I made a decision to move my license to Keller Williams in Gig Harbor, Washington. After many conversations with Matt Thomson who is very active here on Active Rain I decided that it would make good business sense for me to associated with a company that makes such a large commitment to training and agent development.

Since I have spent most of my real estate career working at small independent brokerages it will be an adjustment for me to be in an office with as many agents at the KW office has. I am looking forward to the change of venue and the opportunities that it provides.

I'm sure that those of you that work at a Keller Williams office will be chuckling that it took me long enough =)

Best,

Scott

This video while poor in quality captures some amazing music played by my all time favorite guitar player Jerry Garcia and with David Grisman on mandolin. A beautiful song and one that I hope you will enjoy. Afterall all real estate and no art makes for a dull real estate agent right?

Currently the State of Washington is working out the final details on a tax credit advance program for first time home buyers.

The purpose of the program is to allow first time home buyers who make 80% or less of their county’s median income an opportunity to borrow the Federal $ 8,000 tax credit in advance to purchase a home.

The State legislature has passed the necessary budget to fund the $25,000,000 that is being set aside to seed the program. The Washington Association of Realtors has pledged $400,000 in funds as well.

This program is aimed to jumpstart the housing market in many areas of the State.

I have created a website specifically for this program. The Washington First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit Advance site will be a site dedicated to helping first time buyers learn what is necessary to qualify for the tax credit advance. It will also help buyers meet qualified real estate agents and mortgage lenders who are familiar with the processes and with the home buyers’ local areas.

If you are interested in learning more about this exciting program please visit The Washington First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit Advance website today.

Here is one that I heard a few years ago on the Internet on a Australian Internet video station that is no longer online. Too bad as there were some amazing bands. If fact tonight you get to of them! A first here on Friday Nite Videos.

From Sydney Here is Thristy Merc.

Then The John Butler Trio Singing Better Than....

This years Western Washington Home Sale is now on. Join us this weekend at the Greenlake North Townhomes as we offer a 2009 Smart Car with purchase of a townhome!

The Western Washington Home Sale is bringing the nineteen builders who are participating and their  projects plenty of attention. All of the builders are offering fantastic pricing along with some very interesting home options. Please visit this link for more information on the Western Washington Home Sale. Pierce, King, and Snohomish Counties all have projects available. If you're looking to buy a new home this sale is one you need to check out.

I will be onsite this weekend from 10am to 5pm at the Greenlake North Townhomes. Best price in Greenlake on these brand new, 3 bed, 3 1/4 bath distinctive town homes. Private haven in the heart of Seattle. Quality built by a custom home builder, these stylish, contemporary designed homes have Bamboo floors, tile entry, custom cabinets. Bath off each bedroom, large windows, warm colors, stainless steel, efficient gas appliances, gas fireplace, CeasarStone Slab countertops throughout, open kitchen & spacious deck off living room. Security system, radiant heat & territorial views! Maintenance free landscaping with fenced & gated yard areas, 1-car garage. Walk to Green Lake, Greenwood, bus with ease; Seattle is at your doorstep!

Price Range : $329,000-$364,000 Special Incentive : Either a free Smart Car or 3% towards closing with an additional 3 3/4% special financing to qualified buyers

If you would like more information on the these units please visit the builder site here.

This just came in from the Business Examiner. I am copying it directly to speed up the spreading of the news!

The bold text has been bolded by me.

The state Senate Ways and Means Committee unanimously adopted an amendment to the state budget authorizing the state to invest $25 million in a short-term loan program in order to provide a cash advance on the federal, first-time home buyers' tax credit, allowing potential home buyers to utilize the tax credit as down payment when closing the sale of their first home instead of receiving a credit next year. The budget, with this proviso authorizing the advance loan program, must be adopted by the full Senate and House, and signed by the Governor before it becomes effective. The 2009 Economic Recovery and Revitalization Act included a "refundable" tax credit worth up to 10 percent of the home purchase price with a maximum of $8,000 for taxpayers who purchase a home between now and Nov. 30. To help buyers that need down payment and closing cost assistance when purchasing a home with the tax credit, a number of Housing Finance Agencies are offering special short-term loans to qualified buyers. These loans are typically available for little or no interest and may be repaid with the homebuyer tax credit refund. The Washington Realtors sent a letter to its membership following the adoption of the amendment. "There is a demand from first-time home buyers – responsible people with jobs, good credit, and the ability to make the monthly mortgage payment," the statement read. "However, many of these potential home buyers still need down payment assistance and they can't get the $8,000 until after the sale is closed. Lack of down payment is the only barrier to home ownership for up to 50 percent of qualified first time home buyers. The Washington State Treasurer's Office, Housing Finance Commission and Washington Realtors are proposing a Tax Credit Advance Loan program that would advance the $8,000 tax credit at closing of a home sale and be repaid when the credit is received by the IRS. "Now more than ever, housing choices are critical not only to our families and children but also to reviving the economy. Washington's economic health depends on a healthy, vibrant housing market, which accounts for 24 percent of the state's employment and a significant portion of state tax revenues in sales, property, business and occupation and real estate excise taxes. "This effort to amend the state budget to include the budget proviso was made possible through no small amount of effort with plenty of credit to go around. Certainly, the leadership of State Treasurer Jim McIntire and Sen. Steve Hobbs played a key role as champions in the Senate to adopt the amendment. And the solid efforts of our coalition partners, expert lobbying team and key individuals made the difference. "To be clear, while this is a critical victory, it is only one important step in the process of adopting the state budget. The budget, with this proviso authorizing the advance loan program, must be adopted by the full Senate and House, and signed by the Governor before it becomes effective."

Keep checking back for more news as it happens. If your looking to get into a home but lacking the downpayment this might be just the opportunity for you to act on. Please contact Scott Cowan today (253) 219-1194  to be kept up to date on this fantastic opportunity.

Are you on Facebook? Isn't it fun catching up with all of those people you went to school with? It's amazing how old they all look! Facebook is great for just that catching up with people in your life.

Facebook is also fantastic for keeping your name in front of people who will be needing your services soon. Think of Facebook as another tool in your toolbox for marketing.

By offering you another way to loosely stay in contact with people and letting them tell you about what is important to them Facebook needs to be part of your daily marketing routine. Do you think people like to be acknowledged on their birthdays? you bet they do. Do people think their kids are the cutest? You know the answer is yes. Spend a few minutes everyday wishing your "friends" happy birthday, making a comment about a photo, just saying hello. Facebook gives you so many ways to interact with your "friends" that if you're not using it I promise you another agent is.

Another feature of Facebook that agents should be leveraging is by creating a page for your business. Here is a great way for you to have a "professional" profile that lets you stay in front of your "fans" You can use your business page to promote listings, share posts, have discussions, publish videos, etc. This content is pushed to your fans. You get to stay in front of them and keep them up to date with everything you are doing in real estate. You can create an army of fans who will help spread the word for you on Facebook.

Here are two examples.

• First is my personal profile page on Facebook. Follow this link and you will see my profile. Here you will notice that I am playing games with friends, commenting on pictures, sharing what is on my mind etc. All of this is very similar to an online party. I get to keep in touch with over 475 people this way. I send a note to 10 people everyday. This way I "touch" everyone of my friends every 40 to 50 days. What a great way to keep in front of people!. If you're not my friend on Facebook please sign up to be my friend. I will lead by example and you will find many ways to use the site to help your marketing.

• Second is my Classic Homes Northwest page. Follow this link to my page. This is a new page that I have just started to keep in touch with "fans" These are people that I have done business with or am doing business with, professionals I work with on transactions,, and generally anyone who wants to find out more about Classic Homes Northwest. I post listings, share my blog posts from other sites, etc. This has been a great new tool in my toolbox. Become a fan and you will watch as I "push" marketing materials. Less than a month old my fan page has lead to a new client to work with. Now is your marketing doing that for you?

Remember we all need to be looking for business where people are not where we want them to be. Sharing our lives with people helps make us more memorable. Keeping in front of people is something I am sure all of us need to be doing more of. Facebook gives you another way to be memorable to our target markets. Marketing needs to be your obsession. Without a ready pipeline of business you will never be able to build a business that can survive in the long run. Facebook is available and it is affordable. It's free!

I hope to see you on Facebook soon.

Remember when you were young? Remember when it seemed like music was so much better than the music of today? No matter how old you are I am sure you would agree that music was better when you were younger.

Today I am dusting off one of the songs that remind me of growing up and all the pain and suffering of youth.....

Seems to be the only posts I am putting up these days are my Friday Nite Videos. Back when I was in college it was the highlight of the week to sit around our house or local watering hole and watch videos. I guess I am old as I can remember when we just had radio and not video to get our music fixes.

Today's video is one of the bands I enjoyed a lot when I was in college. I still enjoy listening to them today so they have aged well....=)