2011How2Guide

[11]March 25, 2011www.kirklandreporter.comHOW TO GUIDE 2011HOW TO GUIDE 2011

please join us for a seminar series

Retirement Living How-To Learning SeriesJoin us for this informative, inter-generational seminar series on how to plan for a positive transition to retirement living.

Less Is More Wednesday, April 13 • 3 – 4 pm

The Family Love Letter Wednesday, April 27 • 6 – 7 pm

Caring for Two Generations Wednesday, May 18 • 3 – 4 pm

The Family Love Letter Wednesday, June 1 • 6 – 7 pm

Home Sweet Home Wednesday, June 8 • 3 – 4 pm

(425) 828-2570201 Kirkland Avenue • Kirkland, WA 98033

www.merrillgardens.com License #BH 2027

Retirement & Assisted Living

at kirklandA one of a kind retirement community

Free to the public. RSVP required. We Hope You Will Join Us!

4622

61

Many people have concerns about retirement. But

one of the most di� cult deci-sions is where to move when that house you have made a home becomes too big or physical assistance is too far away. Here are some general tips from Kirkland’s Merrill Gardens retirement com-munity for choosing a new place to call home during the golden years.

One of the biggest questions for those on a � xed income is price. � e cost of retirement living will vary with location, apartment size, amenities and added services.

At Mer-rill Gardens, many things are included in the rental price, including activi-ties, transportation, house-keeping, cable TV, utilities and meals in the community dining room.

Residents usually enjoy the peace of mind they achieve knowing that they (and their families) no longer have to worry about the expense and time required to maintain a

private residence.“A good way to examine

this is to use a comparison worksheet to compare a sim-ple monthly rental fee to the true costs of maintaining a private residence,” said Mer-rill Gardens general manager Stuart Ostfeld. “Even when seniors are no longer making mortgage payments on a private home, they still have to worry about the cost of

property taxes, insurance, re-pairs, yard work and utility bills, which can add up quickly.”

Many people are surprised at how a� ordable assisted living is when they consider what is included in the rent.

Most retire-ment commu-

nities are private rentals and di� er from skilled nursing homes, which is covered by Medicare or health insur-ance. Some long-term care insurance policies will cover some or all of assisted living costs. Some veterans can also qualify to receive some � nancial reimburse-ment through the Veterans

Administration. Some retirement com-

munities, including Kirk-land’s Merrill Gardens, have state-sponsored programs for some seniors that meet cer-tain income requirements.

� ere are many things to consider outside of price to make a good decision. Consider if the person is able to manage daily tasks and living functions. If not, they may need more assistance. If

there is someone who is able to take care of that person that should also be taken into consideration.

If the person wants more activities and the opportu-nity to interact and make new friends that is also something to look for. Every community o� ers something di� erent.

And while most nursing homes are based on a medi-cal model, assisted living is

based on something else.“Assisted living retirement

communities are based on a social model,” said Ostfeld. “� ey are designed for se-niors who want to maintain their independence and lifestyle.”

To learn more about Merrill Gardens at Kirkland, call 425-828-2570 to schedule a tour today.

Choosing a new home, lifestyle for your loved one

Merrill Gardens General Manager Stuart Ostfeld sits with long-time resident Jane Smith and her son Steve Smith in the dining room of the assisted living facility.

“Assisted living retirement

communities are based on a social model. They are

designed for seniors who want to maintain their

independence and lifestyle.”

Stuart Ostfeld

Five top questions to ask

1What is your loved one’s needs physically and

medically?

2How will the price compare to your loved one’s

current lifestyle?

3 Is your loved one qualified for some financial

assistance?

4What are the needs of your loved one so-

cially?

5Is there already someone avail-able for care of

your loved one?

March 25, 2011[12] www.kirklandreporter.com HOW TO GUIDE 2011

kirkland Spine&Posture center

Back Pain • Neck Pain • Headaches • Migraines • SciaticaDisc Bulges • Carpal Tunnel • Fibromyalgia • Neuropathy

WE CAN HELP! REAL RESULTS!

All Insurance Accepted,Discounted Affordable Cash Plans.

Dr. Lyle LoveMon, Wed, Thurs: 8:30am - 7pm

Tues: 8:30am - 1pm

kirkland

Back Pain • Neck Pain • Headaches • Migraines • SciaticaDisc Bulges • Carpal Tunnel • Fibromyalgia • Neuropathy

WE CAN HELP! REAL RESULTS!

All Insurance Accepted,Discounted Affordable Cash Plans.

Dr. Lyle LoveMon, Wed, Thurs: 8:30am - 7pm

Tues: 8:30am - 1pm

Advanced Chiropractic Computer Adjusting Without Popping,

Standard AdjustmentsPhysical Therapy

Spinal Decompressionlike DRX9000

(as heard on radio & TV)

Check outwww.love.lcdtherapy.com

Advanced Chiropractic Computer Advanced Chiropractic Computer Adjusting Without Popping,Adjusting Without Popping,

Standard Adjustments

Spinal Decompression

12063 124th Ave NE • Kirkland • 425-296-4623

www.KirklandSpines.com

FREE SPINAL EXAM

with X-raysBonus: Soothing 30 minute hydro-massage

for the first 7 callersExpires 30 days/ appointments limited. Call Now!

TOP 5 DOCTORin Western Washington

Rated

462552

425-296-4623

Tips for how to chose a chiropractor

1 Does the Chi-ropractor have researched/proven

programs for restoring proper healthy spinal alignment?

2 Does the Chiro-practor correct the cause of the prob-

lem and not just treat a symptom?

3 Does the Chiro-practor have mod-ern technology that

helps diagnose and treat a patient correctly?

4 Does the Chiro-practor follow patient progress

closely assuring that patient is responding properly to the care?

5 Does the Chiro-practor recommend care based solely on

patient health needs and not on how many visits are available through insurance?

There are many reasons to see a chiropractor - most of which people

never think to inquire about until they have been in pain for awhile.

Dr. Lyle Love, owner of Kirkland Spine and Posture Center, said that many of those ailments can be averted with treatment.

� e best way to make sure that di� erent ailments don’t creep up is to have “some regular mainte-nance.” Dr. Love compares spine care with taking care of your teeth.

“You have to brush your teeth. You also want to keep your spine healthy through-out your life,” he said. “It’s like getting a cavity - you don’t know it is there until you feel the pain, but it has still been there a long time. But when it comes to the point that it is an issue, it is harder to � x.”

One of the most critical times a person should see a chiropractor is a� er they experience whiplash in a car accident or due to a sports injury.

“We really have the only proven e� ective treatment for whiplash,” said Dr. Lyle Love. “It is crucial because it can lead to arthritis or other chronic conditions.”

Dr. Love said that o� en-times the victim will not feel pain immediately a� er the accident and feel as if they are okay.

“But it can take up to two weeks for the pain to show

up,” said Dr. Love, who has been in Kirkland for 11 years. “But the damage ac-crues over time.”

Many people also su� er from migraine headaches, but don’t know where to turn to

when medication and other treatments fail. Dr. Love said chiropractic procedures can help to ease or even get rid of migraines.

“It is probably the number one thing I see get better in my clinic,” said Dr. Love.

� ose headaches are caused by the constriction of blood vessels in the brain. But that constriction is controlled by the nervous system in the

neck and spine. Readjusting the spine and neck can reset all the nerve patterns.

Other conditions that greatly improve with treat-ment and which Kirkland Spine and Posture Center specialize in include Back Pain, Disc Bulges, Sciatica, Neck and Should Pain and Neuropathy.

One of the main reasons why people avoid seeing a chiropractor is that they think it will be painful. But Dr. Love o� ers techniques that put clients more at ease.

“We can do light touch, low-force adjusting,” said Dr. Love. “We can make it so that there is no ‘popping.’”

Some of the other issues that new clients are con-

cerned about are procedures becoming addicting or that they have to keep coming back over and over again. Dr. Lyle Love said neither are the case and clients can stop whenever they want.

When searching for a chiropractor, patients should stay away from chiropractors that base their treatments on insurance coverage, Dr. Love cautions. At Kirkland Spine and Posture Center, patients can receive a consultation and Dr. Love will set up a plan for each individual patient.

Dr. Love said his o� ce strives to have all the lat-est technology, computer adjustment systems and uses research-backed programs. His o� ce even has in-house

X-rays and processing.“It is important to keep

up with the science and have modern and up-to-date tech-nology,” said Dr. Love, whose o� ce o� ers a kids play area for those who can’t � nd child-care for their exam time.

He said it is also impor-tant that chiropractors are accredited and can provide testimonials.

Dr. Love has gained most of his patients via internal referrals and word-of-mouth. He has also been voted Top 5 Doctor of Western Washing-ton competition for all types of doctors and was voted a top Chiropractor for the Kirkland Reporter’s “Best of Kirkland.”

How to maintain a healthy spine

Dr. Lyle Love, of the Kirkland Spine and Posture Center, stands with his assistant Laura Sheridan.“We really have the

only proven e� ective treatment for

whiplash. It is crucial because it can lead to arthritis or other chronic conditions.”

Dr. Lyle Love


Dr. Cherri Hoyden says there is nothing like putting hearing

aids on a patient who has lived with a hearing loss for a long time.

“� at can be very emo-tional for the patient because all of a sudden they realize what they haven’t been hear-ing and what they’ve been missing,” said Dr. Hoyden.

Hearing loss can be isolating and people with untreated hearing loss o� en report higher rates of sadness or depression.

� at’s why Dr. Hoyden enjoys working with patients of all ages to improve their quality of life, and the lives of those around them, through improved hearing at Hearing Specialty Center in Kirkland.

An audiologist for 13 years, Dr. Hoyden previ-ously worked for a hospital and decided to start her own practice in Kirkland three years ago because she wanted to o� er patients more � ex-ibility with their treatment.

At Hearing Specialty Center, Dr. Hoyden does not believe in a one size � ts all approach to hearing assess-ment and rehabilitation, but that there is a best solution for each patient based on their lifestyle and needs.

“We help people of all ages and their needs di� er for various reasons,” she said. “Now that I have my own practice, I have the � exibility of spending the amount of time that I feel is appropriate for each patient so that we can achieve a good outcome for every patient.”

If you have, or suspect you or a loved one has a hearing loss, Dr. Hoyden recom-mends � nding an audiologist for treatment. She explained that the di� erence between an audiologist and a hearing aid dispenser is that an au-diologist has more in depth training.

“Where I have a doctor-ate degree, a dispenser has a short trade school type training” said Dr. Hoyden, who received her doctor-ate from Arizona School of Health Sciences. Audiolo-gists are hearing healthcare professionals who hold a Master’s degree or Doctorate in Audiology (the science of hearing), and special-ize in hearing evaluations, hearing loss, and the � tting of hearing instruments. Audiologists have undergone extensive training in the anatomy and physiology of the ear and its mechanisms, and have a solid background

from which to evaluate your hearing and make appropri-ate recommendations for you.

She emphasized that it is essential for patients to have a comprehensive hearing test, not just a screening, to determine the type and amount of hearing loss.

Hearing Specialty Center o� ers a comprehensive bat-tery of audiometric hearing tests, such as threshold air and bone pure tones, speech

discrimination, speech reception thresholds, tympa-nometry and acoustic re� ex testing.

Once hearing status is es-tablished, Dr. Hoyden said it is important for an audiolo-gist to discuss the patient’s lifestyle and goals with them to allow patients to make an informed choice regarding ampli� cation options.

“Do they live in a retire-ment community where they’re going on activities

every day? Do they live in a single family home? Do they anticipate that chang-ing?” said Dr. Hoyden. “An audiologist needs to take the time to � nd out the patients’ needs, limitations and � nan-cial concerns as well.”

Dr. Hoyden also recom-mends that patients � nd an audiologist that carries more than just one brand of hearing aids. “� ere’s not really one best hearing aid. � e important thing is to

� nd the hearing aid is going to be a good match for that person given their hearing loss, their needs, limitations and what they are trying to achieve with a hearing aid,” she said, adding that Hearing Specialty Center o� ers many di� erent brands.

To schedule your free con-sultation, call 425-821-6600 or visit www.hearingspecial-tycenter.com.

1049-11 WA010 Hearing Specialty Center Newspaper Ad 311.indd 1 3/22/2011 5:25:47 PM

471132

You owe it to yourself to experience better hearing, call us today and scheduleyour complimentary hearing consultation!

How to choose the right hearing specialist Five tips to know

1 Get a complete hearing test.

2 Know what is included in the price of the hear-

ing aid.

3 Ask what type of warranty the hearing aid has.

4 Ask if they verify the fit of the hearing aid?

5 Bring a friend or loved one with so you have a famil-

iar voice to listen to.Kirkland audiologist Cherri Hoyden assists patient Joe Kohl.


Dooley’s Dog House owners Chuck and Marti

Bartlett know about keeping pets healthy.

Just look at the lifespan of their pets.

There is Dooley’s resident cat, Phoebe, who recently turned 20, and Marti’s 12-year-old beagle, Dooley, for whom the store was named.

There was also Beans, who Chuck got as a gift when the terrier was a puppy. Chuck took Beans to the vet when the pooch was six months old because he hopped like a bunny, Chuck recalled.

“Something was wrong and that vet said that I should just put him down,” said Chuck. “He was going to live a short, painful life. He had ar-thritis and bad joints.”

But putting his dog down was not an option for Chuck, so he studied supplements, remedies and nutrition. Beans lived to be almost 18.

“Beans taught me how to read a food label and he taught me the value of nutrition and supple-ments,” said Chuck. “He was just an inspiration to me and our customers. It was why a lot of custom-ers came to us because they heard about Beans.”

Chuck opened Dooley’s Dog House six years ago, after he gave up his work as a business consultant and decided to follow his passion for animals.

“We bought this store just three blocks from our home and it was the right move,” said Chuck, who has lived in Kirkland for more than 30 years. “It is my passion. Both of us love animals.”

A self-proclaimed nutrition expert, Chuck enjoys researching pet nutrition and sharing his knowledge with custom-ers. His store even has a lending library where customers can borrow books on pet nutrition.

“I just love it when cus-tomers come in and they want to talk about their

dog or cat,” said Chuck.Instead of focusing on

a specific problem, Chuck said it is important for pet owners to be aware of

a dog or cat’s overall health. At Dooley’s, Chuck edu-cates custom-ers that add-ing the right supplements to their pet’s diets “can really change that dog’s life and make them healthi-er overall.”

There are many whole-some pet foods avail-able on the market. At

Dooley’s, Chuck person-ally investigates each product and ensures the manufacturer sources all the ingredients. The store car-ries some of the best dog and cat food available, including Orijen, Great Life, Go!, The Natural Pet Pantry, Primal and more.

The most impor-

tant thing pet owners can do when choosing the right food for their dog or cat is to read the label, Marti said.

“It’s just an eye opener to read the labels,” said Marti, noting some of the ingredients found in pet food are “shocking.”

For the not-so-healthy products, Chuck main-tains a “wall of shame” that urges customers to stay away from certain products.

“So I actually say, if your vet recommends these foods, I recommend a new vet,” said Chuck.

He also has a display in the store that lists the good, bad and the ugly of food ingredients. Some of the bad ingredients to avoid include ground yel-low corn, corn gluten meal and animal fat. � ere’s also meat by-product, “which means they’re not telling you what animal meat it’s

from,” said Chuck. “You know they probably

swept it up o� the � oor.”

He said it re-ally struck him

a few years ago when

Marti bought a bag of fertil-

izer and paid “more per pound for steer manure than what people were paying for dog food. Now what does that tell you about what is going into the dog food?”

What is the main ingredient that customers should look for in whole-some dog or cat food?

“Meat,” Chuck says. “Dogs are omnivores, but cats are carnivores and so food needs to have more meat content.”

Some good ingredients include chicken, turkey, salmon and potato as opposed to grains such as corn or wheat.

In addition to pet food, the store also carries vari-ous pet products, such as quality toys, natural treats, supplies, grooming aids, beds, medicine, crates and supplements.

Part of Dooley’s mission is also adopt-ing out sheltered animals and raising funds for local shelters. � e store cur-rently has two cats up for adoption - Petunia and Dante.

“It’s been a carryover for me because I worked a lot with adopting

kids out of the foster care system,” said Marti, noting the store hosts various fund-raising events and even “yappy hours.” Over the years, they have raised more than $125,000 to-wards these e� orts.

Marti says she enjoys helping animals and just talking with customers.

“I feel like our store is a community hub,” she said. “We have a lot of custom-ers who walk their dogs in here daily just to get a biscuit and talk politics.”

Contact Dooley’s Dog House at 425-889-

2200 or visit www.dooley-

sdoghouse.com.

How to keep your pet healthy and happy

“Beans taught me how to read a food label and

he taught me the value of nutrition and supplements.

He was just an inspiration to me

and our customers. It was why a lot of

customers came to us because

they heard about Beans.”

Chuck Bartlett

Twelve-year-old Dooley, center, sits with Marti, left, and Chuck Bartlett at the family’s pet shop in Kirkland. Below is Dooley, right, and his sister Hazel.

manufacturer sources all the ingredients. The store car-ries some of

Orijen, Great Life, Go!, The Natural Pet Pantry, Primal

The most impor-

means they’re not telling you what animal meat it’s

from,” said Chuck. “You know they probably

swept it up o� the � oor.”

He said it re-ally struck him

a few years ago when

Marti

and supplements.Part of Dooley’s

shelters. � e store cur-rently has two cats up for adoption - Petunia

“It’s been a carryover for me because I worked a lot with adopting

2200 or visit www.dooley-

sdoghouse.com.


1 Does your pet’s food label list wholesome main

ingredients first, such as chicken, turkey or salmon?

2 Is the company who makes your pet’s food reliable

and use only human grade ingredients?

3 Is your dog getting enough exercise to burn

calories, avoid bore-dom and stay healthy?

4 Does your pet supply store offer healthy options

for keeping your dogs teeth and gums clean so you can minimize expensive trips to the vet for teeth cleaning?

5 Did you know that cats get most of their mois-

ture intake from their food, and that fresh or canned food can be a healthier option?

Did you know?Experts say that dogs

were domesticated be-tween 12,000 and 25,000 years ago—and that all dogs evolved from the wolf. Since then, humans have selectively bred more than 400 breeds, ranging in size from four-pound teacup poodles to Irish wol� ounds, whose three-foot stature earns them the title of tallest canine. But the most popular pooches are non-pedigree—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mixed-breeds.

Cats were domesti-cated sometime between 4,000 and 8,000 years ago, in Africa and the Middle East. Small wild cats started hang-ing out where humans stored their grain. When humans saw cats up close and personal, they began to admire felines for their beauty and grace.


4709

70


468576

Jay and Kim Henwood live in the community they serve. That’s the

main reason why they pride themselves on hon-esty and integrity in auto repair.

“We live in this com-munity and want to con-tinue to serve this com-munity for years to come with reliable, trustworthy service,” said Henwood, whose family-owned and operated auto repair shop, Jay’s Kirkland Autocare, has served the Kirkland area since 1988. The shop of-fers a variety of maintenance and repair services, including tune-ups, brakes, cooling systems, engine repair, alignment, electrical and more.

A Juanita High School alumnus, Jay is active

in the school’s Key Club that he helped to start. Many students have also job shadowed Jay over the years for their senior projects. He is involved in the community as a member of the Kirkland

Kiwanis and a Lunch Buddy at Peter Kirk Elementary where he men-tors students.

“We went to school here, our kids went to school here, so we really love the home-town part of it,” Jay said of the Kirkland community.

And cus-tomers like the hometown feel of the shop, where they

can come in, have a cup of coffee and even trade fishing stories, said Kim.

Customers also know they are going to get an honest answer when they bring their car in for repairs at Jay’s Kirkland

Autocare. And that’s im-portant when people are looking for a good auto repair shop, said Kim.

“If you go in for a rou-tine ‘minor’ repair and the shop calls you with more repairs, it’s worth questioning,” she said. “We see new customers that are constantly com-ing from other facilities that sell them something they don’t need. That’s not what a good shop is about.”

Sometimes other repairs may be needed, but Jay’s Kirkland Auto-care employees discuss additional repairs with customers to help them prioritize those repairs based on safety and the customer’s budget.

“We love to give people repair options,” Jay said. “For example, if your brakes are at 25 percent remaining, depending on how much you drive you could get another six months out of them, things like that. Most people respond to that re-ally well.”

Jay said the best thing for people to do who are searching for a good auto repair shop is to call AAA.

“I always say the best thing you can do is ask all your friends, neighbors

and co-workers,” he said. “But beyond that you can call AAA. They’re a really good source for who’s good.”

Jay’s Kirkland Auto-care is an award-winning AAA of Washington Approved Facility and a NAPA AutoCare Service Center. The shop has been named a AAA Top Shop for the past eight consecutive years. Jay’s also has ASE certified

technicians. Above all else, Jay’s

Kirkland Autocare makes safety its No. 1 priority.

“Jay tells his staff members to treat each car like your grandmother or your mom is going to drive this car,” said Kim. “It’s going to be safe.”

For more information about Jay’s Kirkland Autocare, call 425-822-3333.

How to find the best auto repair shop

Jay and Kim Henwood of Jay’s Kirkland Autocare.


1 Does the auto repair shop prac-tice honesty and

integrity?

2 Is safety the auto repair shop’s No. 1 priority?

3 Is the auto repair shop known for selling unneces-

sary services to make an extra dollar?

4 Does someone you know recom-mend the auto

repair shop? Is the shop AAA approved?

5 Are shop em-ployees well trained and

certified?

“We love to give people repair options. For

example, if your brakes are at 25

percent remaining, depending on how much you drive you could get another six months out of them, things like that. Most people

respond to that really well.” Jay Henwood


0950

Most people have lived in the same home for decades

by the time they are ready to retire. � e thought of leaving the house they have experi-enced great memories in is too much to bear for some seniors. But many don’t real-ize that there is an option to stay home.

Home-care services enable a senior to get all the help they need, while al-lowing them to stay where they are comfortable.

“We provide assistance with all the activities of daily liv-ing, such as transportation, meal prepara-tion, bathing, dressing, per-sonal care, light housekeeping. We are a non-medical agency, but we can do medication reminders,” said Makaylaa Powers, director and owner of Visiting Angels in Kirk-land. Powers transitioned her career to living-assistance services a� er dealing with her own issues of care for her par-ents. When searching for the right home-care service, there are some major things to look

for, said Powers. One of the biggest issues for seniors in letting a stranger come into their home and take care of them is compatibility.

Incompatibility can mean a bad experience that can lead to con� icts and anxiety for the senior.

Visiting Angels keeps the same caregiver with the same client on a consistent basis.

Some home-care services just assign caregivers to the client and the client never knows who will be coming to see them from visit to visit.

“We always let the client interview the caregiver before they start work,” said Powers. “I can’t imagine anything worse

than having someone come into your house that you don’t like or can’t get along with. � at is one thing we stress.”

Visiting Angels also does routine checks to make sure that the relationship continues to be a good one for the client with check-ins and home visits by the client’s Case Supervisor. � ey also

have surveys done by a third party to make sure the clients are satis� ed with service.

Choosing an agency that hires experienced caregivers can also have a big impact on the quality of life for the client.

“We only hire CNAs, Certi� ed Nursing Assistants,” said Powers, whose com-pany runs an extensive back-ground check and requires multiple references during the hiring process. “� ey are put through an assessment screening that does cognitive and personality traits so we can gauge where there might possibly be trouble. Once we get a clear picture that things will � t, then we bring them back for a second interview.”

But Powers said that one of the biggest things when choosing a home-care service is to pick a company that is prepared for the unexpected by being licensed, bonded and insured.

Beyond security and compatibility is convenience. Finding an agency like Visiting Angels that will work around the senior’s schedule and lifestyle is also important.

In addition, prompt service is extremely important. � e service can be everything from live-in caregiver to just a one-time service.

But it is also important that the agency provides a wide range of services. Visiting Angels o� ers hygiene as-sistance, meal preparation, medication reminders, light housekeeping, errands and shopping, companionship, day and night, temporary or long-term care and respite for family caregivers. � e service is also available on weekends and holidays. Visiting Angels takes pride in being able to

sta� last minute emergencies. � ey have on-call sta� a� er regular business hours and guarantee a response within 15 minutes.

Visiting Angels is a franchise with approximately 450 locations across the United States, which was started in 1992 with 12 in Washing-ton State. Contact Visiting Angels at 425-828-4500.

How to find home-care service Five top questions to ask

1 Is the person able to grow old in their own home

or that of their family with some extra help?

2 Does the com-pany provide ser-vices in assisted

living facilities?

3 How does the home-care ser-vice cost compare

with assisted living or nursing home care?

4 Can home-care services be pro-vided the same

day? Will staff come to your home and con-duct a free, no obliga-tion assessment?

5 Can a client eas-ily change the schedule if the

person has appoint-ments?

“We always let the client interview the

caregiver before they start work. I can’t imagine anything worse than having

someone come into your house that you

don’t like or can’t get along with. That is

one thing we stress.” Makaylaa Powers

Makaylaa Powers, director and owner of Visiting Angels in Kirkland, and o� ce assistant Cindy Janssen.


The uncertain housing market has le� many to wonder if and

when they will be able to buy a home. But Directors Mortgage is no stranger to getting clients in the homes of their dreams.

� e biggest thing is to be informed, according to Sr. Mortgage Specialist Gina Koehl.

“Most people think it is hard to get a loan, but it’s really not,” said Koehl. “� ey need to reach out to the lender and get the information so they know what is available or take a free class that is certi� ed by the state.”

Koehl teaches some of those classes at Directors Mortgage Inc. in Kirkland. Gina has been in the mortgage industry for 19 years in the Kirkland area. But just getting the information is not where an educated decision ends. Koehl said that in the cur-

rent economic environment it is even more important to � nd a Mortgage Special-ist that will work with their client one-on-one.

Directors Mortgage Inc. is a local company based in Lake Oswego, Ore. and specializes in residential mortgage loans, purchases, re� nances, construction loans, reverse mortgages

and debt con-solidation.

� e company has 13 o� ces throughout Oregon and Washington. Koehl said that one of the big-gest advantages the company has is it’s not a multi-national corporation or national bank. With that they

can just focus on doing mortgage loans and they don’t have all the di� erent layers for decision mak-ing. “All our underwriting and funding of the loans is in house, it’s not like the big banks,” said Koehl. “If we need to we can call the

owner of the company and say ‘I think you should look this over and see what we can do.’ If it makes sense we can make it work.” � at ability to be nimble allows Directors Mortgage Inc. to keep the best interest of their clients at heart. � at connectivity gives Koehl the opportunity to give a faster response time.

“You want to go with someone you can call on if you have questions,” said Koehl, who added that Di-rectors Mortgage Inc. loans their own money and is not a mortgage broker, which is a middle man.

� e one-size-� ts-all practice of buying a mort-gage from a big bank or a web site might not lead the consumer to the best prod-uct for their needs, hence costing them more money in the long run.

“People don’t just � t in a box these days,” said Koehl. “We are not just paper pushers. We o� er more personalized service ... we � nd things that � t the clients’ needs to their best advantage.”

Directors Mortgage o� ers

some programs that other mortgage banks won’t.

“We o� er a whole wide range of mortgage services,” said Koehl. “A lot of people have been afraid to buy a house for fear of losing their job. � e MAP (Market Ac-cess Program) is designed for if a client loses their job, their house payments are made for six months.” (Available on USDA loans)

Koehl said the best mortgage lending compa-nies rely on experience as the economic unknown is normally the biggest issue.

“Putting a loan together is like a puzzle and all the pieces need to � t tight,” said Koehl. “And you only get that with experience.”

Directors Mortgage spe-cializes in mortgage lending all around Washington and Oregon. � e company is A-plus rated by the Better Business Bureau.

For more information about Directors Mortgage Inc., call 425-629-3002 or visit www.directorsmort-gage.net

888.636.1112

KIRKLAND

TACOMA

SILVERDALE

KALAMA

BATTLE GROUND

SALMON CREEK

VANCOUVER

LAKE OSWEGO

CLACKAMAS

PORTLAND

BEND

LA GRANDE

LINCOLN CITY

EUGENE

HOOD RIVER/THE DALLESHOOD RIVER/THE DALLES

Locally Owned. Information deemed reliable but subject to change without notice. This is not a commitment to lend. Call for Details. NMLS-3240, CL-3240

directorsmortgage netnet

Kirkland

4715

85

How to find a reliable Mortgage Specialist close to home

Gina Koehl is a Senior Mortgage Specialist with the Kirkland branch of Directors Mortgage Inc.

“Most people think it is hard to get a

loan, but it’s really not. They need to reach out to the

lender and get the information or take

a free class that is certi� ed by the

state.” Gina Koehl


1Is your Com-pany a banker or broker?

2What is your form of com-munication

and are you easily accessible?

3How long have you been do-ing mortgage

loans and are you licensed with the state of Washing-ton?

4What sets you apart from other mortgage

companies?

5Do you have the ability to close and

underwrite loans in house?

2011How2Guide

Documents

Transcript of 2011How2Guide