With very heavy hearts, we said goodbye to one of the co-owners of our company over the weekend. Tim was more than a boss, he was our family and good friend. We love you and miss you Tim:
On December 17, 2011, Tim Gaskill’s breath of life returned to the
creator, Jehovah. Tim passed away peacefully in the home he and his
wife, Vickie, built. It was 23 years to the day they had moved in. Tim
was diagnosed with brain cancer this past July. Five months were
too short a period of time to say good-bye and express our love and
appreciation for this amazing husband, father, grandfather, brother,
uncle, and friend.
Tim was born August 8, 1947 in Seattle,
WA to Gail and Bonnie Gaskill. Tim will be missed by his sister,
Monica, and brothers, Guy and Todd and a very large hodgepodge of family
and friends.
At the age of 21, Tim met the love of his life
Vickie, while she was a car-hop at Hep’s XXX Drive-in. Tim and Vickie
married and spent the next 42 years growing up, and raising a loving
family. Tim worked for B & G Machine for 30 years and was lucky
enough to retire in 1999 and become the on call babysitter for his 3
beautiful Grandkids. In 2002, Tim and Vickie purchased Bell-Anderson
and Associates, a property management company in Kent, WA.
Some of Tim’s & Vickie’s favorite activities were fishing and
camping with their daughters Dawn and Carrie, along with their husbands
Ross and Scott and the grandkids, Braden, Cassie and Tanner. Tim also
enjoyed showing off his hot rod at many car shows with his buddies from
the Maple Valley Street Rat’s.
A celebration of Tim’s life
will be held on December 30th from 5-9:30pm at the Lake Wilderness
Lodge, 22500 SE 248th St, Maple Valley, WA. In lieu of flowers the
family wishes that donations be made to the University of Washington
Foundation/Brain Tumor Research Fund, Box 359504, Seattle WA, 98195-9504
or on-line at www.washington.edu/giving/make-a-gift and search for Brain Tumor research fund.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
Holiday Home Safety Tips
The winter holidays are a time for
celebration, and that means more cooking, home decorating, entertaining,
and an increased risk of fire and accidents. The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors recommends that
you follow these guidelines to help make your holiday season safer and
more enjoyable.
Holiday Lighting
-
Use caution with holiday decorations and, whenever possible, choose those made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant and non-combustible materials.
-
Keep candles away from decorations and other combustible materials, and do not use candles to decorate Christmas trees.
-
Carefully inspect new and previously used light strings, and replace damaged items before plugging lights in. If you have any questions about electrical safety, ask an InterNACHI inspector during your next scheduled inspection. Do not overload extension cords.
-
Don't mount lights in any way that can damage the cord's wire insulation. To hold lights in place, string them through hooks or insulated staples--don't use nails or tacks. Never pull or tug lights to remove them.
-
Keep children and pets away from light strings and electrical decorations.
-
Never use electric lights on a metallic tree. The tree can become charged with electricity from faulty lights, and a person touching a branch could be electrocuted.
-
Before using lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.
-
Make sure all the bulbs work and that there are no frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections.
-
Plug all outdoor electric decorations into circuits with ground-fault circuit interrupters to avoid potential shocks.
-
Turn off all lights when you go to bed or leave the house. The lights could short out and start a fire.
Decorations
-
Use only non-combustible and flame-resistant materials to trim a tree. Choose tinsel and artificial icicles of plastic and non-leaded metals.
-
Never use lighted candles on a tree or near other evergreens. Always use non-flammable holders, and place candles where they will not be knocked down.
-
In homes with small children, take special care to avoid decorations that are sharp and breakable, and keep trimmings with small removable parts out of the reach of children.
-
Avoid trimmings that resemble candy and food that may tempt a young child to put them in his mouth.
Holiday Entertaining
-
Provide plenty of large, deep ashtrays, and check them frequently. Cigarette butts can smolder in the trash and cause a fire, so completely douse cigarette butts with water before discarding.
-
Keep matches and lighters up high, out of sight and reach of children (preferably in a locked cabinet).
-
Test your smoke alarms, and let guests know what your fire escape plan is.
Trees
-
When purchasing an artificial tree, look for the label "fire-resistant."
-
When purchasing a live tree, check for freshness. A fresh tree is green, needles are hard to pull from branches, and when bent between your fingers, needles do not break.
-
When setting up a tree at home, place it away from fireplaces, radiators and portable heaters. Place the tree out of the way of traffic and do not block doorways.
-
Cut a few inches off the trunk of your tree to expose the fresh wood. This allows for better water absorption and will help to keep your tree from drying out and becoming a fire hazard.
-
Be sure to keep the stand filled with water, because heated rooms can dry live trees out rapidly.
-
Make sure the base is steady so the tree won't tip over easily.
Fireplaces
-
Before lighting any fire, remove all greens, boughs, papers and other decorations from fireplace area. Check to see that the flue is open.
-
Use care with "fire salts," which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. They contain heavy metals that can cause intense gastrointestinal irritation and vomiting if eaten.
-
Do not burn wrapping papers in the fireplace. A flash fire may result as wrappings ignite suddenly and burn intensely.
Toys and Ornaments
-
Purchase appropriate toys for the appropriate age. Some toys designed for older children might be dangerous for younger children.
-
Electric toys should be UL/FM approved.
-
Toys with sharp points, sharp edges, strings, cords, and parts small enough to be swallowed should not be given to small children.
-
Place older ornaments and decorations that might be painted with lead paint out of the reach of small children and pets.
Children and Pets
-
Poinsettias are known to be poisonous to humans and animals, so keep them well out of reach, or avoid having them.
-
Keep decorations at least 6 inches above the child’s reach.
-
Avoid using tinsel. It can fall on the floor and a curious child or pet may eat it. This can cause anything from mild distress to death.
-
Keep any ribbons on gifts and tree ornaments shorter than 7 inches. A child could wrap a longer strand of ribbon around their neck and choke.
-
Avoid mittens with strings for children. The string can get tangled around the child’s neck and cause them to choke. It is easier to replace a mitten than a child.
-
Watch children and pets around space heaters or the fireplace. Do not leave a child or pet unattended.
-
Store scissors and any sharp objects that you use to wrap presents out of your child’s reach.
-
Inspect wrapped gifts for small decorations, such as candy canes, gingerbread men, and mistletoe berries, all of which are choking hazards.
Security
-
Use your home burglar alarm system.
-
If you plan to travel for the holidays, don’t discuss your plans with strangers.
-
Have a trusted friend or neighbor to keep an eye on your home.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Once ‘Ugly’ Property Management Grows as U.S. Home Rentals Surge
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-11-29/once-ugly-property-management-grows-as-u-s-home-rentals-surge.html
By Hui-yong Yu
Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Meg McKennon’s workload has surged since the Seattle real estate agent switched to managing residential properties. Now she gets paid for finding tenants instead of buyers -- an easier task as rentals soar.
“In the past two months, my business probably came close to tripling,” said McKennon, who started management company Dwellings Seattle Real Estate in 2010 after selling houses for 15 years.
When a couple moved out of a two-bedroom house managed by McKennon in August, before the lease was up, she increased the monthly rent by $200 to $1,900 -- and still had her pick of applicants. “I could have rented it 10 times over,” she said.
Just as the U.S. housing boom gave birth to such homebuyer websites as Zillow Inc. and Redfin Corp., services for rental properties are thriving following a surge in foreclosures and stiffening of mortgage standards. Membership in the National Association of Residential Property Managers has almost doubled in five years to a record 3,400 members, according to the Chesapeake, Virginia-based trade group.
“We are riding this sea change in how housing is changing in the U.S.,” said Reggie Brown, chief executive officer of All Property Management LLC, a Seattle-based Web service that sells property managers leads on homeowners who want to lease out their properties. “The only growth is rentals.”
Renter household formation surpassed new owner-occupied homes in 2007 for the first time since 1985 and has held the lead since, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. An average of 718,500 renter households a year were formed from 2007 to 2010, while owner-occupied households decreased at an average annual rate of 147,250 during the same period.
Even Seattle-based Zillow, known for its Zestimate home- price estimates, added rental listings almost two years ago.
‘Dramatic Shift’
“There has been a dramatic shift toward renting,” Chris Herbert, research director of Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, said in a telephone interview.
Property managers for rentals handle such tasks as screening tenants, helping landlords set rents, resolving disputes and ensuring lawns get mowed. They charge homeowners about 8 percent to 14 percent of the monthly rent, depending on the manager and city.
“It used to be no one did property management,” said Alan Townsend, a San Diego real estate agent who has managed homes for the past 16 years. “It was the ugly part of the business.”
Lower Pay
While one home sale can earn a real estate agent $10,000 for two months’ work, property managers may make $1,800 per property per year, Townsend said.
“Real estate agents think we’re crazy -- except when they have no income,” he said. “Those agents are now flooding into the market.”
Property managers face a challenge in proving they are a benefit to homeowners, said Rob LeRoy, marketing director for Dwellings Seattle Real Estate.
“They are known to cut corners, have poor customer service and tend to create hostile relationships with tenants -- at least, that’s a common perception in the eyes of the public,” he said. “We’ve certainly done our best to prove that property management companies can behave ethically and professionally, yet still be profitable.”
More competition has driven down the average fee for property managers to about 8 percent of one month’s rent from 10 percent in the San Diego area, Townsend said.
Rentals Gain
At a time when many Americans are wary of buying a home or can’t qualify for a mortgage, rentals are gaining in cities that have relatively robust job growth, such as Seattle, or pools of transient workers, including Washington, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
In the greater Washington, D.C., area, about 70 percent of Reliance Property Management Group LLC’s 100-plus clients are homeowners who were transferred out of the area by their employers, said Angela Gammon, co-owner of the Leesburg, Virginia-based company.
“We’re in a very transitional area with government contractors -- military and so forth,” said Gammon, who used All Property Management to find clients when she got into the business in 2004.
U.S. apartment vacancies fell to a five-year low in the third quarter, enabling landlords to increase rents to an average effective rate of $1,004 a month from $997 in the second quarter and $981 a year earlier, according to Reis Inc., a New York-based real estate research company.
Attracting New Clients
“When rents go up, that gives people enough cash flow to hire professional management,” said Diane Castanes, a partner at Phillips Real Estate Services in Seattle, which manages about 140 apartment complexes as well as a portfolio of single-family homes and condominium associations. “Now with the rental market so strong, we are bringing in an increasing number of single- family investors as new clients.”
Handling the rental -- and re-rental -- of a home is often too much trouble for an owner, said Jay Young, co-founder of Real Property Associates, a management company in Seattle.
“There are a lot of hairy things,” he said. “You can have the best-screened tenant and who knows? Maybe they lose their job, or go nuts and skip out, or bring a dog when the owner doesn’t want that. I’d say 95 percent of the time things go smoothly, but there’s always that 5 percent that takes 20 or 30 percent of your time.”
Competition for clients has intensified to the point where many property managers are advertising their websites directly on search engines rather than paying to list on a site such as All Property Management’s, Brown said.
Here to Stay
Still, such services as All Property Management and RentList.com probably are here to stay as property management becomes more popular, said Michael E. Nelson, president of Excalibur Home Management LLC in the Atlanta suburb of Cumming. Nelson has used both services to find clients for Excalibur, which manages about 1,250 properties and is expanding throughout Georgia.
Nelson said he expects more rental properties to shift to professional management as regulations governing landlords become more complex. A 2008 rule, for example, requires renovations or repairs affecting lead-based paint in homes built before 1978 to be carried out by a contractor certified by the Environmental Protection Agency, he said.
Managed by Owners
It’s difficult to find precise figures for the percentage of U.S. rental housing that’s professionally managed. The Census Bureau surveyed rental-property owners and managers in 1995 and is working on a new rental survey that will be released toward the end of next year, said Richard A. Levy, a statistician at the agency.
Of about 8.8 million single-family rental homes in the U.S., including detached houses, condominiums and mobile homes, about 19 percent were professionally managed and about 78 percent managed by owners, with non-responses accounting for the remainder, according to the Census Bureau’s Property Owners and Managers Survey in 1995.
“I believe over the next 20 years that’s going to start shifting closer to 50-50,” Nelson said. “As the law becomes more difficult for individual landlords to navigate, they’re going to need to hire a professional property manager.”
It’s hard to make money overseeing single-family homes, said Tim Overland, chief operating officer of both Security Properties, a Seattle-based apartment developer and investor, and its management affiliate, Madrona Ridge Residential, which handles about 3,000 apartment units.
“It’s a very low margin business and a low barrier to entry business,” he said. “In order to make that business financially feasible, you’ve got to have quite a few units under management.”
Housing Crisis
Property management may have a role to play in fixing the housing crisis, said Brown of All Property Management.
In August, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, regulator of mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, sought ideas on handling foreclosed homes held by the government, which totaled 248,000 as of June -- almost one-third of the total U.S. foreclosed homes seized by lenders. Brown filed a suggestion with the FHFA that the homes be put up for rent with property managers hired to oversee them.
“If institutions were more thoughtful about how they manage their real estate portfolios, the market would recover faster,” Brown said. “We can be a clearinghouse to help them find skilled property managers.”
Housing probably won’t recover until 2015 as consumers and banks reduce their debt loads and the employment market recovers slowly, Brown said.
“What’s going to change is the percentage of U.S. households that are rental versus owner-occupied,” he said. “It’s now almost 40 percent, but that number is definitely going to grow.”
--Editors: Daniel Taub, Christine Maurus
To contact the reporter on this story: Hui-yong Yu in Seattle at hyu@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kara Wetzel at kwetzel@bloomberg.net
By Hui-yong Yu
Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Meg McKennon’s workload has surged since the Seattle real estate agent switched to managing residential properties. Now she gets paid for finding tenants instead of buyers -- an easier task as rentals soar.
“In the past two months, my business probably came close to tripling,” said McKennon, who started management company Dwellings Seattle Real Estate in 2010 after selling houses for 15 years.
When a couple moved out of a two-bedroom house managed by McKennon in August, before the lease was up, she increased the monthly rent by $200 to $1,900 -- and still had her pick of applicants. “I could have rented it 10 times over,” she said.
Just as the U.S. housing boom gave birth to such homebuyer websites as Zillow Inc. and Redfin Corp., services for rental properties are thriving following a surge in foreclosures and stiffening of mortgage standards. Membership in the National Association of Residential Property Managers has almost doubled in five years to a record 3,400 members, according to the Chesapeake, Virginia-based trade group.
“We are riding this sea change in how housing is changing in the U.S.,” said Reggie Brown, chief executive officer of All Property Management LLC, a Seattle-based Web service that sells property managers leads on homeowners who want to lease out their properties. “The only growth is rentals.”
Renter household formation surpassed new owner-occupied homes in 2007 for the first time since 1985 and has held the lead since, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. An average of 718,500 renter households a year were formed from 2007 to 2010, while owner-occupied households decreased at an average annual rate of 147,250 during the same period.
Even Seattle-based Zillow, known for its Zestimate home- price estimates, added rental listings almost two years ago.
‘Dramatic Shift’
“There has been a dramatic shift toward renting,” Chris Herbert, research director of Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, said in a telephone interview.
Property managers for rentals handle such tasks as screening tenants, helping landlords set rents, resolving disputes and ensuring lawns get mowed. They charge homeowners about 8 percent to 14 percent of the monthly rent, depending on the manager and city.
“It used to be no one did property management,” said Alan Townsend, a San Diego real estate agent who has managed homes for the past 16 years. “It was the ugly part of the business.”
Lower Pay
While one home sale can earn a real estate agent $10,000 for two months’ work, property managers may make $1,800 per property per year, Townsend said.
“Real estate agents think we’re crazy -- except when they have no income,” he said. “Those agents are now flooding into the market.”
Property managers face a challenge in proving they are a benefit to homeowners, said Rob LeRoy, marketing director for Dwellings Seattle Real Estate.
“They are known to cut corners, have poor customer service and tend to create hostile relationships with tenants -- at least, that’s a common perception in the eyes of the public,” he said. “We’ve certainly done our best to prove that property management companies can behave ethically and professionally, yet still be profitable.”
More competition has driven down the average fee for property managers to about 8 percent of one month’s rent from 10 percent in the San Diego area, Townsend said.
Rentals Gain
At a time when many Americans are wary of buying a home or can’t qualify for a mortgage, rentals are gaining in cities that have relatively robust job growth, such as Seattle, or pools of transient workers, including Washington, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
In the greater Washington, D.C., area, about 70 percent of Reliance Property Management Group LLC’s 100-plus clients are homeowners who were transferred out of the area by their employers, said Angela Gammon, co-owner of the Leesburg, Virginia-based company.
“We’re in a very transitional area with government contractors -- military and so forth,” said Gammon, who used All Property Management to find clients when she got into the business in 2004.
U.S. apartment vacancies fell to a five-year low in the third quarter, enabling landlords to increase rents to an average effective rate of $1,004 a month from $997 in the second quarter and $981 a year earlier, according to Reis Inc., a New York-based real estate research company.
Attracting New Clients
“When rents go up, that gives people enough cash flow to hire professional management,” said Diane Castanes, a partner at Phillips Real Estate Services in Seattle, which manages about 140 apartment complexes as well as a portfolio of single-family homes and condominium associations. “Now with the rental market so strong, we are bringing in an increasing number of single- family investors as new clients.”
Handling the rental -- and re-rental -- of a home is often too much trouble for an owner, said Jay Young, co-founder of Real Property Associates, a management company in Seattle.
“There are a lot of hairy things,” he said. “You can have the best-screened tenant and who knows? Maybe they lose their job, or go nuts and skip out, or bring a dog when the owner doesn’t want that. I’d say 95 percent of the time things go smoothly, but there’s always that 5 percent that takes 20 or 30 percent of your time.”
Competition for clients has intensified to the point where many property managers are advertising their websites directly on search engines rather than paying to list on a site such as All Property Management’s, Brown said.
Here to Stay
Still, such services as All Property Management and RentList.com probably are here to stay as property management becomes more popular, said Michael E. Nelson, president of Excalibur Home Management LLC in the Atlanta suburb of Cumming. Nelson has used both services to find clients for Excalibur, which manages about 1,250 properties and is expanding throughout Georgia.
Nelson said he expects more rental properties to shift to professional management as regulations governing landlords become more complex. A 2008 rule, for example, requires renovations or repairs affecting lead-based paint in homes built before 1978 to be carried out by a contractor certified by the Environmental Protection Agency, he said.
Managed by Owners
It’s difficult to find precise figures for the percentage of U.S. rental housing that’s professionally managed. The Census Bureau surveyed rental-property owners and managers in 1995 and is working on a new rental survey that will be released toward the end of next year, said Richard A. Levy, a statistician at the agency.
Of about 8.8 million single-family rental homes in the U.S., including detached houses, condominiums and mobile homes, about 19 percent were professionally managed and about 78 percent managed by owners, with non-responses accounting for the remainder, according to the Census Bureau’s Property Owners and Managers Survey in 1995.
“I believe over the next 20 years that’s going to start shifting closer to 50-50,” Nelson said. “As the law becomes more difficult for individual landlords to navigate, they’re going to need to hire a professional property manager.”
It’s hard to make money overseeing single-family homes, said Tim Overland, chief operating officer of both Security Properties, a Seattle-based apartment developer and investor, and its management affiliate, Madrona Ridge Residential, which handles about 3,000 apartment units.
“It’s a very low margin business and a low barrier to entry business,” he said. “In order to make that business financially feasible, you’ve got to have quite a few units under management.”
Housing Crisis
Property management may have a role to play in fixing the housing crisis, said Brown of All Property Management.
In August, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, regulator of mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, sought ideas on handling foreclosed homes held by the government, which totaled 248,000 as of June -- almost one-third of the total U.S. foreclosed homes seized by lenders. Brown filed a suggestion with the FHFA that the homes be put up for rent with property managers hired to oversee them.
“If institutions were more thoughtful about how they manage their real estate portfolios, the market would recover faster,” Brown said. “We can be a clearinghouse to help them find skilled property managers.”
Housing probably won’t recover until 2015 as consumers and banks reduce their debt loads and the employment market recovers slowly, Brown said.
“What’s going to change is the percentage of U.S. households that are rental versus owner-occupied,” he said. “It’s now almost 40 percent, but that number is definitely going to grow.”
--Editors: Daniel Taub, Christine Maurus
To contact the reporter on this story: Hui-yong Yu in Seattle at hyu@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Kara Wetzel at kwetzel@bloomberg.net
Kent CODERed
As nasty weather approaches, here is a friendly reminder to register with the City of Kent's CODERed program if you would like to be notified by your local emergency response team in the event of emergency situations or critical community alerts. For more information, visit: https://cne.coderedweb.com/Default.aspx?groupid=mVFKb0hY42JF%2fX8guYN%2bFw%3d%3d
We hope you have a very safe and happy holiday season!
We hope you have a very safe and happy holiday season!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Rental Listing Videos
In order to provide more value to our clients, we will be creating listing videos for our rental listings. Here are a few we made so far!
http://www.youtube.com/user/BellAndersonPM
http://www.youtube.com/user/BellAndersonPM
Friday, October 28, 2011
Happy Bosses Day!!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
King County Special Recycling Collection Event - Fall 2011
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2011
Hours: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Auburn Riverside High School 501 Oravetz Road SE
Details: Recycling Collection Event for King County residents (single-family, duplex, apartments and mobile home parks). For complete details on restrictions and materials accepted at this event, view the event flier (PDF).
In addition to this Recycling Collection Event, many items may be disposed or recycled at other locations throughout King County. For more information, visit the "What do I do with..." site or call the King County Recycling and Composting Information Line at 206-296-4466.
Restrictions: Certain household hazardous wastes that are not accepted at this event may be safely disposed through King County's Wastemobile program. View the Wastemobile schedule online or call the Hazards Line at 206-296-4692 for a list of locations. List of what is accepted.
Contact information: King County Solid Waste, 206-296-4466 or 1-80-325-6165 ext.6-4466 TTY Relay 711. Alternative formats on request.
Bag Your Bags, Bring 'Em Back Campaign
The best way to recycle your plastic bags and film is to bring them back to the grocery store. Just stuff them into a single plastic bag, tie it up, and drop it into a plastic bag collection container found at participating retail partners. See the King County website for more information.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Find it in Kent Expo
Here are a few pictures from the Find it in Kent Expo! Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hi!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Tacoma Concert Band
This coming Sunday, our Condo A/R Bookkeeper, Stefanie Octave, will be performing in the Tacoma Concert Band's show at the Pantages Theater in Tacoma. The show is at 2:30 and will feature music from "The Phantom of the Opera" & a "West Side Story" medley and many more fun pieces. You can find more information and purchase tickets at http://www.tacomaconcertband.org/.
Break a leg Stef!
Break a leg Stef!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Howard Hanson Dam has been repaired…
…and functioning at or better than before the damage sustained over two years ago!
Next for Kent will be the planning, funding and contracting to remove the giant sand bags from the levee. Because we are entering the rainy season, we are unable to remove the sandbags because of the damage that would be done to the levee and trail, so they will remain for one more winter. We expect that next spring the sand bags will be removed and the trail repaired.
Work continues on levee certification. In spite of the sandbags being removed without levee certification, we will continue to have impacts on flood insurance and onerous development requirements in the Valley.
Next for Kent will be the planning, funding and contracting to remove the giant sand bags from the levee. Because we are entering the rainy season, we are unable to remove the sandbags because of the damage that would be done to the levee and trail, so they will remain for one more winter. We expect that next spring the sand bags will be removed and the trail repaired.
Work continues on levee certification. In spite of the sandbags being removed without levee certification, we will continue to have impacts on flood insurance and onerous development requirements in the Valley.
From the October 3rd City of Kent - Scene
eNewsletter
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Kent Council Approves Sale of City Center property to Goodman Real Estate, Inc.
Unfinished parking garage to be demolished; apartments, retail and public parking planned
Kent, Wash. – September 21, 2011 – Revitalization of Kent’s downtown moved a step closer Tuesday night when the Kent City Council approved a lease/option agreement for its City Center property to Goodman Real Estate Inc. of Seattle.
Goodman, and its architect Studio Meng Strazzara, plan to construct a five story, mixed-use development consisting of approximately 164 urban style apartments with 3,700 square feet of retail space and 35 public parking spaces in addition to the parking set aside for residents.
The existing footprint of the city’s Town Square Plaza park will remain unchanged.
“This is forward progress towards our goal for the area,” said Council President Pro Tem Debbie Ranniger. “I can confidently say the community will be thrilled to see that eyesore removed. I am very hopeful that, with Goodman’s help, we will not only see a beautiful new building in its place, but also new and vibrant activity downtown that will benefit our community overall.”
Goodman Real Estate was selected as the preferred developer of the site following a competitive process and review by panel including Mayor Suzette Cooke, members of the City Council, a representative of the Kent Downtown Partnership and city staff.
“We have waited a long time for resolution on this key property in our downtown,” said Kurt Hanson, Kent’s Economic Development Manager. “The city’s first priority was to find a quality developer who is well capitalized and has a proven track record.”
According to Mike Miller, Kent Downtown Partnership Board member and Senior Vice President of Valley Bank, Goodman is a financially strong and successful developer. “The downtown community will benefit from this new and exciting project.”
Lease/Option Detailed
The two year lease provides Goodman Real Estate an option to purchase the City Center property at any time during the term of the lease. For consideration of the lease, Goodman will demolish the existing parking structure and pay $100,000 to the city. Upon exercising its option to purchase, Goodman will pay the city an additional $802,000 in two installments; the first being approximately $540,000 at closing and the balance, which is contingent upon project success, would be paid at a point after the project is built and fully leased.
Brad Reisinger from Goodman Real Estate explained the two-year lease option to the Council. “We understand demolition of the existing parking garage is a major priority for the city. The lease option structure allows us to take control of the site immediately and complete demolition this fall. Under a more traditional purchase and sale agreement, there would be an extended period until we closed on the real estate, thus delaying the start of demolition until after we had completed design, obtained permits and were ready to start construction.”
No downside for city
“Working with the Goodman team on the City Center project gives us the best opportunity to achieve what was originally envisioned for the redevelopment of the municipal lot block,” said Hanson. “With Town Square Plaza park complete, having an urban, mixed use development next door will strengthen the link between Kent Station and historic downtown. This much needed residential development will enliven the area and provide our downtown merchants with regular customers that don’t exist today.”
“Having the abandoned, partially built garage stand as an eyesore for so long has been tough for our local businesses and an impediment to recruiting new investment downtown. With this deal we are guaranteed that this eyesore will be removed quickly,” Hanson said.
Originally slated to be a 355-stall parking garage for a hotel, condominiums and retail space, work on the project stopped in May 2007 when the prior developer’s lender terminated the construction loan. After which, the property had been entangled in legal battles.
The city regained control of the property through foreclosure last October.
Further details about the site and proposed project can be found at www.KentCityCenter.com or by calling 253-856-5706.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Find it in Kent Expo
Bell-Anderson will be hosting a booth at the "Find it in Kent Expo" on September 28th from 3-7pm. Admission is free to the public and there will also be a "Taste of Kent" event from 5-7pm. Be sure to stop by and say hi! You can find more information on the event by clicking here.
Extended Family Appreciation Day
One thing that makes our company unique is that we can really say "Our Family Serving Yours" because 7 out of 15 of us are related! On Tuesday, we took some time to appreciate the rest of the staff whom are not related, but are just as important to the success of our company. Our family has experienced a few bumps in the road over the past years, but you wouldn't know it from the way that our fabulous staff keeps things going! Thank you to our extended family from the bottom of our hearts! You are so appreciated!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Community Association Banking Introduces New Payment System
Effective today, we introduced a new HOA payment system. When users visit our website, they can take advantage of many new payment features including:
• The option to schedule payments on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.
• The ability to manage payment and property information through their personal homeowner profile.
• Access to transactions for up to 13 months when the homeowner creates a user profile.
• Real time credit card payments (subject to processing fees).
Reminder: Those of you with hyperlinks or coded access to our previous payment service will need to update your information. Please contact us for additional information.
View Our Enhanced Site Today: NEW CAB Online Payments Website
Questions or Comments: Clients of Community Association Banking, please contact your HOA Relationship Manager if you have any questions or comments regarding the new online payment system.
Homeowners can contact Community Association Banking Customer Service at 1(866) 800-4656 or email us at HOA@cabanc.com.
• The option to schedule payments on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.
• The ability to manage payment and property information through their personal homeowner profile.
• Access to transactions for up to 13 months when the homeowner creates a user profile.
• Real time credit card payments (subject to processing fees).
Reminder: Those of you with hyperlinks or coded access to our previous payment service will need to update your information. Please contact us for additional information.
View Our Enhanced Site Today: NEW CAB Online Payments Website
Questions or Comments: Clients of Community Association Banking, please contact your HOA Relationship Manager if you have any questions or comments regarding the new online payment system.
Homeowners can contact Community Association Banking Customer Service at 1(866) 800-4656 or email us at HOA@cabanc.com.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Free Webinar for Community Associations
Collecting Judgments from Seriously Delinquent Owners in Small Claims Court - August 31, 2011 at 10am
Presented by Condominium Law Group, PLLC
Taking a delinquent homeowner to Small Claims Court can be daunting for those who have never experienced it. Join an association board president and an attorney as they walk you through the process of taking a delinquent homeowner to Small Claims Court. Presented by Theresa Torgesen, Condominium Law Group PLLC and Tom Files, Association Board President
Go to https://condolaw.webex.com/condolaw/k2/j.php?ED=156298682&UID=1196860987&HMAC=c544e18391a42fb308e9dcfded4cdb0c16a5f089&RT=MiM0&FM=1 and register.
Once you register for the webinars, you will receive another email confirming your registration. Be sure and keep that email as you will need it to sign into the webinar. If you have questions about registering for this webinar or joining the webinar session on the day of the event, please contact WebEx Technical Support at 866-229-3239.
Your colleagues, boards and homeowners are welcome to participate in our Wednesday webinars. If you can’t participate in our webinars, we always record them for playback later. Just go to www.condolaw.net and click on the Webinar page to view and listen to all of our recorded webinars.
Presented by Condominium Law Group, PLLC
Taking a delinquent homeowner to Small Claims Court can be daunting for those who have never experienced it. Join an association board president and an attorney as they walk you through the process of taking a delinquent homeowner to Small Claims Court. Presented by Theresa Torgesen, Condominium Law Group PLLC and Tom Files, Association Board President
Go to https://condolaw.webex.com/condolaw/k2/j.php?ED=156298682&UID=1196860987&HMAC=c544e18391a42fb308e9dcfded4cdb0c16a5f089&RT=MiM0&FM=1 and register.
Once you register for the webinars, you will receive another email confirming your registration. Be sure and keep that email as you will need it to sign into the webinar. If you have questions about registering for this webinar or joining the webinar session on the day of the event, please contact WebEx Technical Support at 866-229-3239.
Your colleagues, boards and homeowners are welcome to participate in our Wednesday webinars. If you can’t participate in our webinars, we always record them for playback later. Just go to www.condolaw.net and click on the Webinar page to view and listen to all of our recorded webinars.
Monday, August 8, 2011
We had the pleasure of celebrating Tuesday's National Night Out with a few of our community associations and apartment communities. Thank you all for allowing us to partner with you to make our communities great places to live. Here are a few pictures from the festivities:
Community Association Manager Jenise Doty visited Promenade North in Kent as did a few of the area Police officers!
Maintenance Coordinator Maria Garcia visited Evergreen Park Apartments, who had appearances by both a Waste Management truck and their mascot, and an officer with Auburn PD.
Community Manager Ken Allen and his wife, Irene, at Bell-Anderson's table at Maple Woods' event. The kids were thrilled when a fire truck from Maple Valley FD showed up!
Monday, August 1, 2011
National Night Out
National Night Out is tomorrow night, August 2nd! We are looking forward to visiting with Maple Woods in Maple Lane. If you are hosting an event in your community, we would love it if you shared your photos! You can e-mail them to us at info@bell-anderson.net. Have fun!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Kent Cornucopia Days 2011
Here is a schedule of events happening this weekend at Kent's Cornucopia Festival:
July 7-10 Funtastic Shows Carnival
July 7-10 Cornucopia Cup Soccer Tournament
July 8-10 Street Fair (Kent Lions / Wayne Hobbs & Irv Hamilton Street Fair)
July 8-10 Lions Health Fair, Safety Fair, Educational Displays, Art Show, Entertainment
July 9 Kent Cornucopia Dragon Boat Races
July 9 Kent Cornucopia 5K Fun Run / Walk
July 9 Cornucopia Inline Skate & Skateboard Tournament
July 9 Jaguar Football "Cornucopia Bowl VI" - CNX for 2011
July 10 Kent Cornucopia Grand Parade
July 10 Children's Bike Ride
Here is a link for the event site for more information: http://www.kcdays.com/
Letter from the Mayor of Kent & the Kent Cornucopia Days Director
It is our pleasure to welcome you to Kent and the 39th annual Kent Cornucopia Day's celebration held July 8 -11 with a multitude of activities, entertainment, and fun for the whole family.
South King County’s oldest and largest festival features a full size carnival and street fair with a wonderful array of 600 booths offering a variety of items, including magnificent smells from over 35 food booths to tempt the palate, and entertainment to capture your attention. Join us Sunday, July 11 downtown for South King County’s largest parade – nearly 100 entries. With such a delightful assortment of activities, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
The beautiful 10th annual "Cornucopia Dragon Boat Races" will be held on July 10 at Lake Meridian Park. The Kent Youth Soccer Association will also host the "Cornucopia Cup" and will have over 150 teams this year! The 14th annual Kent Cornucopia Days Skateboard Tournament will be held on July 10th benefiting the Lions “Camp Leo” for diabetic kids. And new this year is a 25 & 60 mile Bike Ride on July 10th along with a Kids Pre-Parade Bike Ride on July 11th by the Emerald City Lights Bike Ride Organization.
The Kent Lions produces Kent Cornucopia Days each year. Members and their dedicated volunteers have devoted thousands of hours to planning and organizing this festival. They work hard to produce a successful event that appeals to all ages, groups and interests. The City’s Parks Department will again be actively involved organizing the 5K Fun Run / Walk. We hope you will join us in acknowledging all the work they do to bring such a successful occasion to Kent year after year.
We are happy to have you join us in celebrating Kent Cornucopia Days. The volunteers thank you for supporting over 250 non-profit and charitable groups who depend on this great family festival. Come back to Kent and enjoy our community and local businesses long after Kent Cornucopia Days are over. Enjoy the summer!
Suzette Cooke
Mayor City of Kent
Bill Westcott
Volunteer Festival Director, Kent Cornucopia Days
Kent Lions & Foundation
July 7-10 Funtastic Shows Carnival
July 7-10 Cornucopia Cup Soccer Tournament
July 8-10 Street Fair (Kent Lions / Wayne Hobbs & Irv Hamilton Street Fair)
July 8-10 Lions Health Fair, Safety Fair, Educational Displays, Art Show, Entertainment
July 9 Kent Cornucopia Dragon Boat Races
July 9 Kent Cornucopia 5K Fun Run / Walk
July 9 Cornucopia Inline Skate & Skateboard Tournament
July 9 Jaguar Football "Cornucopia Bowl VI" - CNX for 2011
July 10 Kent Cornucopia Grand Parade
July 10 Children's Bike Ride
Here is a link for the event site for more information: http://www.kcdays.com/
Letter from the Mayor of Kent & the Kent Cornucopia Days Director
It is our pleasure to welcome you to Kent and the 39th annual Kent Cornucopia Day's celebration held July 8 -11 with a multitude of activities, entertainment, and fun for the whole family.
South King County’s oldest and largest festival features a full size carnival and street fair with a wonderful array of 600 booths offering a variety of items, including magnificent smells from over 35 food booths to tempt the palate, and entertainment to capture your attention. Join us Sunday, July 11 downtown for South King County’s largest parade – nearly 100 entries. With such a delightful assortment of activities, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
The beautiful 10th annual "Cornucopia Dragon Boat Races" will be held on July 10 at Lake Meridian Park. The Kent Youth Soccer Association will also host the "Cornucopia Cup" and will have over 150 teams this year! The 14th annual Kent Cornucopia Days Skateboard Tournament will be held on July 10th benefiting the Lions “Camp Leo” for diabetic kids. And new this year is a 25 & 60 mile Bike Ride on July 10th along with a Kids Pre-Parade Bike Ride on July 11th by the Emerald City Lights Bike Ride Organization.
The Kent Lions produces Kent Cornucopia Days each year. Members and their dedicated volunteers have devoted thousands of hours to planning and organizing this festival. They work hard to produce a successful event that appeals to all ages, groups and interests. The City’s Parks Department will again be actively involved organizing the 5K Fun Run / Walk. We hope you will join us in acknowledging all the work they do to bring such a successful occasion to Kent year after year.
We are happy to have you join us in celebrating Kent Cornucopia Days. The volunteers thank you for supporting over 250 non-profit and charitable groups who depend on this great family festival. Come back to Kent and enjoy our community and local businesses long after Kent Cornucopia Days are over. Enjoy the summer!
Suzette Cooke
Mayor City of Kent
Bill Westcott
Volunteer Festival Director, Kent Cornucopia Days
Kent Lions & Foundation
Friday, July 1, 2011
4th of July Fireworks
Here is a list of cities in the area and whether fireworks are allowed:
We hope everyone has a very safe and happy 4th of July!
We hope everyone has a very safe and happy 4th of July!
| City | Fireworks discharge regulations |
| Auburn | 4th of July only |
| Bellevue | Banned |
| Black Diamond | 4th of July only |
| Bothell | 4th of July only |
| Burien | Banned |
| Carnation | Banned |
| Clyde Hill | Banned |
| Covington | 4th of July only |
| Des Moines | Banned |
| Duvall | 4th of July only |
| Enumclaw | 4th of July only |
| Federal Way | Banned |
| Hunts Point | Banned |
| Issaquah | Banned |
| Kenmore | Banned |
| Kent | 4th of July only |
| Kirkland | Banned |
| Lake Forest Park | Banned |
| Maple Valley | 4th of July only |
| Medina | Banned |
| Mercer Island | 4th of July only |
| Newcastle | Banned |
| Normandy Park | June 28 to July 4 |
| North Bend | 4th of July only |
| Pacific | 4th of July only |
| Redmond | Banned |
| Renton | Banned |
| Sammamish | Banned |
| SeaTac | Banned |
| Seattle | Banned |
| Shoreline | Banned |
| Skykomish | 4th of July only |
| Snoqualmie | 4th of July only |
| Tukwila | Banned |
| Woodinville | Banned |
| Yarrow Point | Banned |
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Eight Manufacturers Recall Pool and In-Ground Spa Drain Covers Due to Incorrect Ratings
This information was sent to us by Community Associations Underwriters and applies to drain covers installed after 2008 in in-ground spas, wading (kiddie) pools, or pools with only one drain that is not a long channel drain.
Covers Pose Possible Entrapment Hazard to Swimmers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firms named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer products. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Product: Pool and spa drain covers
Units: About 1 million
Hazard: The recalled drain covers were incorrectly rated to handle the flow of water through the cover, which could pose a possible entrapment hazard to swimmers and bathers.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported
Description: The recall involves various pool and spa drain covers that can be identified by the manufacturers' name and model information listed below.
Sold through: Independent distributors to professional pool and spa builders and installers.
Manufactured in: United States and China
Remedy: Pool owners/operators and consumers who have one of the recalled pool or spa drain covers should immediately contact the manufacturer to receive a replacement or retrofit, depending on their make and model. Except for kiddie pools, wading pools and in-ground spas, retrofit or replacement of installed covers are not required in pools with multiple drain systems or gravity drainage systems or for covers installed before December 19, 2008.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, consumers should contact the Drain Cover Recall Hotline toll-free at (866) 478-3521 any time, or visit the Drain Cover Recall website at www.apsp.org/draincoverrecall. Consumers with drain covers from Waterway Plastics should contact the firm toll-free at (866) 719-6044 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, or visit the manufacturer's web site at www.waterwayplastics.com
Covers Pose Possible Entrapment Hazard to Swimmers
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firms named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer products. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Product: Pool and spa drain covers
Units: About 1 million
Hazard: The recalled drain covers were incorrectly rated to handle the flow of water through the cover, which could pose a possible entrapment hazard to swimmers and bathers.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported
Description: The recall involves various pool and spa drain covers that can be identified by the manufacturers' name and model information listed below.
| Company | Model Information (websites) | Dates Sold | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|
| A&A | www.aamfg.com | Dec. 2008 - Apr. 2011 | Replacement or Retrofit |
| AquaStar | www.aquastarpoolproducts.com | Dec. 2008 - Apr.2011 | Replacement or Retrofit |
| Color Match | www.poolfittings.com | Dec. 2008 - Apr. 2011 | Replacement or Retrofit |
| Custom Molded Products | www.c-m-p.com | Dec. 2008 - Apr. 2011 | Replacement or Retrofit |
| Hayward Pool Products | www.hayward-pool.com | Dec. 2008 - Apr. 2011 | Replacement or Retrofit |
| Pentair Water Pool & Spa | www.pentairpool.com | June 2009 - Apr. 2011 | Replacement or Retrofit |
| Rising Dragon | www.risingdragonplastics.com | Dec. 2008 - Apr. 2011 | Replacement or Retrofit |
| Waterway | www.waterwayplastics.com | Dec. 2008 - Apr. 2011 | Replacement or Retrofit |
Sold through: Independent distributors to professional pool and spa builders and installers.
Manufactured in: United States and China
Remedy: Pool owners/operators and consumers who have one of the recalled pool or spa drain covers should immediately contact the manufacturer to receive a replacement or retrofit, depending on their make and model. Except for kiddie pools, wading pools and in-ground spas, retrofit or replacement of installed covers are not required in pools with multiple drain systems or gravity drainage systems or for covers installed before December 19, 2008.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, consumers should contact the Drain Cover Recall Hotline toll-free at (866) 478-3521 any time, or visit the Drain Cover Recall website at www.apsp.org/draincoverrecall. Consumers with drain covers from Waterway Plastics should contact the firm toll-free at (866) 719-6044 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT, or visit the manufacturer's web site at www.waterwayplastics.com
City of Auburn - Free Meals This Summer for Youth
Hello Community Partners,
This message comes to you from the City of Auburn Community Services Division in efforts to assist Auburn youth this summer. Do you know a young person (a neighbor, a friend or client) who could use a hand getting a free breakfast or lunch during the summer months? We’re asking for your assistance in getting the word out.
Attached is a schedule in both English and Spanish of locations and times these meals will be offered. Meals are provided to youth ages 1-18 at no charge through the USDA in partnership with the Auburn School District.
The Auburn School District’s Summer Lunch Program has been posted to the City’s website with the full schedule and also has links to the English and Spanish flyers.
http://www.auburnwa.gov/government/news/2011news/Auburn_School_District_Free_Summer_Lunch_Program_Schedule_Announced.asp
We appreciate your support and partnership. Have a fun safe summer.
Thank you,
Duanna Richards
Neighborhood Programs Manager
City of Auburn
25 West Main Street
Auburn WA 98001-4998
(253) 931-3099 = phone
(253) 288-3132 = fax
This message comes to you from the City of Auburn Community Services Division in efforts to assist Auburn youth this summer. Do you know a young person (a neighbor, a friend or client) who could use a hand getting a free breakfast or lunch during the summer months? We’re asking for your assistance in getting the word out.
Attached is a schedule in both English and Spanish of locations and times these meals will be offered. Meals are provided to youth ages 1-18 at no charge through the USDA in partnership with the Auburn School District.
The Auburn School District’s Summer Lunch Program has been posted to the City’s website with the full schedule and also has links to the English and Spanish flyers.
http://www.auburnwa.gov/government/news/2011news/Auburn_School_District_Free_Summer_Lunch_Program_Schedule_Announced.asp
We appreciate your support and partnership. Have a fun safe summer.
Thank you,
Duanna Richards
Neighborhood Programs Manager
City of Auburn
25 West Main Street
Auburn WA 98001-4998
(253) 931-3099 = phone
(253) 288-3132 = fax
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