Kristy Norman,

Phuong Stanyer,

Jason Hanson,

Darren Plank,

Leah Stanley,

Cooper Hart,

Steve Quaife,

To view the most recent Mortgage Barometer report, click here.

Leah White, Escrow Assistant at Cowlitz County Title, works with REALTORS, lenders, buyers and sellers to close transactions accurately and on time. Leah has been with Cowlitz County Title for two months and worked previously at Twin City Bank. Leah believes that helping people to get into their home is a “good deed”, and it makes her feel good knowing that she was a part of someone’s biggest life purchase.

Leah has local roots growing up in Kalama, WA. She graduated from Kalama High School and has 15 years of banking education. She enjoys gardening, cheering on the Minnesota Vikings NFL team, and spending time with her three children and husband, Chris. Leah enjoys Mexican food, and her favorite local restaurant is Junior’s Tacos in Longview, WA. Weekend getaway trips are to Astoria, OR and her favorite place to go on vacation is Las Vegas, Nevada. For your next escrow needs, contact Leah at leah.white@cowlitztitle.com 360-423-5330.   

We've certainly missed the opportunities to connect face-to-face in our community during this past year. After all, there's nothing like a Business After Hours event to help you connect with your community and see what your local area has to offer. This is a great opportunity to socialize, network, and enjoy some local food and beverages! In particular, this event is a chance to come check out the remodel at Cowlitz County Title! Register online at www.kelsolongviewchamber.org and join us for this event on Tuesday, May 11th from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. at 1159 14th Avenue in Longview. We can't wait to see you and debut our fresh new look! In the meantime, stay connected with us on both Facebook and Instagram! 

1 lb bone-in pork shoulder steak

1 cup cabbage

2 to 3 garlic cloves

2 to 3 green onions

1 tbs Hoisin sauce

1 tbs fresh ginger

2 tsp sesame oil

Filling preparation: Finely slice pork, shred cabbage, either press or use pre-pressed garlic, slice green onions and mix together with hoisin sauce, grate ginger and sesame oil in a bowl.

3 cups flour

1 cup water

Dough preparation: In a Kitchen Aid-style mixer with a bread hook, knead for 7 minutes until able to form into a round ball. Cover with a cloth towel, and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead an additional 3 minutes, and then rest covered for a minimum of 1 hour. After dough has rested, push a hole in center of dough round and shape into donut shape. Cut dough and make into long round shape. Cut horizontal pieces of dough off of long round, and coat pieces with flour. Roll pieces out into dumpling shaped rounds.

In a large pan that has a lid, heat olive oil on medium heat while you are assembling Pot Stickers. Place a tablespoon of filling in a half moon shaped dough and pinch shut. Place aside and prep all dumplings. Add all pot stickers to pan in a single layer and cook 3 minutes per side. Then add half cup of water and place lid on pan to steam for 3 minutes. Enjoy with a side of your favorite rice and dipping sauces.

In an effort to safeguard the real estate industry from disruption or value diminution, many industry leaders have long heralded the idea of keeping REALTORSⓇ at the "center of the transaction". However, a better way might be to evolve from a transactional-first and relational-second approach to a relational-first and transactional-second industry. One way of doing this is to do away with the notion of "past clients" and instead approach all clients as current and ongoing, thereby maintaining the sort of loyalty that truly builds your business practice and moves the real estate industry forward. Click here to learn more.

Home staging is a definitive marketing tool for real estate professionals to help grab a home buyer’s attention. Yet, according to a recent National Association of REALTORS® profile, only 28% of listing agents are staging their clients' homes. With this in mind, by staging your property you gain a significant edge over the competition. However, it's important to know that there are some unique challenges involved in staging a home when the seller still lives there. While this situation presents some difficulties, taking the time to stage your occupied property can greatly improve the chances of a swift sale with a maximum return on investment.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had unexpected and unprecedented effects on every facet of the real estate industry. Similarly, as we move into a post-pandemic housing market, there are many changes on the horizon, and it's useful to look ahead and try to get an idea of what the future holds. Check out this article in which the Redfin Chief Economist analyzes five trends the market will see and how the industry will deal with the fallout of the pandemic nationwide.

Cultivating a vision for your life can help give every area of your life clear direction and assist you in both realizing your dreams and living more purposefully. Creating that vision begins with identifying the things in life that are most important to you. The task can seem so large and daunting that many of us don't know how to begin. Check out these nine steps that will help you to overcome your hesitation and articulate a vision statement that is 100% your own.