Living • May 15, 2014

Home Security Systems: Protecting the People and Things You Value the Most

by Windermere Staff

Home Security Systems: Protecting the People and Things You Value the Most

With warmer weather come open windows and extended vacations, so it should come as no surprise that the highest percentage of home burglaries happen during the summer months. With that in mind, now is a good time to start thinking about the security of your home. From old-school security tricks to new digital home monitoring tools, there are many options when it comes to keeping our homes safe. Read on to learn more about how you can modify your home and keep it safe from intruders.

Security bars and gates:

Sometimes the simplest security is just deterring people from trying to get in. While security bars across windows are a great way to keep intruders out of your home, they can be a real eyesore. Luckily, there are now options for decorative security bars that simultaneously protect your home while enhancing its beauty.

Upgrade you locks:

A poorly installed deadbolt can make it easy for an intruder to kick in your door. Start by making sure that your doorframes are in good condition and then look into getting a higher quality deadbolt. You’ll find everything from classic models with keys, or digital options that require passcodes or a fingerprint.

It’s also a good idea check all the locks on your windows. Some older models are easy to jimmy open with a little wiggling. For ground floor windows, you may want to consider double locks. It goes without saying, leaving windows open during the summer is a bad idea – especially those that can be easily accessed.

Exterior and interior home lighting:

Having your exterior lights on timers or motion sensors is a good way to deter nighttime snoopers. Add sensor lights to key entry points on your home, including the front door, back door, and/or basement entries. If you have an unused side yard, consider lighting there too. Keeping your home lit makes unwanted visitors weary of being seen.

If you will be gone from your home for an extended period of time, consider using timed lighting options in your home to make it appear someone is around. You can select timers for bedrooms or living areas. Also, you can program a radio to turn on and off for sound.

Alarm systems:

If you are considering an alarm, you have an array of options that vary from self-install motion detection kits to full-service home security systems. If you choose to do-it-yourself, you will want to install motion detectors on doors and windows – especially those that can be easily accessed on the ground floor. In most cases, these kits also offer a 24 hour call service for an extra fee.

Full-service security systems can include everything from an alarm system and panic buttons to and integration with your smoke detectors/ fire prevention system. These services are expensive up front, but usually have a reasonable monthly rate. And keep in mind, having a home security system installed can also reduce your insurance rates.

If installing an alarm system is cost-prohibitive or does not fit your lifestyle, consider purchasing stickers and a sign that state that your home is monitored by a trusted security system, and place them so they are visible at every entrance.

Security cameras:

Security cameras are readily available for home installation. You can install these in prominently viewed places to deter burglars. There are do-it-yourself install options, and professional systems that come along with monitoring services. There are even options that will work with your smart phone. If the cost for security cameras is too steep for your budget, you can purchase fake cameras to act as a visible deterrent for intruders.

Build your community:

Programs like Neighborhood Watch are very successful in some communities, by creating an environment where everyone is looking out for each other. Building close-knit relationships with your neighbors can go a long way in making you feel safe at home. Whether this is through a formalized program, or a shared agreement with your community, developing relationships with your neighbors is a great way to keep your home safe.

Sometimes the best part of security systems is the peace of mind that comes with knowing your home is protected. Many of our personal items can be replaced thanks to homeowners insurance, but you cannot put a price on feeling safe at home. How do you keep your home safe?

More • May 6, 2014

GiveBIG to the Windermere Foundation on May 6!

by Christine Wood

This year, Windermere is participating in the fourth annual Seattle Foundation GiveBIG event! The Seattle Foundation's GiveBIG is a one-day, online charitable giving event to inspire people to give generously to nonprofit organizations who make our region a healthier and more vital place to live.

On Tuesday, May 6, from 12:00 am to 12:00 pm, a portion of each donation made on behalf of the Windermere Foundation through the Seattle Foundation website will be matched, allowing your donation to go even further towards helping our neighbors in need. All the money raised through the GiveBIG program will benefit nonprofits in the King County region, with specific emphasis on providing emergency services to low-income and homeless families.

On Tuesday, May 6, click the following link and make your donation http://www.seattlefoundation.org/npos/Pages/WindermereFoundation.aspx

This year’s GiveBIG theme honors the heroes in our community. Your support of the Windermere Foundation and GiveBIG makes you a hero to us and to all of the low-income and homeless families your donation will help.

More • May 2, 2014

Windermere Foundation “Agents of Change” newsletter

by Christine Wood

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Working together to change lives and renew hope in your community

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

You’re more than
a good samaritan;
you’re a HERO!

From Christine Wood
Executive Director

I’ll bet you didn’t know this but in my book, YOU ARE MY HERO!

When you give to the Windermere Foundation, you make a dramatic difference in the lives of so many hurting people. Men, women, teens and even families who are barely hanging on are finding hope — and it’s all because your kindness is giving them the strength and courage to move their lives forward.

We created this newsletter, Agents of Change, because we wanted you to know how much good your generosity is doing.

As you read the stories of David and Allison, Josh, Heidi Leineweber, and Consuelo and her family, please know that it is your giving that has rescued them from the point of desperation to where they now can see a future filled with positives.

In some circles, that would qualify you as a good samaritan. But to me you’re more than that. You have done something heroic. In the face of incredible odds, you have stepped up because you care about people, and your community.

Thank you!

Christine Wood
Executive Director

You've got the power!

Your help with their utility bills was a life-saver for this family

Life can be overwhleming for young families, particularly when the unexpected happens. Thank goodness for generous people like you who are always ready to come to their rescue.

Many low-income families are just one emergency from financial ruin.

That's where David and Allison found themselves after complications from the birth of their second child forced Allison to take six weeks off of work without pay.

Even before the birth of their son, this hard-working young couple was barely making it from one month to the next. Then their little boy was born with a congenital heart defect, and a routine two-day hospital stay turned into six weeks in intensive care.

Without two incomes, David and Allison quickly fell behind on their bills and got a notice from the power company that their electricity was about to be turned off.

Making the shut-office notice doubly serious: their newborn required around-the-clock monitoring on several pieces of home medical equipment — including an energy-draining infant oxygen machine.

For a while, all seemed lost. Then you came through and, with the help of other caring friends, helped this family catch up with their electric bill, which by that time had climbed to almost $600.

Eighteen months later, we’re happy to report that the family is doing better, and their young son no longer requires around-the-clock monitoring. “He’s a fun little guy,” his mother beams.

It wasn’t so long ago that this family was facing the real possibility of losing their electricity and ending up on the streets. But your kindness rescued them just in the nick of time.

Thank you for using your compassion to light up their world!

Reporting from SEATTLE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Drugs lost their stranglehold on Josh, thanks to you

One smart move led to a brand new life

Josh needed a new beginning.

Only 18, he was already hooked on heroin and crystal meth. He tried going through rehabilitation in Utah but sobriety proved elusive. That’s when he headed for Las Vegas in search of a new start — and was introduced to the organization Street Teens.

Homeless and addicted, Josh knew he didn’t have many options. So he swallowed his pride, asked for help, and got it, thanks to you and our community partners in southern Nevada.

The first thing Street Teens did for Josh was get him off the streets. Once he knew he had three nutritious meals a day and a safe place to sleep at night, he turned his attention to going back to school and finding steady work.

Today, Josh has a part-time job, is a full-time student and, perhaps most important, is taking back control of his life.

Because you made his success possible, Josh wants you to know,

“I will never forget you. The love and support you gave me will forever stay in my heart.”

It’s because of your generosity that Josh is living drug-free, and care-free. Isn’t it amazing the difference your kindness makes?

Reporting from STREET TEENS, Las Vegas, Nevada

Without your support, these students’ hands-on cooking class would have been eliminated.

How you became this teacher's best friend

Heidi Leineweber is a school teacher who’s not afraid of a fight…at least when that fight has to do with the education her students receive.

For Leineweber, who is constantly faced with dwindling school budgets, it’s not about cutting the core classes like math, English and science. It’s more about how to keep important electives that give kids real-world experience, like food programs and auto and metal shop.

“Hands-on learning is one of the most effective methods of teaching,” Leineweber says.

“For many vulnerable children, these classes provide skills they’ll carry with them throughout their lifetime.”

That’s one reason why Leineweber is so excited about the support you have offered her students at Franklin High School in Portland. Because of you, classes like her popular food program are not only off the chopping block, but thriving.

“Together, we are keeping children in school where they belong, we are continuing to raise the graduation rate, and we are developing children to be confident, self-reliant, and ready to tackle life in this ever-changing century we live in.”

The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow. And because of your generosity, they’re being equipped to face the challenges of the future head-on, in both creative and innovative ways.

Thank you for strengthening families, and showing them a future that can be filled with hope.

Reporting from FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOL, Portland, Oregon

You came to their rescue … and turned this family’s despair into joy.

Last Christmas, Consuelo and her kids found a new holiday hero: YOU!

Imagine how difficult it would be if you couldn’t provide Christmas presents for your kids. On top of that, imagine not having anyplace to stay, and facing the real possibility of your family spending Christmas Eve in your car with four kids squeezed into the back seat.

That was the horrible prospect Consuelo and her husband, Carlos, were facing last December…until you came to their rescue and turned this family’s despair into joy, just in time for Christmas morning!

Your kindness not only provided them with a week’s stay at a local motel — so they had a warm, dry place to enjoy the holidays — but also armloads of toys for the kids.

Consuelo and Carlos have now gone back to work and are supporting themselves. But they will always remember Christmas 2013. Because what could have been a disaster turned out to be a celebration they’ll never forget. All because of your compassion.

Reporting from THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN’S FUND, Mount Vernon, Washington

You make your community a better place to live with each contribution.

Click here to DONATE to help low-income homeless families by providing shelter, clothing, children's programs, emergency assistance, and other life-changing help.

More • April 30, 2014

The Windermere Cup: a Celebration of Community and Sport

by Jill Jacobi Wood, OB Jacobi & Geoff Wood

Saturday, May 3, marks the twenty-eighth anniversary of an event that is a touchstone for our company, the University of Washington, and the Seattle Yacht Club. The Windermere Cup, held annually on the first day of boating season, is both an international sporting event and an opening day celebration, followed by the world’s largest boat parade. But more than that, it’s a celebration of camaraderie, teamwork, and a commitment to excellence.

The camaraderie is everywhere you look: on the banks of the Montlake Cut, where Seattle residents and visitors from around the world flock to the University of Washington campus; and on the water, where great athletes join together to do what none of them could do individually. Thousands of people coming together for a common cause. That, in and of itself, is powerful stuff.

But what we find most remarkable about this sport is the teamwork. Though it may look easy from the sidelines, rowing is a physically demanding full-body sport. Rowers practice long hours, starting before dawn and ending after sunset, both on the water and in the gym. As Daniel James Brown points out in the book, The Boys in the Boat, “Rowing is perhaps the toughest of sports. Once the race starts, there are no time-outs, no substitutions. It calls upon the limits of human endurance.”

A crew boat can only race if all eight members plus the coxswain show up, and they can only perform as well as the weakest among them. There are no superstars in crew. It’s one for all, and all for one. So they leave their personal issues at home and push themselves to the limit, every time, for the love of the team.

It’s that commitment to excellence, seen on the face of every rower on every shell at the Windermere Cup that makes us proud to sponsor this event each year. It reminds us of our own guiding principles at Windermere: strong relationships built on trust, goodwill, and mutual respect; a spirit of teamwork that makes us more successful as a whole than we are individually; and a ceaseless commitment to excellence and unparalleled service.

It’s truly a great tradition to be a part of.

This year the UW Huskies will take on Great Britain’s World Champion team on Saturday, May 3. For more information, go to www.WindermereCup.com. You can follow all of the events on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WindermereCup or twitter at www.twitter.com/WindermereCup.

Living • April 25, 2014

2014 Spring Home Trends

by Windermere Staff

Throw open the windows and freshen up your space with some of these fun spring and summer design trends!

Decorative walls:

Whether you add a new bright color, paint a pattern, or install decorative wallpaper, creative walls are an easy and exciting way to enhance your space.

Decorative ceilings:

Freshen up your space with the unexpected. Install decorative tiles, wallpaper, or paint the ceiling a different color. Or think outside the box and add sculptural elements.

Brightly painted furniture:

Color is big this season! If you cannot paint your walls or ceiling, add a pop of color by choosing some statement furniture pieces to add color and interest to your room.

Customized stairs:

Put some pep in your steps with these creative ideas.

Glamorous tiles:

Over the last few years, tile has really become a fashion item for the home. Check out these styles when considering a backsplash or a bathroom renovation.

Gallery walls:

If you don’t have large statement art to fill a blank wall, consider curating your own gallery wall. You can alter the look for a modern space with uniform frames and images, or you can go eclectic with mixed frames and art styles.

For more ideas on enhancing your space, check out our Pinterest board or follow us at www.pinterest.com/windermerere

Buying • Design • April 18, 2014

Tiny Homes Promote Quality over Quantity

by Guest Author

Are you fascinated about downsizing? Do you love small places? Does a simple and serene ambiance sound like music to your ears? Then hop on the bandwagon and get yourself a ‘tiny house’ because we all know the best things come in small packages.

What’s a tiny house? Tiny houses have recently hit the real estate market by storm. The to-go models typically range from 100-175 square feet, while the larger, more permanent cottage styles are usually around 250 to 500 square feet. With a multitude of floor plan choices that include full kitchens and bathrooms, heating, AC, and a reasonable range of prices, a tiny house couldn’t be more practical.

What tiny house are you? The best part about tiny homes is that you get to pick whichever one compliments your lifestyle and needs the most. Are you more of a beach house or cabin in the woods type of person? What about a pool house for your backyard or an art or yoga studio? Or maybe you’re guilty of always wishing there was somewhere else for your mother-in-law to stay while she’s in town. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something less permanent, then a to-go model might be more your speed. You can grab your house whenever you are feeling an itch of wanderlust and head out on the open road. You can park it near the coast or somewhere concealed for a relaxing and quiet weekend. If being on the water is more your thing, there are even tiny floating homes.

Who owns one? The small, but rapidly growing number of tiny house homeowners can be found all over the country. People are shedding their square footage and downsizing from coast to coast. In 2013, the tiny home movement saw 2,600 residents, while 2014 currently has about 4,000 residents and growing. People are joining the tiny house movement for various reasons. Some want to downsize due to environmental or financial concerns, others are looking for more time and freedom in their lives. Having tiny homes encourages people to live beyond their own walls and spend more time in the outdoors and their community. Tiny homes have redefined the American dream by promoting quality over quantity.

If you think you might want a tiny house as your primary home, the only sacrifice is space; the gains however, are countless. Tiny homes come in all shapes and sizes and can be modern, minimal, or luxurious. These tiny homes are a fun and exciting endeavor to which you can easily add your own flavor. And because you can get a prefab tiny home delivered right to your door, the home buying process is as simple as the homes themselves.

If you want to check out more house styles you can visit our Tiny House page on Pinterest.

More • April 8, 2014

The Winners of the Windermere Charity Challenge are..

by Windermere Staff

We would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who participated in the Windermere Foundation Charity Challenge! We had high expectations for this event, but were amazed by the more than 78,500 votes that were cast over the past three weeks.

So, without further ado, here are the winners of the Windermere Foundation Charity Challenge:

Western Washington: Hand-in-Hand with 50.8% of the votes

Southwest Washington & Oregon: Friends of Children of Portland with 44.4%

Eastern Washington, Idaho & Montana: Family Promise of Spokane with 35.6%

California & Hawaii: Boys and Girls Club of El Sobrante with 45.7%

Arizona, Utah & Nevada: Yavapai CASA for Kids, Inc. with 45%

Each of these organizations will receive $25,000, for a total donation of $125,000 from the Windermere Foundation. We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the Windermere Foundation’s 25^th anniversary and all that our agents and non-profit partners do to support our neighbors in need.

More • March 24, 2014

Windermere Foundation 25th Anniversary Charity Challenge

by Windermere Foundation

Last week we announced the start of the Windermere Foundation 25^th Anniversary Charity Challenge and we couldn’t be more excited by the results! Almost 19,000 people have voted to help determine which five organizations will each win a $25,000 donation from the Windermere Foundation.

Leading up to the Charity Challenge, we asked Windermere offices to suggest non-profit organizations to compete in the Charity Challenge and received more than 150 nominations! Choosing the finalists was no easy task, but we feel confident that the non-profits we selected most closely align with the Windermere Foundation and its mission to support low-income and homeless families. The following information will help familiarize you with the organizations that are competing in the Charity Challenge. Remember, you can cast one vote every day until the Charity Challenge ends on April 4, 2014.

Windermere Foundation Charity Challenge Finalists:

WESTERN WASHINGTON

Kirkland Interfaith Transitions in Housing (KITH)

Since 1989, KITH has helped homeless and at-risk families in East King County, by providing transitional and permanent housing, case management, and support services that are designed to help them move out of homelessness.

Hand in Hand

Hand in Hand provides a safe place for children to stay, giving case workers the time needed to find the best-fitting foster home for each child so that they do not have to move from family to family.

Boys and Girls Club of North Kitsap/South Puget Sound

The Boys & Girls Club provides afterschool and athletics programs to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Funds will support programs and services for low-income families and children.

YouthCare

For 40 years, YouthCare has helped to build confidence and self-sufficiency for homeless youth in Seattle through programs that provide outreach, basic services, emergency shelter, housing, counseling, education, and employment training.

Northwest Harvest (Western Washington)

Northwest Harvest is a hunger relief agency whose mission is to provide nutritious food to hungry people in a manner that respects their dignity, while fighting to eliminate hunger. All funds donated to NW Harvest will go to the three-square backpack program; ensuring children have the food they need throughout the weekend.

OREGON & SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON

Corvallis Boys & Girls Club

The Boys & Girls Club of Corvallis provides afterschool and athletics programs to help school age youth reach their full potential as productive, responsible, caring citizens. Funds will support programs and services for low-income families and children.

Friends of the Children of Portland

Friends of the Children provide Portland’s most vulnerable children with intensive and long-term mentors. Mentors are full-time, paid professionals that take a preventive, early intervention approach that breaks the cycle of poverty and abuse by helping children in need overcome the many obstacles in their lives.

SideWalk of Thurston County

SideWalk is a volunteer operated organization on a mission to end homelessness. Through partnerships with local shelters and transitional housing programs in the area, they help place and screen applicants, with an eye on finding permanent solutions for as many people as possible.

Seashore Family Literacy Center

Seashore Family Literacy promotes education, community, health—and life literacy—through numerous programs, including youth and adult tutoring, parenting classes, after-school activities, summer camps, a clothing bank, free meals and more. All programs are free and Seashore operates almost entirely with volunteer efforts.

Family YMCA of Marion & Polk Counties

Strengthening community is their cause, with a focus on programs for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Funds will support programs and services for low-income families and children.

EASTERN WASHINGTON, IDAHO, & MONTANA

Family Promise of Greater Helena (Montana)

Family Promise® of Greater Helena provides support and resources to children and their families in a homeless situation until the family can regain sustainable independence. Families have a place to stay, home cooked meals, transportation, and an advocate to help them get back on their feet.

St. Vincent DePaul Transitional Housing (Coeur d’Alene, Idaho)

St. Vincent de Paul’s Transitional Housing Program provides both housing and supportive services to homeless individuals and families. Case managers work with the residents to help them move toward a long-term goal of self-sufficiency for themselves and their families.

Family Promise of Spokane

Family Promise works with homeless families to tailor individualized plans to help them take the necessary steps toward lasting independence. Guest families are hosted at congregations in Spokane’s network, where they are provided with meals, hospitality, and overnight accommodations for one week on a rotating basis.

Wenatchee Valley YMCA

The Wenatchee Valley YMCA provides programs and services for youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Funds will support programs and services for low-income families and children

Benton-Franklin Community Action Committee Housing Services (Tri-Cities)

BFCAC provides housing services to low-income and homeless families in Benton and Franklin Counties. Most programs are aimed to assist clients with their road to self-sufficiency.

CALIFORNIA & HAWAII

Boys and Girls Clubs of Maui (Hawaii)

The Boys & Girls Club of Maui provides afterschool and athletics programs to help school age youth reach their full potential as productive, responsible, caring citizens. Funds will support programs and services for low-income families and children.

The Boys & Girls Club of El Sobrante (California)

The Boys & Girls Club of El Sobrante provides afterschool and athletics programs to help school age youth reach their full potential as productive, responsible, caring citizens. Funds will support programs and services for low-income families and children.

The Community Resource Center in Encinitas (California)

CRC is dedicated to helping women and children, individuals, and families live safe, self-sufficient lives by providing critical assistance in the areas of domestic violence services, food programs, and emergency and transitional housing assistance.

Riverside School of the Arts (California)

The Riverside School of Arts in the Cesar Chavez Community Center teaches kids music, dancing and art. A combination of grants and partnerships help fund the program, with mostly volunteer instructors and donated materials.

ARIZONA, UTAH, & NEVADA

Yavapai Casa for Kids (Arizona)

For over a decade, Yavapai CASA for Kids has helped provide for local children in foster care and support the work of CASA volunteers by offering special projects, activities and funding for the needs of children in Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and Dewey-Humboldt.

South Davis Community Hospital (Salt Lake City, Utah)

This specialty hospital offers expertise in complex pediatric and adult respiratory therapy services.

YMCA of Southern Nevada

The YMCA of Southern Nevada is committed to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility in Southern Nevada. Funds will support programs and services for low-income families and children.

Please vote for your favorite non-profit organizations! And remember, you can vote once a day, every day until the contest closes at 5pm on April 4, 2014.

VOTE HERE!

(Originally posted on the Windermere Foundation Blog)

More • March 17, 2014

Windermere Foundation Celebrates 25th Anniversary With “Charity Challenge”

by Shelley Rossi

Everyone around Windermere is a little excited right now. Why, you ask? Because we’re giving away $125,000 to some very worthy non-profit organizations!

But we need your help.

In honor of the Windermere Foundation’s 25th anniversary, we’re holding a “charity challenge”. Between March 17 and April 4, 21 non-profit organizations throughout the Western United States will compete for $25,000. At the end of the charity challenge, the five non-profits who earn the most votes, will each receive $25,000 from the Windermere Foundation – for a grand total of $125,000!

YOU have the power to decide who will win!

The 21 competing non-profits were nominated by Windermere office owners and managers, and all reflect the Windermere Foundation’s mission to provide support and services to low-income and homeless families. To see which non-profits are competing in your community, go to the Windermere Real Estate Facebook page. From there, you can also vote for the one you feel is most deserving of $25,000. You can vote up to once a day for the duration of the contest. And please encourage your friends and family to vote too! This is truly a community effort.

For the past 25 years, the Windermere Foundation has donated a portion of the proceeds from every home purchased or sold through Windermere towards supporting low-income and homeless families. During this time, we’ve raised more than $26 million for programs and organizations that provide shelter, clothing, children’s programs, emergency assistance, and other services to those in need.

Your efforts have the power to make a huge difference for our neighbors in need and the non-profit organizations that support them. Please help us by going online and voting for your favorite non-profit today! And tomorrow. And the next day…you get the idea.

Vote Now!

More • March 14, 2014

Supporting programs that help low-income and homeless families for over 25 years.

by Marilou Ubungen

Since 1989, the Windermere Foundation has raised over $26 million for programs and organizations that provide shelter, clothing, children’s programs, emergency assistance, and other services to those who need our help the most.

The YMCA is among the many organizations that the Windermere Foundation has supported, donating funds over the years towards tuition-assistance for low-income children to attend quality after-school enrichment programs and summer camp activities.

On February 28, four YMCA youth participated in the annual Husky Hoops free-throw fundraiser, at the University of Washington vs. Washington State men’s basketball game. The Foundation donated $100 for each free-throw that was made during the special half-time event, with a minimum $1,000 donation. The University Family YMCA received $1,000 from the half-time event.

University of Washington women’s basketball alumni, 2004 Husky Hall of Fame inductee, and Windermere Real Estate agent Rhonda Smith, also provided a radio interview during half-time.

The YMCA youth enjoyed watching the game and had photo opportunities with the Husky’s mascots and also former University of Washington alumni and men’s professional basketball player Brandon Roy.