 Employee Spotlight: Melinda Gottfryd
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Melinda Gottfryd,
Policy Typist |
Melinda Gottfryd, Title Policy Typist at Cowlitz County Title, works with the title and escrow departments to accumulate the end result of the process, or, "The Policy". She has been in the title industry working at Cowlitz County Title for 29.5 years. Melinda worked in escrow for 22 years, and has been in title the past 7.5 years. She believes her work is important and therefore has to be accurate, thus closing the loop on success from the title and escrow departments at Cowlitz County Title.
Melinda has local roots. She grew up in Cowlitz County and is a Kelso High School Graduate. She enjoys her animals, gardening, restaurants (favorites are Mexican food at the original El Ranchero, burgers at the Shamrock Spirits & Grill, and Thai food from Noi at Blue Sky Bar & Grill), close friends, and a good mystery book. Melinda loves road trips in the PNW to beautiful places like Cannon Beach, OR. She is looking forward to retirement and traveling to Arizona to visit dear friends. Contact Melinda at
melinda@cowlitztitle.com.
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Ruby's Brownies
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips
Chocolate frosting
In a large bowl, mix melted butter with sugar, add eggs one at a time, and whisk in between. Add vanilla and flour. Add 1/2 cup cocoa to the large bowl. In a small bowl, put 1 cup chocolate chips and remaining 1/4 cup of cocoa, stir together. Then stir the small bowl ingredients (of mixed chocolate chips & cocoa) into the large bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Pour large bowl of all combined ingredients into a greased or buttered 13 X 9 pan, spread out batter and cook in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Let cool, and then frost with your favorite chocolate frosting or dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Recipe by Ruby
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The Front Porch Renaissance
 In the early 1900s, the front porch was a staple of home design, a beacon of welcome, a gathering place, a hub for socializing with visitors or neighbors. Over time, it began to be replaced with street-facing garages as homeowners sought more privacy and started favoring backyard decks. But in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the front porch is enjoying a rebirth in popularity. Click here for a glimpse at why the front porch is coming back, and get some inspiration on how to make yours more welcoming.
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How-To Restain a Deck
 More time at home means more time to consider, and possibly take on, the home improvement or maintenance projects that were postponed in busier seasons. Restaining a deck, while not the most enviable job, is one that yields the satisfaction of immediate results and ensures that your deck will be in good condition so that it lasts a long time. This article outlines everything you need to know about staining a deck for the first time, as well as restaining an existing deck.
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Fair Housing: Learn to Overcome Implicit Bias
 For the most part, real estate professionals strive to be just that -- professional. They do their best to convey respect in their business dealings, ensure fairness and avoid bias. The reality, however, is that
our brains' automatic, instant association of stereotypes with particular groups can cause us to treat those who are different from us unfairly, despite our best intentions and often without our conscious awareness.
The mind science experts at the
Perception Institute
present an online workshop to help members avoid
implicit bias
in their daily business interactions and then apply these concepts to the everyday work of REALTORS®, offering strategies to override bias.
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How Record-Low Mortgage Rates Could Fall Further
The Federal Reserve has helped push mortgage rates to record lows. Whether rates fall any further, for the time being, is up to lenders, according to one market expert.
"The Federal Reserve's ability to create credit at will performs wonders, but it may have done all it can do for homeowners. The lending community now holds the reins," said Christopher Maloney, a market strategist, and former portfolio manager in an
article for Bloomberg
this week.
Click here to read more.
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To view the most recent Mortgage Barometer report, 
