We had four offers on one of my listings last night

Don't be afraid that houses aren't selling - they are! Four offers on the day with the worst stock dip in ages... I am a Pollyanna, but I still believe my job isn't at risk....

I just received the following message from a lender, and I thought I'd share it.


Contrary to what the media would have you believe, residential mortgages are readily available. There is no “overnight credit freeze.” Residential mortgage financing is alive and well. Unfortunately, our friends in the media tend to thrive on obscene sensationalism in an effort to outdo each other in the pandemonium levels they can create in the general public.

The reality is that mortgage rates are still incredibly good in relation to where they’ve been historically (e.g., on an historical scale of 5% to 20% for a 30-year fixed conforming loan, we’re currently at just under 6%), and when you couple that with a solid buyer’s market where sellers are more than willing to pay for the cost of permanent or temporary rate buydowns we have an impressively strong buying combination.

The nagging voice in the backs of our heads screaming that “when the masses are trending uniformly in one direction, the savvy investor goes in the opposite direction” should not be ignored. This is a very good time to buy a home.

Kids and Dogs

Claire came home for a quick visit, so Cam & Betsy brought Peter to Portland so she could see/meet? him. Bean couldn't have been happier! They just frolic and roll around endlessly.

Claire actually has the cutest dog on the planet. Lucy is just darling, and will never outgrow that adorable puppy stage - so our puppies had a long way to go to impress her.

Her first impression, as she met Bean was that he looks like a piece of art rather than a dog. Or an insect or a bird. He is definitely odd-looking, maybe because of his extremely long, skinny legs. But we think he's beautiful.

For some reaon, Pete looks and acts like an actual dog, even though he's practically Bean's twin. They're litter mates, and have similar markings. He's just a little bit larger. Claire loved them both!

We're currently still "babysitting" for Peter, as Cam and Betsy have rehearsals for 12 hrs/day for the Oregon Marching Band.

Norris and I decided that we really don't like it when all 3 dogs have a sleepover in our bedroom. It's like the raptors in the kitchen scene in Jurassic Park.

Home

Charleston was wonderful. Our 15th annual girls trip is a wrap!

Reception

Jeannie
Timothy
Mark & Ted
Placecards
The happy couple
James & John

The Reception Starts in One Hour

I decided to make use of the time between the wedding and reception to come home and load a few pictures so Claire can see her friend's wedding pictures as soon as possible!

I also founds the Ducks/Purdue game on TV - so I'm perfectly happy to spend this next hour on the couch!

Here's Joann, escorted by Mark & Teddy,
Meg, the maid of honor,
Joyce
Married Joyce
Teddy and Tim
Jodi & Jill

















































I love their whole family so much and it's SO good to see them all!
Their older girls were our first babysitters! Joyce and Teddy were my kids' best friends. Joann and Tim were the most wonderful neighbors. It's a delight to be here!

And the poor Ducks are looking pretty bad - it's currently 20-3. Maybe it's time for a drink at the reception!

Finally...I'm back in Pennsylvania!

I'm back home in Pennsylvania with my oldest and dearest friends. Dinner on arrival was at a little Mesican restaurant - and here I am with Sid and Mark, Clare and Dennis and Terri & Jack. YAY!

This afternoon is Joyce's wedding -- I can't wait to see the bride.

What have I been doing?

Met our cool Vermont cousins (Norris' NYC cousin Steve's son, wife & girls) and it got me thinking about the next generation of the Perkins family.

As far as Perkins boys go, Dix, the oldest, had Suzy and Steve. Their kids had only girls. (four, so far) Andrew, shown above with his two girls, is the only hope for a Perkins son from this branch of the family tree.

Jim's kids, Heather and Jamie aren't married, and don't have any kids.

Of Norris'(Dad's)kids, there are two girls and one boy. (Perk)
Our boys are the only ones left with the Perkins surname and who might have kids, hopefully a bunch of boys! (Granted, they have four boy cousins, who have a total of 6 sons - the boy thing must be working out here in the Northwest) but Whit and Cam are the only ones carrying on the Perkins family name.)


No pressure! Just an observation brought on after meeting these adorable girls. (named Hadley & Merritt)

What, me? Go Camping?

With scenery like this, Detroit Lake can even entice me to camp, especially when your party includes two boats and the world's best cronies!
I always profess that I am NOT a camper. But this invitation was too good to pass up - and for the first time ever, I slept on the ground in a tent!




















Sippy cups of Captain's punch - the signature drink of the trip (Malibu, mango juice, tonic & lime) and our happy party.




































Kim tears it up on the skis, and even slaloms for a while when her foot pops out of a ski. You should see her wave to the shoreline! She's our princess!


















Alex was our capable crew, driver, water boy, bartender, and all-around awesome companion. We've known him for 10 years and he keeps getting smarter and cooler and more capable! I'm so glad he came along!

















Kimmy's tuckered out and soaking up the late afternoon rays.

















Dave & Deb - acting like happy teenagers.




















Penny and Bart are great boat dogs - they love to swim & shake ... over and over and over. When everybody's wet already, who cares? We love them!

















Back at camp, starting cocktail hour, deciding on steak or chicken, and blasting the oldies. The tempo of our togetherness was in perfect synch. I guess when you've been friends for this long, it's easy.


















We chose steak! Yum, it was amazing. Only one steak fell in the fire so we gave it to the boy from Montana, who didn't mind a bit.











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Campfire shenanigans, sleeping dogs, self-portraits, congenial political conversations, wine and too much food. A perfect trip.

The only Presidential Candidate I can ever truly love is...

this one....