Home Ownership Remains an American Dream

Owning a home continues to be a sound long-term investment and most Americans continue to believe that home ownership is a positive move. But recent headlines surrounding the economy and the housing market have potential homebuyers wondering whether or not now is a smart time to buy. With an abundance of homes for sale and interest rates remaining at near historic lows, now might be one of the best times in recent history to pursue the American Dream of homeownership.

We offer the following insights to consumers who are thinking about becoming first-time homebuyers:

1. Affordability: Right now home prices across the country are at record lows. And, here in Thurston County the median home price has fallen 13.2% since the peak in 2007.

2. Increased Inventory: The large supply of homes for sale gives potential buyers more options than most have had in the past. Homebuyers today have the opportunity to be more selective in choosing the home that best fits their specific needs and wants.

3. Favorable Interest Rates: Interest rates are near record lows. Buyers who previously may not have been able to afford monthly mortgage payments may be pleasantly surprised to see the impact lower rates have made.

4. Negotiable Incentives: Sellers eager to get an offer may include specific incentives. While these are alluring it is best to discuss with your real estate professional what the net benefit or impact of any incentives will be.

5. Financial Security: Financial security comes with real estate investment and home ownership. For tax advantages of home ownership please see the article by the National Association of Realtors by following this link: http://www.realtor.org/rmodaily.nsf/pages/News2011020701?OpenDocument

As we go about the daily business of living our lives, there is more to home ownership than pure investment. Our home is where we can be ourselves, establish traditions, form family values and become a part of a larger community. These are the reasons we are in the business. At Coldwell Banker we look forward to helping you find and live your dream. This is a great community to call home. If you are ready to find your first home, dream home or simplify your life our agents are ready to help. Expect more from your home search and contact us today. For more information on homes in and around Thurston County, or to contact a Coldwell Banker professional, please visit www.cbolympia.com.

Scholarship Contest for Area High School Students

What Makes a House a Home? Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty is excited to announce our scholarship essay contest. All Thurston County high school students are eligible and may enter one, no more than 500 word essay that describes, "What makes a house a home?" We are excited to hear from you. Essays may be submitted April 18, 2011 through May 8, 2011 and three winners will be announced on June 3, 2011. For complete listing of Contest Rules and Eligibility please visit http://www.cbolympia.com/ or visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/cbolympia.

Spring Break!

It's Spring Break Time in the South Sound! If you are staying close to home next week, here are a few fun activities to enjoy with your family.

1) Hands On Children’s Museum: Spring break camps for K-3rd graders. Explore ancient Egypt, have fun with Circus Science or visit the Wild World of Animals. See the Museum website for details and to register: http://www.hocm.org/page.php?id=133

2) Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day will be showing at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. Bring your family to enjoy this adventure filled play. See website for show times: http://www.washingtoncenter.org/

3) SOCCER SOCCER SOCCER: Two great soccer camps to expand the skills of your budding soccer player:

Olympia High School Spring Break Soccer Camp for boys and girls in grades K-6, lead by head Coach Ty Johnson. To access information and registration form following the link: http://chinqually.org/gfile/75r4!-!HIIFKL!-!svyr5/ohs_soccer_camp_2011.pdf

Challenger British Soccer Camp: https://registration.challengersports.com/FindACamp/FindACampAcademy.asp?Method=CampSession&Key=0416514

4) Enjoy the mystery of flight? Visit our Thurston County treasure, The Olympic Flight Museum and explore the world of flight. Open Wednesday – Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. http://www.olympicflightmuseum.com/index.php

5) Basketball player in the family? Come join the fun at the Black Hills High school basketball camp. http://www.zvents.com/z/olympia-wa/all-area-boys-and-girls-spring-break-basketball-camp--events--174192185

6) Olympia Farmer’s Market Open April 7th for the 2011 Season: Come down to the Market and enjoy locally grown produce, hand-made items, great food and live music. http://www.olympiafarmersmarket.com/

7) Skiing? Yes! There is still time to hit the slopes and the late snowfall has made for great spring skiing. One of our favorites is White Pass and they are open every day of spring break! For snow report, conditions and hours of operation visit: http://www.skiwhitepass.com/

Whether you are sticking around the South Sound or travelling afar, we wish you a wonderful time with your family.

Coldwell Banker app for iPad

We invite you to take a look at the Coldwell Banker Real Estate Search app for iPad. It lets you search for your dream home across the globe, watch real estate videos from the #1 real estate channel on YouTube, Coldwell Banker On Location, get community ratings from Yelp! and much more. It's a real estate app like none other.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG3yP3juCdY&feature=player_profilepage


For other on-the-go searches, you can also check out our mobile website that is optimized to fit smart phone screens. Log on to www.cbolympia.com to start your home search today.

Children's Museum Benefit at Xtreme Golf

Local business, Xtreme Golf is hosting an event to benefit the Hands On Children's Museum. Saturday, March 26 from 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. you can play fun, indoor virtual golf and support the Hands On Children's Museum. Play Pebble Beach, hit the driving range or practice your putting! Bring your own clubs! $25 per person per hour or try the Sports Package for 4 people which includes 3 hours of golfing, hot dog and beverage for $25 per person.

Seventy-five percent of the sales will be donated to the NEW Hands On Children's Museum. Join us in supporting two great local treasures.

Xtreme Golf
7135 Martin Way E.
Olympia, WA 98516
(360) 455-4450 - Call ahead for tee time

Reaching the Real Estate Finish Line

Guest Blog: Jodi Ashline, Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty may be reached at 352-7651 or email at jodiashline@gmail.com or tour Jodi's listings at http://www.jodiashline.com/

My last column got you started on your purchase by determining how much you could afford, getting loan pre-approval, finding the right agent to tour suitable homes. Now what? Get “comparables” from your representative for each appealing home, review property disclosures, and research restrictions.

Now you’re armed to make your offer,which should include contingencies regarding financing and inspections, as well as any special requests or repairs, and also a closing date and earnest money deposit. There may be some negotiation, but once both parties have agreed on the terms, you’ll have fully executed Purchase and Sale Agreement.

Now you’ll apply for financing, order an appraisal and inspections, and possibly renegotiate after those reports are complete. You’ll need to secure homeowners insurance and complete the loan process. You’ll want to have cash ready for your down payment and closing costs, and do a final “walk through” just before closing.

You and your agent will be able to review all the settlement documents in advance of the closing date, to be sure everything is correct and to dot the “i”s and cross the“t”s. You’re finally ready to make an appointment with the closing agent, get an Official Check from your bank for downpayment plus closing costs, and sign the papers giving you the coveted status of “homeowner!”

South Sound Commercial Real Estate Update

Looking back over 2010 we see a common theme through much of the commercial real estate landscape - affordability. Corporate profits are solid and larger companies have record amounts of cash on hand. At the end of the year, borrowing by small businesses jumped to the highest level in more than two years. You can bet with banks being more selective in lending, borrowing was for the solid growth prospects rather than simple survival needs. The presence of government programs to help banks shoulder the risk provided further impetus to help folks buy their own space.


While banks are getting healthier, we expect lending on purely investment properties will remain somewhat constricted. However, investors with cash or enough solid collateral will look for buying opportunities with bank-owned properties that are still emerging in our marketplace.

On the leasing side, smart businesses continue to look at this down cycle as the chance to invest in their future. Right-sizing, finding a more appropriate location, or revamping current space was occurring a lot last year.


For their part, building owners looking to ensure cash flows and make the best possible returns today were working to redefine what a win-win means today. In many cases this meant lower rent but a shorter term at that rate. In other situations, different concessions were made to keep rents up and a longer length of lease.

Going forward through 2011 there is quite a mix of positive and still challenging news. Keeping a weather eye on all indicators will help reveal where things are really headed. Trailing indicators, like jobs, are certainly important to the real estate markets in the near term, but the leading indicators are more important for longer range planning. Investments will start to be made as we progress through the year, but they are likely to come at a slower pace than prior post-recession recoveries. Interest rates continue to be favorable. Surveys of traders show that short-term rates are expected to remain flat through 2011 before finally trending up in the first half of 2012. Longer-term rates are bouncing up and down, as inflation and the lagging recovery tug and pull. Businesses planning to grow will look to lock-in with today’s lower rates.

On the challenging side, local unemployment is the great unknown. How far the Legislature and Governor cut the budget and jobs remains to be seen. Our market’s unemployment rate has come a long way off the high of 9% set just last February. Yet at 7.6% we still have a ways to go.

Another X factor in the market is the unknown flow of foreclosures still on the horizon. The residential market has seen a steady flow since mid-2008. The commercial side has only recently seen the volume pick up. We expect more properties to come back to lenders before the economic recovery takes firm hold. Prices, as ever, will be impacted by this extra supply.

Break Out the Green: St. Patricks Day Celebrations in the South Sound

1) Event: St Pats with The Straw Hat String Band at Ramblin Jack's, Thursday, March 17, 6:30p.m. Join The Straw Hat String Band for a raucous evening of Irish music and song while enjoying the great food and drink in the atmosphere of Ramblin' Jacks.

2) Event: Johnny Lewis Dance Band Celebrates Saint Patrick at Hallen Hall, Friday, March 18 6:00p.m. Celebrate Saint Patrick, the real man behind the legend, with a dinner dance featuring the famous Johnny Lewis Band. Evening includes a buffet dinner by Pellegrino's Catering. Proceeds benefit programs for homeless, impoverished, or uninsured men and women served by the Olympia Union Gospel Mission. Event will be held at Hallen Hall, 812 Bowker Street, Lacey, WA.

3) Event: Little Leprechaun Jump At Pump It Up Tacoma! Thursday, March 17 10:00-11:30 a.m. Ages 2-6 Will Jump, Do A Craft and Leave With A Lucky TREAT! JUMP-n-JACKPOT Family Jump Thursday March 17 5:30-7:30 p.m. Ages 2-12 Will Jump, (Ages 2-6 In One Arena/Ages 7-12 In The Other Arena) Eat (2 Slices of Pizza & Drink) & Play Family Bingo! Admission Includes Pizza For Kids. Additional drinks and pizza available. Socks and signed waiver are required. Ticket sales are final, no refunds.

4) Event: St. Patrick's Day at The Spar Tavern, Thursday, March 17, 6:00p.m. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the Spar tavern in Tacoma's Old Town with Tacoma's Irish band, mooncoyne. Thursday March 17 from 6-10 p.m. Help mooncoyne celebrate the release of their new cd: "Rolling Glory."

5) Event: St. Patrick's Day at The Valley Pub, Thursday, March 17 5:00p.m. Come and enjoy Corned Beef and Cabbage on Thursday, March 17, 2011 from 5pm to 7pm @ The Valley Pub 1206 Puyallup Avenue Tacoma, WA 98421 (253) 572-8321.

Source: TheOlympian.com

Thurston County Food Bank

Guest Blog: John Duerr, Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty

Community Food Drive To Benefit Thurston County Food Bank
Saturday, March 12th - 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Copper Creek Coffee, 4120 Martin Way, Lacey
NE Corner of Sleater Kinney Rd. & Martin Way

Join me and Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty in this community wide event to benefit those in need. We have a long history of supporting our local Food Bank and are excited to be a part of this latest effort. The Thurston County Food Bank is one of the reasons I am proud to call Thurston County home. It is truly a great place to live, work and raise a family. Several local businesses are supporting this event and will have coupons and giveaways. ROXY radio will also be there. Bring food and join us this Saturday to support one of our best local treasures and aid those friends and neighbors that need us most.

Ready To Buy A Home?

Guest Blog Post: Jodi Ashline, Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty, tour Jodi's listings at www.jodiashline.com or contact Jodi directly at jodiashline@gmail.com or 352-7651.


What’s the first question you ask yourself when you’re ready to buy a home? It should be, “How much can I afford?” Without that crucial piece of information, you can’t even begin your search. Figure your monthly income and debt payments and determine how much you can put down. Now, apply for pre-approval from a lender, to shop for the best interest rate and terms. You can choose fixed or adjustable rate, and a conventional or government or jumbo loan, among the most common types of mortgages. Now, what do you want out of your new home? Want a location within the city, right downtown, in the suburbs, or a rural setting? How many bedrooms and bathrooms, in a single family home or townhouse or condo? Now that you’ve figured out what you’re looking for and what you can afford, locate the neighborhoods that satisfy your requirements. An area real estate agent can give you information about schools, your work commute, and proximity to shopping and recreation. Find your agent through referrals and interviews to get the right “chemistry.” You can browse listings online, but the agent should be able to provide a list of suitable properties right away. Make appointments for tours and attend open houses if available. My upcoming blog will guide you through the next steps!

Local Housing Report: Positive Signs for 2011

This time of year many people ask us, “what’s going to happen in real estate this year?” While our "crystal ball" is not clear, we are seeing positive signs that our local housing market is improving.

At the start of the past few years, the market faced serious challenges: high unemployment, falling stock and housing prices, to name just a few. The housing market is not completely out of the woods, but there are a number of factors that point to a more positive 2011.

The net result is that we are seeing a palpable uptick in interest from buyers compared to a year ago. The fact that there is so much more buyer interest at the start of this year is really saying something about how buyers are viewing the market. In its recent nationwide survey of home buyers, the National Association of Realtors found that twice as many buyers in 2010 compared to just two years ago said the timing of their purchase was based on affordability. This is a big confidence signal – and it is coming without government stimulus. It takes more than affordability to create a sustainable recovery. Employment numbers and the broader economy must provide a healthy foundation. Both are trending in a positive direction for the first time in a long time.

Very few people would be satisfied with where the job market stands right now. Jobs might be the single biggest challenge on the demand side of the local housing market in 2011. With the legislature facing a budget deficit, hard choices will be made. However, our local job market is in much better shape than a year ago when the unemployment rate stood at 9%. Today it is 7.6%.

Look to the States’ larger markets to see how much the Legislature’s actions impact our local job market. Some encouraging news comes from healthy increases in retail and housing sales (and the taxes that go along with them). In Seattle, for instance, housing sales and prices were up in 2010. That is a very positive sign after several years of declines.

This is all good news, but there remains a note of caution on the supply side of the market. The number of foreclosures still on the horizon is unknown. Thurston County has seen a steady flow of about 30 foreclosures notices per week - about three times the "normal" number. While we expect that trend to continue through 2011, the steady volume over the last few years suggest that more is behind than in front of us.

Given the reality sellers have to keep a realistic eye on market value and price competitively. With a lot of homes for sale, buyers are taking time to be savvy shoppers. They are acting quickly on homes priced competitively and ignoring homes that are priced about above the competition.

Home Sellers - Are You Making Potential Buyers Sick?

The clients have seen the pictures of your home on-line. It looks right for them in so many ways. They’re very excited. The Realtor opens the door and….the smells of perfumed air fresheners hit them immediately. Quickly, the clients turn and head back to the car, deflated and no longer interested.

This reaction is becoming more prevalent, but the reasons for the reaction vary.

A growing number of people are finding that exposure to fragrances, including perfumes and scented products, adversely affects their health. Many of the fragrance chemicals consist of volatile organic compounds that are known to be respiratory irritants. For some people, the reaction is immediate and dramatic – bringing on migraines, nausea, fatigue, and/or allergy-like symptoms.

Results from a study by Drs. Stanley M. Caress and Anne Steinemann found that 30.5% of the general population reported they found scented products on others irritating, 19% reported adverse health effects from air fresheners, and 10.9% reported irritation by scented laundry products vented outside.

There are also those buyers who are not adversely affected by scents, but will be thinking, “what are they hiding?” Some buyers believe where there is smoke there is fire, and scents sometimes signal other problems.

In any market, but especially a buyer’s market, you don’t want to lose a potential buyer over something so easy to correct. So now you’re saying, “Wait a minute, I want my home to smell pleasant for showings; what can I do?”

First and foremost, clean your house – thoroughly. This is a good time to spend a little money on having a professional house cleaner come in and clean from top to bottom. Oftentimes, they will pick up on things that need attention, things you might not have noticed. (Think about the lengths you go to clean your car to sell it; you get out the toothbrush to scrub the wheels, vacuum in every crevice, wax the car, steam-clean the engine – why when selling your house would you assume a routine cleaning is all that’s necessary?)

Also, there are many options to freshen the air that are natural and non-toxic. Baking soda is known for its ability to absorb odor. Use it in your sink drains, in garbage cans, and sprinkle it on carpets before vacuuming. To rid closets or powder rooms of musty, stale odors, you can shake some baking soda into decorative containers and leave it out in the room to absorb odors.

Vinegar is another natural way to clear odors. Mix one part white vinegar with five parts water in a spray bottle, and spritz into a room to freshen the air. Another option is to pour full strength vinegar into one or two bowls in the room that has strong odors, and leave it there overnight. And for, no kidding, “all-out war”, simmer apple cider vinegar (full strength) on the stove for about a half-hour, making sure it doesn’t burn. You may want to clear out of the house for a time after that, but it will neutralize the heavy odors.

And after you have cleaned the air, you can add in pleasant or homey smells. When possible, open windows and let fresh air in; bake cookies (yes, it really works); heat some vanilla in the microwave or oven; simmer some apple cider with a couple of sticks of cinnamon; or simmer some citrus peels (lime/orange/lemon) in water.

Your home will be cleaner, fresher, and less toxic -- your family will be healthier, you will capture more prospective buyers, and the next owner of your home will thank you.

Guest Blog Post by Lou Ann Dunlap, a Real Estate Broker with Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty. She can be reached at 360-701-2085, or e-mail at louann.dunlap@cbolympia.com. You can view her website at http://www.louanndunlap.com/.

Home Sales Climb for Third Consecutive Month

Today the National Association of Realtors (NRA) reported that existing home sales continued to climb in January for the third consecutive month. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said, “The uptrend in home sales is consistent with improvements in the economy and jobs, which are helping boost consumer confidence,” Yun said.

Credit remains tight and has lead to an abnormal increase in cash-only and investment purchases. Competitively priced homes are selling and homes in good condition are holding their value, said NAR President, Ron Phipps.

In Thurston County, January home sales were up 10 percent over last year. There were 153 closed home sales last month, compared to 139 in January 2010. The National Association of Realtors reported that the growth in sales of existing homes in the West rose 7.9 percent, a trend we hope continues.

To read entire story visit:
http://www.realtor.org/press_room/news_releases/2011/02/january_above

Paper Airplane Flight School

Did you enjoy making paper airplanes in school? Competing with your friends to see which plane would fly the furthest? Kids today still enjoy making and flying paper airplanes across classrooms, playgrounds and living rooms. To enhance interest in flight, our local Olympic Flight Museum is hosting a spectacular event called “Paper Airplane Flight School.”

The event will be held on Saturday, February 19th from 1-3:30 p.m. at the Olympic Flight Museum, Olympia Regional Airport, 7637-A Old Highway 99 SE, Tumwater. Participants will enjoy professional instruction, construction materials and a snack. The cost for Flight School Participants is $7.00; $5.00 for spectators and general admission.

This hands-on experience will introduce the excitement of paper airplane folding and include a friendly competition. “From the simplest folded paper airplanes to the ‘cutting edge’ in paper airplane technology, you'll learn the basics of aircraft pitch, roll, and yaw! Enter your creations in the Distance and Spot Landing Contests and compete for awesome prizes!” For more information visit http://www.Olympicflightmuseum.com for more information.

Home Foreclosures Up or Down?

Yesterday, a news story today reported “U.S. home foreclosures jumped 12 percent in January 2011 over the month of December 2010.” The implication one could take away is that foreclosures are sharply on the rise. However, December is historically a very slow time for foreclosures. So a 12 percent increase from a smaller number is not a big jump in terms of real numbers.

Perhaps a more important stat compares this January to last. That is a more "apples to apples" comparison and shows a significant drop. According to the real estate data firm RealtyTrac, foreclosures fell 11 percent in January 2011 from January 2010. While Washington’s housing market still faces challenges, it remains healthier than the hardest hit parts of the country. California, Florida, Michigan, Illinois and Arizona have more than half of all foreclosure filings.

To read a related story, please visit: http://cnbc.com/id/41505006.

Helping Hands

If you know a woman currently undergoing chemotherapy, please let her know there is an inspirational service that provides FREE housecleaning - once per month for 4 months while she is in treatment.

There may be a family member, friend or colleague who would find this service a true blessing. Please join us in spreading the word about this caring service: Cleaning for a Reason can be reached at http://www.cleaningforareason.org/

To receive assistance, the patient will need to sign up and have her doctor provide a note confirming treatment. "Cleaning for a Reason" will have a participating cleaning service in her zip code area arrange the cleaning. This organization serves the entire USA and currently has 547 partners to help these women.

What is a Tag?

You may have noticed something new on the front page of our Buyer’s Guide, on our property brochures, and in other print media. They are called Tags, and otherwise known as QR (Quick Response) codes.

If you are a smart phone user you may already be familiar and using these. A tag will connect you to information, videos, websites and more via your smart phone. For example, scanning a Tag like the one above may open a web site, download contact information, receive a message, or dial a phone number.

A tag reader may be downloaded to your phone for free. Using the Microsoft Tag Reader app on the smart phone you can immediately access information about any Tagged item.

To get the Tag Reader visit http://gettag.mobi/ on your mobile phone browser.

To scan a Tag, use your phone to center the tag in the viewfinder. For best results, make sure the Tag is clearly visible, without being shadowed or reflecting light. If you encounter lighting difficulties, reposition the phone. You can forget about typing long web addresses in your mobile browser and instead scan Tags to quickly access information. Microsoft Tag can be used virtually everywhere in the world.

Have fun. Enjoy seeing videos of listed homes indicated with Tags in our Buyer’s Guide and in our other print materials.

Have you inspected your home lately?

An important part of homeownership is maintenance. As we begin a new year, the following check-list provides insight into maintaining your investment. These maintenance tips were compiled from the National Realtors Association with input from local experts Sunset Air and Reliable Electric.

Furnace Filters, Change Monthly: Clogged filters decrease furnace efficiency and can cause breakdowns. “When filters get very dirty or even plugged they cause a high static pressure that will decrease air flow through your home heating system. The reduced air flow can force your furnace or heat pump to overheat and trip out on a high limit. This can be a dangerous situation and potentially damage your equipment. On top of that the heat you are paying to produce is not allowed to get into your home thus raising your utility costs. Keeping your filters clean is an easy and inexpensive way to ensure proper and efficient operation of your system.” Brian Fleutsch, President, Sunset Air.

Test and Clean Electrical Components: “Turn circuit off and clean your electric heaters with compressed air or vacuum every year. Push the test and reset buttons on your GFCI receptacles every 6 months, if a GFCI fails to trip or reset contact a qualified electrician. Test all smoke detectors and replace the batteries every year. If a circuit breaker continually trips for no apparent reason, contact a qualified electrician.” Dan Meconi at Reliable Electric, Inc.

Water Heater, Drain At Least Once A Year: Draining your tank will carry away sediments along with the water. Removing these sediments can prolong the life of the heater.

Baseboard Heating, Clean the Coils: If you have baseboard heating units that use hot water, clear dust from the coils inside the units to maximize heating efficiency. Clean dust whenever you see it accumulating. If you have a hot water boiler/furnace, you should also oil the pump inside the furnace twice a year. Look for the three spots on the pump designated for oiling.

Check for Drips and Leaks: Look under sinks periodically to check for leaks or water stains that might indicate leaks. Catching a small problem early can prevent water damage. Use a plunger to clean out sinks and tubs whenever water doesn’t drain normally.

Keep Water Out: Water can be a major enemy of your house and we get plenty of it here in the Pacific Northwest. Check each season for signs of water damage to your home. Flashing, the metal pieces used to seal the areas between roofs and chimneys and around doors and windows, are especially vulnerable to damage by wind or age. Loose flashing can let water seep under a roof or inside walls, which in turn can cause mold.

Inspect Your Home’s Foundation: Check your home’s foundation for cracks or gaps that could let in water or animals. Also look at the ground around your house. As homes age, they often sink slightly below the surrounding ground. Settling can let water puddle against the foundation and possibly damage it. Doing major landscaping work also can cause changes to the ground’s pitch that may lead to water flowing toward the house instead of away from the foundation.

Chimneys. In the Northwest, chimneys take a great deal of weather abuse. Visually inspect your chimney each year for signs of loose mortar or loose or missing bricks. Have the insides of chimneys cleaned every two to three years.

Land Use Regulations Hearing Tonight

Thurston County will consider interim prairie regulations at a public hearing tonight, which begins at 5:30 p.m. in Room 152, Building 1 of the Thurston County Courthouse. For more information please read The Olympian article on the subject at http://www.theolympian.com/southsound.

Tacoma Home and Garden Show

Is your new year’s resolution to remodel your home? Update a tired room? Freshen your yard or garden to improve your curb appeal? Or simply to add the latest and greatest appliance to your kitchen? If so, the 28th Tacoma Home and Garden Show is a great place to start. The Tacoma Home and Garden Show is Washington’s largest combined home and garden event and will be held in the Tacoma Dome from January 26th-30th. Event visitors will find a huge range of products and services by over 1,000 exhibitors--providing a "one-stop" shopping and information-gathering experience for show goers. For additional information and discount coupons visit http://otshows.com/shows/ths/attendees/show_information.htm