Chris Farkas Bellingham Blog

Here in the Pacific Northwest, or the Pacific Northwet as a friend of mine called it, we inspectors see many decks that have some decay present. If the structural lumber is pressure treated then often that will be okay. However the flat surface wood decking boards will frequently have a soft/decayed surface that can even be unsafe. I have known people to step on a deck and go right through -- one leg hanging lower than another.

The flat surfaces are the most exposed and, when rain hits, the water will soak into the wood. And, over time, that causes rot. Carefully cleaning as required, and treating the deck surface, can help prolong the decking boards. When you see vertical cracks in the decking, rain will soak in and that will cause rot quite rapidly. When you see moss and algae, that is a sign that rot will not be far behind.

Speaking of rot not being too far behind. Here are a couple photos that are typical.

  

Wood will rot at moisture levels of twenty percent and above so, needless to say, keeping exterior wood from rotting in the northwest takes careful planning and maintenance.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

Frost-free hose bibbs are designed to drain when the water is shutoff. It will run out past the valve and by draining all of the water, the hose bibb is not so prone to freezing. The point where the water is really shutoff is inside the home or the wall where it is warmer.

The whole purpose of these hose bibbs is defeated when hoses are left on the faucets. I cannot tell you how many times, at inspections, I have turned on the water and found that the water was rushing out from inside the wall. Problem -- ruptured hose bibb.

Bottom line: For a frost-free hose bibb to be frost free, it needs to lose the hose in freezing weather.

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

There is an old saying, "the law is for the lawless".  Many people in Washington state facing foreclosure will benefit from this new law (especially families where there are children involved and new schools have to be found sometimes) but for those who exploit the system, it puts more sand in the machinery.

Please click on article below defining the new law our governor has just signed:

http://www.raincityguide.com/2009/06/19/longer-waiting-period-to-evict-tenants-after-foreclosure-in-wa-state-effective-july-26-2009-and-free-legal-aid-for-wa-homeowners-facing-foreclosure/

I am interested in anyone's take on this and what effect positively or negatively it will have.

It's the Internet age, and more and more homeowners are searching the Internet to find out how they can save their home if they’re in foreclosure. One strategy I’ve been asked about several times is the “Produce the Note” strategy. Some articles have been written that have led many homeowners to believe that this strategy is the “silver bullet” to delay or stop foreclosure, or even get your mortgage wiped out completely so you own your house free and clear.

The “Produce the Note” strategy requires the lender to prove it has the actual authority to foreclose, by requiring it to produce the original promissory note. The goal is to make certain that the foreclosing lender is, in fact, the owner of the note. There is only one original promissory note for your mortgage that has your signature on it. This is the document that proves that you owe the debt.

During the lending boom, many mortgages were sold off to other lenders or servicer or sliced up and sold to investors as securitized packages on Wall Street. In the frenzy of turning these over as fast as possible to make the most money, many of the new lenders did not get the proper paperwork to show they own the note and mortgage. This is the key to the strategy—Lenders are foreclosing on homeowners, but don’t have the proper paperwork to prove they have a right to foreclose.

Sounds pretty simple--If they can’t produce the original promissory note, then you don’t really owe the debt, right? In Washington State (and other non-judicial foreclosure states), that’s not necessarily the case.

Judicial Foreclosure vs. Non-Judicial Foreclosure

In a judicial foreclosure state, the bank must sue the borrower and go to court in order to foreclose. The “Produce the Note” request is done as part of the lawsuit. Washington is a non-judicial foreclosure state, meaning that the lender doesn’t have to take you to court in order to foreclose. You can request that the bank produce the original note, but they’re likely to disregard the request completely, leaving you with only one other option--File a lawsuit against the lender and request that they produce the original note. This could become very time consuming if you try to do it yourself, or expensive if you use an attorney. I don’t recommend filing a lawsuit without the help of an attorney. Also, this strategy is more effective when your loan has been sold off on the secondary market. If it hasn’t, then your lender most likely has the original note and can easily produce it.

My Own Experience With Lost Promissory Notes

I have been in situations with my own properties where original promissory note was lost. I've worked with notes from private lenders and seller carry-back notes, and these non-institutional lenders sometimes lose the original note. The seller carrying back a note may scan the original note and Deed of Trust into their computer then discard the originals, not realizing that they were supposed to keep them. When the note is being paid off and the lender cannot produce the original note or Deed of Trust, the escrow company just has them sign and notarize an "Indemnification of Lost Deed of Trust and Original Note". Then everything is fine.

*******************************************
Authored by David Monroe, licensed real estate associate and Pre-Foreclosure and Short Sale Specialist.
Access Seattle area short sale help and foreclosure resources including selling in foreclosure, and 8 Ways to Avoid or Stop Foreclosure.

Copyright (c) 2009 by David Monroe (Masterpiece Properties, LLC).
Can the "Produce the Note" Strategy Really Stop Foreclosure?

In running a Immersive Real Estate Company our hiring process is a bit different then the typical bricks and mortar firm in that in some cases there may be agents who when they join we haven't met in person.  This can prove tricky since we are having to make a judgement of how these agents will represent our brand by evaluating their marketing, their past experience, feedback from agents in the field to ultimately deciding that an agent may be a good fit for our company.

Recently we started the process and friended up a prospective agent on Facebook about the same time that the agent was wanting to join our company.  In reviewing all of the above we ended up passing on the agent because of their Social Media profile.  During the process we determined that one's Social Media profile is just as much an indication of the professional nature of a prospective agent as a face to face meeting and in some cases it may even be a better indication since it really shows who the prospective agent is in real life.

I mention this because as I'm sure others have blogged in the past and I assume there are even research studies showing the value of Social Media Profiles in the hiring process.  It has now landed front and center in our hiring process and we are now putting it has high if not higher then the value of the first impression of a face to face meeting.

Comments, Question and/or Debate is encouraged.

With the economy in turmoil, we turn to the experts for advice and direction.  This is also the case at EXIT Realty Corp. International.  Joyce Paron, President for the Canadian Organization, has exhibited absolute professionalism and expertise in everything she does.  In her 12 year career with EXIT Realty she has grown from a District Owner to one of the leading forces overseeing the Canadian faction of the company.  Ms Paron is pictured, center left, receiving the "Award of Expertise" from Steve Morris, EXIT Realty's Founder and CEO and Tami Bonnell, President of the US Organization.

“The EXIT Realty executive team is comprised of the finest professionals in the real estate industry.  It is a privilege and an honour to be recognized amongst this caliber of individuals” say Paron of her win.

Steve Morris prides himself in hiring the absolute right person for each and every job in the company.  Staff and executives work harmoniously hand in hand with a single vision in mind – to build the most productively successful real estate company in the industry.  With people like Joyce on the team, they are certainly on their way to achieving this vision.