Come explore the "Gateway to Mt. Rainier", scenic Packwood, Washington

Packwood, Washington Location in Lewis County When you talk about Lewis County, most people talk about the western half of the county because that's where the population centers are. When you want to get away from everything, well that's when you talk about heading east! Besides the seasonal population at White Pass, Packwood is the farthest east you can go where there is some sort of town. What Packwood lacks in population, it more than makes up for in events and activities! So come explore the "gateway to Mt. Rainier", scenic Packwood, Washington with me! Click here to see homes for sale in Packwood Click here to see what is your Packwood home worth NOW A huge event going on right now, May 23-26, is the Packwood Flea Market. For more information click here. While the regular population of Packwood and the surrounding areas is just over 1,300, it balloons during this event by the thousands! It is one of the largest flea markets in the Western United States! Another fun event is the Packwood Rod Run, which occurs during July. People from all over bring their hot rods for this big party. Games, poker, dancing, and live music in the streets. It doesn't get much better than that during the summer! For more information click here. If you desire to live in seclusion in the hills, but still like to come to town for a lot of fun, Packwood might be just the place for you. You are not far from hiking, mountain climbing (Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams), fishing, skiing, and the local elk population that is frequently seen in town.     Just a normal day in Packwood, Washington -Image courtesy of Wandrly Magazine For more information regarding Packwood Events: Destination Packwood White Pass Scenic Byway Events Experience Washington - Packwood

Content originally published at www.ErenMillam.biz

Lewis County Homes for Sale Search All Homes For Sale Homes Close to Where You Work What is Your Home Worth? Mortgage & Refinance Avoid Foreclosure Free List of Foreclosed Homes For Sale Eren Millam Realty World Cosser & Associates 360-345-1006 emillam@rwcosser.com

Things to do in Lewis County

This blog is part two of the series "Welcome to Lewis County".

Image provided courtesy of the Southwest Washington Fair.

There are a ton of events happening this year in Lewis County. As I am writing this, Relay for Life of Lewis County is kicking off! Tomorrow, there is a Gun & Knife Show as well as the Master Gardeners Plant Sale at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds!

Rather than writing about a particular city, I am happy to list the upcoming events this summer starting in June and ending in August. This information is also listed in the Centralia/Chehalis /Lewis County 2014 Festival & Events Guide produced by the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce.

June	Event	Location
6	D-D Commemoration	Veterans Memorial Museum, Chehalis
6-8, 12-15, 20-22	Knock 'em Dead	The Evergreen Playhouse, Centralia
7	Lewis County PUD Kid's Trout Derby	Cowlitz Falls Day Use Park, Glenoma
7	Community Garage Sale	SW Washington Fairgrounds, Chehalis
7	Carlisle Lake Fishing Derby	Carlisle Lake, Onalaska
10	Boistfort Valley Spring Festival & Plant Sale	Baw Faw Grange, Boistfort
21	World War One Centennial Living History	Veterans Memorial Museum, Chehalis
21	E.T. The Extra Terrestrial	Fox Theatre, Centralia
21-22	Gun & Knife Show	SW Washington Fairgrounds, Chehalis
21	Centennial Founders Day Picnic at the Pond	Carlisle Lake, Onalaska
21	United Way "Chef's Night Out"	Lucky Eagle Casino, Rochester
24-07/13	Summer Drama Camp	Roxy Theater, Morton
27-28	Winlock Egg Days	Winlock
28	A Night with an Unborn Star	Roxy Theater, Morton
28	Billet Proof Car Show	SW Washington Fairgrounds, Chehalis
28	Desert Wars Remembrance Day	Veterans Memorial Museum, Chehalis
28	Murder Mystery Steam Train	Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum
July	Event	Location
4	4th of July Parade	Pe Ell
4	Summerfest, Parade & Demolition Derby	Centralia
6	Chicken Barbeque	Packwood
7-20,	Musical Theater Children's Camp	The Evergreen Playhouse, Centralia
9-13,	Cheese Days	Toledo
12	Kids Day Steam Train	Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum
12-13,	Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic	Centralia College/Recreation Park
12-13,	Gun & Knife Show	SW Washington Fairgrounds, Chehalis
12-13,	Civil War Battle	Veterans Memorial Museum, Chehalis
13	Senior's Day Steam Train	Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum
13	Pioneer Pie Social	Claquato Church, Chehalis
18	Visiting Nurses 16th Annual Golf Tournament	Riverside Golf Club, Chehalis
18-20	Funtime Festival	Napavine
19-20	Antiquefest	Historic Downtown Centralia
22-24	Fastpitch NW Championships	Borst Park, Centralia
25	Music In The Park	Recreation Park, Centralia
26	Annual Blueberry Pancake Breakfast	Lewis County Historical Museum
26	Planes, Trains, and Automobiles	Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum
26-27	Packwood Summer Rod Run	Cowlitz River Lodge
26	Field of Dreams	Fox Theatre, Centralia
26	Murder Mystery Steam Train	Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum
31-08/03	Vietnam Traveling Wall	Veterans Memorial Museum, Chehalis
August	Event	Location
1, 8	Music In The Park	Recreation Park, Centralia
2, 3, 6, 9, 10	All Star Roxy Revue	Roxy Theater, Morton
2	DB Cooper Music Festival	SW Washington Fairgrounds, Chehalis
1-3,	Blueberry Festival	Mossyrock
5	United Way "Power of the Purse"	Riverside Golf Club, Chehalis
7-10.	72nd Annual Logger's Jubilee	Onalaska
8-10.	Mt. St. Helens Bluegrass Festival	Toledo
12-17.	SW Washington Fair	SW Washington Fairgrounds, Chehalis
13-17.	Baseball NW Senior Championships	Borst Park, Centralia
21-24.	Baseball NW Junior Championships	Borst Park, Centralia
22-24.	Garlic Fest & Craft Show	SW Washington Fairgrounds, Chehalis
23-24.	Gun & Knife Show	SW Washington Fairgrounds, Chehalis
23	Hub City Car Show	Historic Downtown Centralia
23-24.	Cowlitz Prairie Gas & Threshing Show	Toledo
23	Grease	Fox Theatre, Centralia
23	Kids Day	Yard Birds Mall, Chehalis
29-09/01	Labor Day Flea Market	Packwood
30	Murder Mystery Steam Train	Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum

As you can see, this summer's event calendar is jam-packed. Being in Real Estate, it is my job to know what is going on and what is coming up in the future so I can assist you with your home buying decisions. If you'd like more information on these events or their locations, feel free to click on the links below, contact the Chamber or give me a call.

Visitors/Entertainment/Outdoor Activities

Tour Lewis County

Activities & Recreation

Content originally posted at www.ErenMillam.biz.

The Current Interest Rate and It's Importance

It's all about the Benjamins! Don't forget the Hamiltons, Jacksons, and other presidents though! Here's why: Interest Rates MATTER!

Click the following link to see The Current Interest Rate and It's Importance.

When you apply for a loan, one of the things you keep in mind is where interest rates are at. Sometimes it is difficult to judge the market, so you just take it as it is. When I bought my house in 2010, we got a historically AMAZING rate of 5.25%. Then, we watched rates plummet to 3.25%! Our payments would have been about $220 per month lower, but If we did that we would be out of a house. This is how most people think interest rates affect them, but I want to talk about how they can impact you on a much larger scale.

Affordability

The only way to explain how interest rates can impact you in a major way is to show an example.

$200,000 loan for 30 years at 4.5% = $1014 per month

$200,000 loan for 30 years at 5.0% = 1074 per month

The interest rate increasing just half a percent increases your monthly mortgage payment by $60! Perhaps this doesn't seem like a lot to you, but over the course of the mortgage, you will spend an extra $21,600!

Right now, the current interest rate is fluctuation between 4.375% and 4.500%. As the market improves, the rates will increase. Let's do one more example:

$200,000 loan for 30 years at 4.500% = $1014 per month

$200,000 loan for 30 years at 4.375% = $998 per month

This fluctuation alone is $16 dollars per month. Again, this may not seem like a lot, but over time it adds up. Over the course of a year, this is an extra $192 absolutely WASTED on interest. That is at least 48 gallons of gas that you pumped onto the ground rather than in your car!

What is the takeaway from all of this? The current interest rate is important! Interest rates are still at historically low levels and will be for some time. However, it is wise to remember that anything below 8% is historically AMAZING. The current interest rate is important to you because every increment takes away your hard earned money. The market is improving, and interest rates are rising.

For more information:

U.S. house price affordability is very sensitive to interest rates

How is the Housing Affordability Index calculated?

Affordability Calculator:

Mortgage Rate Calculator

Content originally published on www.ErenMillam.biz