Gig Harbor Undressed

Green Cottage Pets keeps Gig Harbor’s pets healthy

Green Cottage Pet Store recently moved to a new Gig Harbor location…about 50ft from their old location! Located right downtown, the Green Cottage complex is undergoing a major transformation. This move was just one step in that process.

My love for dogs isn’t any secret, and Green Cottage Pets is the store of choice for me, and has been since we moved to Gig Harbor. Owned and managed by Gig Harbor resident Tom Moodie, Green Cottage carries an extensive supply of holistic foods, supplements, and treats for your canine and feline friends. There are other pet stores in Gig Harbor, but Washington is known for our health nuts and friendliness, so Green Cottage stands out.

Tom and his staff research–extensively–the products that they sell. Their website is loaded with information about nutrition, training, grooming, and local pet events. When I was there today, the staff and another customer were commenting that Green Cottage stands out from other Gig Harbor pet stores in that it is a place pet owners can go for information, not just supplies. I’d never thought of that before, but it’s certainly true.

When I adopted Sebastian nearly 8 years ago (he was about 1 at the time), I read some horror stories in the Whole Dog Journal about some name brand dog foods. A dog trainer friend of mine recommended I either feed them a raw diet or take the advice from the Whole Dog Journal and get a more premium food. I have fed Seb Canidae his entire life, and he seems to thrive on it. Green Cottage Pets is one of the few places I’ve found in the Gig Harbor/Tacoma area that carries Canidae pet foods.

I was given a free “Healthy Hips” dog treat today to pass on to Seb, and like everything else I’ve brought home from Green Cottage, he loves it! If you are looking for food, supplements, dog treats, toys, collars, whatever, they have it or they’ll get it. There’s tons of cat supplies there as well, but Seb doesn’t want me talking about that. Best of all, stop by Green Cottage for advice on how to care for your pet. In addition to having the best supplies, they are friendly and extremely knowledgeable about what they carry and what else is on the market. They also have a store in Fircrest, Wa, just across the bridge from Gig Harbor. Click here for a map of their Gig Harbor location.

I love my dog, but he does have a drooling problem. His duck meat “Healthy Hip” dog treat didn’t help that!

Can’t find what you’re looking for?

Did you land on this blog after running a search on Google or Yahoo but the article you’re looking for didn’t show up?  Let me give a quick rundown of the best ways for you to utilize this site.  On the right hand side of your screen, you should see a box that says “Search” right next to where you’re reading now.  Type in any keywords (landscaping, restaurants, etc) and that should bring you right to the article you’re looking for. 

If you remember seeing a photo a little while ago and you’d like to revisit that photo, you can scroll to the bottom of the page under “Archives” and look up posts sorted by date.  Just above “Archives” is “Categories.”  I’ve tried to sort each of the posts into different helpful categories that will make your search easier, as well. 

If none of that helps, you can always do it the old fashioned way and call me or email me!  As I feed you information through this blog, I want to make sure you’re always able to find what you’re looking for!

Home values by Gig Harbor Neighborhood

For my weekly review of the Gig Harbor real estate market, I wanted to take a look at our first quarter statistics broken down by neighborhood.  Last week I posted an article showing some heavy declines in numbers of houses sold, and moderate declines in selling prices, for all of the Gig Harbor area, plus some of the neighboring areas.  I wanted to see if any areas within Gig Harbor were more sheltered or hit harder by these trends.

In the NWMLS, Gig Harbor is divided into 6 different areas (not counting the Key Peninsula, which is an additional 3 areas).  I don’t know why it’s done this way, but it is!  Here’s a look at the 6 Gig Harbor real estate areas from the first quarter of ‘07 versus the first quarter of ‘08.

Area 1 is Downtown Gig Harbor/Peacock Hill.  3 is Rosedale area, 5 is Fox Island, 6 is Wollochet/Pt. Fosdick, 7 is Cromwell/Kopachuck, and 8 is North and East Gig Harbor.  For more information on this area, or for specifics on your exact neighborhood, please give me a call.

Open Houses in Gig Harbor this Weekend

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted.  Most of the Saturday opens have already happened, but there is a great twilight open house on a stunning Canterwood home that runs from 3-8pm today.  6bd, 6ba, theater…it is truly one of Canterwood’s–and Gig Harbor’s for that matter–most stunning homes.

Click on the map and check out the open houses in Gig Harbor this weekend.  Click on any one of the numbered markers for home information.  This info is from the NWMLS and deemed reliable but not guaranteed.  If you’d like further information on these or any other homes you see for sale, including For Sale By Owner listings, give me a call and I’d be happy to get you the information and help you in presenting an offer.

Gig Harbor Real Estate Market Quarterly Review

With the first quarter of 2008 in the books, I thought I’d take a look at the real estate market in the Gig Harbor and surrounding areas.  The following chart shows home sale information for Gig Harbor, University Place/Fircrest, North Tacoma, and South Kitsap (Olalla, Port Orchard). 

These numbers are significantly down from last year.  Home sales are down nearly 40% on average in these locations.  Gig Harbor’s median sales price is a 10.3% decline from the first quarter of ‘07.  UP/Fircrest is a 10.5% decline, South Kitsap shows a 7.8% decline, and North Tacoma is a 3.3% decline. 

Taken along with the 20%+ increases the previous two years, these numbers simply aren’t as alarming as many make them out to be.  For buyers with the ability, this is a great time to pick up a few rental properties.  If you see a home that interests you, don’t wait for the price to come down, offer the seller what you feel the home is worth!

If you’d like more specifics on the real estate market in your area, or if you’re interested in knowing what your home is worth, please give me a call.

Interested in fostering a K-9 puppy?

I wrote a post a few weeks back on GHPD officer Chet Dennis’ new K-9 Foster Dog program.  Don’t forget that there’s an informational meeting for all who are interested on Tuesday, April 8th at 6pm at the GH Civic Center!

Please help us support March of Dimes

This past September, my wife and I welcomed our first child into the world…nearly 6 weeks early.  Our daughter was born weighing only 4lbs, 3oz, and she would later drop to 3lbs, 11oz.  Although we were quite worried, the staff at Tacoma General Hospital’s NICU thought that she was strong and healthy.  Compared to some of the other children there, several weighing fewer than 2lbs, our daughter was healthy.

After 15 days in the NICU, we got to bring our little girl home.  Now, more than 6 months later, she’s a thriving, healthy baby.  The March of Dimes is hosting a March for Babies on April 19th at Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park.  This is a special place for us, as Pt. Defiance is where I proposed to my wife in August of 2001. 

We have a goal of raising at least $1000 to support March of Dimes as they continue to fight to save babies from premature birth.  Many people don’t realize that premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and the rate of premature births is escalating. 

We’d love to have you help us as we support this great cause.  There are two ways you can help:

1. Donate funds
2. Join us in the walk on April 19th

For information on how to donate, to donate online, or to register to join our team, please visit our March of Dimes team website.

Seattle Mariners Season Underway

The Seattle Mariners season got underway yesterday with a win versus the Texas Rangers.  For the 4th consecutive year, I’ve made it out to Opening Day.  One way I like to thank my past clients is to treat them to the Opening Day ballgame.  We had 22 in our group last year, 16 friends and clients came along this year to witness Erik Beddard’s debut with the M’s.

From my office in far North Gig Harbor, it takes about 50 min to get to SafeCo Field where the M’s play.  It’s an easy drive, and a great way to spend some time with friends.  But it was COLD yesterday.  At one point, it began snowing outside (SafeCo has a retractable roof, so it stays dry on the field), and the wind was blowing so hard that the snow was blowing in sideways onto the right field bleachers.  C-O-L-D!

SafeCo is a beautiful park, with views of Elliott Bay and the Seattle Skyline.  The photo above was taken prior to the first pitch, when the roof was still open.  You can see the Space Needle in the background, with the Seahawk’s Qwest Field right next door.  I’d love to treat you to Opening Day ‘09!