September 8th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
For those of you who like numbers like I do, the numbers for Gig Harbor home sales in August are in. They’re pretty decent, too. The story they tell is up to you, though.
There were 61 single family home and condo sales in Gig Harbor during August (at least thus far; apparently 2 weeks isn’t enough time for some agents to enter their info as July’s #’s changed since I last posted them). Those 61 sales are a 24.5% increase over July, and a 15% increase from August of 2009.
The median sales price for Gig Harbor was $415,000, a 5% increase over last month and a 2.5% increase from last month. The big news with home sales this pas month was the high end homes. Take a look at the chart below…24 sales over $500,000 and 4 homes sold for over $1M (including a $2.35M sale!). That’s good news for the upper end home sellers.
Year to date, Gig Harbor has sold 375 homes (9% more than 2009) with a median sales price of $380,000 (a modest 1.5% increase over ‘09). Another number worth noting: of the 61 homes that sold in August, 18% were bank owned or short sales (7 bank owned, 4 short sales). Let that number be what it may for you. It’s far lower than what the national media is telling us is the norm, but for some it may still seem high.
What do all these numbers mean to you if you’re trying to sell your home in Gig Harbor? Depends. Each home is unique and the numbers may or may not be significant to you. If you are considering selling your home in Gig Harbor, give me a call and I’d be happy to give a statistical summary for homes that are truly comparable to yours. That’s really the only way to know what’s going on in your market.
**Click on the images to enlarge
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September 7th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
If you’re a Gig Harbor High School or Peninsula High School alum who was also a basketball player, you’ll want to know about the Harbor Hardwood Classic coming up on January 1st! All Tides and Seahawks who would like to play in the classic should contact PHS basketball coach Kerry Yousey at youseyk@psd401.net.
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September 2nd, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
On September 18, Gig Harbor is going to the dogs. It’s the 8th annual Harbor Hounds Dog Walk, and the downtown Gig Harbor waterfront is going to be taken over by all types of dogs. If you’re not a dog lover, or if you want a nice quiet place to walk that morning, stay away!
If you love dogs and want to support a great cause, make your way down to the harbor and participate in the Harbor Hounds walk!
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September 1st, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
This heat is killing me…92 and sunny again? We need some relief.
If you live in Gig Harbor, you might be a bit confused at this point. Isn’t it 56 and rainy right now? Nope, it’s 92 and sunny…in Atlanta, GA.
Confused? I understand. So if it’s 92 and sunny in Atlanta, but 56 and rainy in Gig Harbor, why would I even mention that and more importantly why would you care? Good question; I don’t have an answer.
So answer me this…why do you care so much about the national real estate news? When you hear that prices have dropped and sales dipped by 33%, why do you care? That’s no different than saying it’s 92 and sunny today. It’s true, it is 92 and sunny…somewhere. And home sales did drop 33%…somewhere.
But if you’re looking to buy or sell a home in Gig Harbor, shouldn’t you care about the Gig Harbor weather real estate report and not the national? Keep watching, I’ll have August’s Gig Harbor real estate numbers posted later this week.
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August 30th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
Have you ever noticed how nice Gig Harbor is? I don’t mean the green trees, sparkling blue waters, amazing boats bobbing on the Bay, Mt. Rainier watching over us…okay, maybe I do mean that but there’s another aspect of Gig Harbor that is unusually nice. It’s really clean. There’s not much litter on the sides of the roads. Have you ever noticed that? It’s not magic, it’s not that we don’t have people who litter, it’s that we have a REALLY dedicated man and his troops that keep Gig Harbor clean. You can help.
Vernon Young began an organization called EnviroCorps, and he and a group of dedicated volunteers get their exercise and keep our community clean. You’ve probably seen them on the streets of Gig Harbor. Everyone has a chance to get involved and help keep Gig Harbor litter free. If you live along Ford Drive or 32nd Street in Gig Harbor (that’s you Bridlewood and Cromwell Woods folks!) you have an opportunity to get your stretch of road adopted.
Regardless of where you are in Gig Harbor, I encourage you to take a peek at the EnviroCorps blog or contacting Vernon at 253-265-6162.
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August 29th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
If you’re visiting Gig Harbor, or even if you live here but haven’t found a way onto the water yet, you’ve got to try Destiny Harbor Tours! Owner Tom Drohan’s goal is to provide everybody in Gig Harbor with easy and affordable access to our amazing water ways, and that’s exactly what he does. I think most people that visit Gig Harbor look longingly at the boats, but many may not be aware of just how easy it is to get on a boat. With Destiny Harbor Tours, everyone can get a fantastic boat tour of the Gig Harbor area.
His boat, an old Navy boat, is capable of safely transporting anybody, including young kids and folks with limited mobility. Tom’s got a ton of local knowledge, so not only do you get a gorgeous boat tour with great scenery and plenty of wild life (almost guaranteed to see seals and bald eagles), but you get a great taste of the history of Gig Harbor.
You can find the schedule and rates on the Destiny Harbor Tour website.
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August 28th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
My family and I are headed to the Gig Harbor Family Fun Fest this afternoon. I recommend you join us if you’re in the area. I’ll be having a photo contest today, too! Send me your best pictures of the Fun Fest, and the top 2 will receive a free Gig Harbor Undressed t-shirt!
Email photos to GigHarborInfo@gmail.com by Monday August 30th at 5pm local time to have your photo considered. By sending me a photo, you are giving me permission to publish it on this blog. Winners will be chosen by an expert panel of photo journalists (or my wife, my daughter, and I, whichever is easier). T-shirts can be mailed, delivered, or picked up. Have fun and send in some fun photos!
Find the Family Fun Fest on a map
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August 26th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
When you are purchasing a new home, a home inspection is critical. What may not be quite as obvious is that home inspectors are critical as well. Most people know to have a home inspection done on the home they are considering buying, but why and who are two questions that may not be as clear.
First the why. Even on a new construction home, it is extremely important to know what it is you are about to drop hundreds of thousands of dollars on. We recently had a home inspection done on a new construction home that was shocking–literally. Most of the electrical wiring was done so poorly that the switches didn’t actually work. The plumbing pipes weren’t connected in several areas under the house. Exhaust fans led to nowhere in the attic. The debris and garbage left under the house made for cozy little beds for rats and yummy food for carpenter ants. Did I mention this was new construction?
None of these items were noticeable to the naked eye. We thought the light bulbs were burned out. We knew nothing of the other issues until our inspector slid on his belly under the house and crawled through the attic. Not surprisingly the builder is losing the home to the bank and is no longer in business, but that would have become our problem without the inspection.
Now for the who. Some inspectors think it’s their job to kill a deal, so they’re being overly picky and can scare buyers from buying a perfectly good house. Others are just trying to make a buck and are not actually inspecting the home. We just had another inspection on an 8-year old condo (that was uneventful) and my clients were stunned at our inspector’s thoroughness. Their home had just been inspected for their buyers and that inspector didn’t go on the roof, only shone his flashlight in the attic from a ladder, didn’t go into the crawl, never turned on a faucet.
Why get a home inspection? So you know what you’re buying. Who should do the inspection? While I’m sure their are many good ones, I will only recommend Matt Sorensen and West Coast Home Inspection. If you’re buying a home in the Puget Sound region, West Coast Home Inspection is your best bet in my opinion.
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August 25th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
If you or someone you know is struggling in your current mortgage, take some time and listen in to this webinar.
http://www.mediafire.com/?z7dmm07rztwet5g
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August 25th, 2010
Posted by Matt Thomson
Make sure you make it out to Sehmel Park in Gig Harbor on Saturday (August 28) for the PenMet Parks Family Fun Fest! This is a free event that you won’t want to miss if you’re looking for fun things for kids and families to do in Gig Harbor.
Take a look at the flier below for all that’s involved…carnival games, volleyball, train rides!! This is one of those events that makes Gig Harbor stand out as a community! Come and join us!
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