May 2012 Volume 2 Issue 4 What is your home worth? If you haven't checked to see how much your home is worth lately, you might be in for a pleasant surprise. Nationally, the median list price of a single family home is $189,900, up 5.6 percent compared to March 2011, according to Realtor.com. So, what's your house worth? At Trulia, you can get an estimate of your home's value simply by entering your address. Edit or add facts about your property if information is wrong or missing. Trulia is also an excellent tool for home buyers, whether they're looking to move across town or across the country. For a more serious appraisal, take a look at Zillow. Type in your address - or any home you're curious about - to see Zillow's estimate, or the Zestimate. When you're searching for homes for sale, a significant difference in the asking price and the Zestimate can alert you to a potentially good deal. If you're a homeowner and disagree with a Zestimate, check to see whether the facts about your home are wrong or out of date. You're allowed to update your home facts, but you can’t remove your home from the site. Finally, there's the official site of the National Association of Realtors, Realtor.com. More than 900 Multiple Listing Services across the U.S. funnel home listings here. Realtor.com is a trove of information about mortgages, real estate trends and other topics. Keep in mind that estimates are only starting points. They're no substitute for a professional appraisal and a comparative market analysis. Donate Life May is National Donate Life Month. Transplantation is one of the most remarkable success stories in the history of medicine and technology, the need for organs and tissue is vastly greater than the number available for transplantation. Transplantation gives hope to thousands of people with organ failure and provides many others with active and renewed lives. In 2011, there were 14,144 organ donors. Anyone can be a potential donor regardless of age, race or medical history. There is no cost to the donor or their family for organ or tissue donation. As of March 2012 there were 113,115 patients waiting for donors. The altruistic process of donating organs or tissue begins when people perform the simple act of indicating their consent to be a donor by enrolling in their state’s donor registry. Most often this happens when obtaining or renewing a driver’s license. Most people also tell their family they want to be a donor so their family can support their decision when needed. To learn more or to sign up to be an organ donor go to www.organdonor.gov or to make a financial contribution go to www.donatelife.net is a non-profit employee support organization designed to help employees. It is a free service to employees and their immediate family members and is totally confidential. Your success coach will work with you to identify your current situation, needs and goals, leveraging a large network of public and private resources to help navigate solutions that work for you. The coach works with you one on one, customizing services appropriate for each unique situation. Call your Connect for Success Coach, Barb Wakefield Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm. Special Arrangements may be made for after hour appointments. Connect for Success Barb Wakefield (253) 381-4164 [email protected] Farmer’s Markets A farmers market is made up of any number of individual farmers who set up booths and tables (indoors or outdoors) to sell products. These products can include fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, meats, artisan breads, arts and crafts. The majority of products sold at farmers markets are locally and organically grown at farms and homes nearby. The produce that they sell is seasonal, so everything is fresh and ready to eat. South Puget sound has many farmers markets in the area, shopping at a farmers markets is a great way to get healthy, quality foods. Below are some of the Farmer’s Markets in the Area. Broadway Farmers Market (Tacoma) 902 Broadway Tacoma, WA 98402 www.tacomafarmersmarket.com Between 9th and 11th streets in downtown Tacoma Thursdays, 10am to 3pm May - October 6th Avenue Farmers Market (Tacoma) th 6 and North Pine Tacoma, WA www.tacomafarmersmarket.com Tuesdays 3pm to 7pm May to September Auburn International Farmers Market Auburn Sound Transit Plaza 23 A St SW Auburn, WA www.auburnfarmersmarket.org Sundays 9am to 2pm June 10 to September 23 Proctor Farmers Market (Tacoma) 2609 North Proctor Street Tacoma WA www.proctorfarmersmarket.com Enter at North 27th and Proctor St. Saturdays 9 am to 2 pm March 21 - December 22. Puyallup Farmers Market The Pioneer Park Pavilion in Pioneer Park along 4th Avenue in downtown Puyallup, WA www.farmersmarketonline.com/fm/ PuyallupFarmersMarket.html Saturdays 9am to 2pm May to October Sundays 10am to 2pm May to August Gig Harbor Farmers Market 4701 Pt. Fosdick Drive Gig Harbor, WA Uptown Gig Harbor next to the Galaxy Theaters www.gigharborfarmersmarket.com Saturdays 8:30am to 2pm April to September South Tacoma Market Metro Parks Star center 3873 S 66th Street Tacoma, WA www.tacomafarmersmarket.com Sundays 11am to 3pm June 3 - September Kent Farmers Market Town Square Plaza 2nd Ave & Smith St in downtown Kent next to the Kent Library Kent, WA www.kentfarmersmarket.com Saturdays 9 am to 2 pm June 2 - September 29 Skansie Brothers Park (Gig Harbor) 3125 Judson Street Gig Harbor, WA Downtown Gig Harbor Waterfront www.gigharborfarmersmarket.com Wednesdays and Sundays 12pm-5pm June to September The mission of Connect for Success is to provide a trusted resource where employees receive personalized support and connection to resources and solutions that help resolve life issues, empowering employees to have clear focus at work, maintain gainful employment, and enhance their career growth potential.