• The Pike Place Market – Pike Street screams Seattle, from the top of Capitol Hill where it intersects Madison to the western end in the Pike Place Market.  It connects Seattle to Puget Sound by bringing together the fruits of the region’s entrepreneurs and the oceans that surround it.  There are handcrafted and commercial products of most every kind; groceries and seafood to suit anyone’s tastes; all perched above the Elliott Bay with views of water and the Olympic Mountains beyond. Any of the restaurants are fun because of the atmosphere. I particularly like Campagne; they have a café for either lunch or dinner and a restaurant that serves exquisite French meals. Le Pichet is another of my favorites for something a little less formal.
• A ferry ride to Winslow or Alki beach – The views from the Washington State Ferry decks can make you tingle. The ride to Winslow is an easy one that takes you across the sound to Bainbridge Island and the town of Winslow.  The town is a five minute walk from the ferry landing and has a number of small restaurants and shops to explore.  The foot ferry to Seacrest Dock in Alki can be developed to include a 4-5 mile walk around Alki Point on a level seaside path with views along its entire length.  I usually allow myself a stop at Spud’s Fish and Chips because some of the calories will be burned off on the walk.
• Queen Anne Hill – Views, entertainment and great food make this a very desirable urban neighborhood in which to live.  From the Westlake Center, take the monorail to the Seattle Center.  On the “must do” list is the Space Needle and the Experience Music Project (EMP).  Don’t eat.  From there take a bus or taxi to the top of Queen Anne Ave; the counter balance.  Find your way to Kerry Park and enjoy another view over Seattle to Mount Rainier.  Follow Highland Drive to the west around the corner to see the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound.  My favorite pizza spot is Via Tribunali on W Galer.  How to Cook a Wolf is another one of Ethan Stowell’s great restaurants there.
• Ballard – Founded on the bounty of the sea and more recently by young and restless, Ballard is a beautiful mix of young and old.  The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Shilshole Bay Marina and Golden Gardens give you a true sense of how the people and landscape of Seattle are connected to the sea.  There is lots of night-life on Ballard Ave.  I really enjoy Bastille for a special meal.
• Miscellaneous – To fill in moments of boredom here are a few more things that will warm your cockles.  Fly to Roche Harbor on Kenmore Air for the day and have lunch at the McMillin’s.  Enjoy a concert at the Benaroya Concert Hall; I think that this is what it must be like to be inside a cello while listening to musical concert.  The sound is unparalleled in the world.  Have dinner at Poppy or lunch at Boom Noodle my favorite restaurants on Capitol Hill.

We might take some comfort in the understanding that PMI has included data from a number of sources, identified in The Report, to calculate a risk factor for each of the markets.  “The Risk Index uses economic, housing, and mortgage market factors (including home price appreciation, employment, affordability, excess housing supply, interest rates, and foreclosure activity) to determine these probabilities”.

In February of 2010 a delegation from the Washington Realtors will be steaming towards Kobe, Japan to join in ceremonies commemorating the 50^thanniversary of the Hyogo Prefecture Real Estate Transaction Association.  The visit is in response to a visit in September of 2009 by five representatives from the Hyogo Prefecture Real Estate Transaction Association (Hyogo Taku-Ren).  In a landmark ceremony members of the Washington Realtors and the Japanese delegation signed a Letter of Intent for a Bilateral Cooperative Agreement.  Press release

Abuse to one person may be fair play to another.  Where do you stand today on the field of credit?  Many of us have watched our net worth plummet and our retirement savings disappear. Some of us have received handsome performance bonuses for generating substantial profits based on formulas that don’t take into consideration looming write-downs that substantially influence our financial system.  Do you think that regulation will help curb the instability?

Do you see anything that shoudn’t be there?  Or should be added?

APR_fees

The National Housing Act requires that elderly homeowners seeking an FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgage – a “reverse mortgage” – must receive counseling “provided by counselors who meet qualification standards..”    A final rule published in the September 2nd, Federal Register establishes a roster of counselors who have met these standards and from which counselors should be chosen.  For more, visit http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-21076.htm

It is usually a rather expensive means of gaining access to home equity, but in some cases a reverse mortgage  may fill a gap that is ultimately a real help.  The number of professionals working in this field today is growing rapidy.  Look for experience and a good referral.

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“Whistler Mountain will open for daily operations on November 26 with access to Emerald Express, Big Red Express and Franz’s Chair via the Whistler Village Gondola. On Thursday, November 27 the Creekside Gondola will open, providing access to Whistler Mountain from the Creekside Base through to Sunday, November 30. View What’s Open section for full operation details.  >>Read more