Happy Monday y'all! The last 2 days were the first time in 17 WEEKENDS that I've been home with zero plans. It felt very nice to get some R&R. I slept in, watched some shows, purged my closet, and set up some fall decorations.

It's been an incredibly busy and action-packed summer, and I wouldn't change a thing about it. This summer has consisted of 3 Weddings, a weekend in Phoenix, several Chelan trips, 2 family parties for the 4th of July and Island Palooza, concerts and wineries with friends, a family reunion, Mount Rainier, a Marathon, a Triathlon, and so much more. I'm so incredibly blessed with the people and opportunities in my life, and I'm grateful to have created so many memories over the last few months.

Mission Thrift

Tacoma People listen up! Mission Thrift is officially open on 6th Ave! This is a new business venture created by the Tacoma Rescue Mission. This thrift store helps provide employment for several people who were previously homeless AND all proceeds go to support the amazing work done by TRM. Now open for donations and shopping at 2502 6th Ave in Tacoma

Island Palooza

Last month, we celebrated our 5th Annual Island Palooza! This is an event that my family puts on every year out on Anderson Island. It's easily one of my favorite days of the year. This was our biggest year yet with over 150 people in attendance. Here were some of the highlights:

Hours of volleyball
Giant Slip N Slide
Puzzle Quest
Egg toss
Ice cream truck
BBQ dinner
Trivia by the fire
Perfect day with family and friends

Wedding Season

Very blessed to have amazing friends that included us on their special days. Congrats to Andrew & Lauren AND Nick & Julia!

Daily Checklists

I've been on a journey over the last 5+ years of creating positive habits in my life. This includes hitting 10,000 steps every day, practicing Spanish every day, journaling every day, and more. One of the best tools I've found for holding myself accountable to the habits that I want to form is my daily checklist. This video covers it in more detail!

September Market Update

Lil market update for ya!

The market is definitely changing! Over the last few months, we've seen homes prices come down and days on market go up. Median sales prices in Tacoma, Pierce, King, and Thurston Counties all decreased slightly from July to August. Home values are sitting around where they were in February/March of this year before things started getting crazy. The market is significantly less competitive now than it was this Spring, which I think will go down as one of the most insane real estate markets in history. The average listing is sitting on the market for about 3 weeks right now. This is 8-10 days longer than they were this Spring. For the first time since the beginning of 2020, the average listing is selling for slightly below list price in some areas, and there were fewer new listings last month than August of any of the last 3 years.

So what does this all mean? For buyers, it is becoming significantly easier to get offers accepted, sometimes even for under the list price. Interest rates are still relatively high, but if a buyer can comfortably afford the monthly payment on a mortgage now, they can always refinance later once rates go back down. For sellers, they can expect their home to sit on the market a bit longer than we've gotten used to. The best strategy for this current market is to price competitively around market value and make price reductions when necessary. For any sellers worried that home values have gone down, they are still higher than anytime in history prior to 2022, so they most likely still have a good amount of equity in their homes.

Congrats Ian and Kevin!

What I’m Reading

Last month, I finished this mind-blowing book about redefining what’s possible. James Lawrence AKA the "Iron Cowboy" completed 50 Ironman Triathlons in 50 Days in 50 States. Quite possibly the craziest fitness achievement EVER. This book documents his journey throughout the 50 days, his daily struggles, and lessons learned. Highly recommend it to anyone interested in fitness, mindset, personal development, etc. There’s also a documentary that’s definitely worth a watch!

Wrapping up Summer 2022