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Jan
29
Posted by Matt Thomson
While crime rates in Gig Harbor seem to be getting in the news (from residential jewelery heists to major copper thefts from our kids’ play fields) this crime map shows that crime in Gig Harbor actually declined 11% in ‘09 from ‘08. Below is a helpful post that I found on a San Diego Real Estate blog that gives some good tips on how to prevent your home from showing up on the map!
THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON’T TELL YOU
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste … and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.
5. If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don’t let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it’s set. That makes it too easy.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom-and your jewelry. It’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It’s raining, you’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.
9. I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don’t take me up on it.)
10. Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. Here’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.
12.. You’re right: I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it’s not bolted down, I’ll take it with me.
13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)
8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON’T TELL YOU:
1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
3. I’ll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise.. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he’ll stop what he’s doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn’t hear it again, he’ll just go back to what he was doing. It’s human nature.
4. I’m not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
5. I love looking in your windows. I’m looking for signs that you’re home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I’d like. I’ll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It’s easier than you think to look up your address.
7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation.
8. If you don’t answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.
Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs crimedoctor.com; and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St.. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.
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Jan
28
Posted by Matt Thomson
Keller Williams Realty Gig Harbor is participating in a shoe drive for Haitians recovering from the earthquake. Through the end of January, you can donate new or gently used shoes by dropping them by my office located at 11515 Burnham Drive NW Gig Harbor 98332. If you can pass this on to any friends or co-workers, that’d be great.
For more information on Shoes2Share, please visit their website. If you’d like more information on how to donate shoes, or if you need me to pick up shoes for you, just give me a call or comment on this post!
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Jan
28
Posted by Matt Thomson
If you live in Gig Harbor and you are looking for someone to do a fantastic home remodel, you should give Jim Bauml of J.J. Homes, Inc. There are all sorts of reasons to remodel your current home in times like these. Maybe you’re wanting to sell your home, but it has some deferred maintenance that needs attending to. Maybe you’d like a newer home, but you are afraid that selling your current home in this market isn’t the best idea, so you decide to remodel instead. Whatever your reasons, Jim Bauml is certainly one of Gig Harbor’s best home remodel workmen.
I sold a house this summer to some folks who hired Jim to completely redo their master bathroom and kitchen, as well as some work in the powder room and laundry room. I recently went through the house (I should have taken photos!) and was amazed. Jim expanded the master bath, put in a heated tile floor, redid the shower and tub, moved the toilet, it was fantastic. The kitchen was amazing as well. Remodeling your kitchen and baths are the 2 best things you can do to add value to your home.
In addition to remodels, Jim does a variety of handyman projects. Gig Harbor homes get battered by the weather in many cases, and often times have odd sloped lots. Jim can do all sorts of concrete work, including retaining walls. He’s fantastic at tile work as well. If you live in Gig Harbor and need any home repairs (maybe you are selling and some issues came up in a home inspection) or have some remodel projects, give Jim a call at 253-970-1483.
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Jan
27
Posted by Matt Thomson
If you’re looking for some Gig Harbor area real estate deals, I’d like to remind you of 3 that I have offered. I currently have 3 very different real estate listings…2 in Gig Harbor and one in the nearby commuter community of Fife.
As most of you know, the home buyer tax credits will be coming to an end within the next few months. You’ve probably also heard the rumblings this morning that interest rates are poised to start their rise. What’s all this mean? If you’re a first time home buyer looking in the Seattle or Tacoma markets, you may want to start getting serious. This home in Fife is a fantastic option, as you’re a quick jump onto the freeway for an easy drive up to Seattle or down to Tacoma or even Olympia. This 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home with 2069 square feet will entice you with upgrades such as a gorgeous covered back patio to enjoy the greenbelt behind your house and a newer heat pump for super efficient heating in the winter and A/C in the summer. Listed at only $285,500, this home will make someone moving to Tacoma or moving to Seattle very happy.
I’ve also got this 4 bedroom 2 bath view home listed in the heart of downtown Gig Harbor. Not only do you get a 2173 square foot view home on city sewer and water, you also get a buildable view lot! Imagine having a home in Gig Harbor that’s an easy walk down to the Tides Tavern and all of the other waterfront features, PLUS getting a valuable lot to build another view home! The home and lot together are only $450,000!
Finally, for those looking to build an affordable home in a great Gig Harbor location, I have this 1/2 acre lot available off of Artondale Drive for only $125,000! This vacant land is ready for your building plans. Gas, water, and electricity are available, and the soil has been perked for a septic design. Perfect set up for a daylight basement floorplan. You’re new home could be built just down the road from the Gig Harbor Golf Course and Wollochet Bay!
If you or someone you know is looking for some real estate deals in the Gig Harbor area, please give me a call!
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Jan
26
Posted by Matt Thomson
The Keller Williams Realty belief system is summed up in a fun little acronym (there’s so many little phrases unique to Keller Williams they’ve been dubbed Kellerisms or Keller Speak). WI4C2TS (pronounced more like Y four sees two tees) stands for “Win Win, Integrity, Committment, Customers, Communication, Creativity, Team, Trust, Success.”
I think I’m going to do a little series here on what that means to us as a company and more specifically me as an agent. I wanted to start today with the “I”. The saying goes, “Integrity: Do the right thing.” Here’s a great blog by Keller Williams’ Mo Anderson about where this came from. It’s a great story of doing the right thing, even when it’s hard.
Personally, I’ve found that the WI4C2TS is a great guide for just about any decision you have to make in life. If you want to see a fun video of the belief systems in action, take a look!
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Jan
25
Posted by Matt Thomson
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I’m curious, where’s the best place to walk in Gig Harbor? We seem to be a fairly fit community, and there seem to be some pretty good options, but what’s the best? If you’re curious how good of a place your home is to walk from, you can get your “WalkScore” from this website. Please weigh in…where’s the best place to walk in Gig Harbor?
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Jan
25
Posted by Matt Thomson
If you’re looking for a great gift idea for Valentine’s Day, check out this blog by a local Gig Harborite. If you’ve got any kids in the Gig Harbor schools, or if you like doing fun gifts for the folks at work, you’ll love her idea!
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Jan
23
Posted by Matt Thomson
I’ve just listed a view home in Gig Harbor that comes with a buildable view lot as well! Talk about rare! An easy walk to downtown Gig Harbor and the Gig Harbor waterfront, this property has a fantastic view of the Cascades and the Puget Sound! The house, built in 1960, is very livable but will certainly benefit from a remodel job. The view is wonderful. The additional lot, also with city sewer and city water, is an amazing bonus!
I don’t know of any other properties for sale in Gig Harbor that offer you this proximity to downtown, this view, and the ability to build another view home! Investors, you may consider taking the current home down and building two new homes, or just remodeling the existing home and building a second on the vacant lot. The choices here are numerous, opportunities like this are not!
Please call me to view this unique property!
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Jan
23
Posted by Matt Thomson
This video was shared with me by Larry Cragun. I almost turned it off 2 minutes into it because I thought it was too cheesy. The last 3 minutes I couldn’t stop crying. God has made us all unique, and we all have something unique to offer. We just need to find what it is and feed it.
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Jan
22
Posted by Matt Thomson
Below is an email I received from Laura Crane of MOMS Connect…any moms in Gig Harbor looking for a way to connect should look into this!
MOMS Connect is the best of moms connecting with other moms in the Gig Harbor area. Their goal is to empower and rejuvenate moms AND strengthen relationships with their families. The group invites any interested moms of newborn through elementary school-aged kids for the next MOMS Connect meeting on Thursday, Jan. 28th, for a yoga and social night! MOMS Connect meets one or two Thursdays a month, during the school year. Meetings are from 7:00–8:30 p.m. at the Hope Center (Boys & Girls Club), located at 8502 Skansie Ave, in Gig Harbor. The yoga and social night will be held in the Tacoma Children’s Museum space of the Hope Center on the first floor. Childcare is provided on a reservation basis. To learn more about this group, including their exciting speaker topics, activities and meeting schedule, visit their web site at www.momsconnecttoday.com.
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