Traditionally the Tacoma market slows after the 4th of July. For that reason, I reasoned that this past weekend would be a great weekend to take the kids camping. It turned out to be a very bad idea. Besides being very hot, I spent most of the time negotiating FIVE offers that came in Friday and Saturday. Maybe they came in at the same time by chance, or maybe there is good energy in the market at this unlikely time of year. Many in our industry here report being very busy.

One factor that could help this summer is the first time home-buyer tax credit for military personnel. Unlike the tax credit for everyone else, the credit for qualifying military buyers is good until spring 2011. The great news for our area is that 18,000 troops are returning to Lewis-McChord from tours of duty. About 3,000 of those troops are here, with the rest coming some time before October 1st. We thank them for their service to our country. We are glad to have them back!