Seattle 10K Dirty Dash July 9, 2011

The Dirty Dash 10K mud run on Saturday, July 9 at PGP Motorsports Park in Kent $50. The race begins at 9 a.m..
The Dirty Dash fuses muck with mettle in a muddy 6.2-mile run speckled with slatternly obstacles. Seasoned sprinters and rookie runners will traverse walls, scale viscous mountains of goop, and launch down a muddy slop n' slide in an experience akin to bodysurfing through one of Paul Bunyan's crud-caked boot grooves. Run alone or in a team in this anything-goes competition that celebrates defilement, speed, and community. After the race, Dash officials will hand out awards for numerous categories, such as the dirty 'stache award, cleanest-name award, and filthiest-family award.
The parking lot opens at 7 a.m. so runners can stretch, relax, or practice mud-puddle backstroking before the competition. A portion of the proceeds from the Dash go toward organizations, including The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and spectators can purchase water balloons to financially support a charity before pelting mud-covered participants. Runners should bring a towel and a bag for dirty clothes and shoes, you don't want to worry about sullying pristine car seats or leaving a trail of glop behind them as they levitate home.

Easy Tips to Help Keep Your Home Well Maintained

The last thing you want to do on a gorgeous weekend is to be working around the house. Wouldn’t you much rather be at the beach or spending a day at the park with your family?
Here are a few simple tips that will keep your repair costs down and keep your home in good health:
1. Clean your gutters and ensure downspouts drain away from the foundation of your home. If the gutters are blocked, they will hold water which will back up and cause damage to your roof or walls.
2. Examine your roof from the ground with binoculars. Check vents, trim tree branches from around the roofline, take away any debris and mend as needed.
3. Check toilets for leaks. Examine and flush the water heater. Get rid of accumulated mineral deposits from shower heads by soaking or scrubbing with white vinegar.
4. Check and replace your air conditioning/furnace filter as needed. Also, check for vines, and trim trees and shrubs that are growing near the air conditioning unit. Check windows and doorframes to ensure there are no openings which would reduce the efficiency of your air conditioner.
5. Fix the cracks in your walkway and driveway with concrete caulk or concrete patch. Repair or replace broken fences or gates. Check exterior walls for cracks, splits or weathering. Clear the yard of any debris which could damage the underlying grass.
6. Detach and clean pop-up sink drain plugs. Examine grout and caulk around sinks, tubs, showers and windows.
7. Examine and clean your fireplace and/or wood-burning stove and flue.
8. Replace batteries in smoke detectors and make sure they are working properly.
9. Mend or replace damaged window screens and weather stripping.
10. Insulate any exposed outdoor pipes.
Have your carpets, upholstery and window treatments cleaned frequently (once every 12 to 18 months) to get rid of the grime and grit that can wear them out prematurely. If family members experience excessive incidents of respiratory infections, asthma or allergies, consider having the air ducts in your home cleaned. If there is noticeable mold growth on ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling system, the ducts may be infested with insects or rodents.
When it comes to home maintenance, being proactive is the name of the game. Keeping an eye on things when you’re not too busy before it’s too late will help you avoid things from getting out of hand. This way, you’ll be free to enjoy time having fun instead of getting caught in a last minute emergency repair.
I pull out all the stops to sell your home.
Lonnie Snyder
REALTOR ®
Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound
Phone: 206-406-2710
Lonnie Snyder is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Washington's Kent, Renton, Newcastle and South Bellevue.

Finding Your Dream Home the Easy Way

Although looking for a new home can be an exciting adventure, it can also be a time of stress. Doing your research early and planning well ahead of time can help make this a fun experience. Here are some points to keep in mind:

1. Make a list of the features your next home must have, what you would it like to have and what’s not important to you. It’s important to spend time getting acquainted with the different types of homes on the market. This way you’ll have the confidence needed to move quickly when your dream homes comes on the market.

2. Know the answers to these questions:

• What style of home do you prefer?
• What are the minimum number of bedrooms and bathrooms?
• What’s more important: the type of home or the location?
• How long are you planning to live in the home?
• Does the house have to be in ‘move in’ condition or are you prepared to fix it up?
• Are the schools in the area important to you?
• Are there features you can’t live without? ie. main floor laundry, central air, etc.
• How flexible are you? If you want a double car garage and you find a home that’s perfect in every other way, can you live with a single car garage?

3. Make sure you’re pre-qualified by a mortgage broker to determine the maximum price you can pay for a home. Also figure out much money you’ll need to have left for other expenses such as legal fees and any work you may want to do on the home.

4. Determine how important location is to you. Some people want to be closer to their work or their families. View different areas and find out what amenities are in each area. If you have or are planning on having children, compare the different local schools to one another.

5. If you like a certain area, note the value of other homes nearby. It’s best if the house is equal to or less than others in the area. If the home you like is considerably more expensive than others on the street it may be more difficult to sell in the future.

6. When it comes to deciding between older vs. newer homes, you may have a fixed idea of what you prefer but make sure you know the pros and cons of each. Older homes may have lots of character and enjoy a prime location but often require more maintenance and are less efficient. Newer homes on the other hand are designed for today’s family with functionality in mind. On the downside, they’re often located in unestablished areas with ongoing construction.

7. When you view a home, don’t be put off if that orange shag carpet isn’t for you! The key here is to visualize the place with your furniture and decor choice. If for example they have more stylish, expensive furniture just ignore it because the room won’t look the same with your yours in it. If you’re willing to paint and/or re-carpet, try to visualize what the room would look like with your decor and furniture.

Finding your dream home can be frustrating but I’ve come up with a system that makes it fun and easy! Simply visit my website to let me know what you’re looking for in a home and I’ll email you full MLS updates of homes matching your criteria as soon as they hit the market! This is a free service and there’s no obligation. Now you’re able to sit back and enjoy the process instead of worrying about missing out on your dream home.

I pull out all the stops to sell your home.

Lonnie Snyder
REALTOR ®
Keller Williams Realty Southeast Sound
Phone: 206-406-2710


Lonnie Snyder is a full time real estate agent and REALTOR® with Keller Williams Realty specializing in Residential Real Estate for buyers and sellers in Washington's Kent, Renton, Newcastle and South Bellevue.