education: Why do we have day light saving time? - 11/06/10 12:06 PM
That was the question posed to me by the Korean lady who runs our local store this morning. She thought it was a weird American "thing".
All I could think of as an answer was that I thought it had something to do with saving energy.  What I remember as a child in the 50's was that the idea was controversial in Washington State - or at least in the minds of my Mom and Dad.
So, I decided to look it up.  Here's what I found.   http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/
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education: I try to be "Eco friendly" but have you done all of the math? - 09/28/10 12:08 PM
A good friend of mine commented yesterday about the electric automobile. According to him, it was a God sent, and would get X amount of miles per gallon.  (Still not sure how you equate watts to gallons)
As he was touting the savings that would be made from using an electrically powered vehicle, I asked him what he thought the impact would be to his electric bill while he was charging his car up.
What do you think?
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education: Be careful who you give real estate advice to. - 11/19/09 11:48 AM
On occasion I've been approached by an agent seeking advice as how to best handle a scenario involving either a buyer or seller that is not one of our own transactions.
The scene plays out something like this,  (sic) "I have a friend who just bought a home and the seller's being unreasonable with regards to letting the home inspector enter the property" ... or a myriad of other situations like this.
My first response is usually along the lines of  "why did your friend buy their home without using you?"
Sometimes agents get caught up in their desire to show just … (3 comments)

education: Septic tank inspections in Pierce County Washington. - 08/07/09 11:10 AM
I'm looking for an answer to a situation I currently have where my buyer has purchased a new home that has been standing for 2 years - never occupied.
Will the Health Department require an inspection of the septic tank prior to closing since it's been standing so long?
Or will it still fall under the guide-lines of new construction?
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education: A new level of professionalism - 05/06/09 11:55 AM
I just complete a 2 day course on negotiations.  Perhaps you've heard of the new course called CNE - which stands for Certified Negotiation Expert.
It's a 2 day course that provides 15 clock hours in Washington State.
After over 30 years in the industry, I truly felt as though I had picked up some new ideas and great techniques.
NAR does not recognize this designation..... yet.  But with almost 4,000 CNE members it's probably just a matter of time.
This is the perfect course for someone new in the business.  You deal with almost any issue that relates to listings, … (5 comments)