The weather today in Bremerton and Silverdale was absolutely gorgeous!  Sunny and warm, it was a real treat in Kitsap County, especially considering that it is February.

Like many other residents of Central Kitsap, the members of the Central Kitsap Fire Department took advantage of the weather, practicing some of their life-saving and fire-fighting skills at the Meadowdale Fire Station, CKFD Station 41.  The Meadowdale Fire Station has a three-story training tower and is home to one of eleven new fire engines in Central Kitsap.

If you are planning to sell your home in Silverdale, Bremerton, Poulsbo or anywhere else in Kitsap County, I have some advice for you:  list your home for sale ASAP!

If you are planning to move away from Kitsap County WA in the next 6 to 8 months, you need to list your home as soon as you possibly can.  You need to price it very competitively, stage it beautifully, and find an agent who will market it very aggressively. 

Why list your Kitsap County home for sale now if you aren't planning to move for six months?  Because the numbers say you should.

Right now in Kitsap County, there are 1836 single family homes for sale.  This does not include condominiums.  Since the 16th of January (the last 30 days) only 123 homes have sold.  If the past month is an indication of future activity, and homes in Kitsap County continue to sell at the present rate, it will take almost 15 months for your home to sell.

Now, remember that statistics lie.  Is it really going to take almost 15 months for your home to sell?  No, probably not, but you have to do the three things we talked about earlier - price well, stage beautifully, and market aggressively.

Even if you do price, stage and market great, it will still take time for your Kitsap County home to sell.  So, again, if you have to sell and move away in the next six months, I would list it right away!  Make sure you hire a Kitsap County Realtor with  the skills, ability and experience to help you.

Another excellent question from a client today!  "Should I sign a Buyer Agency Agreement?"

The answer is - Probably, but it depends.....

First, remember that Agency rules differ from state to state, so if you are not buying a home in Washington State, Bremerton, Port Orchard, Silverdale, Poulsbo or surrounding areas, you will need to clarify agency laws in your state.

Most clients will want to sign a Buyer Agency Agreement.  In the contract, make sure your agent spells out exactly what you can expect from them.  For example, what type of home will you be finding for them, and where will the home be? How long will it take them to return your phone calls or emails?  How does their pay structure work?

In Washington State, you do not need a written contract to establish that a particular agent is your Buyer's Agent or Buyer's Representative.  Some people are hesitant to sign such a contract, and I can understand the reasons why. 

What if you sign a contract with a Buyer's Agent in Kitsap County and then find out that the agent really has no idea what they are doing?  Or that they don't know the area?  Or perhaps they are too busy to help you?  Excellent reasons to spell out certain things in the contract ahead of time...

If you do not want to be contract-bound to an agent right away, ask them to take a day to meet with you and perhaps show you homes for sale in Bremerton, Silverdale, Port Orchard, wherever, for a day before you decide whether you will work together successfully.  As an agent, I want to make sure that we will make a good team before I agree to work with you and you agree to work with me.  It is in both of our best interests.

Before you sign anything, always read it and make sure you understand it!  In Washington State, if you sign a contract, the courts usually interpret that to mean that you have read the document, that you understand the document, and that you agree to the terms in the document.  If you don't understand what you are signing, make sure you find out.  Asking questions is a good thing!

So in most cases, yes, you will want to sign a Buyer Agency Agreement.  It protects not only the agent, but you, the buyer, as well!

You'd be amazed at how many people never ask....

Actually, it's a great system for Buyers.  When a Seller lists his property with an agent, he agrees to pay the real estate agent a certain percentage of the sales price.  The Seller's agent then puts the property in an enormous database, which is called the Northwest Multiple Listing Service in Kitsap County real estate lingo.  The listed home is then available for other real estate agents to access and show to potential buyers.

If another agent brings in a client to purchase the property, the Seller's agent splits his commission with the Buyer's agent.  (In this case, if you purchase property using me, I would be your Buyer's agent.)

For example, Mary puts her Silverdale home for sale with real estate agent Bob.  You contact me and want to see properties for sale in Central Kitsap County that match the description of Mary's house in Silverdale.  I check the database and find Mary's house listed there, by Agent Bob.  We go look at the house, and you decide it is a great house and fits your needs well.

We write an offer, and it is accepted.  You are buying a house!  When we close on the house, Agent Bob gets a check from the proceeds of the sale of Mary's house.  He then turns around and sends half of his check to my company.

There are exceptions to this rule.  For example, if you decide to purchase a home that was not listed with a real estate agent, we would have to work out some sort of payment structure. 

Some people believe that they will save money if they don't use a Buyer's agent.  Studies have shown that this usually ends up costing them more money, for two reasons: 

• First, the seller is going to pay his agent the agreed-upon commission, no matter what, whether he has to split it with another agent or not. 
• Also, because the seller has someone to protect him and look out for his best interests, and the buyer does not, the buyer often ends up either paying more for the property right away, or finding out later on that he could have done or paid for certain things during the home's sale that would have saved him money years later, such as a homeowner's warranty or a private home inspection.

If you are considering buying a home or land in Kitsap County, I strongly advise you to get a Buyer's agent to work exclusively for you!  It won't cost you extra in most cases, and will probably prevent you from losing money.

All it takes is a $250 initial investment, and after 30 days you will be rewarded with an additional $25!

No it's not a scam, or a pyramid set-up, or any of those other get-rich-quick schemes.  It's exactly the opposite.

Woman's Day magazine is doing a year-long series on finances and saving money.  They have partnered with ING Direct to offer a special savings program to encourage readers to start saving.

If you are a new customer, you can sign up with ING Direct through a link at Woman's Day's website for a special "Orange" savings account.  It is done via electronic transfer only. 

All it takes is a $250 deposit to open the account, and 30 days later ING Direct will deposit $25 into your account.  Be aware that you can not withdraw the money for at least the first 60 days. Hurry, the promotion ends March 31!

That is a 10% return on your initial investment within a two-month period.  You can't even get returns like that in real estate! 

Go to Woman's Day Saves for all the details and to sign up!

Hopefully this post will help you find the answer.  When is the right time to refinance?  With interest rates so low, it seems like refinancing your home loan might be a good idea.  What are the determining factors?

There are a couple of things to look at when considering a refi. First, do you have any equity in your home? If you owe $250,000 for your home, and you owe a total of $245,000, you probably won't be able to refinance unless it is a VA loan. And VA loans are a whole different ball game.

Now, as far as whether the rates will go lower? There is no crystal ball. Wish there was, cause I'd be rich. You do it when it makes sense to do it. We refinanced twice within two years, because rates dropped significantly and held for a bit (first refi), then eight months later they dropped again (second refi). That was five years ago, and we won't be refinancing again. We're extremely pleased with our rate!

The most important factor in whether to refinance is, will it actually save you money? First, see what your monthly payment is now. Then have your mortgage officer figure out what it would be if you refinanced. What is the difference? For example, let's say you pay $1800 a month now, a refi would have you paying $1600, for a savings of $200 a month, or $2400 a year.

Sounds great, but what about the cost of the refinance? It does cost money to borrow money, after all.

Figure out what it is really going to cost to refi. Closing costs, prepaid taxes, prepaid insurance etc.  all need to be considered.  Yes, it can be added into the cost of your mortgage in most cases, but you do still have to pay it. That is the true cost of your refi.

In this case, let's say that it is going to cost $8,000 up front, but you will get part of that back from your original mortgage company. (You will receive a check from your former mortgage company once they close the escrow account.)  So the true cost is $6,400. Now, how long is it going to take you to make up that expenditure?

Divide your $200 a month savings into the $6,400 cost of the refi, and you will see that it will take 32 months to start seeing any financial gain. Basically, for the next 2 1/2 years, you will be paying for your home plus your refinance. After that, the $200 savings is gravy.....

In this case, if you are planning to stay in your home for more than two and a half years, then it may be the right time to refinance your home. If there is a good chance you will be moving before then, keep the rate you have.

If you are considering refinancing your Kitsap, Pierce or Mason County home, call me for a referral to a great local lender.  They'll take good care of you!  And as always, if you have questions, feel free to give me a call - I'm happy to help!

3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths

Gorgeous like-new home in fastastic maintenance-free community!

Wonderful open floor plan makes the large living area seem even bigger! Luxury abounds in this home, with angled fireplace and media center in living room with high ceilings, separate dining room, breakfast bar in spacious kitchen, and den or office all on the main floor.

Upstairs finds a nice master suite with full, private bath and two closets plus two additional bedrooms with a shared full bath. Backyard provides privacy with a fenced, terraced yard. All appliances included.

In the sought-after Central Kitsap School District. Across from community playground, near major shopping, schools, military bases and Poulsbo.

Priced at only $243,000!  To see more photos, go to www.11640Breckenridge.com

That's right - a laundromat.  The building sat on a corner in lower Manette unused for many years in the 1990's and early 2000's, until Jeff and Michelle Hecker took over and redesigned the building into the swanky restaurant and happy hour hotspot that it is now.   

The Patio opened in May of 2008.  Located right next to the Manette Bridge in Downtown Manette, the restaurant is small in winter, with very limited indoor seating.  However, that also allowed us very attentive and personal service.  In warmer months, tables on the patio are used, doubling the seating area.

"Serving 'New American' classic comfort food with a twist" is the description from the website, but I would go even farther than that when describing the scrumptious edible offerings at The Patio in Manette, Bremerton.

My substitute date (hubby's at sea again so, my poor Dad...) had a nice steak that is only sometimes found on the menu.  Always ask about the specials!  I had the small plate Grilled Mediterranean Platter.  Everything on the Grilled Mediterranean Platter is fabulous!  And check with the waitstaff, but I believe it is vegetarian.  We finished our dinner with a nice bottle of "The Show" Cabernet.  I went home quite full and happy.

Other options at dinner include Seasonal Ravioli (this week it was lobster), Flat Iron Steak with herb reduction butter, or a Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Breast.  There are also several vegetarian meal options, and the cook and waitstaff seem very willing to work with you if you have a special diet. 

Repurposing and redesigning that old laundromat has had a huge impact on the face and feel of downtown Manette, Bremerton.  The Heckers had a vision of what Manette could be and is becoming.  The Patio has "raised the bar" for style in Manette.

The Patio is open for lunch and dinner daily.  Breakfast is served Monday through Saturday.  And the best meal of all?  Sunday Brunch is served from 10 am to 3 pm.  That's our next culinary excursion.  So far, I give The Patio a thumbs up.  I can't wait to take my husband there!

Address of The Patio:  2003 East 11th Street, Bremerton, WA 98310

Reservations: 360-373-1472

Want to go out for a nice dinner, but don't want to spend a lot?  Want a view but don't want to pay for it?  Consider The Boat Shed restaurant in Manette in East Bremerton!

The restaurant sits almost underneath the Manette Bridge, and if you aren't looking for it you could miss it!  The unassuming entrance will leave many doubting the quality, right until they open the front door and smell the tantalizing food from inside.

Get a table by the window.  From your seat, you will have a view of the bridge, the USS Turner Joy, and the Seattle-Bremerton ferry arriving and departing every hour or so.  On summer days, count the pleasure boats that whiz past under the bridge.

The Boat Shed has been open since 1979.  The restaurant serves a nice blend of steaks, seafood, salads and pastas for dinner.  At lunch, they also have many unique and classic sandwiches, with cool names like the Spinnaker and the Clipper.  Dungeness crab and crab cakes are almost always on the menu.  The restaurant is well-known for its clam chowder, and the nachos and margaritas are great for an after-work happy hour. 

A nice wine list includes such local favorites as Chateau St. Michelle and 14 Hands.  And don't forget to leave room for dessert!

On a nice day, ask to sit outside on the deck.  The restaurant is actually perched over the water, and there is a boat dock connected to it, with room for several smaller boats. 

The service is usually very good, and the food is excellent!  They also have a kids menu.  It is one of my family's favorite places to dine in Bremerton, and has been for many years.

Wine aficionado and Foodie Mike Watkins is pairing with Cosmos Deli in Port Orchard to offer a fantastic Wine Tasting and Dinner to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

Sunday, September 7 at 5:00 pm, Mike and Cosmos will provide a sensational gourmet dinner paired with five, yes FIVE different wines.  Dinner includes an antipasti, braised beef short ribs with smashed yukon gold potatoes, and grilled sweet peaches with gelato and honey. 

Dinner is followed by a silent wine auction, including bidding for a Magnum of 2005 Bordeaux. 

All proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, an organization which helps patients with several different types of blood cancers.  For more information on the organization, please visit their website here.

Cosmos is usually open Monday through Saturday only, but is opening this Sunday only for this very special event.  Cosmos serves cheese and meat in their deli, coffees and teas in their espresso bar, and has a wonderful restaurant and bar that serves both small plates and full meals. 

There are not many tickets left, so hurry!  To purchase tickets, call Cosmos at 360-895-3138.  Cosmos is located at 1821 SE Lund Avenue in Port Orchard.