Courtney Potter's (courtpotter) Blog

The easy money days for homebuyers are all about over as politicians and lenders want to increase underwriting scrutiny and demands.  From The Seattle Times April 6, 2008, syndicated columnist Kenneth Harney notes that John McCain has been the most extreme in his proposals to clean up the mortgag...

In this current credit crunch and overall slumping market, hard-money lenders are seeing increased business as traditional lenders restrict their offerings and approval criteria.  The Seattle Times reported this in the business section's Sunday Buzz March 23, 2008.  Many of the loans from these p...

"Overwhelmingly white, the green movement is reaching for the rainbow."Paula Bock's exposè from the Seattle Times' weekly Pacific Northwest Magazine (Sunday, March 9, 2008) demonstrates how today's green movement we often hear about carries much more of a social aspect than most realize.  Eco-fri...

It's about time again for the monthly all-you-can-eat Swedish pancake breakfast at the Sons of Norway Hall in Bellingham.  It takes place this coming Saturday, January 19 from 8-11 am.  For $6, you get an initial plate of ham, eggs, 2 pancakes with lingonberries & whipped cream, and an orange sli...

I came across an intriguing editorial piece by Bruce Agnew in the Sunday Seattle Times/P-I February 10, 2008.  Bruce is director of the Cascadia Center for Regional Development at the Discovery Institute, and he presents a case for a network of foot ferries for the great state of Washington.  Wha...

"Pets are getting dumped all over." I came across an enlightening article in the Sunday, February 3 Seattle Times.  It highlights yet another unfortunate circumstance of the housing problems facing many communities:  foreclosure pets.  Farmers have found dogs roaming their fields and ferral cat c...

Seattle is a leader in the relatively new cohousing movement here in the USA, according to this article from the Seattle Times Sunday, January 27, 2008.  As a way to combat sprawl, these high-density units have personality and encourage resident interaction, something of which just about everybod...

This article from MSN today reveals the national rankings of state foreclosure rates for 2007.  The great state of Washington came in at 21st, with .573% of all households facing foresclosure.  The total number of filings was 23,705, a 27.95% increase from 2006 and a 59.47% increase from 2005.  C...

Syndicated columnist Kenneth Harney talks about the various impediments for borrowers to effectively address mortgage distress in his latest column, found in the January 13 Seattle Times.  Real estate attorney Nancy Gusman describes many mortgage servicers' seemingly lack of urgency and questiona...

It's about time again for the monthly all-you-can-eat Swedish pancake breakfast at the Sons of Norway Hall in Bellingham.  It takes place this coming Saturday, January 19 from 8-11 am.  For $6, you get an initial plate of ham, eggs, 2 pancakes with lingonberries & whipped cream, and an orange sli...