Today there are peppers here at JPI, waiting for someone to take them home. One of our co-workers is sharing her surplus and they’re beautiful! Last week our fearless leader, Joe Peterson, graciously shared tomatoes and cucumbers from his own garden with all of us. Some squash showed up a while back, too… and I’m not even sure where those came from.

Late summer is always like that, but it seems the lockdown resulted in a bumper crop this year. A lot of people who don’t normally have gardens started one this year, including me.

I love it that we’re seeing a revival of the “Victory Garden.” I mean, we’re not technically in a war, but reflection has really made people more deliberately about finding joy in simple things, and many strive to be more self-sufficient by producing food. And frankly, a lot of us just got bored.

As the Marketing Coordinator for JPI Insurance Solutions, I latched onto this as a theme for some of our newsletter and social media content. As it turns out, people love to brag about their harvests! Several readers sent pics of fresh, beautiful veggies straight out of their gardens. That means people are actually reading my stuff, something I already count as a win, but seriously… this is just a cool trend. I hear urban chickens are making a comeback, too!

It reminds me of a time back in the 70s, when my folks decided to be more self-sufficient.

They bought five acres and populated it with horses, cows, goats, pigs, geese, ducks, and chickens and for years, I lived on our little hobby farm. My mom was proud of all she accomplished back then and why not be? She came from a more urban environment, so she had a lot to learn at first. After a few years, though, she could say that almost everything on the dinner table came from our farm; from the vegetables, to the butter and milk, to the beef, pork or chicken.

I was one of those kids whose hamburger always had a name.

Anyway, I’m happy to say this spring I finally started the container gardens I’d been thinking about for a year or more, and growing stuff has given me a great deal of comfort and joy this spring and summer. Most of my containers are ornamental, but I did put in potatoes and a few herbs. It’s late August as I’m writing this article and I can’t wait until I can harvest my potatoes. Aside from being my favorite food on the planet, potatoes are infinitely versatile… The Irish could feed an entire family with just a small plot planted in potatoes.

Someone recently pointed out, all I’m really missing is eggs and voila! Breakfast! Urban chickens, anyone?

Once again, JPI is teaming up with S.H.A.K.E. and Communities in Schools to collect school supplies. While the school year may look a little different this next year, kids will still need the usual stuff. Here’s a list of items in high demand:

• Highlighters
• Scientific calculators
• Mechanical pencils
• Composition Notebooks
• Colored pencils
• Markers
• Sharpies
• Pocket folders
• Crayons
• Index Cards
• Kleenex (personal size)
• Hand Sanitizer (personal size)
• Backpacks for Middle and High School Kids
• Post-It Notes
• Ear buds – Gender neutral preferred
• USB drives

Call your local JPI office to make an appointment for the contact-free drop off of supplies, or text to donate directly to Communities in School.

Text BUS TO #41444

Do You NEED a Household Inventory?

Do you want the long answer or the short answer? The short answer is, “yes.”

And there are lots of good times to work on your household inventory… In the spring when you’re cleaning and organizing, when you’re moving or re-modeling, whenever you make large purchases, or when you’re doing your annual insurance policy review.

You know when is NOT a good time to create a household inventory? After you’ve had a loss. You’re already in the middle of a tough situation. So now you’ve got this to figure out, too, and it could delay your claim.

Trust me… I’m speaking from experience. I had a house fire and had to spend agonizing hours writing down all the things I knew I’d lost. It was horrible.

If you don’t already have a household inventory, at least you’re in good company. Most people don’t.

We’re bringing this up because as your independent insurance agent, we want you to get the most out of your coverage. So, here’s our simple three-step plan to get you on your way from having this chore on your list of things to do, to getting it DONE:

1. Video Inventory: Bite the bullet. Set aside a weekend afternoon or a free evening and video your possessions. Do it all at once or just a room or closet at a time, narrating as you go. Be sure to include storage areas and keep at it until you’ve gotten to everything.

2. When You Buy: When you make major purchases, save your receipt. Start a file, hardcopy and/or electronic and include make and model information or snap a picture of the serial number.

3. Don’t LOSE It: You’ve taken the time to create your household inventory. Now just put it in a safe place. It should go without saying, but we’ll say it anyway… Keep it somewhere NOT in your house.

Once you’ve completed your household inventory, treat yourself. Hey, you adulted! And don’t forget to check in with your insurance agent once a year for an annual policy review. Your up-to-date household inventory will be your guide to making sure you always have the coverage that makes the best sense for YOU.

Part I: Home Values, Purchase Prices, and Getting a Loan

Recently, we reached out to several of our friends in real estate and lending for their feedback on the current state of the world, especially as it pertains to buying and selling real estate in the Northwest post Covid-19. “Home Values, Purchases Prices, and Getting a Loan” is the first in a series of four articles resulting from the feedback we received.

We asked the following questions, “How have home values and purchase prices been affected by the Pandemic, ensuing unemployment and government shutdown?” and “Is it harder to get a loan to purchase a home during this pandemic?” Here’s what our friends had to say.

Home Values/Purchase Prices – Washington
Jeremy Asmus of the Kenmore Team in Kennewick, Washington noted “the uptick in the market we expect to see in the spring has been delayed, but home prices are holding steady.” Shawn Flinders with Evergreen Home Loans in Kennewick felt it may be too soon to tell what the impact will be, but said, “In Eastern WA there is a shortage of available inventory which should help keep home prices relatively stable.” However, “Further stay-at-home orders have the potential to dramatically change this,” he added.

Home Values/Purchase Prices – Oregon
Our friend Chris Stewart with Windemere Pacific West Properties in Salem, Oregon had this to say about the market there, “At this time values have not been impacted. We are seeing buyers and sellers who are concerned about their employment status put off buying and selling until they feel more comfortable, but that is a very small percentage of what we are experiencing. There are more buyers in the market than sellers which keeps upward pressure on home pricing.”

Getting a Loan – Washington/Oregon
On questions regarding loans, Eric Culverhouse of Retter & Company in Kennewick, Washington answered, “We have not noticed issues with lending other than a few delays and back log with appraisers due to the continued record low interest rates, compounded with the refinance market.” Dr. Kay Lehman of Realtor Kay, LLC however, felt it’s currently harder to get a loan because, while the underlying qualifications from FHA, Fannie Mae etc. have not changed, some lenders have raised their in-house qualifications. She adds, “Today it is more important than ever to shop around and ask questions of lenders.” Finally, Chris Stewart of Windermere Pacific West Properties reported little to no impact on getting a loan in his market in Oregon. “In fact, we’ve seen interest reductions which created an activity of refinancing and more buyers in the market.”

In summary, as Eric Culver of Retter & Company noted, “The housing market has long been one of the primary cornerstones of our economy” and “will be a significant factor assisting the economy and livelihoods of our nation.” And here at JPI, we love Dave Ramsey… So, for a nationwide perspective, here’s what Dave has to say. Check out his article, Can I Buy or Sell a Home in 2020?

Follow our four-part series on buying and selling real estate when we talk more about the availability of housing for the remainder of 2020 and offer some advice to buyers and sellers for the coming months.