About Tracy M

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  Banks: School Employee Credit Union of WA (SECU) vs BECU

  1 0 I think you'll be very happy with either, because most (if not all) of the Credit Unions in Washington share ATM's and some even share branches. I am a member at both BECU and Seattle Metropolitan CU. I LOVE BECU. Been happily banking with them since college (so, gosh, more than a decade). Their online system is great, offering free bill pay and lots of info. They have many many ATMs (and you can use other CU ATM if need be). There are the "neighborhood centers" around, where you can ask questions or deal with loans. But if you need teller services, you pretty much have to drive to Everett or Tukwila. This hasn't been a huge issue for me, but about once a year I find myself needing to leave work a little bit early to go up to one of those two real branches. But generally everything can be handled through the ATM or online (or over the phone). And they're updating many of their ATM's to the kind that scan your check and cash, so you have a photo/accounting on your receipt (makes me more confident in doing a cash deposit). I think the biggest choice is going to be how much teller interaction you want, and your geographical relation to their branches. My mom is only with SMCU (not BECU) because she wants to walk into a bank, hand over cash/checks for deposit to a real person, etc. So, if that is important to you, you'll want to choose the credit union that has a teller branch nearest you (the BECU neighborhood centers do not have tellers/safes, etc. They can answer questions and do paperwork, but not handle money). But if you're more interested in digital options, online bill pay, etc, I'd encourage you to investigate both CU websites to see which you like better. BECU is larger than SECU. This gives them more power/ability to upgrade more quickly, it feels to me. And if you sign up for e-statements and use online bill pay once (you don't have to do it each month, just one time) they offer a bonus higher interest rate on the first $500 in your checking and savings (and you qualify for a higher rate on your money market acct, too). I've also been very happy with SMCU. I don't do my checking through them (so i haven't used their online system) but their credit card and savings services have been lovely. And it is kind of nice to actually walk into a bank sometimes, be greeted by employees who know your name, etc. Generally, it's fine banking with BECU only through ATMs or online. But last year an ATM malfunctioned and wouldn't release my debit card. While I was able to call the bank the next day and have them send me a new card express shipping, it was a LONG 3 days. Not being able to make a deposit or get cash suddenly became an issue, of course. But it was a freak thing and I survived it. *smile* Tracy M answered in Personal Finance 3 days ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

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  Raising soil grade & preventing erosion

  0 0 Okay, I asked my boss (who deals with this stuff) and this is his answer: "If you slope it at 45* and compact it, as you're planning, it should be fine, as you're only dealing with 4" of grade." Plants do take awhile to grow, but laying down sod can be a great and faster way too. Hope this helps. Tracy M answered in Home Fix & Maintain 4 days ago Answer and comment »

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  If Seattle gets a new NBA team, could they play at Hec Ed while Key Arena is torn down and rebuilt?

  1 0 I haven't heard anyone suggest that before, either. My guess why it's not being considered is capacity of the crowd. Hec Ed (which I think is officially now "B of A arena at Hec Edmunson Pavillion) is only 10,000 whereas Key Arena holds over 17,000 folks. I'm not sure what is standard attendance for NBA teams, but I'm guessing those involved don't want to lose 7,000 seats PER GAME. That is a LOT of lost ticket revenue (not to mention beer, snacks, merch, parking, etc). It worked well for the Seahawks/UW football to share because those stadiums have comparable capacity. In fact, a quick google search says that Husky Stadium actually has 72,000 vs the 68,000 for the seahawks. Tracy M answered in Local News & Politics 4 days ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

• Comment on Alex J. Higgins's answer…

  0 0 Oh, also, if he is a BBB accredited business, then he has agreed to handle all disputes through their arbitration/mediation process. So you can check to see if he's accredited http://alaskaoregonwesternwashington.bbb.org/Find-Business-Reviews/ And then, if he is, you can file a claim through the Better Business Bureau. Also, I just wanted to say, the best solution is that you two will be able to come to an amicable agreement. So hopefully he will call you back and you guys can agree on what seems like proper restitution (generally a contractor would prefer to repair the problem than just issue a partial refund. And that should be an acceptable solution, if he is interested). So, hopefully he will return your call and none of the rest of this will matter. Good luck! Tracy M commented 11 days ago

• Comment on Alex J. Higgins's answer…

  1 0 Hopefully he will contact you and make it right. If not, there are some options... You can put a claim against his bond, but depending on the situation, there may be others doing the same thing. You can check his contractor's status and details on the L&I website (which is pretty helpful, actually). http://lni.wa.gov/TradesLicensing/Contractors/HireCon/ Use the Look up a contractor link, enter his name or partial business name. Then you'll get a screen with all the details. If you scroll towards the bottom, you'll be able to see if there are any current summons/complaint information (the heading is in super tiny print, and in bigger letters this section begins with "CAUSE"). I mean, there's only so much "bond" to go around. This site should also let you look up the AMOUNT of the bond. It might be $5,000 but depending upon the type of construction and types of projects they do, it might be $10,000 or $12,000 (or even more), so that means a slightly bigger pie to go around. Additionally, provided it's a small enough amount (less than $4,000, I think) you can take him to small claims court. No lawyers allowed, just you and the defendant pleading your case. If it's more than $4,000 and you want to pursue legal action, it means real court. And, depending on why he's going out of business, this may not be worth your time. If he's declaring bankruptcy and/or hugely in debt, you can definitely join the long line of people owed money, but you probably won't see much in the end. Tracy M commented 12 days ago

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  Candy Stores!

  0 0 This won't help you for Seattle (sorry) but I recently discovered a FANTASTIC old-fashioned candy store in Portland, called "Sweets" http://www.sweetsetc.com/ Amazing selection, in-house made candy and pre-packaged stuff. Also a great international selection. Plus there's ice cream in the back. So, if you're ever in PDX, check it out. Tracy M answered in Other-Food & Drink 13 days ago Answer, comment & read 5 more answers »

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  USPS Parcel Post ?

  4 0 Parcel Post is just standard ground package (or parcel) delivery through the United States Post Office. According to their website, it looks like 2-8 days is considered standard. https://www.usps.com/business/parcel-post-for-business.htm If customers are having issues with items taking weeks or months, the issue is probably with the person doing the shipping, and not the shipping method. I've shipped and received items through the post office very frequently for over a decade now, and almost never have a problem. Honestly, if there are reliability or consistency issues, I'm guessing it's the seller's issue. If they don't pack the item and get it to the post office in a timely manner than, obviously, that will delay things. There's an option to add delivery notification/tracking, but those are additional charges and would've had to have been negotiated/selected before the sale. You should be able to contact the seller and ask them specifically what day they sent it. That should give you a good indication of arrival time. Because Miami to Seattle are as far apart as possible in the states, I'm guessing it'll be closer to the 8 business days length of time. The size of the box shouldn't affect shipping time. Tracy M answered in Whatever 25 days ago Answer, comment & read 4 more answers »

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  Best Camera shop for a cheap and quick repair of a Canon AE-1?

  0 0 I'd recommend you make the drive North to Kenmore Camera, actually. http://www.kenmorecamera.com/ They've been around forever, they're friendly, and have a decent used camera section, too. I'd assume that they do repairs, but probably best to give them a call to verify. What I really prefer about this store is that they're very welcoming to non-professionals, too. Whether you know what you're talking about or are just getting started, they seem genuinely interested in helping you take great photos and get the most out of your camera. Glazer's in Seattle has also been around forever, and I know that they have a repair department. http://www.glazerscamera.com/services.html However, they have a bit of a reputation for being snooty to newbies. So if you're not well-versed in photography, you might get some attitude. This might not come up, as you're just looking for repairs, but for camera sales, it can be a bit unpleasant. Still, if you know your stuff, they've got some really knowledgeable folks working here. And a quick yelp search finds about 10 other stores that also do this work. So you can read through those reviews and see what makes the most sense. Good luck. http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=camera+repair&find_loc=Seattle%2C+WA Tracy M answered in Tech Support 26 days ago Answer and comment »

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  Where can I buy the cheapest towels in Seattle?

  3 0 Honestly, Goodwill is probably your best bet for cheapest/best finds. They generally have a decent linens collection. But if you want brand new and super cheap, I'd guess that the giant cheap superstores are the way to go (Ross, Target, TJ Maxx, Walmart). Of course, those cheap towels maybe won't last as long as a nicer more expensive set. But that's always the way. If you don't mind the online experience, Overstock.com carries some of the mid-range towels (available at the bigger mid-range department stores) for about 50% less. So that might be a nice compromise. I'd love to send you to some of our wonderful local stores, but if low price is your primary concern, they won't meet those needs. One shops local for customer service and quality, but not generally for the cheapest price. You'll only find those 12 tube socks for $1 at Walmart/Target, ya know? Good luck. Tracy M answered in Household Goods 26 days ago Answer, comment & read 2 more answers »

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  Very first steps when thinking about buying a home?

  0 0 Related to your question, once you get to the point of making an offer and doing a home inspection, BE SURE TO HAVE THE SEWER PIPE VIDEO INSPECTED in addition to your standard home inspector. As someone who works for a company that repairs sewers, I can tell you it can get crazy expensive. And it's worth it to spend the $200 for the video inspection to find out if there's $5,000 (or more) worth of repairs. Thing is, most folks don't know they have a broken sewer until it backs up, right? So the only way to check the condition of the line is to send a video camera down. I've been surprised to learn that many real estate agents don't really know about this service or recommend it to their clients, so I'm helping to spread the word. Once you're at the offer/inspection stage, you may be feeling overwhelmed and over-burdened with fees, etc, but it is still a REALLY good idea to hire someone to video inspect the sewer line. Tracy M answered in Home Ownership 27 days ago Answer, comment & read 10 more answers »

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