There's Hole in the System

Back in April I got on board to help special clients of mine find a new home.  They are 'special' in the sense that husband is currently serving us in Afghanistan for the U.S. Army and wife is supporting him by staying home with their two young daughters.  It is currently almost July and we just found out that because he is honorably departing the service in January their family cannot obtain financing.  They were more than qualified.  They were responsible with their finances.  They were putting 20% down.  They had funds available to fall back on when he is due to be discharged.  And we were just told that because they happen to know that he's getting out of the service in 6 months he doesn't qualify for a home loan.  We're not talking a big one, either.  We're talking less than what they would pay to rent just about anywhere.  So let him serve us in Afghanistan and risk his life, his health, his family's well-being, but this is how you thank him?  String him and his family along for 9 weeks and then revert back to the 'guidelines' after a lengthy review and final corporate review?  I don't think its right.  I think VA needs to get a better handle on these situations, on a case by case basis and be real decision makers.  Not just guideline followers.  That's the government for ya.  From one military family to another (my husband is a former Marine and Air Force firefighter), we understand your real-life issues and will stand by you, side by side, to help you realize your dreams of home ownership, however long it takes.

An Unlikely Read

Recently, I read 'The Things They Carried' by Tim O'Brien.  This isn't something I would've grabbed off the shelf to read on purpose, but hence the reason I joined a book group recently.  I chose to join to push my reading genre above and beyond.  I have been pleasantly surprised with the outcome!  


This book opened a window into the author's experiences in Vietnam - both past and present - through a series of short stores compiled together as a novel.  The opportunity to get to really know the types of characters that he was surrounded by during wartime, and then after his return home and how the world appeared to him, is a story I think we hear repeated in many different platforms from our country's past.  However, Tim O'Brien sheds light on his experiences much differently.  I found it raw, emotional and, well, pretty darn REAL.  I had to contemplate throughout this book, how would I have dealt with that?  It left me wanting more - to know what was his writer's fabrication and what were his own realities.  Anything that I'm left thinking about after-the-fact is a good read in my opinion.  I recommend it.

Living with Music

Our family lives in Gig Harbor, Washington.  If you're not familiar, make some time in the summer months and come visit our small marine town!  Its a gem of a place and we are so proud to call it home.  What I didn't realize when we moved here a few years back, was how much free music was available if you know where to find it.  We even have our own local bands that have quite a following!


Check out Summer Sounds at Skansie Brothers Park Tuesdays in June - August 6:30p-8p [http://www.gigharborguide.com/page.php?id=952].
At Forza (year-round), you can find a fantastic indoor wine bar/lounge environment with live music Friday and Saturday evenings after 7pm [http://harborgreensmarket.com/wine_bar_and_events].
Lele Vietnamese Cuisine at Uptown offers periodic live music events as well - check their calendar, as it varies by weekend [http://www.lelerestaurant.com/#/calendar].


Last but not least, in our household I get to hear the 'live music' of my family's hustle and bustle daily.  Whether is my two mixed-breed rescue pups bantering and wrestling in the living room or our 11 year-old singing the theme song from the latest t.v. show, its pretty noisy around here, in a good way.

Smart and Cheap and Good... for the Current Housing Market

Is anyone else frustrated by the fact that just about every 'new, affordable home' is a cookie-cutter look-alike house that looks like 5 other homes on your street, its called a 'modern craftsman', is largely outfitted with plastic materials, and there is the same white trim everywhere??  


As former home builders, my husband and I have dealt with this issue from day one.  My background is in modern interior architecture.  I was mentored by a master of sophisticated, modern interiors and architecture - Garret Cord Werner.  If you've never heard the name, do a quick Google search and check out his work - its 15 minutes well-spent.  While everything that I collaborated on or made contributions toward, was for the elite class of wealthy business owners and executives, I could never help myself to think how could this or that be value-engineered for the masses.  Why is it that 'good design' is so hard for the bulk of our population to reach?  It wasn't until Target started advertising Michael Graves and some other modern designers of small, useful objects that people even really knew what it was they were missing out on.  


Here's where I'm going with this... I recently read Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, as part of a book club read.  Its one of the best reads I can think of ever having in my hands.  I was especially moved by Steve's appreciation for the Eicher community he grew up in, in California, and how he applied that passion toward his eventual product.  I am a student of interior design and history of architecture and knew exactly what he felt when he expressed, "Eichler did a great thing.  His houses were smart and cheap and good.  They brought clean design and simple taste to lower income people."  Well said, Steve.


I am no longer a practicing designer.  I am a real estate broker.  I help people realize their dream of home-ownership or moving up from their current residence.  I am in more than a dozen homes every week.  I see many people move through spaces in a home and they don't even realize why it feels good or why it doesn't.  I notice all of the small things that work or don't work in a home and try to help educate people as to what those might be, what they could make changes to or what to run the other way from... But my ultimate passion is bringing good design to the general public, in an affordable way, to compete with the product that companies like Quadrant and D.R. Horton are pumping out daily.  My husband and I will continue to collaborate with people who can help us realize this dream and bring it to fruition... its on its way...

The Outcome of Our Kids

I just read a brief quote this morning on a friend's Facebook post, and it REALLY hit home for me.  I believe this wholeheartedly:
'If you want your children to turn out well, spend twice as much time with them, and half as much money.' ~Abigail Van Buren
My step-son just spent the weekend with my mother and came away with such a positive attitude and enthusiasm for the beach/outdoors!  And what was her investment in him?  Time.  Plain and simple.

First Day of Summer 2012

Feeling especially lucky today... working and living in such a wonderful spot on our planet.  Mount Rainier is showing its true self today and though I was mostly in my car getting from class to jobsite, back to home, I got to enjoy the view with my windows open.  Its about 72 degrees today and there is absolutely no better place than the Northwest when the sun shines!  My flowers love it, too!