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From the Other Side...

By Dinah Lee Griffey

Managing Real Estate Broker with Windermere Peninsula Properties

September 24, 2011 08:58 AM

This last May I had to make a tough choice. Continue marketing homes and helping buyers th Realtor Hill Day 2010 ough the purchase process or address the real reasons homes are not selling like they should.

I went back and forth and had many sleepless nights. I thought about the implications of temporarily giving up a career I love. It finally came down to the real reason I became a Realtor.

In 2004 I decided that I would choose a career that would help people. My husband and I had recently refinanced our home and had a mortgage broker that broke all of the rules and then some. I felt burned. I hated the thought of that happening to anyone else. So I thought that a career where I was there to guide people through the home purchasing process and protect them was a way to give back.

The last few years have not seen the best market but I was happy to plug along because I knew I was making a difference. I became a Managing Broker in March of 2010 and dreamed of opening my own office in the future. Then the next April, I had three houses fail to close in a one week period because the buyers had lost their jobs. It was no ones fault.

One of the houses was headed to foreclosure and the bank had already approved the short sale. I was as happy for the stressed out seller as I was for my client. Then it all fell apart...again and there was nothing I could do. I could not create the conditions in our area so my buyer could find employment....or could I?

Since May I have poured myself into supporting people that are serious about turning our economy around. Some of them are already elected and some are not. I do not have the vote them all out mentality. What I do know, is that if you go to Olympia and listen to the House debate the bills you will identify very quickly who has a clue that we are even in a down economy/recession and who is willing to fight to fix it.

My husband is running for the House in the 35th District in Washington State. He is a firefighter who serves our community. One day like me, he saw too much and he had to do something about it.Dan Griffey understands what needs to be done to get our State back on track and get Mason, Thurston, Grays Harbor and Kitsap counties back to work again. Drew MacEwen running for the other seat also has an excellent plan, as does Realtor endorsed Rob McKenna running for Governor.

Before you vote Republican, Democrat or incumbent take a good long look at the people seeking the positions and why...Your Career Depends on it!

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Dale Terry

Yadkinville, NC

Dinah, I commend you and your husband, I too saw too much that was wrong, in fact it cost me my construction firm and my mortgage company. I tried to do everything right but the economy and the government put me out of business. New regulations, fees etc. caused me to go out of business. I have no faith in the present government from all sides. Maybe I am wrong, but to me, the change will come not from those that want to change the system from the inside but from those that want it to go away and will have you and your husband as our new leaders. It is quick and literally painless compared to the pain we will go through in the next decade or so.

Sep 24, 2011 03:07 PM

Dinah Lee Griffey

Windermere Peninsula Properties - Allyn, WA

Managing Broker Windermere Peninsula Properties

Know that you are not alone. Last year when we did a business walk for the Griffey 4 State house campaign, we heard from so many business owners who were just trying to hold on. They had cut every where they could. They were not flying around in jets but had cut their own take home pay to next to nothing so they could keep their employees on until the storm had passed.

This year as we drive by the vacant windows and billboards of those businesses it stirs up strong emotions in me. Who was there to stand up for them while they battled to keep on going? Do those same people who represent them and drive by those empty store fronts even know their stories and what we as a community have lost?

I have faith we can get back to our glory days again but it will not happen if we just sit back and hope for the best.

Sep 24, 2011 04:51 PM

Gary Woltal

Keller Williams Realty - Flower Mound, TX

Assoc. Broker Realtor SFR Dallas Ft. Worth

Good luck to your husband in that race Dinah. He sounds like the kind of representation we all need. A good man.

Sep 25, 2011 08:32 AM

Sandra White

John L Scott Real Estate - Port Townsend, WA

Experienced Residential Resale Broker

Best of luck to both of you. We need a miracle! Big government is not the answer.

Sep 25, 2011 08:43 AM

Gary- I think Dan has just what it takes to stand up for us and really represent the people. I am so glad he decided to run. It was a big decision but I am glad he is going for it!

Sep 25, 2011 08:54 AM

Sandra- You are so right. There is a lot of work to be done!

Sep 25, 2011 08:55 AM

Pacita Dimacali

Alain Pinel - Oakland, CA

Alameda/Contra Costa Counties CA

Dinah

Wishing you and your husband an army of volunteers who will help him not only to win his seat, but also in taking action to make things right.

Good luck!

Sep 25, 2011 01:15 PM

Patica- Thank you for the good wishes! We are going to set it right!

Sep 25, 2011 05:38 PM

Than Maynard

Coldwell Banker Heart of Oklahoma - Purcell, OK

Broker - Licensed to List & Sell - 405-990-8862

The problem with not voting for one party or another is....the elected have to follow the party line vote too often. You can say what you want about being independent of the party, but when you start getting attacked by the other party and YOUR party you are in a NO WIN situation.

You have to go with the one that your beliefs mesh with the most. Yes, an elected official might be Republicans and be for the right to an abortion and that is totally against your beliefs....then you vote against them in the primaries. But are you going to vote for the Republican who is for abortion or an entire party that supports abortion? (Change it to a Democrat against abortion and you have it from the other side!)

Easiest example to use and the one that is make or break for a lot of people.

As long as we have a two-party system (and we always will, the party may change, but it will always be two party, IMO.) this is the way it will be. Or we can

Sep 26, 2011 03:13 AM

Than- I said incumbent not independent. I really hope people take a good look at their candidates and vote with confidence, knowing that the candidate they choose will support the issues closest to their hearts. Incumbents should have a voting record to make that easy to discern.

Sep 26, 2011 07:10 AM

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