips

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:07:59 -0500

Here are a few quick tips that I found useful and thought you would too! The coffee groudns really work!

LIGHT BULBS:

Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs always trump compact fluorescents (CFL's) in terms of efficiency. LEDs are a little more expensive but it's a compensatory decision since they use half the energy as CFLs (and 1/10th less energy than incandescent, saving more than $700 in a lifetime.) In addition, LED's last 60,000 hours, while CFLs last 10,000. Here's the clincher: Unlike CFLs, LEDs contain no mercury.

The winner: LED!

COFFEE:
Are you one of the more than 50 percent of Americans who drink coffee everyday. While a lot of that is visitng Starbucks, a lot of us still brew our own in the morning. But what to do with those left over coffee grounds? Here are some solutions.

Clean kitchen drains - Boil about 6 cups of water. Pour a half of cup of used coffee grounds down the drain, followed by the hot water.
Cat and pest repellent - To help keep cats and pests from the garden area, mix coffee grounds with used orange peels and spread the mixture around the outside of your garden.
Mulch - Toss your used coffee grounds onto the soil. The dark color absorbs heat from the sun, which helps the soil warm up, adding nutrients to the soil as the grounds break down.

GAS:
54 million Americans mowed their lawns on weekends using an estimated 800 million gallons of gas per year and the EPA said gas-powered lawnmowers are guilty of up to 5% of US air pollution.

Here are some tips to cut that down a bit

Mow later. Mowing late afternoon or evening reduces the amount of gas vapors in the air during the day, when ground-level ozone is forming.

Avoid gas spills. One shot glass (1oz) of spilled gas is equivalent to the pollution emitted by driving 25 miles

According to the EPA, Americans spill more than 17 million gallons of fuel in their yards each year - more than Exxon Valdez dumped into the ocean.

Maybe it's time to switch to the old-fashioned manual model...

"Paying Respects to the Garbage Goat" - Life in Downtown Spokane WA

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:54:33 -0500

Tucked away in a little corner behind the Looff Carrousel is a staple of Spokane's Riverfront Park that is known by locals, but often over looked by vistors in lieu of the Carrousel, the river, or other sculptures or fountains. At first sight, one would think it is strange that there is a statue of a single goat in the corner of the park. But once you see the power of this little goat, all your questions will be answered.

A button to the right of this little guy, when pressed creates a powerful vacuum that is designed to suck garbage through the mouth of the goat and shoot it out the *ahem* other end into a trash compactor. Watching kids learn the power of the goat is a kick! Heck even parents! I have seen parents get that little kid look in their eye as they walk up to feed the Garbage Goat. All of a sudden it is a search to find a piece of garbage to "feed" the goat! People of all ages try this guy out and he has dutifully kept garbage off the ground for the last 34yrs. Needless to say there is no garbage within a 50 yard radius of this little guy...now if we could figure a way to get these all over the city! :)

Created by Sister Paula Turnbull and donated by the Spokane Woman Council of Realtors for the Worlds Fair in 1974 (Yes, believe it or not little old Spokane hosted the worlds fair in 1974:)) it has been a staple in the park ever since. There was a total of 5 goats, that have been removed throughout the years, but this once has remained. As you can imagine, there is not a cleaner part of the park then the area around the Looff Carrousel!

Next time you are in Spokane, check out the Garbage Goat, you and your children are sure to get a kick out of him! Known and respected by locals, he is a Riverfront Park icon.

SEAHAWKS OPENING DAY!

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:49:41 -0500

It is finally here! The NFL Season! I am sure you have read a lot of the "Experts" choices on who will do what this year, but as always it comes down to injuries. If our team can stay healthy (and if our running game can come back a bit) I feel confident stacking us up against any team in the league! First victim? The Buffalo Bills on the road! Bring it on BABY!

How can you go against the best fans in the NFL!

I just want to say

GO HAWKS!

Can you tell I am just a little bit excited?

Green Gym! Finally!

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:44:49 -0500

We all know how athleic clubs are power hogs with the constants running of electic machines as well as the cinsistent use of air conditioning year round. Well this gym took all these concerns into account and developed a gym that uses a minimalistic floorplan as well as machines that help power the facility!

I know someone in the rain posted a topic as to why gym's haven't started doing this...well it looks like they have!

Opened in Portland, OR, I sure hopw this catches on! http://www.thegreenmicrogym.com/

Check out their site! What a great concept!

Here is a list of ways they make their club more eco-friendly thant he average one:

Our SportsArt EcoPowr Treadmills use 30% less electricity than others

Our solar panels generate almost 3 Kilowatts

The Team Dynamo and Spin Bikes can collectively generate up to 750 watts

We are working on ways to capture the excess energy from our elliptical trainers

We have recycled rubber, marmoleum, and eco-friendly cork flooring

Our ceiling fans are EnergyStar rated and member controlled

All of our lights are compact fluorescents and member controlled

Our televisions are LCD TV's which use less electricity than plasmas

Our lights, televisions, and ceiling fans are member controlled, so they will only be on when needed.

We have double flush toilets

We use non-toxic soaps and cleaning supplies

The paper towels and toilet seat covers in the bathrooms are made from recycled content

Our personal trainers often take their clients outside for workouts

We feature work from local artists in the gym

We have automated our payment and billing systems to reduce paper usage

The Bank of Whitman - Spokane's Place for Home Loans

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:51:34 -0500

There is no mortgage lending crisis for community banks. That's because community banks are well run, highly capitalized and tightly regulated. We are, and always have been, common sense lenders focused on doing what is best for our customers and our communities. Having never written a subprime or Alt A mortgage, Bank of Whitman is in solid shape with money to lend.

With the most aggressive pricing in the area, in house underwriting, and 24-48hr UW turn times, we are set up to succeed in this market. Constant communication from initial application through closing will keep you and the borrower up to speed on the progress of the file.

With two locations to serve you:
Downtown at the corner of Riverside and Howard

And up north at 12812 N Addison in the Wandermere Professional Park

It may be time to look at a lender that is financially sound, fiscally savvy, and wants your business. Give us a shot, and you will not regret it. Call Casey today!

How Many Nicknames Does Your City Have?

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:28:47 -0500

I am curious if there is another city out there with as many nicknames as Spokane has. I recently attended a Gonzaga friend's wedding and a bunch of us sat around and tried to come up with all the names we have heard Spokane called. Below are the results, prefaced by a short history lesson on the true meaning of Spokane! Enjoy! :)

Spokane (pronounced Spo-Can) was named after the Native American Tribe Spokan which means "Children of the Sun". The city naturally has its "marketing" nickname in "The Lilac City", but here are a few of the more "creative" names I have heard.

Does your city top this?

The Lilac City Nicknames (AKA Spokane)

SpoVegas

SpoCompton

SpoTucky

SpoKanistan

SpoKan't

Spok-a-Loo

The 'Kan

Spokalahoma

SpoKanee (Kokanee)

SpoKenya

SpoKizzle

SpokaDizzle

Spokay-with-me

and for all you out there who pronounce it wrong you made a new one:

Spo-Cane

I count 16 including real and "marketing". Whaddya got?

Spokane Symphony FREE Concert at the Park - Labor Day Weekend

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:25:52 -0500

One of the coolest things Spokane Symphony does is a yearly "Concert at the Park" event. This years concerts are going to be held at Liberty Lake's Pavillian Park at 6PM on August 30th and Spokane's Comstock Park at 6pm on September 1st. The Comstock concert will include a variety of pre-concert activities, including a children's Instrument Petting Zoo, and displays from various arts organziations throughout the city. I have attended the Comstock concert numerous times and the atmoshpere is awesome! It is funny how involved people get, some seriously make it an all day event and bring down their dining room table!!!

My Family? We bring a picnic dinner, blankets, chairs, to enjoy a mix of classics, show tunes, and patriotic marches.

This concert is a perfect end to the summer, and is fun for the whole family! Hope to see you there!

The Projected Lineup:

Mars from The Planets by Holst
Raiders' March from Raiders of the Lost Ark
Overture to the Barber of Saville
1812 Overture
Copland's Lincoln Portrait

Mortgage Fraud Still Alive and Kicking...

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:42:47 -0500

With all the crackdown on the mortgage industry and the tightening of the lending guidelines that you have all read about (and more than likely experienced) you would think that mortgage fraud would be a thing of the past, or at least be drastically reduced. NOT THE CASE! A study done by the Mortgage Asset Resarch Institute (MARI) found that fraudulent loans issued during the first three months of 2008 skyrocketed 42% compared with the same period in 2007.

Some say it is desparation of the loan officer. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association loan applications are at an 8yr low. Couple that with tightened underwriting standards and you can see why some are desaprate enough to fudge numbers to ge ta loan to go through.

MARI said the number 1 type of fraud pertained to the employment history and income. Many applications exaggerated how much borrowers earned and misrepresented their job descriptions.

The biggest increase came from a jump in the number of undisclosed or incorrectly reported debts, liens and judgments.

Cases of identity theft accounted for 6% of all mortgage fraud in Illinois, for example. In many of these deals, crime rings use phony identities to obtain mortgages on properties they don't own, then take the cash and vanish.

Same industry, same problems

The regulatory agencies are overwhelmed. But the FBI did step up its efforts to combat mortgage fraud recently. In June, its Mortgage Fraud Task Force arrested more than 400 mortgage brokers, lenders, appraisers and other industry insiders responsible for more than $1 billion in losses.

Despite all these efforts, both stated and changes int he future, MARI doesn't expect things to change any time soon. Mortgage fraud will not disappear - in fact, it is expected to significantly grow, evolve and penetrate new areas within the industry.

Leading states

Florida had the largest volume of mortgage fraud in the first three months of 2008, accounting for about 24% of the national total.

Second was California, which was followed by Illinois, Maryland and Michigan, all of which had about the same number of incidents.

The Miami metro area was ground zero for mortgage fraud during the period; it accounted for nearly half of all of Florida's incidents while the Los Angeles area produced 52% of California's.

Paper or Plastic?

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:12:51 -0500

Answer: Neither.

Use a reusable bag!

www.greenraising.com

Keep them in your car and after you are done stocking the cupbords and fridge with food from the market, put the empty bags next to your keys for your next trip out the door. This way you will always have them in your car easily accessible.

Did you know? In the U.S. alone, 12 million barrels of oil and 14 million trees go to producing plastic and paper bags each year. Do your part, next time you are at the market buy a few of those 99 cent reusable bags. They make a big difference.

Also you can check out reusablebags.com for an assorment of products.

Records are Made to be Broken? Not these ones!

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:27:10 -0500

When it comes to sports, they are! And the average sports fan loves to see it happen! However, when it comes to weather I don't think I am going too far out on a limb when I say no one wants to see this happen. No doubt the inland NW has experienced some rather unusual weather this year and below I have outlined a little summary of it.

Have you experienced weird weather this year where you live?

103: High temperature in Spokane on Aug. 17, a record high
for the date and the hottest day ever, so late in the season.

36: Low temperature June 10, a record low for the date and the latest Spokane has ever had snowfall.

57: Days without measurable rain until Monday night's storms, the sixth-longest dry spell for Spokane.

92.6: Inches of snow last winter, just shy of the all-time high of 93.5 inches in 1949.

Snow in June and triple-digit highs last weekend already mark this year as a record-breaker, and meteorologists say we're dealing with a very extreme weather cycle -- YA THINK? :) Just this year, we have seen extreme cold and heat, drought, record snowfalls, flooding rains - it's all over the board.

The 103-degree high on the 17th in Spokane was not only a record for the date but the first time the city has seen a temperature that high so late in the season. The previous record was 103 degrees on Aug. 10, 1898.

The next day, rain/thunder/lightening storms also broke a 57-day streak with no measurable rainfall, the sixth-longest dry spell in Spokane history.

Even with all this heat, Spokane had one of the worse winters on record as well. We had 92.6 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service, just shy of the 1949 record of 93.5 inches, and many parts of North Idaho saw record depths.

The Inland Northwest isn't unique in these weather extremes, There was a rare snowfall last winter in Iraq and Hawaii, and just last week nearly 2,000 weather records were broken across the United States!! 2,000!!! Think about that!!!!

SPOKANE SHOCK TO HOST THE ARENA CUP!

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:31:19 -0500

Shock win conference title, and will host the Arena Cup

Courtesy: arenafootball2

For the second time in three years, the Spokane Shock will play for the af2's grand prize, the ArenaCup, after defeating the Amarillo Dusters 79-49 in the National Conference Championship game Saturday night. Having the chance to win the title twice in the last 3 years is an amazing feat!

As the top seed in the playoffs, the Shock earned the right to host the game on Spokane Tribe Field at the Spokane Arena on Monday August 25th with a 7 PM kick-off. The Shock will face off against the American Conference Champion, Tennessee Valley Vipers. Tickets for the ArenaCup will go on sale Monday August 18th at noon.

For Tickets call TicketsWest at 509-325-SEAT.

This is easily the biggest football game to be held at the Spokane Arena in Shock history.
Come'on Spokane! Lets pack the house and cheer the Shock to victory!

Ridpath Hotel - Closes it Doors After Over 100yrs of Service

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:56:28 -0500

Since Colonel William Ridpath first opened the doors in the early 1900's, guests have enjoyed the ambiance and service for which The Ridpath is widely known, that is until 5PM Monday evening. This brought an end to the oldest continuously operating full-service hotel in Spokane. With the need of upgrades and repairs to the hotel, coupled with financial losses, the owners decided to close its doors for a major renovation. Throughout the years many people have spent time at the historic hotel. Most notably, Elvis Presley stayed here a couple times back in his prime, and parts of the movie Vision Quest was filmed in the basement of this grand hotel.

LOBBY

Second Floor Lobby

The plan is to revamp the building and reopen the roughly 200-room hotel as a Clarion Suites franchise. However, when the hotel reopens - possibly as soon as Dec. 31 - it may be without its 100+ year old name, visible in large white letters on the roof of the 13-story building.

Lets hope the Ridpath has not closed its doors for the last time. That the name stays and it comes back stronger and more beautiful than ever!

On a side note...The (at least 100yr old) Steinway Grand Piano in the lobby of the Ridpath Hotel was stolen overnight Saturday. A Hotel employee working at the Ridpath told authorities the piano was there when she left around 10 or 11 p.m. Saturday for her dinner break and gone by 2 a.m. Sunday. There is a reward for the recovery of the piano. the piano is estimated to be valued $25,000 or more.

Quotes on Sustainability

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:33:22 -0500

I stumbled across a quote from Ansel Adams (second quote) that rang so true to me that I couldn't NOT share it. "It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment." Unbelievable, but true! Think about that and tell me your jaw doesn't drop. It inspired me to do a little digging, and I compiled the list of quotes that I thought you may enjoy reading. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for stopping by!

You won't beleive this

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:13:19 -0500

Now, I know most have seen the email about the abandoned dogs that was forwarded around the US a year or so ago, and I would not have believed this email if I didn't know the guy. This morning a gentleman I work with was on his way to work and noticed a cardboard box alongside the road - not far from his property (he lives in a rather rural area). He found it odd and decided to stop and check it out. Inside the box there were 5 Lab puppies left there with no food or water. Unbelievable how someone could do this. They look like beautiful little pups. I am glad that this story has ended well...so far.

My co-worker can not hold on to these pups, so he is trying to give them away. I am currently in "negotiations" with my wife to get our black lab a buddy to play with...we will see how it goes!

Thought I would share with you guys. If you are in the Spokane area and are looking for a 4-legged friend, let me know and I will get you the information you need. I will repost in a bit with the final outcome of this situation. I am positive that is will turn out ok though!

Adam Morrison Golf Classic and Halo 3 Tournament

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:54:36 -0500

Being a Gonzaga Alumni I beleive it is my duty to promote fellow Zags as much as possible. That said, there is a WONDERFUL event being put of this week where the proceeds go to benefit the local chapter of the American Diabetes Association. Take a day off, play some golf, hang out with some great people and have some fun in the sun! The Tourney is this Thursday August 14th at the Wandermere Golf Course and should be a blast!

THE ADAM MORRISON GOLF CLASSIC AND HALO 3 TOURNAMENT

The Adam Morrison Golf Classic is a fun-filled, day long event. It's presented by the Odom Corporation and benefits the local chapter of the American Diabetes Association. The event kick-offs with a buffet lunch at 11 a.m. followed by the Four Person Scramble Golf event at 1 p.m. Following the golf play, there is a live and silent auction and a light buffet dinner at Fizzie Mulligans later in the evening.

The entry fee is $200 per person and includes lunch, green fees, cart & prizes.

The Dennis Patchin Show will broadcast live from the event on Thursday, August 14th. The Dennis Patchin Show can be heard Monday through Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. on 700 ESPN The Ticket.

The Adam Morrison Golf Classic isn't the only cool event going on that weekend in Spokane. For the gamers out there, Northtown Mall is hosting The Adam Morrison Halo 3 Tournament on Saturday, August 16th.

Test your mettle as Master Chief or one of the Covenant starting at 10 a.m. that morning. The event is for ages 10 and up, the entry fee is $20.00. Do you have what it takes to take down Adam?

You can find applications for both events at morriesbbworkout.com.

But that is not all, there is also one more event to round out the week:

The 5th Annual Morries H-O-R-S-E Shooting contest

The event starts at 8:30AM @ West Valley high school.

Cost is $30/person and again all proceeds go toward the local chapter of the American Diabetes Association. More info here: morriesbbworkout.com/08%20HBBQ%20REG.%20FORM.pdf

Doggy Swim Days in Spokane!

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:05:31 -0500

As many Spokanites know, our community pools are going the way of the Dodo. With the annual repairs and constant upkeep the city has found them too expensive to keep up. The alternative they have developed are random "Spray Pads" for kids in existing parks and two wonderful Water parks on the North and South sides of the city. BethAnn Long details out the South hill Park in her blog http://activerain.com/blogsview/563196/Spokane-WA-South-Hill.

A pretty neat thing the city is doing with the last day of public swim is opening the pools up to our 4 legged friends! That is right the last public swim session of the community pools around the city will be followed by a free Doggy Swim session. Since the pools are getting torn down and filled up the city says there is no reason why the dogs can't have a little fun as well! Below is the schedule of remaining doggy swims at the city pools!

Hillyard and Comstock
People: Aug. 16, 2 to 4 p.m.
Dogs: Aug. 19, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Liberty and Witter
People: Aug. 23, 2 to 4 p.m.
Dogs: Aug. 26, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

I will be attending the August 19th Doggy Swim with my family and our Black Lab, August 19th at Comstock Pool on the South Hill! Hope to see you out there!

Is "Being Green" really Green? Maybe not...

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 18:03:31 -0500

Here is a little local website that I hop on every once in awhile...I know that we can not shop our way to a greener planet and that a lot of the so-called "Green products" aren't so or have no trail to prove they are. However I do believe that if everyone does a little, we can make a difference, but in the same breath consumerism no matter what contributes to the worlds problems.

http://www.crosscut.com/

This article is a relatively quick read, and it really peaked my interest and got me thinking...I hope it does the same for you. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Enjoy!

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Seattle's obsession with largely symbolic green measures (banning bottled water at City Hall and taxing plastic bags) and the current trend of marketing everything from hybrids to condos as "green" might actually do more harm than good.

That's the warning in a recent commentary by Seattle environmentalists Alex Steffen and Julia Steinberger of Worldchanging.com. Their piece is reprinted in a recent issue of Real Change, but the full version can be found on their World Changing Web site, which promotes sustainability and acts as a clearinghouse of environmental ideas.

Called "The Problem with Big Green," it raises concerns about the greenwashing of consumerism and questions whether encouraging people to take small baby steps in "greening" their buying habits is really productive. They cite a recent study [PDF] by the United Kingdom branch of WWF (formerly the World Wildlife Fund) that suggests it could, in fact, be counterproductive:

Do small steps actually lead anywhere? We all know the theory that small steps lead to bigger steps, which lead in turn to real change. And there are certainly a lot of small steps on offer these days, from the latest home energy tracker to the solar bikini. But it's not at all clear that the ready abundance of small steps is actually making any difference. Indeed, between greenwashing and green fatigue, emphasizing little behavioral changes may actually be hurting. ...
We talked with Dr. Tom Crompton, the [WWF] study's author, who shed some interesting light on their conclusion that to create lasting change, groups working for environmental change should be targeting the intrinsic set of values that motivates the public, rather than tantalizing their extrinsic desires.

Social marketers argue that it doesn't matter why people are doing good as long as they're doing good. Crompton's research suggests that the reasons for their actions matter enormously, and in many ways determine how much good they will ultimately do.

The current marketing-based approach is fatally flawed, Crompton says. His work debunks the popularly held "foot-in-the-door" mantra (change your light bulb today, and you'll move to a walkable neighborhood and sell your car before you know it!), with documented psychological research revealing little evidence to support that individuals will continue to move up the sustainability ladder. Instead, actually, "There is some evidence that...individuals rest on their laurels," Crompton says: consumers often make some small steps and stop.

Why do people stop? Sometimes because they think they've done enough. Sometimes because they might not understand that larger changes in behavior and values are necessary to have a real impact. Others might simply experience exhaustion at trying to tailor their lives to an elusive state of sustainable perfection, especially since new "green" products are constantly shifting the definition of perfection.

And in many cases, going green results in more consumption. "Having installed CFL bulbs, a consumer may then plow the money he saves on his power bill into purchasing a new plasma-screen TV, and end up using far more energy that he did in the first place," Steffan and Steinberger write.

According to the WWF report, buying a Toyota Prius might be an incremental improvement, but the act of acquisition itself tends to have an addictive quality. Consumption, even green consumption, tends to breed more consumption - save the planet, be hipper, feel better. Buying more stuff fuels hope - there's an endless supply of correct new products to tap into--yet it gives people a false sense that they can shop their way to a better planet.

And shopping, as we know, is a frequent crutch people use to stave off despair. Taking small baby steps and greening one's consumption gives people the sense that they're doing something to combat scary global trends. But it often misses the point: no consumption or actually focussing on the larger issues could help more.

The report suggests that instead of giving people lists of things they can do, it would be better for environmental organizations to focus on programs that encourage people to think for themselves and reconsider larger values (e.g. more connection with nature) and the context that can lead to more systemic change. "The question is, How do we cut through the chatter to reach people with strong values-based messages?" write Steffen and Steinberger. Simply "greening" the market is not enough, and could make matters worse.

But letting go of the feel-good and the trivial might be hard for Seattleites, who love to micromanage in a good cause.

The History of Bozarth Mansion - Spokane, WA

Spokane Home Loan -- Casey Brischle -- Mortgage Professional (Bank of Whitman) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:21:52 -0500

Gonzaga University's Bozarth Mansion and Retreat Center, sits on approximately nine acres, was purchased by the University in December 1963. The 23 room mansion and a number of smaller buildings were included in the $85,000 purchase price, as were a number of antique furnishings. Two small brick buildings located near the mansion were removed so that the University could construct a 36 - bed dormitory-style facility (currently with 48 beds), thus making approximately 50 beds (currently 65 beds) available for religious retreats for Gonzaga students. The university purchased the Waikiki Mansion from a group of developers who had acquired the property and surrounding acreage in about 1960 from the estate of Mrs. Charles Marr.

The Bozarth Mansion and Retreat Center was originally known as " Waikiki". The mansion, which was designed by famed architect Kirkland K. Cutter, was constructed at a cost of approximately $100,000 in 1911-1913. The famed Olmstead Brothers of Boston designed the gardens and underground water system and the interiors were by Elsie de Wolfe, America's first well-known decorator.

The home was built for J.P. Graves, whose father, John James Graves, was one of Spokane's early-day mining and railroad tycoons. J.P. Graves was the builder and president of the Inland Empire Traction Lines, one of Spokane's street car companies. However, one of Mr. Graves' principal businesses was his famous, 1,000 acre cattle and dairy ranch, Waikiki, on which the mansion was constructed. Newspaper accounts indicate he purchased the land for his ranch in about 1904. The ranch originally included the land on which Whitworth College is presently located. Graves was also a principal in the Country Homes Development Company, which, commencing in the 1920's, sold home sites in the area.

Waikiki Ranch is said to have had the largest herd of thoroughbred Jersey Cattle in the Pacific Coast region. The dairy was very well known throughout the world and breeding stock were shipped as far away as China.

There are two versions of the origin of the name, " Waikiki". The popular version is that when the Graves family visited Hawaii in 1920, their son was struck by the beauty of the area. He stated that it was the most beautiful place on earth but since the second most beautiful place was the Graves home on the Little Spokane River, he suggested it be called "Waikiki". However, a May 14, 1911, Spokesman-Review feature concerning construction of the English Tudor-style mansion refers to Waikiki Ranch, stating it was named by J.P. Graves himself following a trip to Hawaii. The Review article refers to " Waikiki" as an Indian word meaning "lots of rushing water". Since there were 24 natural springs on the farm, the paper continued, Graves thought it an appropriate name.

The same Spokesman-Review article also reported that a construction camp had been established on the property for the 25-100 workmen who were engaged in construction of the mansion. The camp was complete with a bunkhouse, commissary and mess tent.

Waikiki had its own water system, which included a storage system of 100,000 gallons, as well as its own hydro-electric system, which provided all of the electrical requirements. When the University purchased Waikiki, the original water supply system was still operational. However, major leaks were discovered in the old main supply pipes. As a consequence, the University converted to the Whitworth Water District supply.

It was reported that Graves wanted the mansion to have a joyous atmosphere, which influenced the Cutter design. The house has beautiful oak and maple floors, oak wall paneling throughout and handsome molded-plaster ceilings. When constructed, it had a commanding view of the Little Spokane River and the valley below. The one-piece carved alabaster light fixture is of exceptional size; leaded glass is found throughout. The huge fireplace features a carved dolphin splashing water into a basin in which pine trees grow - intended to help capture the "fun" Mr. Graves wanted in his mansion.

The original ornate wood and stone entrance to Waikiki, which is still located at Waikiki and Mill, is now the entrance to the Fairwood housing development. When the University acquired the mansion, one entered through the gate and traveled about a half-mile along the narrow road, which meandered through a rather heavily wooded area.

The Graves entertained many of the nation's financial leaders and even royalty. Prince Albert, later King Albert of Belgium, who had mining investments in the region, was a visitor as was James Hill of Great Northern fame.

In 1936, the mansion and remaining ranch property was sold to Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Marr for $175,000. The Graves, who apparently also owned a home on Upper Terrace on Spokane's South Hill, moved to Pasadena, California.

In 1983, Waikiki was renamed the Bozarth Mansion and Retreat Center in honor of Horace and Christine Bozarth who gave a substantial gift to renovate the mansion.** Mr. Bozarth, a former member of the University's Board of Regents, was a successful businessman and wheat rancher from Mansfield, Washington.

The Bozarth facility is heavily used, and greatly respected by hundreds of University students who come on weekends throughout the academic year. It is also used extensively for weddings, business conferences, and various school functions.