Alisha's Blog

Approximately 400 Realtors from across Washington State descended upon Olympia last month for the annual Washington Realtor Association (WR) Legislative Day or Hill Day. I was one of them! In fact, we had 13 members of our small association in Mason County attend. That's almost 10% of our membership!

It was a rewarding day. We met with legislators from our district and presented them with our Legislative Priorities for 2009. The response from the legislators was extremely positive. Relief even, not only were we not there asking for money, but we were also there to provide solutions. And - best of all - they listened!! Our goal was to impress upon lawmakers that the real estate industry has to recover before the overall economy can prosper.  Many state funding programs depend on the real estate industry such as supporting public schools, providing critical roads and public infrastructure as well as protecting the vulnerable.

It's painfully obvious that Washington State's economic health depends on a healthy and vibrant housing market. The real estate industry as a whole accounts for 24% of the state's employment and is responsible for a large percentage of state tax revenue. Additionally, the housing market provides social benefits such as community stability and wealth creation.

Therefore, in order to stimulate the economy, you MUST stimulate the housing market! This requires paying attention to both the supply and demand side of the market.

We asked that the legislature take steps to stimulate demand by assisting first time home buyers. This can be accomplished by expanding the state run program of home-buyer education and by opening up down-payment assistance programs as well.

In order to address the supply side of the equation, we have asked the legislature to help struggling families so they are able to keep their homes. Provide refinancing options and assist with education for people in danger of being foreclosed upon.

The Realtors are at work for you. We are protecting the rights of homeowners, and helping to create opportunity for more Americans to become homeowners! I am proud of the work we are doing, and happy to be a part of such a positive and proactive group!

Yes, I read the newspapers. Yes I watch the news. But, to be honest, I had forgotten. So this morning, as I was reading blogs on Active Rain and checking Tweets on Twitter, I was surprised to hear cannon fire. Yes, you read correct, cannon fire. I went to my sliding glass door, opened the blinds and saw smoke rising from the signal guns protruding from just beneath the flight deck of the USS Kittyhawk and was reminded that today is the day that we say thank you to her for her 47 years of service to this nation. Today is the day she is decommissioned in Bremerton, WA.

I feel as though I am spoiled, enjoying views of these magnificent ships from my windows, but to see an aircraft carrier dressed in colors is a rare treat; truly a sight to be seen. She has a line of colorful signal flags reaching from bow to stern and a line of past crew members and their families stretching across the flight deck.

This is then end of an era. The Kittyhawk was the last of the conventional aircraft carriers. She was originally commissioned in 1961 and her home port was San Diego, CA for most of her life. She has been in combat in Vietnam, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. She was relieved by the USS George Washington last year before sailing to Bremerton to prepare to be decommissioned.

Those that served on her will miss her. A former crewmember said "A part of me will never forget the wonders of a ship like the Hawk."

Alisha Harrison is a member of "Your Dream Team," dedicated to providing the highest level of customer service to clients, creating customers for life! Helping people buy and sell real estate in Mason, Kitsap and North Pierce Counties. Email me or call today! 360.649.0374

I am thankful for many things, but I am narrowing it down to one today. Not what I am MOST thankful for, as I did that post already. Just one thing I am thankful for today...

I am thankful that it's not snowing today. It's not snowing AND the temperatures are mild! It's not snowing, the temperatures are mild AND the sun is peeking out! It's a great day in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and I am thankful for that!!

I hope you take a minute to consider what you have to be thankful for... and savor it. Make today a great day! 

Alisha Harrison is a member of "Your Dream Team," dedicated to providing the highest level of customer service to clients, creating customers for life! Helping people buy and sell real estate in Mason, Kitsap and North Pierce Counties. Email me or call today! 360.649.0374

My daughter is such an inspiration. She is 8 months old. She is crawling like a pro but that isn't good enough for her. She is pulling herself up but that isn't good enough for her. She is bound and determined to walk. She pulls up, lets go, teeters and then falls. She doesn't cry. She doesn't fuss. She just reaches out and pulls herself up again. Every once in a while she lets go and stands up all by herself... but then she gets so excited that she claps her hands and then, you guessed it, falls. So, out come the hands and she grabs on to whatever is nearest and stands up again. She goes on like this all day. Taking short breaks to eat, and when forced, to nap!

I can see the determination on her face. She wants to stand and to walk all by herself. And you know what - she will - and soon, because no one has told her she can't. As a matter of fact, she gets nothing but encouragement from her Mommy (me) and her Daddy and her Grandparents. And anyone else that's around. She thinks she can do anything.

We all could learn a lesson from Avery. And we could all stand to be encouraged. And we can all do whatever we put our mind to!

What do you want to accomplish? What will you do today?

 Alisha Harrison is a member of "Your Dream Team," dedicated to providing the highest level of customer service to clients, creating customers for life! Helping people buy and sell real estate in Mason, Kitsap and North Pierce Counties. Email me or call today! 360.649.0374

I woke up on Tuesday morning much the same as I usually do. At about 6:15am my eyes popped open and I sauntered upstairs and into the kitchen. I made a smoothie for my husband and myself and waited until 6:30am when my daughter informed me she wanted out of her crib.

She played with her Daddy for a few minutes before he headed off to work, and I set about my day. I fed her, and as I was settling on the couch to check emails and such, I noticed the chop, chop, chop of helicopter blades outside. I opened my blinds and suddenly remembered that today was the day the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) was deploying for a scheduled 7 month WestPac.

There were news helicopters circling as well as Navy copters for protection. There were 2 Coast Guard ships standing guard as well as many small boats maintaining a perimeter around the massive aircraft carrier. And also the tugs, both forward and aft, pushing and tugging the ship out of harbor so it could set sail.

No matter where you stand on the war in Iraq, no matter how you feel about the past administration or the incoming one, no matter what affiliation you may or may not have with the military - you have to stand in awe at such a commanding sight.

But it's so much more. There are people stationed onboard that ship; men and women. They are mothers and fathers. Husbands and wives. Sons and Daughters. Friends and loved ones. Leaving for at least 7 months. They are strong. They sacrifice for our freedom, as do their families.

So, stand strong sailors. Be safe. Good luck and Godspeed!

Alisha Harrison is a member of "Your Dream Team," dedicated to providing the highest level of customer service to clients, creating customers for life! Helping people buy and sell real estate in Mason, Kitsap and North Pierce Counties. Email me or call today! 360.649.0374

It's amazing how much our senses are intertwined with our memories. And sometimes just the faintest scent can bring memories rushing back!

I'm a graduate of South Kitsap High School. I won't specify what year, but I can say it was not just yesterday as it sometimes seems. I now live near SKHS once again. I walk to the school and jog the track when it's not raining or snowing, as was the case yesterday evening.

Sometimes the track gets a bit boring. I had my daughter in my ergobaby carrier, not her stroller, so I decided to do some stairs. The football or basketball or some other kind of team was on the bleacher steps, so I took to the stairs leading down to the pool.

It's like the chlorine slapped me in the face and I was suddenly transported back to my high school days, walking the steps to the pool for one of my swimming classes. I was a teenager again, running late to class. I could hear my friends giggling next to me. I felt the apprehension of seeing the boy I liked walking toward me. I was carefree and full of worry all at the same time.

And as quickly as it came, the feelings vanished.

It's no secret that things have been a bit slow in the real estate market as of late. And while we haven't seen things as bad here as in other parts of the country, we have had our own down time. Couple that with the recent addition to my family (check out what I have to be most thankful for) and you'll understand that I've been out of the "game" lately. Luckily I have a fantastic team. They handle the day to day business - showing property and the like and I'm able to work from home. I maintain our website, blog and handle other aspects of our marketing. I am also able to bring my daughter into the office with me when I go in. I don't however, take Avery out on showings - I don't think it's fair to keep her cooped up in her car seat all day. So, I don't have the opportunity to show property that much any more. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make, but I do miss it. I miss building a rapport with clients. I miss driving around, seeing my beautiful community. I miss seeing houses. I had almost forgotten just how much!

I went on a showing appointment yesterday. I have to tell you, that although it was strange being away from my daughter all day (I had my husband stay home with her) is was exhilarating going on a showing. Our client is a repeat client. We've sold her a vacation home and sold property for her. She is now moving up here full time and wants a home in the beautiful town of Poulsbo. I had so much fun. It is an amazing thing when you love your job. It makes work, well, not work at all. We toured 5 homes. Found one she likes and we'll go forward from here.

It was great getting back in the saddle again. I had almost forgotten how much I truly love this business!

I consider myself to be a handy person. I'm not afraid to jump into a project with both feet. I have been hands on for every project of our remodel. I've framed walls. I've run plumbing and gas pipe. I've strung wire. I've cut and installed tile countertops, floors and even the wall behind the tub. I've installed hardwood floors. I've installed cabinets. I've even hung drywall. Mudded and sanded it as well. I've painted and put up trim. Installed doors and, well, I guess you get the point.

So why is it that when I drill a simple hole to hang a shelf I manage to screw things up so well??

So, here's my story!

About a month ago, I noticed some water pooled up on the edge of my bathtub. Not too out of the ordinary you might say. Well, I hadn't used this tub recently. There was no obvious source of this water so naturally, I just wiped it up and went on my way, thinking my husband must have done something. (Yes, when in doubt, always blame the man!)

The next day, or maybe even later that same day I'm not sure, I noticed more water. Hmmmm, Seems like a bit of a problem. In my infinite wisdom, I deduce that the water is condensation from the excessive cold we were experiencing at the time - we were in single digit temps. The water pools were located just below my exhaust fan. Must be the extreme cold temperatures outside have made the pipes extra cold, then when I turn the heater on in the bathroom, take a hot shower and steam the place up, well, the water just condenses off the pipes and drips down from the fan and creates a little pool of water.

OK, now, back to the busy work of the holidays.

Ok, fast forward about 3 days. I'm cleaning my bathroom. All of a sudden, water comes pouring out of a hole in my wall that I hadn't patched yet. Oh, did I forget to mention that I put up a shelf about 6 or 7 months ago? Well, I did. But my big, fat cat tried to climb up on it to eat the plant and knocked it askew. I didn't have time to fix it at that moment, so I just took the shelf off the wall, leaving a hole where the screw had once been.

Back to my story... there was water pouring out of the hole. Now, it only lasted about 5 minutes, but what in the world was going on? I start to panic a bit. Did we have a pipe break in the cold weather? Was I going to have to rip up my gorgeous bathroom to fix this? How bad was this going to be? How expensive?

So, I did what I always do when confronted with a problem such as this. I called my Daddy. (He used to be a contractor after all!)

Daddy rushed over and shined his trusty flashlight in the hole and started laughing. Yes, that's right - LAUGHING. Once he had settled himself down, he had me look in the hole. What did I see? You guessed it... a perfectly symmetrical hole, about a quarter inch in diameter to be exact. It seems that when I installed my shelf a few months back, I drilled right into the drain pipe from the upper level. And I couldn't detect a problem because the screw and anchor were plugging up the hole I had drilled, but once my fat cat knocked the shelf off the wall, I was able to detect my problem!

Well, I was relived to find out that my handy woman/decorating abilities weren't totally up to par because the fix to my problem was quick, easy and inexpensive!

I guess sometimes it can be a relief to find out you drilled a hole in the drain pipe!

Don't say I didn't warn you!

I start my mornings and end my nights by reciting what I'm grateful for. It's a practice that I've been doing as long as I can remember. My parents taught me that. "Have an attitude of gratitude." Make sure you have a grateful heart. Ironically, I am grateful that my parent's instilled that value in me.

So, this comes easy, and my first Thankful Thursday post is my most special.

Today, and everyday, I am thankful for my daughter Avery. She is 7 months and 3 weeks old. She is my light. Her smile brightens my day. Her laugh is music to my hears.