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New Girl in Town
Hi, my name is Katie. I am the new assistant to Jennifer Clukey and Mike Elliott. I just moved to the Seattle area from Wisconsin after graduating college. Here is my latest adventure in Renton, Washington!
Renton, Washington is a town located just outside of Seattle. There are a variety of activities to do while in Renton. However, I only picked three places to visit; Coulon Park, the Landing and the Renton Farmers Market. Coulon Park is located on the south end of Lake Washington. It is a great place to walk, run or just hang out. I also noticed an area where you could learn to sail. I thought that was pretty cool. This area was a really nice change of pace from the city life.
Next I visited the Landing. This is a nice shopping area that has any store you could dream of; a running store, a hair salon, clothing stores, etc. As I walked through I stopped for a donut and then I moved onto a kitchen store. I stopped in the kitchen store because I love to look at things I can’t have, but I still ended up buying three items on my wish list. I purchased an egg ring for that perfect circular egg on a breakfast sandwich, an oven mitt because I only own one, and a dish to set my spatulas in while I’m cooking. The Landing also offers a variety of restaurants to choose from. For example; Vino, for wine lovers; Beer World, for beer lovers; and 5 guys, for a classic burger.
Next I was off to the Renton Farmers Market which is open every Tuesday from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm, June through September. I went in search of tomatoes for bruschetta and flowers to brighten my apartment. It was a cute little market in downtown Renton. There is free two hour parking in the garage across the street and plenty of booths to choose from. After eyeing each booth, I found ripe tomatoes and a $5 bouquet of flowers and was on my way. Renton is a nice area and cheaper than downtown Seattle, but it gives you the proximity to the city with a smaller town feel.
King County Market Update
Prices and market activity leveled off in July … the start of new trend or just summer doldrums?? Stay tuned …
Insurance (I learned the hard way)
About a year ago I was leaving a clients condo complex and backed into a short yellow concrete pole. This is extra dumb because I have a back up camera. I would like to note that I have an excellent driving record with no accidents. Although, I have donated to the city for speeding on occasion and those school cameras!! I swear there are no children anywhere when those things nab me.
Anyways, I took it to the dealer and the cost to fix it was $2800 because I had managed to hit an area where several different car parts come together. Fortunately I have insurance…right? Also, I never use my insurance and thought that’s what it is for. Do you know how much I pay each year to insurance companies between my cars and houses? Enough to put a kid through state college. It was concluded that my rates would probably go up for my whole family, so I didn’t use it. What I did do is raise all my deductibles, cars and houses, to $1500. If it’s not worth it to make a claim, unless it’s a major incident, there is no reason to have low deductibles. By changing the deductibles on my policies, I saved several hundred dollars per year, which I now scoop into my own savings account for rare yellow pole incidents. Lesson learned!
Home Warranty – Yes or No?
Home Warranty is an insurance policy purchased through the home closing process to cover major systems in your newly purchased home. It typically costs $300 to $500. If a covered system fails within the first year, you are covered up to the allowable amount. For example, a client moved into her new home in Federal Way and her furnace kicked the bucket. The home warranty paid $1500 of the $2200 bill. Some clients swear by them. I have found that my clients from California love them, while my local clients typically decline them. Why would Californians like them more? The only thing I can figure is that it’s more of a custom in their area. Each market has its own customs and home warranty is one that comes out of California. My advice is to evaluate the risk of your systems failing. If the furnace and hot water heater are at the middle to end of their life, it might be a good idea. If you are buying a house with new appliances and systems, then save your $300 to $500 for minor fixes around the house.
Events in August
Check out some of these local events happening around the area this August! Is anyone planning on attending any of these?
