North Idaho Janna

Coeur d'Alene Lake Bank Repo REO Success Story!

On Labor Day I received a call from a wonderful family who wanted to look at a couple of bank repo homes for sale on Coeur d'Alene Lake.  They had decided the timing was right to purchase a vacation home on Coeur d'Alene Lake and it was my privilege to assist them in getting a great value on a stellar property.  Inventory is high and buyers are scarce.  There has NEVER been a better time than right now to be a buyer on Coeur d'Alene Lake!

This has been a long distance closing, they live out of state and I am in Colorado at the moment on a working vacation with my son's family.  The call just came in that the transaction has funded and has been recorded.  We're closed! No Success Story photo with my smiling clients this time, but imagine the photo ops this summer as they park their boat outside their back door or spend time on the private Captain Kidd Association sandy beach.  Or spend evenings watching the twinkling lights at the Coeur d'Alene Resort across the bay. 

The home they chose is a charming A-frame on a peninsula with three other homes, in Kidd Island Bay.  It's a 1,938 square foot two story with an attached double garage and water frontage in front AND back!  It was last purchased in 2006 for $575,000.  It had been listed for a time as a short sale at $450,000.  When we made our offer it was an REO that had recently been reduced to just under $400,000.  We negotiated for a few weeks, and in the end they are getting a true SCREAMING DEAL on a stellar Coeur d'Alene Lake waterfront home for $340,000!  Congratulations Jack and Gayle! 

THIS is the best part of my job!

Click here if you would like to take a look at ALL waterfront homes for sale on Coeur d'Alene Lake.  You'll find details, photos and other information that has been uploaded by the listing agents.  This link will remain active for 30 days and will be updated daily.  Give me a call if you would like to see any of them and create your own Coeur d'alene Lake waterfront Success Story!

Click here if you would like to take a look at all Kootenai County bank repos (Called REOs for Real Estate Owned which is a line item on the banks balance sheet).  This link will also remain active for 30 days and be updated daily.  Give me a call if you would like a personal tour of REO homes in Kootenai County.  The best REO homes don't last long, so if you are sitting on the fence, it's time to hop down!

My son took this picture this morning  in downtown
Coeur d'Alene for a school photography project.  I got a big kick out of it.  I have had days that feel like this! I think we all have.  Dreary days of indecision.  Days where no matter how determined we are to stay positive, we just can't seem to find that silver lining. 

Sometimes, we all come to a fork in the road of our lives where none of our options appear to be good ones.  Especially when circumstances beyond our control seem to be forcing us down a road we don't want to travel.

If you find
yourself wondering which way to turn for sound real estate advice, please give me a call.  Sometimes just talking about it can bring a better course of action into focus. 

Coeur d'Alene Short Sale Q&A ~ Can I short sale my house to avoid foreclosure if I have an IRS tax lien?

I received this question from someone who was trying to decide what their best course of action was to avoid foreclosure:

Our small business failed and as a result we had a lot of business bills that we were personally responsible for.  Now we have an IRS tax lien and a judgment filed against our house.  We can't afford to pay those debts off right now.  We owe more than our house is worth.  Is short selling our house to avoid foreclosure even an option?   

First of all, let me say that I am not an attorney and can't give legal advice.  But I can tell you what has been my experience with this situation.

In general, creditors who have placed a lien against your home will release that lien to allow your short sale to go through with the stipulation that YOU are not receiving any proceeds of the sale.  This even holds true for the IRS. 

The creditors place the lien on your home for the express purpose of being paid off with your equity if you sell your home before you have paid the debt.  If there is no equity above what you owe on your mortgage for them to claim, then it is fruitless for them.  They have no interest in blocking your sale just to be mean and vindictive.  Yes, even the IRS!

Each creditor will have to issue a release, and this will take some time and diligent effort to make happen.  A savvy Realtor working with a sharp escrow officer will be your best friends in this situation.

If you are short selling your home to avoid foreclosure, then you are unquestionably in a situation where you will not receive any proceeds from the sale.  This is the perfect environment for creditors to agree to release their liens.  This doesn't mean that you don't still owe them on the debt.  Just that you can short sell your home to avoid foreclosure. 

Please call me if you would like to discuss whether a short sale is a good option for you.  Knowledge is power! 

The Coeur d'Alene Tribe has received a $2 million federal stimulus grant to build 10 homes at the site of the old tribal headquarters on the southwest outskirts of Plummer.

The planned homes are to be for low-to moderate-income families and are expected to be constructed next year.

The Coeur d'Alene Tribal Housing Authority and the University of Idaho Bioregional Planning Program, which supports sustainable community development, designed the project, to be called The Gathering Place.

The first phase should be completed by the fall of 2010, and the tribe is seeking additional funds to build a second phase of 10 homes.  About 70 families are on the tribe's waiting list for affordable housing.

HUD awarded 50 grants totaling $100 million to American Indian tribes across the country.  The grants are intended to help tribes improve the quality of their housing stock, develop viable communities, promote energy efficiency, and create jobs, says HUD secretary Shaun Donovan.

The Homeowners Exemption has decreased from a maximum of $104,471 in 2009 to $101,153 in 2010.

  What is the Homeowners Exemption?

The Homeowners Exemption is an exemption provided by state law that saves property owners money on their property taxes.  The exemption deducts 1/2 of the assessed value of the building and up to one acre of land as the home site - up to the maximum of $101,153 or 50% whichever is less.  After the exemption is deducted from the assessed value of your home, the remaining value is what is taxed.

Who Qualifies?

A property owner who occupies the home as their primary residence and is an Idaho resident.

How do I qualify?

• You have a valid Idaho drivers license, if you drive.
• Your vehicle is licensed in Idaho, if you own a vehicle.
• You're a registered Idaho voter, if you vote.
• If you file income tax, at the appropriate time you file a full year Idaho resident income tax return.
• You reside in Idaho a majority of the year.

When do I file?

• On new construction the owner must apply within 30 days of purchase.
• On existing homes the deadline for applying is April 15 of the year that you occupied the home.

Where do I file?

The Homeowners Exemption Applications are available, and must be filed in the Assessor's office.  The Assessor's Office is located at 451 Government Way on the main floor of the Administration Building, next to the information desk.

Kootenai County Assessor's Office
Administration Building
451 Government Way
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
(208) 446-1513
bwilliams@kcgov.us

Looking for a SCREAMING DEAL on homes for sale in Coeur d'Alene???????????????????????????????? 

These homes are all priced to compete with the short sales.  There is no need for you to HOWL AT THE MOON!  SAVE YOURSELF from HEAD BANGING FRUSTRATION of waiting for months at the mercy of a loss mitigation departments.  These homes can close faster than you can say ABRACADBRA!

$175,000 ~ This charming house sits on the 6th fairway of Avondale Golf Course with 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths!  It's seen such a drastic price reduction that it's SCARY! It's the least expensive home on the cemetery golf course. Let this one get away and it may HAUNT YOU FOREVER!

$245,000 ~ No CREAKS in this lovely home that sits directly across from THE CEMETERY PARK!  5 bedrooms provide space for all your LITTLE GOBLINS and there are no neighbors in front or back to HAUNT YOU! I DOUBLE DARE YOU to find a better 5 bedroom house for the price! 

$165,000 ~ It's STARTLING to see a 4 bedroom home at this price!  The master is huge with a closet so big that you may never find the MISSING BODIES SOCKS!  Do the monster MONSTER MASH down the street to beautiful big SUNSHINE MEADOWS CEMETERY PARK!

$159,000 ~ STEAL this crypt home with a main floor master and three more bedrooms upstairs!  It's priced $40K less than he paid for it! Seller may be SCREAMING but you don't have to!  It comes with a Washer & Dryer to help you CLEAN UP THE EVIDENCE LAUNDRY!

No need to wait for a FULL MOON to give me a SHOUT!  These SCREAMING DEALS can close quickly.

If you are looking for a TREAT, take a look at these SCREAMING DEALS! 

All of these sellers have reduced their homes to be priced competitively with SHORT SALES - but what a TREAT it will be to NOT bring you MONTHS of HEAD BANGING UNCERTAINTY.  These homes can all close quickly!  No TRICKS or overwhelmed loss mitigation departments to SUCK THELIFE OUTA YOU for trying to get a good deal!

$175,000  This first house is absolutely charming and would be a perfect starter or retirement home.  Empty nesters or snowbirds who like to head south for the winter?  This home sits on the 6th Fairway of BEAUTIFUL AVONDALE GOLF COURSE!  It is the least expensive home on the golf course, and although compact, it has 3 bedrooms and two full baths!  Add a garden shed, heated and insulated garage and an RV parking pad.  WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU WAITING FOR?????????????????

Click here to see photos and details!

$245,000  If you need more bedrooms than a typical suburban home YOUR SEARCH IS OVER!  This BEAUTY has no BEASTLY price tag, the seller is selling for less than she paid BEFORE she finished the basement! That's enough to make anyone SCREAM!  FIVE BEDROOMS means there is a private HIDEOUT for all the little goblins!  This great home sits on almost a quarter acre and is directly across from a beautiful cemetery park!  No neighbors to HAUNT you directly out front, or out back!  I DOUBLE DARE YOU to find a better 5 bedroom home anywhere close to this price! 

Click here to see photos and details!

$165,000  HOLY SMOKE!  Here is a 4 bedroom house that is for sale for many thousands less than he paid for it!  No TERROR in this price tag!  The master bedroom is huge, with a closet so big you may never find the missing bodies sock! All four bedrooms are upstairs.  You can do the MONSTER MASH right on down the street to haunted BEAUTIFUL Sunshine Meadows Park.  No need to wait for a FULL MOON to STEAL THIS HOUSE!  Get moving today before someone BEATS YOU to it! 

More Pictures and details COMING SOON to www.JannaScharf.com!

$159,000  If you are looking for a main level master bedroom, HERE IT IS!  BOO!  This is a STARTLING PRICE for a great & nearly new 4 bedroom home in The Landings just a STONES THROW from a fabulous NEW CEMETERY PARK!  No HOWLING AT THE MOON in frustration trying to get a SCREAMING DEAL that can CLOSE QUICKLY!  Two full baths and three more bedrooms upstairs make this a real TREAT.  The washer and dryer are included to help you CLEAN UP THE EVIDENCE LAUNDRY!  Give me a SHOUT to get the ball rolling!

More Pictures and details COMNG SOON to www.JannaScharf.com!

Here are todays interest rates, which as you can see are AMAZING! 

Conforming (Up to 417K):
 
30 year - 4.875%
15 year - 4.375%
7/1 arm - 3.875%         *Rate is fixed for 7 years at 3.875%, pay 2 pts and get a 3.25% rate!
5/1 arm - 3.625%
 
* my favorite
 
 Jumbo programs($417K and up):
 
30 year - 5.625%
5/1 arm - 4.875%
  
FHA/VA:
 
30 year - 5.0%
15 year - 4.5%
5/1 Arm - 3.75%

Give me a call today for referal to some exceptional loan officers who can explain the different loan programs on the market today, and the requirements of each of them. 

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this is a GREAT time to be a buyer!

They've AGREED to it, but it still needs to pass a vote and get the President's signature...

USAToday is reporting that Senators agreed Wednesday to extend a popular tax credit for first-time home buyers and to offer a reduced credit to some repeat buyers.  Senators agreed to extend the existing tax credit for first-time home buyers while offering a reduced credit of up to $6,500 to repeat buyers who have owned their current homes for at least five years. They would have until the end of June to close on their new homes, according to a summary of the legislation being circulated among lawmakers.  The Commerce Department said Wednesday that new home sales fell 3.6% in September, and some industry representatives blamed uncertainty about the tax credit. The tax credits would be available to home buyers who sign sales agreements by the end of April.

House leaders have also said they support extending the tax credit for home buyers. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., has been negotiating for several weeks with Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., to craft an extended tax credit for homebuyers that would pass the Senate. Lawmakers didn't release a cost estimate for extending the tax credit, though similar proposals were projected to cost about $10 billion.

Industry representatives said uncertainty about the tax credit is hurting new home sales. September's decline was the first since March. It takes 45 days to 60 days to close on a house, making it unlikely a sale made today would be consummated by the end of November, said Lucien Salvant, spokesman for the National Association of Realtors. "Buyers right now have an incentive to hold off, not knowing whether the credit will be extended," Salvant said. About 1.4 million first-time homebuyers have qualified for the credit through August. The National Association of Realtors estimates that 350,000 of them would not have purchased their homes without the credit.

Do you know your neighbors?  I mean REALLY know your neighbors?

I'm blessed to live in a wonderful community that is postcard pretty, peaceful and relatively safe.  That being said, there are criminals amongst us, no matter where we live.  People who have, and would, do harm to us and ours.  Are you safe?  You have a right to know.

Life would be good if the dangerous and unsavory characters were readily apparent, if something about them made it obvious to us that danger was present so we would know to keep our distance and keep our guard up.

That is not the reality, but there is a site we can go to that will pull up a map of our neighborhood with homes of felons flagged.  It's felonspy.com.  Just enter your address and up pops your neighborhood map flagged with names, age of the felons and crimes committed.  I pulled up my own rural neighborhood and was surprised by the close proximity of 5 men from 22 to 45 who had been convicted of: attempted rape, 1st degree unlawful imprisonment, attempted sexual conduct with a child, and two convicted of aggravated sexual abuse.

Take a minute to check out your neighborhood, and then pass the link on to the people you love and care about.  

Today is a GOOD DAY! 

Back in June I received an email from a woman who had stumbled in cyberspace upon a story I had just posted to my blog.  It was about REALLY BAD photos I had just come across when doing a search of high end homes.  Those awful photos are a pet peeve of mine, they leave me scratching my head in amazement.  From time to time I post them on my blog so you can be amazed and astonished, too!   

In her email, Jennifer asked me if I could recommend a good real estate agent to sell her LOW end home, since I prefer HIGH end homes.  Holy Moses!  I quickly convinced her that I love to market homes of ANY price that are well cared for and priced correctly!  (ESPECIALLY in a market where 68% of homes sold last month were under $200K, and just 12% were above $300K...)

We set out on June 9 to get her cute-as-a-button 728 sq. ft. vintage home sold in time for her wedding in September.  Jen works from home and needs high speed internet.  Her fiance had a house and a job in the Silver Valley, without access to high speed internet.  Hmmm.  Each home was perfect for them as individuals, neither would work well for them as a couple. 

As cute as it is, and well maintained, Jen's house proved a challenge because it was so petite! As time passed and her Hawaiian wedding approached, Jen resigned herself to Plan B.  As it turned out, the day that Jen and John were saying their wedding vows beside the ocean, the offer came in.  I got to call her on the morning of her first day of married life to present the offer.  She countered via the fax machine at the library near the beach on Kauai.

This morning, I was privileged to witness Jen get her happy ending to homeownership as a single woman.  It's a new beginning for her and John as they begin their search for the perfect house for their life together.  Working with Jen has been the absolute bright spot in a long season full of distressed sellers and difficult transactions.  May she and John live happily ever after!

THIS is the best part of my job!

Today dawned in the pouring rain, a busy day and lots to do.  Tying up the last loose ends for a closing tomorrow, my buyer client asked me a question about the legal description.  Within the legal description for the home they are buying is this bracketed bit: [IN GOVT LT3]

She asked me what that meant, and I had no idea.  I made a call to my helpful friends at Pioneer Title for the answer.  When a section in a Land Survey System legal description (as in Section,Township, Range) isn't a full section for some reason, it is called a Government Lot for legal description purposes.  In our case, they are buying a home on the water, and the lake takes a bite out of a full section of land.  Therefore, it's not in Section 3, but rather in Government Lot 3. 

Fast forward to my soggy afternoon overseeing the lender ordered septic inspection for an out of state seller who had never lived in her house which was purchased as an investment.  Let me just interject here that I am a city girl, and until 14 months ago I practiced real estate in a city where we didn't use sections, townships and ranges in legal descriptions and septic tanks were few and far between.

I learned how to find a septic tank when no one knows where it is!  The friendly but wet and frustrated septic guy was finding it impossible to find the septic tank and I drove out to assist.  He needed access to the vacant house to flush a transmitter.  Huh?  He explained that he was going to flush a transmitter that would travel through the system and into the septic tank.  We then proceeded to wander through soggy hip-high weeds in the pouring rain with his big wand thing that reminded me of a metal detector.  He said it would signal when it was over the transmitter that he had just flushed.  He muttered something about hoping it wasn't under the big deck, and I said that would be a really stupid spot for someone to have put a septic tank, literally right outside the kitchen door. Well you guessed it.  He picked up his signal under the deck, directly beneath where the hot tub is sitting.

We didn't get the septic tank pumped and inspected today, but I learned a couple of random things in the rain that I never knew I didn't know! 

If you have a real estate related question, I would love to research the answer for you.  The only dumb question is one that's never asked! 

The tax credit deadline for first time homebuyers is rapidly approaching.  Although November 30 is the deadline to have closed on your home, it will take your lender at approximately 30 days to close your new mortgage.  Although it might be possible to find one that can close in less time, it's not likely.  Many lenders have announced that October 30 is their deadline to accept new loan applications to close in time for that November 30 deadline.

That means this last week of October is the last remaining narrow window of time to find your home, negotiate a purchase offer and start moving towards a closing! 

If you have been sitting on the fence, it's time to hop off and get moving! Give me a call and I will help you write your own success story to add to thousands of others who have made their dream of homeownership a reality with the help of Uncle Sam and his $8000 incentive!

News articles all over the web this past week have been illuminating a massive amount of fraud being committed in connection with the $8000 first time homebuyer tax credit that is scheduled to expire on November 30th.  I wonder how much effect this latest report by the treasury tax-oversight office will have on the intense lobbying efforts to have the tax credit extended.

According to Treasury oversight officials, in addition to those 19,000 filers, who have already received the $8000, there are an additional 74,000 tax-credit claims, valued at $500 million, where evidence of previous home ownership could make their claims invalid. 

The tax credit has no minimum age requirement, and more than 500 people under the age of 18, including a 4-year-old, had their names on applications for the credit.  Most of these claims were made by parents of the children who weren't qualified because their incomes were too high.

Johnny Isakson (R, Ga.) is leading the charge for congressional approval to extend the credit.  He is hopeful that an extension can move in the Senate next week.  "Just because someone used fraud doesn't mean the credit is a bad idea, it means there are some bad folks running around." he said.

Today's  Coeur d'Alene Press had a very nice write up about Courtyard Construction's achievement of building the county's first NAHB-certified Green home.

The home at 15156 Pristine Circle in Rathdrum's Radiant Lake Subdivision is Kootenai County's first home certified by the National Association of Home Builders' Green Building Program.  It will be open today from 11:00 to 3:00.  Give me a call if you'd like to see it at another time.

The 1.446 sq. ft. Green home is appropriately painted green and is on the market for $209,000.  The heating bill for the home is expected to be about 1/3 that of a traditionally built home.  County building code requires an 80% efficient furnace, but the Green home has a furnace with 95% efficiency.  There is a long list of other features and construction practices that are required in order to obtain certification.  It is not an easy, or inexpensive endeavor.  Third party verificaton is required for Green certification.  Utility company rebates and other incentives help mitigate the upfront costs. 

Aside from being a highly efficient home, it is also built with practices that make for healthier living.  One example is that there are no pink or yellow dyes in the fiberglass insulation which would be contributing to volatile organic compounds in the air. 

"This isn't the best time to be putting up a model home, but we thought it was appropriate," Washington said.  "Rather than just talk about it, we wanted to stand behind waht we believe in."  Washington is the co-chairman of the green building committee of the North Idaho Building Contractor's Association.

Courtyard Construction should be commended for leading the way in Green building in Kootenai County.  I spent several years repesenting a custom home builder and can tell you that all builders are NOT the same!  If you are thinking of having your next home built, give me a call and I will provide you with the information you need to select the best local builder for your individual needs.

A little article buried in this morning's Coeur d'Alene Press caught my attention.  A Kootenai County resident, Dennis Slavick, will be stating his case to the Idaho board of Tax Appeals at 10:30 a.m Monday morning, at the Ameritel Inn in Coeur d'Alene.

It seems Mr. Slavick has done a lot of research on the way Kootenai County assesses property.  He thinks that instead of using sales spanning the previous year, the county should base them on the market value of the year they are levied.  Sounds reasonable to me.

As a Realtor, I have to admit that I have found Kootenai County's system to be very interesting as well as confusing for most people when prorations are calculated at closings.  Having sold real estate in Colorado before moving back home to Coeur d'Alene last year, I am still trying to understand why we do it here the way we do. 

Next week, when my client closes on her cute little vintage home, she is going to have to credit her buyer with the property taxes that have acrued from January 1 of 2009 to October 27.  The problem is those taxes haven't been assessed yet, and won't be until December.  So no one REALLY knows how much she is going to owe to credit the buyer, who will then have to pay the seller's portion of the year's taxes when they come due.  The amount my seller will credit the buyer will be based on last year's tax amount.  The buyer will receive the estimated tax money from the seller at closing and will be responsible to pay the tax bill when it comes.  If the bill is higher, the buyer will have to cough it up.  If it's less, the buyer will have a surplus. 

Now contrast that to my previous county, were values are assessed on January 1st for the current year.  An actual, true proration can occur.  Let's say the annual tax bill was $365.  That averages a dollar a day.  My seller will have owned the house for exactly 229 days of 2009.  At her closing next week she would credit the buyer with $229 to pay the tax bill when it comes due at the end of the year.  Pretty simple. 

Mr. Slavic says, "I've done a lot of research on this, all the way back from 1914 to what they have done presently on market values.  They are either erroneous or they're ignoring it or they're just flat breaking the law."   There wasn't enough information in the story to understand entirely what his complaint is, but I agree with him that there is room for improvement.

The state board will likely make a decision on the appeal next summer. 

Here are updated links to every river and lake home for sale in Coeur d'Alene, Hayden Lake, Post Falls and surrounding areas:

Coeur d'Alene Lake
Hayden Lake
Spokane River
Avondale Lake
Spirit Lake
Twin Lakes
Bayview

The great thing about these reports is that they will be automatically updated daily with new listings and status changes.  Be sure to check back daily to see anything new just as soon as it hits the market.  These links will remain active until November 23.  After that, find updated links at my website, www.JannaScharf.com.

Inventory on Coeur d'Alene area waterfront homes is at an all time high, making this a rare buyer's market for these premier homes.  Give me a call if you would like to take this opportunity to gain a great value in a lakefront property in the Coeur d'Alene area.

I have a client who is currently searching for a home in the Lakeland Joint School District 272.  It's a very well respected and desired school district with an Excellent report card from the State Board of Education.  Most people would give it a definite A+.

I thought I would share the link to the list I generated for her with details and photos of all 481 homes currently for sale in the Lakeland Joint School District #272.  You can click through them to see photos, tax information and any documents that the listing agent may have uploaded.

Enjoy your search.  This link will be active for 30 days, and will update daily with new listings and status changes as soon as they are entered into the MLS.

If you would like more information on these or any other homes, don't hesitate to give me a call.  I would love to help you find the home of your dreams!

My new Facebook friend Janet posted a link to a blog by Bake Me a Wish! that tells of a lady who saved her home from foreclosure by baking 4000 Apple Cakes!

Now that's clever! This past summer, 56 year old Angela Logan was facing the foreclosure of her home of 20 years.  She decided to bake and sell her much-loved apple cake recipe, an endeavor that struck a cord with people all over the world.  When she had more orders than she could manage, New York based Bake Me a Wish! came to her rescue.  She has since trademarked her signature cake, now known as the Mortgage Apple Cake. Her motto: Stopping Foreclosure One Cake at a Time!

She has emerged from foreclosure and is now paying it forward.  Says Logan, "People really rallied behind me and helped me when I needed it most, so I really want to pay it forward and let my cakes help others. The big lesson I learned through my ordeal is that there is no shame admitting there is a problem and then asking for help. Help is truly out there."

Angela is paying it forward with a new association with GreenPath Debt Solutions, a nationwide nonprofit consumer credit counseling service

"When we learned of what Angela had gone through, what she did to save her home and how her story resonated with others, we were happy to learn she wanted to help GreenPath in its mission..." said Jane McNamara, President and CEO of GreenPath.

If you are facing foresclosure in Coeur d'Alene or the surrounding area, give me a call to talk about alternatives that may be available to you to save your home.  As Angela said, there is no shame in asking for help.

Now if you're hungry for Apple Cake after reading this, like I am, here is a recipe that looks fabulous.  I found it at Diana's Desserts and I'm going to make one of these as soon as I get home! 

An interesting article in this morning's Coeur d'Alene Press points out a safety precaution I hadn't ever considered.

A woman reported the theft of a new big screen TV from her home the other night.  It was stolen during the night while her teenage son slept on a couch just 10 feet from the TV! 

The interesting thing to note was that she admitted that the box the new TV had come in was sitting on the porch right outside the door she thinks may have been unlocked.

It stands to reason that an empty big screen TV box outside your door is communicating to everyone who passes by - HEY! THERE IS A BRAND NEW BIG SCREEN TV AT MY HOUSE! Now if one of those passersby is a thief it shouldn't come as a surprise that your new TV turns up missing!

Another article today tells the story of a woman who left her keys in her car outside her apartment to run in the use the restroom.  When she came out, it was gone!  It later turned up in a neighboring state, totaled, in a ditch full of water, with a gun inside and a bullet hole in the door.  Seems she just missed a close encounter with an alleged killer arrested for a double homicide in Spokane on September 26th. 

We live in a small town in one of the most beautiful spots on earth.  These stories in today's paper are a good reminder that we just can't be too careful.  At the very least we should exercise common sense and basic safety precautions as we go about our daily activities.