Kids For Karma Holiday Update

Hola Amigos and Amigas,

I hope you all enjoyed the recent Thanksgiving Holiday with your famlies. My family and I were blessed to have been in Puerto Vallarta giving thanks to the simple things in life that we at times take for granted.

There's no CNN on the beach, so it was a welcome escape from the constant reminder of our nation's failing economy, and other pressing issues. No ESPN, so I also avoided a couple of horrible Husky and Seahawk games. No bickering Republicans and Democrats either, only serene "people" enjoying their families and the natural beauty of the sun, sand, and sea.

It's amazing how peaceful it can be to simply listen to the waves crash for a few days...it's good for the soul and has helped bring a calm to my body that has been lacking for months. It takes a toll on all of us to contstantly read and hear negativity in our lives.

As a result, I'm committed to bringing some positivity to people's lives, and need your help to do so. Next week, Nicole, Kelly and I will finally head out to get a start on our "Kids For Karma" food drive.

Due to cold's, flu's, sports, school, a vacation, etc...we postponed it until now, and as a result it's more important than ever. We'd love for you to help us collect as many food items, (canned, perishable, rice, pasta, etc...), and / or hygeine products as possible for struggling families in our area. As a father, I have tremendous empathy for families who need these items, and fully realize that life as we know it can change in an instant.

The girls and I will be deliverying 2009 Beach Calendars and Christmas cards while we're out, so even if you don't have anything to donate we look forward to seeing you.

Adios - Roberto

P.S. Next month, I will kick start 2009 with an information packed Club Karma Newsletter. It will feature valuable market updates and trends, but more importantly things we can all do to better deal with the constant rush of negativity and stresses in our lives. (As well as Halloween costume photos...photos are still welcome if you'd like be eligible to win a gift card!).

I've enjoyed helping people succeed while our local market was setting records the past several years, but I will take even more joy in helping others succeed in 2009 when we all need it the most.

Thank you for your support! :)

Good News Seattle...Finally!

It's no secret we've had a rough run up here in the N.W. the past several months. The national economic crisis affects all of us, our real estate market has struggled in several areas, the Mariners lost over 100 games, the Seahawks stink, the Huskies and Cougars should have redshirted their entire teams and taken the year off, and in 8 days our beloved Sonics open the NBA season in Oklahoma City, now known as the "Thunder".

Tired of the negativity...How about some good news for a change?

As your trusted real estate resource, it is my responsibilty to keep you informed on local market conditions. I'm glad to share the following article with you...it illustrates the top cities in the U.S. that are in the best shape for a real estate rebound, and guess who's at the top of the list?

To read the article, Click Here.

On a lighter note, this weekend will be an interesting and ironic one for fellow football fans. The Huskies take on Notre Dame, (Ty Willingham's former team), and the Hawks play the 49er's, (rumored to be Mike Holmgren's next stop after he takes a year off from coaching).

As a fan, it's odd in the middle of the season to watch both of your local teams play, with it public knowledge that both will have new coaches next year. Ty's a good man, and it's unfortunate things didn't progress and and work out as Husky fans had hoped. The buzz at Montlake is that Gary Pinkel would be the ideal choice to return the Dawgs to their glory days...stay tuned Husky fans.

Here's to better days for our local real estate market, and our sports teams!

Friday's "News You Can Use"

As a trusted real estate resource, and self-proclaimed "voice of reason" in a world that suddenly seems to be running out of money, I'll do my best to honor the pledge in my profile to keep these blogs as balanced as possible.

The Good News:

Home sales from around Western Washington during September rose 4.1 % from one year ago, marking the first increase our area has seen since February 2007. In King County, the news was even better, as pending sales were up 15% from one year ago.

The median price of a single family home in Seattle was $426,250, down 6.3% from the same time a year ago. Buyers began capitilizing on this "Once In A Decade Sale", as shown by the 30% increase in loan applications, and sales volumes in the area.

Recent price corrections here, (and along the west coast), have created affordable housing again, and tremendous opportunities for savvy buyers who thrive in such markets. Hard hit areas such as California, Nevada, and Arizona are now showing signs of life, as savvy buyers are regaining confidence in the opportunity to invest in their futures.

Despite all of the reports to the contrary, there are countless loans available available for buyers who can verfiy their income, have decent to good credit, and have at least 3% of the sales price available as a down payment. (That will jump to 3.5% on January 1, 2009).

History tells us the market won't stay down forever. Seattle home prices have grown 593% since 1979...they survived the isolated slumps of the 1980's and 1990's, and they'll survive this one, too.

For those of you who can afford it, this is a tremendous time to take advantage of historically low interest rates and strong inventory to buy your dream home, or invest in a rental property. Prices have declined, and rents have gone up...call me if you'd like to explore your options.

The Bad News:

We're all watching as the global financial markets continue to struggle. Here in America alone, it was reported yesterday that stocks were off an average of 40% from one year ago.

In light of the recent $700 Billion Dollar "Rescue Plan", many were hoping for some tangible signs that things would stabilize in a timely fashion. I have faith someone will get this mess turned around, but must admit the more I learn about Wall Street and how it functions, the more I want to puke.

I read yesterday that the execs at AIG just spent $440,000 on a lavish spa retreat right after they received their $85 billion dollar bailout from us: the taxpayers. To read the story, Click Here.

This easy-going Island Boy is sick of the greed, ego, and narcissism of these gutless individuals, and I'm not the only one. I read the CEO of Lehman Brothers, Dick Fuld, was recently punched in the face at his gym by a fed up employee. To read the story, Click Here.

Leave it to a fellow gym rat to do something the whole country wished they could do. These guys are not only messing with our money, they're messing with our kid's future. It's times like these that true leaders step up and make a difference, let's see who's up for the challenge.

Stay Tuned...Rob

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Island Boy & Hula Girls Update

Aloha!

Last week I announced my leap into the world of blogging with the assumption that everyone knew what it meant.

For those of you who aren't sure what "blogging" is, it's best described as a personal on-line journey that is frequently updated and intended for public consumption. It is an innovative way to share and archive information for personal or professional topics.

I'm still learning how to format this new system, so I plan on adding more enhancements to future posts to make these as informative and enjoyable as possible.

Now that October has arrived, I wanted to officially get the word out that Nicole, Kelly and I will be collecting canned food and other goods this month in an effort to help local families who are struggling in our area.

In the coming days, I will be calling family and friends to catch up, and see if you have any items you'd like to donate. The girls and I will visit various neighborhoods throughout our region, and would love to see as many of you as possible.

In the future, blog posts will be topic driven, and comments and discussions will always be welcome. (Today I wanted to simply share a brief explanation of what blogging is, as well as get the word out for our food drive).

Thanks! Rob

In addition, (to keep things fresh and fun), I've added a Video Bar at the bottom of this page which will feature music videos by various artists. Today's artist is Keith Urban

*You can visit the Island Boy Blog anytime by visiting http://www.tikirobs.blogspot.com/, or selecting the Island Boy Blog link at www.tikirobs.com