Food Truck Roundup to benefit U-District Food Bank – May 19th

NORTH SEATTLE SARAH

You’ll want to mark your calendar for this one – May 19th, from 3-7 pm, the Phinney Neighborhood Center will become home to a wealth of local food trucks along with local beverage  providers and live music.

It’s all to benefit the University District Food Bank, which provides groceries to over 1100 families each week.    But unlike the U-District Food Bank fundraisers we usually see throughout the year, this one isn’t going directly to the food – it’s going towards the building.  Currently, the food bank operates out of an 800-sq ft facility.  This event, called “Fight Hunger, Build Hope” is the kick-off to raise $2.75M for a new, larger facility that can accommodate all the customers it serves.

The event itself will cost $25 for entry, and that gets you eight tastes from food trucks plus four drink sips from local distillers and brewers (this is a 21 & over event)…

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Asbestos Dangers of a Home Remodel

AMS Inspection Services is a home inspection company based out of Leavenworth, WA, with inspectors in Seattle, Wenatchee and throughout Chelan and Douglas counties.  AMS Inspection performs blower door tests for contractors in new construction projects.  The following blog is a guest submission.

Home remodeling can be an inexpensive way for hands-on homeowners to personalize their space, but in many buildings it can also be a way for homeowners to be exposed to asbestos.

Most homes built before the 1980s were constructed with asbestos-containing construction products. Wallboard, paint, pipes, carpeting and tape were just a few of the most common materials that were made with asbestos. Other asbestos-containing materials that were popular before asbestos regulations were enforced include:

• Popcorn ceiling finishes
• Shingles
• Bricks/grout
• Tile

Believe it or not, many of these products remain in homes today. Although these products do not pose any health risks while left intact, home renovations can easily disturb the asbestos and release it into the air. If this occurs, all of the home’s occupants are at risk of inhaling the fibers. This, in turn, puts them at risk to develop an asbestos-related disease.

Even with the high prevalence of asbestos in older homes, homeowners can safely remodel their property if they take several basic precautions.

How to Avoid Asbestos Exposure during Home Renovations

Before you begin any home renovations, you should hire a licensed asbestos professional to come out to your home and perform a thorough asbestos inspection. The abatement contractor can identify areas in your home that might contain asbestos, and then take small samples for laboratory evaluation.

The inspection will help you recognize which products you should not handle on your own and which are safe to freely renovate.

If asbestos-contaning products are found in your home, do not attempt to remove them on your own. A professional company should be hired to ensure that all fibers are safely removed from the area. Seeing as, you do not want to take the chance of developing an asbestos related cancer.

A construction contractor with a license in handling asbestos can also perform renovations on asbestos-containing products. These contractors will be able to remove or remediate the asbestos before remodeling the area.

(For example, they can cover asbestos cement with asbestos-free floor tiles, simultaneously addressing the asbestos problem and providing the homeowner with a remodeled floor).   Before hiring one of these contractors, however, homeowners should verify their asbestos licensure with the state.

Author bio: Faith Franz is a writer for the Mesothelioma Center. She combines her interests in whole-body health and medical research to educate the mesothelioma community about the newest developments in cancer care.

Wenatchee Home Inspection Photo: Rats!

Crawl spaces are a popular destination for rodents and pests.  It’s important to keep your crawl space completely sealed to avoid unwanted house guests.

AMS Inspection is a home inspection company based out of Leavenworth with inspectors in Seattle, Wenatchee, Methow Valley, Chelan and surrounding areas.

I-90 Bridge Closures for Blue Angels: August 4th-August 7th, 2011 (via Mercer Island Pulse)

Check your routes and be prepared!

It's that time of year again— the first weekend of August is the Albert Lee Cup out on Lake Washington and the accompanying performances by the Blue Angels. Be advised that the I-90 Bridge closes for all practices and air show performances. The closures are scheduled between Thursday, August 4th and Sunday, August 7th. Thursday, Aug. 4: 9:45 a.m. – noon & 1:15 – 2:30 p.m. (Practice) Friday, Aug. 5: 12:45 p.m. – 2:40 p.m. (Practice) Saturday … Read More

via Mercer Island Pulse

June was a Great Month for Seattle Eastside Condo Sales (via Eastside Real Estate Buzz)

June always marks the beginning of summer and the return of a busy real estate market. Check out these great stats.

June was a great month for Seattle eastside condos sales.  There were 223 condo sales, the most in any month for this year.   April of 2010 was a stronger month for sales, but the numbers were inflated by the end of the 2010 tax credit.  Buyers were scrambling to buy a condo before April, 30th, 2010.  The number of sales this year show a more realistic picture of buyers wanting to get out there and buy without feeling any pressure because of a ta … Read More

via Eastside Real Estate Buzz

July 4th Celebrations in the Greater Seattle Area

By: Rebecca Darley, AMS Inspection:  Home Inspections in Seattle and surrounding areas.

Seattle:  Family Fourth at Lake Union

July 4: Gas Works Park.  Games 12-8 p.m. Food vendors, beer garden, personal picnics OK, no BBQ or alcohol allowed. Fireworks at dusk. (www.family4th.org).

Bellevue Family 4th

July 4: Celebration with live music, kids activities and food 4-10:30 p.m. Fireworks at 10:05 p.m. Bellevue Downtown Park (www.bellevuedowntown.org/events/familyfourth).

Kirkland:  Celebrate Kirkland

July 4:  Kid parade, hat making and face painting at 10 a.m.  Main parade at 12 p.m.  Food vendors 1-5 p.m..  Bouncy Toys 2 p.m.  Heritage Park live music in the evening.  Fireworks at 10:15 p.m. Marina Park (www.celebratekirkland.org).

Sammamish:  4th on the Plateau

July 4: Live music, food, playground.  Fireworks at 10:15 p.m.  Sammamish Commons Park (www.ci.sammamish.wa.us/events/4thJuly.aspx).

Carnation: Fourth of July

July 4: Craft vendors, Hot Rods and Harleys, 5K Run/Walk, music, food, pony rides and bouncy toys.  Kid Parade at 10:30 a.m.  Grand parade 11 a.m.  Fireworks at dusk..  Tolt Commons Park (www.carnation4th.org).

Renton: Fabulous 4th of July

July 4:  Free kids activities, food vendors, face painting, 12-8 p.m. Stage entertainment 1:30-9:30 p.m. Fireworks at 10 p.m. Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park (rentonwa.gov).

An Edmonds Kind of Fourth

July 4:  Fun run at 10 a.m.  Children’s parade at 11:30 a.m. and main parade at 12 p.m.  Firefighter waterball competition at 3 p.m.  Entertainment at 7:30 p.m.  Fireworks at 10 p.m. Civic Stadium (www.edmondswa.com/events/fourth-of-july.html).

Bothell Freedom Festival

July 4:  Free pancake breakfast at 8:30-10:30 a.m.  Kids parade at 11:15 a.m. Main parade at 12 p.m. (www.ci.bothell.wa.us).

Everett’s Colors of Freedom

July 4: Parade at 11 a.m.  Kids activities, food fair, live music and fireworks over Port Gardner Bay, 1-11 p.m.. Legion Memorial Park (www.enjoyeverett.org).

For a more complete list Puget Sound July 4th Celebrations read the Seattle Times article that was sourced.

Gutter Clutter

Clogged gutters and neglected downspouts are a common problem seen on our inspections. Gutter maintenance is a small chore that if done regularly and properly has a huge impact on the overall care of your home. Gutters perform a significant duty in protecting the home by diverting water for the exterior while the downspouts push the water from the foundation. Most homeowners clear gutters in early spring and late fall when the snow has melted and after the leaves have fallen. While it seems like the gutter clutter isn’t big deal, it could be causing big problems like siding rot or foundation cracks. Water will always find a way whether it’s down your clean gutters or overflowing out your clogged gutters and down your beautiful home’s wood siding. Another thing, trim those tree limbs away from your home. Prevention is so easy!

Seattle & Leavenworth Home Inspection Reviews

We like reviews.  We’ve started pointing our clients to Yelp and LinkedIn asking for them to share their experiences.  We perform inspections in 10 counties throughout Washington State including Seattle, Wenatchee and Lake Chelan areas.  With so much area to cover we rely on our clients to help us spread the word.

“Aaron is my top choice for home inspectors and pest inspection. He is very personable, a good communicator, does thorough inspections, takes lots of pictures (a picture is worth a thousand words!), keeps clients updated throughout the process and produces helpful, detailed but user friendly reports. I don’t hesitate to refer my clients to Aaron.” June 28, 2010
Eric Kossian , Owner , Leavenworth Insurance

“I have worked with inspectors in the past but none as thorough as Aaron. He took his time and went where many would not of gone…ie a huge bee hive in the attic. I am also someone that asks a LOT of questions and Aaron was patient enough to take the time to answer all of them. I highly recommend anyone in need of a home inspection to first call Aaron.” May 27, 2009
Derek Beals hired AMS twice for home inspections.

“Aaron is a very thorough and thoughtful inspector. I recommend all of my clients call Aaron for their inspection needs. When I was considering a home purchase, Aaron was the first person I called. His reports are meticulous. My clients have always been so impressed with how much Aaron does whether the house is brand new or a total fixer. I feel confident recommending Aaron to any agent or homebuyer, because I know they will be completely satisfied with what they receive with his services.” April 17, 2009
Cassie Daughtrey, Real Estate Agent , Lake & Company Real Estate

Reviews from LinkedIn.com

Home Buyer Credit Extension to Sept. 30th

Those of us in the real estate industry were starting to feel that the economy was turning around in the spring. Then the home-buyer tax credit expired and May & June were tough once again. Late Wednesday night Congress extended the deadline by three months for those buyers that had signed contract on a purchase by April 30th. Their deadline to close now is September 30th. The incentive pays out up to $8,000.

Buyers that were sweating the original deadline of June 30th are more than relieved. With the stricter lenders and higher presence of short sales, the real estate transaction has become a much longer process and this extension will help those buyers that were in this sort of situation. I’ve seen buyers get approved for financing with contingencies to pay off a certain amount of debt and then running against the clock to finalize the deal.

The National Association of Realtors estimates that the extension would assist about 180,000 people nationally and that 4.4 million people have received the credit including 2.9 million first-time buyers and 1.5 million repeat buyers.

National Assocation of Realtors article

IRS article