Since the national news is so dismal lately I like to highlight good news coming out of my home state, Washington. Washington State unemployment rate dropped from 6.0 percent in August to 5.8 in September. The drop represents the first decrease in the unemployment rate in 5 months. The 5.8 percentage is better than the 6.1 percent national average. Seattle’s unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent from 4.7 percent in August. All signs point to that the Washington State economy is holding up better than the rest of the nation.

I’m happy to report some good news in our local housing market here in Seattle. The housing market according to an October 6th 2008 Seattle PI article shows signs of stabilization in September. “Pending sales of houses and condominiums in Seattle increased 8.8 percent from a year earlier and 1.8 percent from August, while sales countywide went up 4.2 percent from September 2007 and declined 0.8 percent from August, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.Home listings increased 4.9 percent from a year earlier and 1.5 percent from the prior month in Seattle; countywide listings rose 6.2 percent from a year earlier and dipped 2.8 percent from August.” The 8.8 percent move in pending sales represents the first increases in 14 months. With the stock market crashing I’m all for good economic news no matter where I find it.

I can’t believe it in the age of global warming June has turned out to be the coldest in more than a century here in Seattle. With weather records going back to 1852 we are matching and even beating record low temperatures in the region. It’s so cold here that as I type it’s STILL snowing in the mountains! This is the actual forecast from the National Weather Service… “A fierce storm could bring five to 10 inches of new snow to Washington’s Cascade Mountains, particularly in the higher elevation.” I’m going to get my skis out and get up there right away. I can probably count on my hands how many nice days we’ve had all year. I’m been a Northwesterner all my life, but I’m this close to moving to Arizona.