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Leavenworth Home Inspection Issues - Part II
2008-05-07 02:03:00
Leavenworth homes have a number of common issues that often show up during a home inspection. In part I of this series about common issues found in Leavenworth homes, John Griffith of Cascade Site Services talked about 5 issues that he often sees in his inspections. Here are the next five issues, in no particular order.6) Unlined Masonry chimney: Another of the potentially deadly situations that is discovered during a home inspection is an unlined and/or a deteriorated masonry chimney. Typically, masonry chimneys for wood burning fireplaces have terra cotta clay liners. Fireplace inserts and pellet stoves usually have a metal chimney liner installed. If there is no clay or metal type of liner inside the masonry chimney, the chimney is unlined. Unlined masonry chimneys pose a significant safety risk. Any cracks or gaps in the chimneys’ bricks or mortar, anywhere in the chimney (below the roof), will allow heat, smoke and carbon monoxide to escape into the structure. Many attic fire...
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Course of Construction Insurance
2008-05-03 17:25:00
Course of Construction Insurance :What You Need To Know Before You Build Your Home. Submitted by Eric Kossian of Leavenworth Insurance We’ll assume you’ve purchased your dream lot and have hired a contractor. Prior to this point, you should have liability coverage either extending from another home policy or have a vacant lot liability policy. Once you start building you still need liability insurance (your vacant land liability policy is now void once construction starts) and you will need dwelling coverage while the dwelling is being built. Your contractors should have a Contractor’s Liability policies covering their work on the dwelling. For additional tips regarding your contractor see the bottom of the page. Contractor liability policies do NOT cover your liability as a land owner and they do NOT cover the building while being built. Both of these needs can be easily and inexpensively covered by you with a Course of Construction homeowner’s policy. These cover the buildi...

Leavenworth Home Inspections - Common Conditions
2008-04-17 19:06:00
Leavenworth Home Inspections - Common Conditions Part I By John Griffith, Cascade Site Services, Cashmere WA The conditions described below are not in any particular order as far as significance or commonality. Leavenworth does have a large number of older homes, built in the early 1900's, and many of these conditions are typical of older construction. Also, with the climate of Leavenworth being cooler, with higher precipitation than areas farther East, issues that involve drainage, ventilation and soil contact with wood take on heightened significance. 1) Poor exterior drainage: Since water or moisture related issues consistently result in more structural damage to homes than any other cause, water and/or moisture management is always the number one thing to be aware of. Water itself causes direct damage to homes in the form of settled foundations, cracked concrete patios and deteriorated wood siding. In addition, most secondary issues such as mold, wood rot and insect infestation...

Leavenworth Condo Report
2008-04-07 16:46:00
Prices for Leavenworth Condo s have continued their upward trend in prices despite a glut of new construction condos on the market.This report is for the first quarter of 2008 and includes Kahler Glen condos as well as Leavenworth projects like Aspen Suites at Icicle Junction, RiverPark Homes in Leavenworth, Alpine Village, SkiView Condos on Titus Road, and The Boulders on Alpensee Strasse.First quarter sales volume has been fairly consistent the past few years. This year 5 condos sold in the first 3 months, with 3 selling in 2007, 4 in 2006 and 2 in 2005.The big news which has been mentioned here before is the number of new condos on the market in Leavenworth. 59 units were active on the MLS during the 1st quarter, despite Aspen Suites removing their condos from the MLS.Prices continue to march upward. In 2005, the average condo was $121,000 and now it has risen to $284,000. Median prices have risen as well to $300,000 for 2008.As of April 6, there are currently 51 condominiums avai...
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Leavenworth Real Estate Stats for Q1 2008
2008-04-07 16:44:00
Leavenworth real estate prices for both houses and condos have continued their upward trend in the first quarter of 2008 . This includes the area from Peshastin to Stevens Pass including Lake Wenatchee, Fish Lake and Plain.In the past, I have focused on comparing year to year trends, but this quarter I decided to compare 2008 to the past few years.As you can see, home prices (both average and median) were a bit down in Q1 of 2007, but have rebounded in 2008. We have seen average home prices (for single family stick built homes) go from an average of $251,000 in 2005 to $420,000 - a 67% increase!Inventory of single family homes went up 8% from last year to 131 active listings, but new listings were down considerably (31%). I think the national news is convincing some folks to hold off on selling their home if they don't really need to right now.The number of houses that sold during the first quarter is up from 20 to 24 (a 20% increase), but down from 25 in 2006 and 32 in 2005.As of A...
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Leavenworth Real Estate Agent Nominated for Tech Savvy Business of the Year
2008-04-06 19:11:00
On Tuesday April 8, the Greater Wenatchee Area Technology Alliance is holding their annual Innovators Awards Luncheon in Wenatchee. They will be giving awards for the Entrepreneur of the Year and for the Tech Savvy Business of the Year.I am honored to be one of five local businesses nominated this year for the Tech Savvy Business of the Year. No real estate agent has yet to win this award and I am excited to be recognized for the hard work I have put into becoming a leader in the field.The keynote speaker for the luncheon will be Dr. Lee Cheatham, the Executive Director of the Washington Technology Center. Past Award Winners for the Tech Savvy Business of the Year include Roger Erlandsen of Erlandsen Inc, Jerry Isenhart of http://www.golakechelan.com/, Lorne Browne of Lovitt Cider, and Bernie Schell of PakIt Rite.
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Financing land in Leavenworth
2008-03-24 06:49:00
I am hearing from a lot of clients that their banks are no longer financing land. I am finding that other local lenders are cutting back on their land loans by charging higher interest rates and/or requiring higher down payments. Some of these moves seem a little drastic to me. It’s unfortunate that these nationwide banks can’t look at the markets that are performing well (like Leavenworth) and exclude them from their ‘hide in the bunker’ mentality. It seems to me that cutting off good business in a good market is a poor way for a bank to recover. The real surprise to me is watching some of the other community banks that see the same market conditions we see and yet are still pulling back from land loans. It's as though they have been reading USA Today or something, instead of taking a drive around town. Buildable land in Leavenworth may be hard to come by, but that is kind of the point; the limited supply keeps the prices up, hence it is a good investment, and good for ...
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Leavenworth FSBO (For Sale By Owner)
2008-03-16 15:41:00
Leavenworth real estate searches can be tricky in this day and age. As a consumer you have a multitude of choices - The Big Boys - Remax.com, Windermere.com, Johnlscott.com, or Realtor.comYou can use any number of newer online tools like Roost, Zillow, Estately, Craiglist or Trulia or you can search local newspapers like the Wenatchee World and the Leavenworth Echo.You can also use the big search engines which have real estate sections like Google or Yahoo or MSN.Of course, I'd prefer that you used the Leavenworth real estate search on IcicleCreekRealEstate.com, but I'll admit that a handful of listings don't end up here either.Here's the dirty real estate secret no one will say out loud. None of these websites has all the Leavenworth real estate for sale!It's true. There are a number strategies homeowners use to sell a property in Leavenworth (and many of them don't work). If a homeowner is selling FSBO or For Sale By Owner - they might have an ad in the paper or on Craigslis...

Leavenworth Vacation Homes and 1031 Exchanges
2008-03-13 16:51:00
This article about using your vacation home or Leavenworth condo in 1031 tax exchange was provided by Ann Mclaren of LandAmerica 1031 Exchange Services. I have been fortunate to take a 1031 class from Ann in the past and I welcome anyone to contact her directly for more details on 1031 exchanges. She can be reached at (866) 962-1031. I hope to have more articles from her in the future.A vacation home or second home held for personal use, solely for personal enjoyment, is not eligible for 1031 exchange treatment. However, a vacation home that is rented out at fair market value and is never used by the owner or his family is clearly eligible for 1031 exchange treatment. Most vacation properties fall somewhere between these two extremes, with some personal use and some rental use. Until recently, there has little binding guidance on the exchange of vacation properties in 1031 exchanges. Revenue Procedure 2008-16, which is effective on exchanges occurring on or after March 10, 2008, pr...
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Buyer for Lake Wenatchee Cabin
2008-03-06 20:05:00
Do you own a cabin on Lake Wenatchee near Leavenworth? It doesn't matter if your home is on North Shore or Cedar Brae, demand for lakefront homes on Lake Wenatchee (or Fish Lake) remains at an all time high. There is only one home for sale on Lake Wenatchee today. Even if you don't want to list your home, but may be interested in a private sale, please contact me. I am working with a serious buyer who wants to buy on Lake Wenatchee today.
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Top 5 Ways to Shoot Your Leavenworth Condo Project in the Foot
2008-03-04 01:51:00
Top 5 Ways to Shoot Your Leavenworth Condo Project in the Foot 1. Price it high You are not the first builder or developer to build condos in Leavenworth. Lots of price data exists, the closer you pay attention to that data, the quicker your project will sell. You're right "no one has built 10,000 square foot uber - condos made of gold" in Leavenworth, but that doesn't make it a viable niche. 2. Shun local real estate agents Real estate agents tend to sell a majority of homes and condominiums. Most serious out of town buyers (and most Leavenworth buyers are from out of the area) are using a real estate agent to help them purchase a home. Which agents sell homes in Leavenworth? No surprise, agents who work in Leavenworth. Despite 75% or more of the buyers being from the Puget Sound area, only a tiny fraction of homes sold are by out of area agents. If you choose not to use an agent to list your condos, local agents will not sell them. It's too much work and the tools that c...

Vacation Rental Ban in Chiwawa River Pines?
2008-03-02 23:07:00
Own a vacation rental in Chiwawa River Pines? Do you have a cabin there that you have been thinking about renting out when your family isn't using it? Al over at NCW Real Estate Blog reports that the community is debating how to enforce a ban on vacation rentals and all other commercial ventures that have been a part of the neighborhoods.No matter your opinion on the matter, if you own property in Chiwawa River Pines, you should plan on attending upcoming meetings of the neighborhood association.I think that enforcing a ban on vacation rentals will have a negative impact on property values. Buyers in the Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee real estate market like the option of renting out their property even if they never use the option. Condos that can't be rented out languish in our market. Homes in the city limits of Leavenworth don't sell quickly for the same reason. I think a ban on vacation rentals in Chiwawa River Pines will only increase the property values in Ponderosa, where...
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The Truth
2008-03-01 00:55:00
Usually, I unveil the truth here on myLeavenworth.com, but this time I shared it with the readers at the Seattle PI. Click here to read my musings on real estate, the media and perception.
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Leavenworth Real Estate - No Fire Sale
2008-02-26 23:47:00
Real estate has been in the national news of late. The National Association of Realtors recently announced that existing home sales are at the lowest point in 9 years. Sounds like great news for buyers and real estate investors hoping to buy at a low point in the market. It would be, if it were true in Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee.This summer I reported a slowdown in the Leavenworth real estate market . At the time we had 135 single family homes for sale and a deluge of newly constructed condos.Fast forward to this Winter and the Leavenworth real estate market looks a little different. This isn't spin from a rosy glassed Realtor, the real data look very encouraging. Stealing from Howie Mandel - Let's play Deal or No DealNo Deal (Inventory is low, demand is high)Lake Wenatchee waterfront homes Fish Lake Homes Riverfront property on the Wenatchee River or Chiwawa River or Icicle Creek Cabins - almost anywhereBuilding lots in Ponderosa or Chiwawa River PinesCondos at Kahler Glen ...
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MEMORIES OF OUR CABIN AT THE LAKE
2008-02-16 00:16:00
Geordie and I help a lot of customers find a cabin get-away. These clients are seeking a place to be in nature, to get away from their cell phones and computers, and to spend more time with their family. I come from a cabin culture. When I was growing up, our family had a cabin on a lake in eastern Ontario. This area created many fond memories and helped shape my love of the outdoors. Here are some of those memories. *********************************The sun shines its last rays across the water as it slips down below the opposite tree lined shore. The sky holds the orange color in a softly fading glow. The water turns from yellow to orange and finally to an inky black. The haunting call of a loon echoes across the lake. The crickets start their nightly symphony and the mosquitoes begin their evening feast. A typical night at Echo Bay on Lake of the Woods, Ontario.My family owned a small cabin on this shore. My dad bought a forested lot with his cousin, Rick, when he was 20 years old...
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Leavenworth Real Estate Heating Up
2008-02-15 21:13:00
Real estate in Leavenworth is heating up again after a lull this fall. Our phones and email accounts have been busy hearing from folks looking to buy property in Leavenworth, Lake Wenatchee and Cashmere. The buzz around the Leavenworth Windermere office has been really positive so I decided to see what the numbers look like.The year over year numbers for January and early February are pretty interesting. Granted, it's a small market and the sample sizes are pretty small, but the statistics about the Leavenworth real estate market confirm what we suspected.Leavenworth Homes for SaleThe number of homes for sale in Leavenworth is down from the summer and fall. We peaked at 135 homes (single family residential - not condos, or manufactured homes.) In January we had 89 homes for sale and today we have 71. Some sellers have given up trying to sell in this market, some sellers are waiting for better weather and some home sellers are.. actually selling their homes! We have also seen a decl...
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Leavenworth Snow Photo
2008-02-08 23:18:00
Does it snow much in Leavenworth? I guess it depends what you are used to. Here is a picture I took in downtown Leavenworth, a block from the Windermere office. Try and remember that it snows a lot more in Plain and Lake Wenatchee than it does down in town.
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Kahler Glen Avalanche Destroys Home
2008-02-08 17:30:00
A home at the Kahler Glen golf course near Lake Wenatchee was hit by an avalanche yesterday and carried 150 yards off its foundation according to the Wenatchee World. According to Lake Wenatchee sources, the home was located on Pelton Place which sits above Miracle Mile Road.KIRO TV has the best photos of the avalanche damage and the home. They reported that a mandatory evacuation was in place for 15 nearby homes, due to avalanche danger and a buried propane tank that appeared to be leaking.It doesn't appear that anyone was in the home, but that it was a vacation rental that was scheduled to be occupied this weekend. A two person cleaning crew had been in the home earlier in the day. It sounds like a second home was also damaged by the avalanche.The condos at Kahler Glen are outside of an area that might be effected by avalanches. However, Pelton Place, where this home was located, is on a steep slope backed by land owned by a large timber company. Local news media seem surprised b...
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Leavenworth and Cashmere Caucus
2008-02-07 01:06:00
Leavenworth and Cashmere residents will be caucusing this Saturday like the rest of the state to decide who will run as our presidential candidates for 2008.I'm a long time political junkie having been raised in Olympia and gone to campaign events since I was about 6. When I was in high school, I even went down to the Capitol to heckle Ross Perot. However, this weekend will be my first caucus. In years past, the primaries and caucuses have been too little, too late for us in Washington State. This year, with tight races, we count.In Leavenworth - The Democrats are meeting at Icicle River Middle School on Titus Road at 1 pm. The Republicans are meeting at the Leavenworth Fire Station on the Chumstick Highway (across from Cascade High School) at 12:30.The Republicans are also caucusing near Lake Wenatchee at 12801 Chiwawa Loop Road and for folks in Peshastin or Dryden at 2592 Saunders Road.In Cashmere - The Democrats are caucusing at the Cashmere City Hall (in downtown Cashmere, just...
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Leavenworth's Eagle Creek Road - Wider or Not?
2008-02-07 00:17:00
Eagle Creek Road winds up through a narrow canyon along the meandering Eagle Creek. Just a few miles from downtown Leavenworth, residents and vacation home owners along Eagle Creek get the best of both worlds - close to town and yet a very quiet rural existence.Chelan County is currently considering making major repairs of this windy country road. According to a recent article in the Leavenworth Echo (article not yet online) the road was originally a wagon trail up into the mountains. The repairs would flatten and widen the road and add guardrails for safety. Currently the road is about 20 feet wide and would be widened to 28 feet wide.An article in the Wenatchee World says that some local residents are against the plan. They fear that an improved road would lead to increased speeds and a degradation of the rural atmosphere that they like living on Eagle Creek Road.I am going to add my voice to the debate. And you can contact your County Commissioner to add yours too.I think that wi...
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Lake Wenatchee Freezes!
2008-01-28 16:43:00
According to www.Lake Wenatchee Info.com Lake Wenatchee has frozen from shore to shore. I have been seeing the local rivers freeze up and was wondering about the big lake. It has been below zero in the mornings at my house for the past week, though it's 10 degrees warmer now.I have two suggestions for my readers.1. Please respect the fragility of the frozen lake. Temps change, some ice is thicker than others. Please be careful as a frozen lake can be a dangerous place.2. Add www.Lakewenatcheeinfo.com to your feed reader. I am up at Lake Wenatchee all the time, but their blog is still a great source of news for me.

Lake Wenatchee - Fiber Optics Coming Soon
2008-01-22 17:52:00
LakeWenatchee info.com's George Wilson is reporting that fiber optics is coming soon to Lake Wenatchee thanks to the Chelan County PUD. Click here to learn about getting fiber at your house near the lake
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Leavenworth Mortgage Update
2008-01-22 00:18:00
This Leavenworth Mortgage Update is from Darel Ansley at People's Bank Hi everyone, The year has gotten off to a great start with mortgage and construction rates dropping as the fear of recession is pulling the stock market down. This of course makes Real Estate more affordable for the buyer. My prediction is that we will see some more bad economic news this month as more companies report their 4th quarter earnings, and this may pull mortgage rates down further. Here is what I have seen so far this year: people are coming in to finance land purchases, mostly for near term custom construction, others who own lots are coming in with their construction packages, ready to start building as soon as the ground is ready. Some people are refinancing to pull money out for remodeling. I am also seeing the regular flow starting up of people buying homes and refinancing (both land and houses). Things slowed in December, but these lower rates are spurring activity, so it looks like we'...

Leavenworth Real Estate Blog's 3 Year Bloggiversary
2008-01-17 19:49:00
This real estate blog has successfully been published for 3 years now and I am pleased at how it has slowly grown and matured. The blogosphere was young in 2005 when I first signed up for a Blogger account and jumped in the deep end of real estate blogging.In those 3 years, I have seen the growth of communities like Real Estate Community, Rain City Guide and LinkedIn . I have gotten great tips about building a community through blogging and educating the consumer about Leavenworth real estate. Sites like The Real Estate Tomato and RSS Pieces have helped transform this blog from a short advertisements to a source for in depth news and analysis.Blogging has helped build my business through educating buyers and sellers. I have been interviewed by the New York Times, quoted by the Spokesman Review, and have been invited to blog for the Seattle PI's Real Estate Blog. For years, I was the lone wolf in the Leavenworth blog scene, but recently a few folks have decided to dip their toes int...
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Leavenworth real estate and Lake Wenatchee still in demand
2008-01-11 02:54:00
Leavenworth real estate and real estate in the Lake Wenatchee area remain in high demand despite recent news about slowdowns elsewhere.Two areas that I have seen strong interest in over the past few years are waterfront homes and condos at Kahler Glen.Waterfront homes range from cabins on Lake Wenatchee and Fish Lake to homes on the Wenatchee River or Icicle Creek. Currently there are only a handful of waterfront homes available in The Leavenworth area.Kahler Glen condos have remained a hot commodity over the past two years. Certainly I remember 2004 when you couldn't give them away for $175,000, but 2008 is a different story. The last one sold in the spring of 2007 for $325,000 and I expect the next will be at least $350,000. Buyers always ask about other condominium options at Lake Wenatchee or Stevens Pass. The truth is that Kahler Glen has the only condos near Lake Wenatchee and no projects are scheduled in the area.I am starting to add names to my list of buyers for both water...
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Leavenworth Earthquake?!
2008-01-08 06:28:00
Earthquake in Leavenworth?According to the USGS a magnitude 2.7 earthquake hit the Glacier Peak Wilderness area near Willow Creek. The quake occurred at approximately 2 pm Monday. It was followed by a micro-earthquake of a 2.0 magnitude. This remote area is approximately 33 NNW of Leavenworth.To see how far from Leavenworth this earthquake was click on this map. Wikipedia states than any earthquake with a magnitude of 2.0 or less is considered a micro - earthquake with approximately 8000 of such events occurring daily. Quakes ranging between 2.0 and 2.9 are considered minor and are generally recorded but not felt. 1000 such minor quakes occur daily.
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Leavenworth Free Ski
2008-01-04 19:54:00
This Sunday, Jan 6th the Leavenworth Winter Sports club is offering free cross-country skiing. As part of their Ski for Health Day, a free trail pass and free x-c rentals will be available from 12pm -3pm at the Icicle River Trail. Free mini-lessons will also be available. Registration will be at the trail head and requires a valid drivers license.

Leavenworth Real Estate - 2007 Year in Review
2008-01-03 01:53:00
Real Estate in Leavenworth in 2007 - in a nutshell, prices up, volume down. (While these numbers might change with an additional last minute recording or two, I think the trends will remain the same.)I have mentioned it before, but as expected 2007 was the Year of the New Condo for Leavenworth. Notable projects included the condos at Icicle Junction (Aspen Suites), the Boulders at Alpensee Strasse, the River Park Homes (affectionately known as the big yellow building), and Ski View on Titus. All these brand new condos certainly brought the price up for the "average" condo. The average condo price was up 45% to $294,000 from 2006s $201,000.Perhaps more interesting, is what remains. Only 24 condos sold in Leavenworth in 2007, a mere 4 more than in 2006. 49 condominiums remain on the market with a few more projects slated for 2008. The average condo on the market today is $420,000. Does that market exist in Leavenworth? I'm not sure that it does. Only 3 condos sold above $350,000 last...
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Lake Wenatchee Open for Skiing
2007-12-08 20:14:00
I just received an email from my good friends at Lake Wenatchee State Park. They are now open for nordic skiing, snowshoeing and sledding. As was mentioned earlier, the Nason Ridge trails are closed this year. I won't post these updates weekly, but you can get these emailed directly to you from the park if you want.(Please note that while the date below says December 10, I received it on the morning of December 8)Lake Wenatchee State Park(509-763-3101)Cross Country Ski Trail Information Date: December 10 Time: 9 a.m. Temp / Precip: 23 degrees, clear General Trail Conditions: One recent heavy snowfall has provided sufficient snow for grooming, though not enough for thorough “grading” of trails. Skiers may notice some side-slope and a few more irregularities than typical. Grooming out nicely in general. Note closure of Nason Ridge trails this season -- see below. South Park:Approximately 15 k groomed trails, double-tracked. Within the state park, the total includes a series of 1-...
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Mike Irwin Wenatchee Photographer- The 10 Questions Interview
2007-12-04 01:40:00
Mike Irwin is a Wenatchee area photographer. I met him through one of his current gigs shooting photos of houses for TourFactory, the provider I use for the virtual tours of my real estate listings. Mike has shot a couple of tours for me in the Leavenworth area. He can be found on the web at www.Irwinfoto.com 1. Tell us about your background. You started in journalism? I was born into a newspaper family and never really emerged from it. My father owned and operated two weeklies down in south Louisiana. At age 6 or 7, I was hanging out in the backshop with the typesetters and pressmen and, by age 10, was pretty good at flipping huge sheets of newsprint into the old flatbed press. When we converted to cold type -- computerized typesetting -- I soaked up all the early technology and was fascinated by it. It seemed miraculous. Through high school, I was part of our family's newspaper design team -- grocery store ads and special sections -- but soon fell in love with photography. The...
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