Put on your dancing shoes & follow my lead!

Dancing is my passion. I have loved dancing since I was very young. I remember my aunt teaching me the hula dance when I was about 6 or 7 yrs old. A year or two later, I took a summer hula class and performed on stage. Wow! I loved it. 

In high school there was a group of girls that took dance and I would watch their rehearsals, remember the steps then go home and try to do the dance. Because my parents could not afford to send me to dance classes, I just spent time watching and immitating. 

When I got to college, I auditioned for the University Dance Troup and was accepted. That was the beginning of my "dance fever". I tried to learn as much as I could and loved performing on stage.

Dancing took the back burner as I started a family. It was not until about 5 years ago when I got back into dance. My daughter Eliza introduced me to a Salsa Rueda dance studio in Portland. Dancing soon became a big part of my life again. Not only is it a great way to stay active and fit, but it also reduces stress and keeps me happy. For the past couple of years I have been teaching at this Salsa studio on Friday nights. I always have free passes, so feel free to call or e-mail me and I can mail some to you so you can try it for free on your first visit.

This year I will be hosting my 2nd Annual Fiesta and towards the end of the night I'll be teaching SALSA! With good food, music, and dancing, this is a fun-filled opportunity for me to stay in touch with my past clients and friends. 

I always enjoy the opportunity to show my appreciation to those who have supported me over the past several years. The Real Estate business has been hit hard the past few years and without the encouragement and moral support from friends, family, and past clients, the hardships would have felt much heavier. This annual event is my way of saying "Thank You" for all your continued support. And who knows? Maybe you, too, will develop a shared passion for dancing.

At Risk of Missing a Mortgage Payment?

Over the last few months I have visited and talked to several past clients and referrals about the hardships that they are facing and the possibility of them losing their home. When the economy drops it brings other issues into peoples lives: illness, loss of jobs, separation, etc. I wish my visits were under better circumstances. I can't help much except to offer my time and support for what you are going through. And when it comes to options about your home, I can certainly offer my professional opinion.

 

I decided to write this after finding out from a past client that the bank foreclosed on their home. They were too embarrassed to call me to seek advice when they missed their first mortgage payment. They didn't know what options were available to them and decided to just give the house back to the bank. The sad thing is, they actually had equity in that home--About $60,000 in equity. Money that they certainly would have not all lost if they knew what steps to take to protect it.

 

When faced with the possibility of losing your home, please call me. There are several options to consider. Don't wait until after you have missed a payment. Call me when you think you may miss a payment. This will give you some time to consider the options and make a decision. We may not be able to save your home but we can certainly find ways to help reduce the waiting period for you to get another home in the future.

 

I'm here to help! (503) 310-4612

Renew, Energize and Donate!

Keller Williams Realty's RED Day (Renew, Energize and Donate) comes but once a year, but the support provided by our KW team shines through all year long! 

This year's RED Day was another example of how committed we are to helping our community and each other. We currently have 55 agents in our Sunset Corridor office and 65 people showed up to help!

Click HERE to watch this year's Red Day video.

What a GREAT DAY for an Easter Egg Hunt!

Thank you SUNSHINE! Last Saturday I hosted my 12^th Annual Easter Egg Hunts. Over 24 families came to my 11am egg hunt at Reedville Creek Park in Hillsboro, and over 14 families came to my 2 pm egg hunt at Cooper Mountain Elementary School in Beaverton. 

The beautifully sunny day made this year's egg hunts a lot less muddy, a little more crowded, and a lot more fun! Even the Easter Bunny came to celebrate and take photos with the children. (Thank you to the loving and gentle Easter Bunny for helping out and giving lots of hugs that day). 

Reedville Creek Park

I had a blast, as usual, talking to the parents and entertaining the kids with relay races and raffling off prizes and Easter Baskets. This year, the baskets were donated by Travis Neliton of Mortgage Express, Mary Labs of Academy Mortgage, Jim Merritt of Big Jim’s Home Repair and Brad Martin of Martin Glass.

I also took the opportunity to get the word out about the upcoming volunteer opportunity: RED DAY (on Thursday, May 12th). Click here to learn more

I started the Annual Egg Hunt 12 years ago to provide an enjoyable and safe place for children. We have grown from filling 300 plastic eggs to filling 1,500 (not to mention re-filling some between egg hunts). It gives me so much pleasure to meet past clients and their families and to mingle and play with the kids. Those who know me will attest to the fact that I LOVE children. The egg hunt gives me an opportunity to be around them….LOTS of them.

Cooper Mountain Elementary School

For those who have attended in the past, thank you. For those who have not, I hope that you would consider coming. I will continue this event no matter what the weather. So bring your friends and neighbors and enjoy an hour with me!

P.S. Special THANK YOU to Travis, his wife Charity and their daughter Carmen for helping me with the set-up, as well as my daughter Jennifer, her husband Chris, my son Danzel, and everyone else who helped fill the eggs with candy this year.

I'm a FIVE STAR Real Estate Agent for 2011 - THANK YOU!

I’m proud to tell you that because of your feedback I’ve been named as a FIVE STAR  Real Estate Agent for Overall Satisfaction! Recent homebuyers were asked to evaluate Real Estate Agents whom they have recently worked with and rate them based upon nine criteria:

• Customer Service
• Integrity
• Market Knowledge
• Communication
• Negotiation
• Closing Preparation
• Finds the right home
• Marketing of the home
• OVERALL SATISFACTION

CLICK HERE to read a copy of the article as seen in the April issue of Portland Monthly magazine.

My little KW mascot

My dad was recently visiting us from the Philippines, and as usual, we had Family Portraits Day! We set up the "studio" in my living room and had my son's dog, Pangit (meaning "Ugly" in Tagalog, the Philippine language), pose as the test subject. Here he is as the handsome Keller Williams mascot!

TIME-TRAVELING SONGS

I remember as a very young child watching an old movie about a woman who went through events in her life. In every chapter of the film a song from the woman’s record player would bring her back to those events, both good and bad.

Thinking back to this movie is a strange thing for me. To this day, I also find myself brought back to my past when I hear certain songs. The emotions, the smells, and the surroundings come alive all over again as if I traveled through a time machine—at least for the short 3–5 minutes while the song is playing. For instance, I listened to a lot of Vivaldi and Mozart as I rocked my babies—the music brings back warmth to my soul.

I have told my family if I ever get amnesia, or lose my memory like my paternal grandmother did to Dementia, they should play those songs for me because I know that I will find a way to "come back" to them.

Songs are wonderful. They speak for us when we can't seem to find the words to express our feelings. Songs encourage us, give us hope, and so much more. Below are a few of my time-traveling songs:

Somewhere My Love (at 6-7 yrs old, my maternal grandmother would always stand behind me and hum the tune as I played the piano for her)

Four Seasons by Vivaldi (quiet afternoon rocking my baby)

What a Wonderful World by Louie Armstrong

Will You Still Love Me  by Chicago

Wind Beneath my Wings by Bette Midler (played this song a lot when we moved from San Diego to Oregon

Let It Be by the Beatles

Ain't No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

No Matter What, I'm Gonna Love You by Kerrie Roberts

Stranger on the Shore by Kenny G

And my newest addition, A song (prayer) of hope and trust:
Jesus, Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood

What are the songs that take you back to a certain time, memory, or feeling?