Gig Harbor Undressed

Gig Harbor’s best home value?

 There are hundreds of great homes for sale in Gig Harbor right now.  Real estate in the Gig Harbor area continues to sell despite what the news may try to tell you.  This particular home, listed by a partner at my Keller Williams office, may just be Gig Harbor’s best real estate value.   Built in ‘03, given some upgrades in ‘06, this nearly 2600 square foot home sits in Henderson Bay Heights, a highly sought after view neighborhood in Gig Harbor North.  This beautiful view home is listed for only $487,500!  For more details on the home, or to request a private viewing, please email me at mthomson@kw.com or call me at 253-226-7595.

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.

Trillium Park in Gig Harbor

As I’ve mentioned before, Gig Harbor is divided up into many smaller pocket neighborhoods.  Our street name system is so goofy around here (Do you live on 54th Street, 54th Street Court, or 54th Avenue Court?  Was that Kamus Dr, Kamus Way, or Kamus Ave?) that it is more helpful to identify where you live based on neighborhood names than street names. 

Trillium Park is one of Gig Harbor’s quieter gated communities.  Located off of Canterwood Blvd, just West of Canterwood Country Club, Trillium Park is a elegant loop of quality homes.  In addition to having the gated entrance, Trillium Park has the privacy of surrounding forested areas and the conveniences of Gig Harbor North just minutes away (Costco, YMCA, Target, Albertsons, Home Depot, Pier One, etc).  It also provides quick access to HWY 16 for the commuting home buyer.

Trillium Park also offers the security and communal feeling of long term residents.  Only 3 homes have sold in Trillium Park in the past two years (of 5 that were listed for sale).  There are currently 3 more homes available for sale, running from $449,950 to $675,000.   These homes were built beginning in the mid 1990’s and can range from the low 2000’s to mid 3000’s in square footage.

If you’re looking for a quality home in a safe neighborhood, close to schools and many of Gig Harbor’s conveniences, I’d be honored to introduce you to Trillium Park.

Salmon run at Ray Nash

This photo is courtesy of my friend and client John Pleau.  I sold the Pleaus a waterfront home in Gig Harbor this summer, and this salmon run is just down the street from their home.   The two photos below are from the deck of their new home.

Gig Harbor’s Wellington Ridge–A Great Value

Wellington Ridge is, in my opinion, one of Gig Harbor’s best neighborhoods in terms of value.  For those not familiar with Gig Harbor, we like to divide the entire town into mini subdivisions, Wellington Ridge being one of those.  Located in Gig Harbor’s booming North section, this neighborhood gives the small town, close-knit feeling that so many families are looking for.  Several tree-lined streets meander through this neighborhood, and many small cul-de-sacs branch off to form little communities within a community.

Wellington Ridge is just a quick shot up the road from Purdy Elementary School and Peninsula High School, it is mere minutes from the Gig Harbor North Shopping Center (Target, Albertson’s, YMCA, Costco, Home Depot, Office Depot, etc), and is a straight shot to get to HWY 16 for commuters.  There are currently 6 homes for sale in Wellington Ridge ranging from $339,900 to $455,000, with a median price of $381,950.  There are not many places in Gig Harbor where you can find a clean, quiet community of well kept homes in a great location for this price range.  For full details on home sales in Wellington Ridge or any other Gig Harbor home reports, please email me at mthomson@kw.com.

Viewing Gig Harbor from One Point Fosdick

One Pt. Fosdick is one of the truly elite neighborhoods in Gig Harbor, perhaps in all of Western Washington.  This gated community is known for two things…large, beautiful homes and larger, more beautiful views.

Sitting on the hillside at the very point of Point Fosdick, One Point Fosdick offers views of Mt. Rainier, Tacoma, University Place (including the new championship golf course), Steilacoom, and Fox Island.  In addition to the great views, the location of this neighborhood is a plus.  Pt. Fosdick is just a quick jaunt from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, offering you easy access to Tacoma.  For those who work in Seattle but want more house for less money, you’ll be less than one hour from downtown Seattle! 

Homes in this neighborhood range from 2500 square feet to over 6000 square feet!  Large home sizes, combined with the steep topography, mean that most homes won’t have much of a usable yard.  Home owners in One Pt. Fosdick are more than willing to trade in the maintenance of a large yard for the luxury of huge homes and great views. 

According to the NWMLS, only 6 homes have come for sale in this neighborhood in the past 3 years, with 4 of those closing sales.  All four of those sales were in 2004.  Currently, there are no homes for sale in this neighborhood. One of the things that makes this neighborhood so sought after is the fact that the homes rarely come for sale, and there are few if any vacant lots to build on.  The simple law of supply and demand help make this one of Gig Harbor’s finest neighborhoods.

Here’s why I live in Gig Harbor

Any good blogger will tell you (and several have told me) to always keep a camera in your car.  After missing numerous good sunsets this past week, I finally wised up and put my camera in my car.  The following pictures are of tonight’s sunset, taken from the McCormick Ridge Condos in North Gig Harbor. 

Paradise Living in Whitley Hills

This week’s featured Gig Harbor neighborhood is Whitley Hills.  Whitley Hills has consistently been one of Gig Harbor’s most highly sought after non-gated communities.  Perhaps it’s the classic neighborhood feeling, the quiet cul-de-sacs, the close proximity to schools, or the wide territorial views that make this such a desirable area to live.

The majority of homes in this neighborhood were built in the early through mid 1990’s, although the Madrona section of Whitley Hills was being developed in the early 2000’s.  Homes in this neighborhood have a very Northwest feel to their design, and are situated on 1/3–3/4 acre lots for the most part.  Pocket cul-de-sacs scattered throughout this neighborhood keep a quaint and neighborly feel despite the large size.  There are two entrances to Whitley Hills off of 40th Street, just west of Artondale Elementary School.

Currently there are only six homes for sale in Whitley Hills, ranging from $399,950 to $590,000, with a median price of $544,500. 

Main benefits include:

• Quiet, low traffic streets
• Well maintained homes and yards
• Some territorial views
• Close to schools and Fox Island boat launch
• Friendly, neighborly atmosphere

For information on homes for sale in Whitley Hills, please email me at mthomson@kw.com or view the homes on my website.

“Fall” in love with Gig Harbor

Gig Harbor may not be among the nation’s most recognized spots for fall colors, but our falls here are beautiful.  As you can see, it doesn’t rain here all of the time!  There’s no place more beautiful than the Harbor’s waterfront on a sunny fall day!

Canterwood Golf Club–A premier Gig Harbor Neighborhood

I was recently asked “Where is the best place in Gig Harbor to live?”  That’s sort of like taking me to an ice cream store and asking me what’s good.  Gig Harbor has many neighborhoods that will appeal to all different types of buyers.  Waterfront, waterview, gated, family-oriented, there’s really a place for everyone.

I’m going to introduce one of Gig Harbor’s premier neighborhoods each week, and let you choose where the best place to live is!  This week I’ll feature Canterwood.

Canterwood is an exclusive Golf club located in the North side of Gig Harbor.  With 4 gated entries, 3 requiring gate openers and 1 that is staffed, Canterwood exudes privacy, saftey, and luxury.  Hundreds of homes surround the 18-hole championship course on this 700+ acre site.   One of my favorite aspects of this great community is that the homes here are not “cookie-cutter.”  Styles, sizes, building materials, landscaping, and lot lay-outs vary from home to home, providing a residence for any taste.

Canterwood is very conveniently located in the booming Gig Harbor North.  Residents are within walking distance of the new YMCA, the soon to open Costco, Target, Home Depot, grocery stores, and more.  Despite this proximity, the lush grounds of Canterwood make you feel like you are miles away from anything.

There are currently 50 homes for sale in Canterwood, ranging from $470,000 through $2.595M!  The median asking price is $907,700, which gives a nice glimpse into the exclusivity of homes in Canterwood.   For a full list of all of the homes listed for sale in Canterwood, you can email me at mthomson@kw.com or search on my website. 

Top Canterwood Benefits:

• Gated entrance
• Large lot sizes
• Unique homes
• Golf course community
• Located near many ammenities