Gig Harbor Undressed

--> Jan
03

What about Fox Island?

 I recently read a funny comment on an online forum that I participate in.  I guess it was only funny because of the manner in which it was stated.  A writer from another state mentioned they were thinking of relocating to Fox Island, and they had some questions about the area.  An area “expert” responded by telling this person that they didn’t want to move to Fox Island because it was only accessible by ferry.  I find that funny ’cause the photo above is the Fox Island bridge, connecting Fox Island to Gig Harbor and there is no ferry service that I’m aware of to Fox Island.

Fox Island is a small island off the southwest tip of Gig Harbor.  Residents are served by the Peninsula School District which serves all of Gig Harbor.  There is really not much on the island in terms of amenities, maybe a gas station and a small convenience store, but that’s about it.  From the Fox Island bridge, you’re about a 10-15 minute drive to all of the amenities on Pt. Fosdick Dr, and about the same distance from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in case you are a commuter.  There is a fire station on Fox Island which is nice for security. 

Fox Island is home to numerous fun events, has a nice public boat launch, and is a great island to kayak around.  There are a couple of churches on the island, but everything else is residential.  You can find really anything you’re looking for from small homes on large secluded lots, to expansive equestrian estates, to waterfront mansions. 

Currently, there are 41 homes for sale on Fox Island, ranging from a $279,000 small one level home to a $2.375M waterfront estate.  There are also 24 vacant lots available for sale on the island, some buildable, some not.  For the investor, there’s even an 8-plex for sale for just under $1M.  There is no natural gas available, so all of Fox Island’s homes are either all electric or have propane tanks.  Fox Island has its share of new construction homes, with 11 of the 41 homes for sale having been built in ‘07.  Some are in nice gated neighborhoods, others stand alone on large plots of acreage. 

Fox Island is a wonderful place to live if you don’t mind the remoteness (the far end of the island is about 15-20 min. just to the Fox Island bridge).  Seeing as how it’s an island, there are numerous view homes for sale.  Depending on where on the island you are, views range from Mt. Rainier to the Olympic Mountains. 

For a full list of all the homes available on Fox Island, you can email me at mthomson@kw.com or view my home finding website.

--> Jan
01

Welcome to 2008…here are my predictions

Okay, I’m bowing to peer pressure.  Many of the other bloggers I read around the country are into making predictions.  Their willingness to admit they were wrong has given me confidence to move ahead with my ‘08 predictions.

1.  Gig Harbor High School will win a 4th straight girls’ cross country state championship.  They keep graduating good runners, but their coach is too good and their tradition too deep to not keep fielding good teams.  Gig Harbor’s boys’ track and field team will win the state championship as well.

2. The opening of the new Cinemas on Pt. Fosdick will turn into a great teen hangout, and it will also be a great place for families and people of all ages to gather because there will be so many options.

3. The new surprise restaurant in the Uptown Center will be “The Cheesecake Factory.”

4. More homes will sell in Gig Harbor in ‘08 than in ‘07, and the median price will increase by $6k-$10k.

5. More homes will sell on the Key Peninsula in ‘08 than in ‘07, but they will see the median price drop $2k-$5k.

6. The new Tacoma Narrows Bridge will continue to flow, debates will continue over what to do with the tolls, some people will be happy, some people will complain, and life will go on.

7. Homes built in ‘07 and ‘08 will have a tough time selling in Gig Harbor.  There are just too many of them.  New construction prices will drop significantly.

8. Gig Harbor will experience weather in the low to mid 70’s, nothing but sunshine, from July-September.

9.  The Seattle Supersonics will move to Oklahoma, and nobody here will care (hey, Portland’s only an hour further from Gig Harbor than Seattle is, and Portland just won 13 games in a row and Seattle has only won 9 all year). 

10.  At least one of the previous 9 predictions will be right.

 Okay, so these aren’t ground breaking, controversial, or risky, but it’s my first time doing predictions, so I’m going at it slowly.  Some of these will be hard to measure, so come ‘09 I can make them go either way.  Feel free to add your own predictions or put in your thoughts on mine!