Michael's Northwet Gazette

My wife and I are preparing to paint the exterior of our home this Memorial Day weekend (better than fighting motorist & ferry traffic). We have quite different opinions regarding the optimal hue for the home, gutters, and trim. So many colors to choose from! So, how did we resolve our theory of ...

If you are a Realtor, are you terrified of Redfin? Well if you are pondering what, or who, Redfin is, go check out their Web site http://www.redfin.com/stingray/do/start and see if they have an office in your area.It is an online real estate service that permits:Searching MLS ListingsTour Homes O...

Since when does a bear say MEW? You probably associate the word MEW with cute, fuzzy adorable kittens, not a bear.MEW stands for "mortgage equity withdrawal," meaning the cash that homeowners can extract by refinancing their houses, or getting home equity loans. Up until last year, as home price...

Need to make a mountain out of a mole hill? What about the flip side?New to the Seattle, Tacoma and Bellingham metro areas, the Web site http://dirtfill.com connects contractors with excess fill, to contractors or residents who need it. Connections for other states are listed also. Receivers get ...

The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) has some useful data regarding ARMS.As many Realtors and Loan Officers are aware, these have been abused, due to failure to properly disclose all of the risk. This Adobe PDF file is about seventeen pages of data. Good information to ...

I found an interesting Web site that sends your request for title insurance to five companies. The companies compete for the quote for a purchase or refinance transaction.https://titleinsurance.comHere is the information from their FAQs Web page.How does Titleinsurance.com get paid? Titleinsuranc...

Want to get educated on the home loan process? The Washington State Department of Financial Institutions offers a free CD. Go to the Web site, and fill out the on-line form. Great information to get you up to speed for the mortgage loan process in Washington state. http://www.dfi.wa.gov/consumers...

Is your inflatable mattress thinner, or are your bones more tender than a few decades ago? Washington state parks are realizing an aging camper population wants more choices than pitching a tent, especially since we only have about four months of warm camping weather. Yurts (wooden tepee) and ca...

In Part I, Mortgage Brokers Save You Money-Part I we noted that mortgage brokers generally offer better financing packages than banks.Let's examine this issue in more detail. Bank lenders only offers mortgage products from their own (usually very limited) products the bank produces. Sometimes ban...

Interesting AP story about road rage. Having grown up in Miami, and frequently visiting relatives there, sometimes it can be more exciting than a day at Disney World!New survey puts Miami on top of rude-driver list By SARAH LARIMER The Associated Press MIAMI — For the second consecutive year, Mia...