Issuu

OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today announced that Philips, a multinational electronics company, will pay $7 million as part of the Attorney General’s price-fixing lawsuit against manufacturers of cathode ray tubes, or CRTs, a technology once ubiquitous in television screens and computer monitors.

Under the consent decree, filed in King County

By StatePoint

Superior Court, Philips will pay $7 million for the Attorney General’s price-fixing claims. Ferguson will distribute the bulk of the money recovered through a claims process for Washington consumers and state agencies that purchased CRTs during the conspiracy period.

The lawsuit alleges Philips and other CRT manufacturers, including LG, Panasonic, Hitachi, Chun➧ PHILIPS, Page 5

and heating

time outside more comfortable, according to the Houzz 2018 Landscaping Survey. To embrace the trend, consider the following.

Add ‘Living Room’ Touches

Create a flawless outdoor retreat with comfortable lounge chairs and all-weather sectionals that look like they belong inside. Go all out with color and bold furnishings -- shades of magenta and teal go perfectly with nature’s green elements. However, if you prefer neutrals, up the design factor with bright planters and accent pieces, or hang vibrant tiled artwork that can withstand the elements.

If you have an indoor patio or pergola, hanging decorative curtains provides style, shade and privacy. Finalize the space with cushioned floor seats and activities, like board games and books, for the ultimate entertaining destination.

Include a Beverage Station

Have refreshments nearby with fun serving ware and a bar cart stocked with cocktail fixings -- ice, lemons, olives, water and soda -along with fruit juices and colorful sugar to rim glasses so even the kids can get in on the merriment.

Add pretty patterned glassware, umbrella stir sticks and a cocktail shaker to get the party started.

Refresh Common Areas

Guests will access your home’s entryway and powder room. Spruce up these spaces with a fresh coat of paint or by simply repainting the trim a crisp white. This can completely transform your home, making it look brighter and feel larger. With the right tools, you can pull off this impactful project with ease.

One of the most important tools you’ll need is a premium painter’s tape, like FrogTape brand painter’s tape, to protect walls and floors. Treated with PaintBlock Technology, FrogTape can be used on a variety of surfaces to deliver the sharpest paint lines for professional-looking results, allowing you to get the job done faster and eliminating the need for touchups -- which means more time spent outside.

To bring the elements of summer into your home, include accents like colorful throw rugs, fresh flowers and greenery.

Go Green

Create a peaceful sanctuary outdoors with fresh flowers and

greenery. If you don’t have a green thumb, display low-maintenance verbena, lavender and decorative grasses in attractive pots. If you have minimal space, opt for a wall-mounted garden to add life and texture without creating a footprint. One easy way to do this

is to repurpose an old wooden ladder and secure it to a wall. Succulents and herbs are easy to tend to and kids will love having a summer project to upkeep. Plus, nothing will impress guests more than clipping fresh herbs during your next cookout.

For more painting projects and décor tips, visit FrogTape.com.

To make your home the ultimate summer hangout, consider these simple projects to transform outdoor spaces.

By StatePoint

From baseball cards and sports equipment to postcards and toys, is that “junk” in your attic or basement dusty treasure or just dusty? We’ve all heard of families getting rich from the sale of rare memorabilia. So how can you tell if your stuff is valuable and how can you sell it, if it is?

“The general rule is that the older the item, the more valuable it is. 1980 is not old. 1960 is kind of old. 1910 is old,” says Al Crisafulli, Auction Director at Love of the Game Auctions, an internet sports auction house that has helped many families identify and sell valuable items. In one instance, Crisafulli determined that a family’s baseball bat that spent decades beside their front door to protect from intruders, was actually used by Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig -- and Love of the Game Auctions sold it for them for more than $430,000. He is offering these tips to help determine if your items are valuable:

Baseball Cards

Cards from the 1960s and earlier are collectible, and those from before the 1940s can be extremely pricey. Do they have sharp corners, no creases and retain original gloss? Do they depict star players and Hall of Famers? A Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner or Mickey Mantle will sell for more than non-stars.

With particularly old cards from the 1880s and early 1900s, look for tobacco and candy brands, such as Old Judge, Piedmont, Sweet

DENNY BLAINE WATERFRONT

“Ask Sam”

Question:

I read Seattle’s real estate inventory levels are up for the first time in years. What does this mean for prospective sellers? Will the market shift to favor buyers?

Answer:

To address this question, let’s first define the three classifications of real estate inventory levels: sellers’ market, normal market, and buyers’ market. Inventory levels are defined by the number of months of available housing inventory. An inventory level of 3 months means that based on the current rate of home sales, it would take three months for all available properties to sell.

A buyers’ market is six or more months.

A normal market is three to six months.

A sellers’ market is fewer than three months. We have been in a sellers’ market for over six years. The Seattle market hasn’t landed outside of this threemonth threshold since February 2012. Moreover, since October 2016, Seattle’s inventory held at less than a one-month supply for all except three months. An inventory level of less than one-month means more homes are selling each month than are being listed. In economics terms, monthly demand exceeds monthly supply.

The recent news pertaining to increased inventory refers to the comparative levels during the same month last year. An increase to years of record low inventory levels isn’t significant enough to move the needle in buyers’ favor. In May, Queen Anne and Magnolia residential properties that sold for under $1 million increased to a 1.1 months supply of inventory compared to only a 0.3 month in 2017 (51 home sales in 2018 vs. 25 in 2017). For properties over $1 million, the same neighborhoods achieved a 1.2 months supply compared to a 0.9 month supply in 2017 (43 home sales in 2018 vs. 34 in 2017). Both price categories fall well within the sellers’ market category. The market has a long way to go before a shift in favor of buyers occurs.

The greatest impact of this low inventory and high demand sellers’ market has been on values! Looking at May of 2017 and May of 2018, Seattle residential properties experienced a comparably modest 11.33 % increase in the median sales price ($719,950 in 2017 vs. $801,539 in 2018), whereas Queen Anne and Magnolia saw an increase of 27.77% ($925,500 in 2017 vs. $1,182,500 in 2018). With value surges this large, buyers undoubtedly feel the impact! However Seattle’s strong job market and economy create an influx of persistent demand, perpetuating the competitive atmosphere for buyers yielding the dramatic value growth. Nonetheless, these small increases in inventory often re-energize buyers who have grown frustrated with the market, and their re-entry often counteracts the minor up-surge in homes available.

The good news lands on the side of prospective sellers: The sellers’ market persists.

Data and statistics obtained from the NWMLS.

Sam Konswa

Founder/Managing Broker of Queen Anne Real Estate

Sam Konswa specializes in the Queen Anne and Magnolia neighborhoods, using his local market expertise to give his clients a distinct advantage in these areas.

Phone: 206-972-4045

Email: sam@queenannerealestate.com Website: www.QueenAnneRealEstate.com

Send your questions for “Ask Sam” to pacsales@nwlink.com

Sam Konswa is the Founder/Managing Broker of Queen Anne Real Estate. He specializes in the Queen Anne and Magnolia neighborhoods, using his local market expertise to give his clients a distinct advantage in these areas. 206-972-4045 • .QueenAnneRealEstate.com

Top Tips and Decluttering Insights for Your Next Move

By StatePoint

Moving can be emotional and the ways you manage it – including the downsizing of your possessions –may be influenced by your age, suggests a new study.

“From heirlooms to kitchen gadgets, moving is one of the few times in life when you’re forced to consider all your possessions and decide what goes and what stays,” says Pat Baehler, senior vice president, Mayflower Moving. “It can be a journey of ups and downs, from feeling brief guilt over purging gifts or older furniture, to pure joy in remembering the story behind a family heirloom and thinking of the memories you’ll soon make in your new home.”

Baby boomers (64 percent) and Generation Xers (60 percent) are more likely than millennials (53 percent) to put an heirloom in a safe place to pass along, according to the 2018 Mayflower Mover Insights Study, which explored different generations’ relationships with their belongings. However, millennials (17 percent) are more likely than Generation Xers (12 percent) and baby boomers (10 percent) to refurbish or repurpose an heirloom into something new.

The survey, conducted by Mayflower, which moves approximately 50,000 families annually, also explored how Americans feel about decluttering and purging unused items: 80 percent of survey respondents agree that clutter stresses them out, and half declutter their living space to feel more relaxed.

While such emotional stressors are often unavoidable during a move, the following tips from the experts at Mayflower can help you ease the logistical and financial burdens.

• Most people want to move on a Thursday or

Friday, so if you can move earlier in the week there will likely be more availability. Likewise, it’s best to move in the early or middle part of the month, as well as to avoid summer -- the busiest time for most moving companies.

• Prevent mishaps. Consider letting professionals pack breakable items.

• Help offset relocation costs by looking into programs such as CityPointe, provided by Mayflower, offering cash back on the sale and purchase price of your home.

• Of the millions of Americans that move annually, fraud occurs in as many as 3,000 cases. Don’t get scammed. Ask for a moving quote from three companies and don’t be hooked by the lowest price. If one estimate is much lower than the others, it could be a red-flag that the company isn’t legitimate. Generally, reputable moving companies will not require a deposit, so don’t pay up-front.

• Reduce energy spent packing and unpacking. While 57 percent of survey respondents say they’ll purge everything they don’t need before moving, only 44 percent have actually done this in the past. Luckily, there are both new and lucrative channels for doing so: 47 percent of Americans say they use some kind of online service, social site or app to help them declutter, 26 percent are considering selling unused items through a resale or consignment shop and 35 percent are considering selling unused items online, according to the Mayflower survey.

For additional moving tips and tools, visit Mayflower.com.

Whether you’re a minimalist or a pack rat, smart strategies can mean a low-stress move.

Sam Konswa

Caporal or American Caramel. Unopened packs from almost any era can be valuable.

Memorabilia & Equipment

Look for old advertising posters depicting sports stars and food, tobacco or sporting goods brands. This doesn’t mean ads torn from magazines, but those used as store displays and for other purposes. Tin signs are highly collectible from the 1900s into the 1960s, but low-quality reproductions aren’t. Pre-1950s catcher’s masks, baseball gloves and bats can be valuable, especially those endorsed by star players. Condition is important but used equipment can be valuable.

When you go to sell sports items, consider a specialty auction, such as Love of the Game, which has the expertise to properly research sports pieces, and maintains lists of bidders specializing in this area so it can get top dollar for these items. More information is available at loveofthegameauctions.com.

Postcards

Postcards of your vacation destinations likely are worthless. But those depicting famous people, such as movie star cards and vintage baseball postcards, can be valuable. Look for early “real photo” postcards from the 1900s through the 1940s, which are photographs printed on postcard backs. No matter the type, the older, the better, and the more famous, the better.

Old Halloween or Christmas postcards from the early 1900s can be expensive. The same goes for many intricate “hold-to-light” postcards, where portions of scenes light up when held to strong light.

Toys Look for famous characters, such as early Walt Disney items, superheroes, Star Wars, etc. The most prized toys are those in original condition with no broken pieces and paint intact. And if you have original boxes, you might strike gold!

So, while you’re cleaning that attic, basement or garage, don’t rush to purge. Before throwing out old “junk,” determine if it’s valuable!

5 Ways to Get Your Home Ready for Summer

By StatePoint

Summertime means backyard barbecues, home decorating updates and more. Want to make all of this happen affordably? The discount experts at Dollar General are offering some essential shopping tips to save time and money while finding the items you need to live it up in style this season and beyond.

Refresh Your Home

Refresh home décor on a budget any time of the year. Explore your creative side as you pick out new curtains, throws, pillows, wall art and more. To avoid getting overwhelmed, you may want to start out by updating spaces one at a time, rather than giving your whole home a complete overhaul all at once. Shop at a discount retailer to find the perfect decorating solution for your style and budget, in an easy and convenient way.

Get Party-Ready

The items needed to pull off a successful shindig can quickly add up, whether you’re hosting the party or planning to attend one. To be the hostess with the mostest, select thematic items that color coordinate, or find seasonal options to complement your party essentials, like balloons, plates, party favors, disposable table cloths, napkins, silverware and more. A discount retailer such as Dollar General can serve as an affordable one-stop shop for finding all of these items and is also a good destination for those in need of gift items for birthday celebrations or other special occasions. Find gift cards, candles, toys and cards for recipients of all ages.

Stock up on Seasonal Décor

Make this season’s holidays, barbecues and celebrations unforgettable by decorating your home or work station with fun and inexpensive seasonal décor. Throw the perfect patriotic celebration with red, white and blue, or celebrate the summer with a wide selection of colorful backyard adornments.

Everyday Essentials

Instead of buying everyday items as-needed at an expensive shop, save

Many Washingtonians who purchased TVs and computer monitors between 1995 and 2007 will receive restitution through a claims process

gwha, Toshiba and Samsung, engaged in a price-fixing scheme to drive up the cost of CRTs from 1995 to 2007. During those 12 years, the price-fixing conspiracy caused millions of Washington consumers to be overcharged for their CRT televisions and computer monitors.

“Because of this conspiracy, Washington consumers overpaid for televisions and computer monitors without knowing it,” Ferguson said. “We are returning the money back where it belongs: the pockets of Washingtonians.”

The lawsuit alleges Philips representatives attended secret meetings with other companies, known internally as “glass meetings,” in which they agreed to fix prices of CRTs. For example, the companies agreed to artificially restrict supply to keep prices high and share information with competitors regarding capacity, production, prices and customer demands for CRTs.

According to the lawsuit, conspirators split the glass meetings into three tiers: “top meetings” for high-level company executives, “management meetings” for midlevel managers, and “workinglevel meetings” for lower-level sales and marketing employees.

Windermere Real Estate

Street Group 20 years of experience helping buyers and sellers successfully navigate through one of the most stressful times in their lives.

Office (206) 283-8080 Cell (206) 478-0941

Fax (206) 283-5650

egillette@windermere.com MakeSeattleYourHome.com

Philips attended meetings at all three levels.

The lawsuit alleges the companies’ scheme allowed them to keep CRT prices high, even as liquid crystal display, or LCD, screens were introduced to the market.

Until the late 2000s, CRTs were the primary technology for television screens and computer monitors. In 1999, CRT monitors accounted for over 90 percent of the retail market for computer monitors in North America. The technology has largely fallen out of use in recent years, superseded by LCD screens. Philips no longer produces CRTs.

The Attorney General will retain a claims administrator to help with the distribution of the funds. Funds will be distributed after all cases are resolved. More details on the claims process will be announced when available.

This payment will bring the total paid so far by CRT manufacturers over their scheme to $10.65 million. So far, five other conspirators have paid a total of $3.65 million to Washington:

• LG, $1.5 million

• Toshiba, $1.3 million

• Panasonic, $450,000

• Hitachi, $275,000

• Chunghwa, $125,000

The lawsuit is ongoing against Samsung, with a trial set for July 2019.

Antitrust Division Chief Jonathan Mark and Assistant Attorneys General Justin Wade, Neal Luna and Eric Newman are handling the case.

The Office of the Attorney General’s Antitrust Division is responsible for enforcing the antitrust provisions of Washington’s Unfair Business PracticesConsumer Protection Act. The division investigates and litigates complaints of anticompetitive conduct and reviews potentially anticompetitive mergers. The division also brings actions in federal court under the federal antitrust laws. It receives no general fund support, funding its own actions through recoveries made in other cases.

In 2016, the division recovered $41 million for Washington consumers in its lawsuit over the LCD price-fixing scheme.

The Antitrust Division investigates complaints about potential anti-competitive activity. For information about filing a complaint, visit https://fortress. wa.gov/atg/formhandler/ago/ AntitrustComplaint.aspx.

Dutch

PHILIPS, from Page 1

Photo credit Halfpoint/stock.Adobe.com

QUEEN ANNE DUTCH COLONIAL Offered at $1,985,000

1021 W McGraw St

Gillette

both time and money by stocking up on these supplies at a discount retail store. At home, be organized and have a handle on where you store items, so you can grab them as you need t

Save More

From your favorite snacks to cleaning products and more, private brands are a great option when looking to save on quality products. You can also save even further with digital coupons that provide customers with an easy-to-use platform. Seek out stores that offer perks, like Dollar General. To sign up for deals and discounts, visit dollargeneral.com/coupons or access coupons on the mobile app. Shoppers can load coupons to their account and redeem them at checkout during their next visit.

Whether you’re looking to update your home décor for summer or you’re searching for affordable party supplies for an upcoming barbecue or gathering, free up some space in your budget and your schedule by one-stop shopping at a discount retailer.

Wine and Cheese Pairing Tips for Summer Entertaining

By StatePoint

Summer is a time for picnics, festive garden gatherings and poolside parties. For hot days and warm evening entertaining, keep things cool by creating a delicious, yet easy-to-prepare spread of wines, cheeses, fresh fruits and nuts.

Choosing cheeses to go with your favorite wines does not need to be difficult. Start by thinking of each component of the wine and cheese as a complementary or contrasting flavor, considering the texture, sweetness and flavor intensity of each. Experiment by tasting each on its own to get a sense of its characteristics. Then, see how they taste when combined. You can do this on your own while planning your event or make it a fun activity with your guests.

As part of their hospitality program, the culinary team at St. Francis Winery & Vineyards in Sonoma County, CA looks to local cheese producers for interesting choices to pair with their certified sustainable wines. To help hosts recreate the winery experience at home, here are a few pairing tips for preparing summer spreads that feature some of the best wines and cheeses of Sonoma County: Pair wines and cheeses of equal flavor intensity. Bold wines can overwhelm some cheeses. One pairing example of balanced flavor intensity is Laura Chenel Goat Brie paired with St. Francis Sonoma County Chardonnay 2016

(SRP $16.99). The goat brie is delicious for summer, with a light creamy quality that carries notes of grass and nuts and has a clean lemony finish. The Chardonnay has delicate aromas and flavors of green apple, juicy pear and melon. The combination is a bright, crisp wine that nicely matches the cheese’s flavors and weight. Pair bold reds with aged cheeses. Aged cheeses are richer in flavor. This aspect of their character counteracts the tannins of a bold red wine, making for a delicious pairing. Consider serving Vella Dry Monterey Jack, an aged cheese similar to Parmigiano with a sweet flavor reminiscent of butterscotch, with Sonoma Valley Merlot 2015 (SRP $20.99). The expressive Merlot, with aromas and flavors of red cherry, plum, espresso bean and savory spices, complements the cheese beautifully. The aged Dry Monterey Jack cheese highlights the smooth texture of the Merlot wine.

Add an array of fresh fruits to your spread. After assembling the cheese board, add color and texture with fresh fruits of the summer season. Strawberries, cherries, grapes, raspberries and figs are festive choices. For an added cool factor, put frozen green grapes in your glass of Chardonnay to keep it chilled without diluting the flavor. With these pairing tips, you are sure to have an entertaining and delicious cheese and wine filled gathering.

Photo

MARKET DATA RESULTS

In 2017, Queen Anne Real Estate’s residential listings sold for 15% more per square foot than Seattle’s average ($531 vs. $463). Queen Anne Real Estate sold residential listings in Queen Anne 39% faster than the area's average (11 days vs. 18 days).