Gig Harbor Undressed

Port Orchard Home Sales Excelling

Each week I track the real estate market in Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, and the Key Peninsula.  I like to look at how many homes were listed for sale, and how many homes received acceptable offers and are now pending sales.  Gig Harbor’s homes for sale is pretty consistently outrunning the number of homes actually selling in the Harbor.  Key Peninsula maintains a pretty steady line, not seeing much fluctuation but rather a steady increase of homes for sale.

Port Orchard seems to be the hot place to buy a home in our area.  There are several potential reasons.  Port Orchard is very close to Gig Harbor.  The home I have listed in Southlake Ridgeis only 12 minutes from the Gig Harbor Costco, YMCA, Target, etc at Gig Harbor North.  Port Orchard is also close to the ferry for those who work in Seattle.  You’ll most likely get more for your money in Port Orchard.  It obviously depends on the neighborhood, but I’d imagine that the Southlake Ridge home I have listed at $485,950 would be around $550,000 in a comparable Gig Harbor neighborhood.  That’s obviously speculation, but basing it off of the size and year built, that’s a safe guess.  Taxes in Port Orchard will be significantly lower than Gig Harbor as well (probably about $2000 per year less on a home such as the sample I’ve used).

Here’s a look at the total homes for sale and the total homes pending sales in a week by week comparison for 2008.

You can see that Port Orchard has seen a recent decline in the number of homes on the market, and a steep jump in the number of homes pending sales.   Bottom line?  This looks like a great time to get in on the Gig Harbor market if you are thinking of buying.  Inventory is rising, buyers have more options, sellers are needing to meet the buyers more on their terms.  If you’re selling in Gig Harbor, you need to make sure you’re in tip top showing shape, and you’ll probably want to be priced 5%-10% lower than homes that are comparable to yours.  For folks looking to move to the area and maybe wanting more of a deal, Port Orchard has some great options.  Port Orchard is a different school district, it’s not as convenient to Tacoma as is Gig Harbor, and doesn’t quite seem to have the same small community feel as Gig Harbor, but that is certainly up for debate and a matter of personal opinion.  With all of the new growth, there’s not much distinction between south Port Orchard and north Gig Harbor anymore.

For more detailed information on home sale activity in your area, just email me or give me a call.

Open Houses in Gig Harbor this weekend

Kind of a slow weekend for open houses around Gig Harbor, WA.  Only one on Saturday, and 9 more on Sunday.  If you’ve ever wanted to visit Fox Island and see what homes are for sale on Fox Island, this is a good weekend for it.  4 of the 9 opens in Gig Harbor on Sunday are actually on Fox Island!

Click on the interactive map to view the open house schedule.  Move your cursor over any of the pushpins for property info, open house times, and who the listing agent of the home is.  This information is from the NWMLS and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.  If you are selling your home in Gig Harbor, or you’re a builder of one of Gig Harbor’s new construction homes and you don’t see your open house listed on here, please be sure to contact your agent and request that they post the open houses in the MLS.  As always, if you find a home you like while you’re out and about this weekend, I’d be happy to talk to you about the process of purchasing a home in the Gig Harbor area.

Great buy in Gig Harbor! VIEW and LOCATION!

Check out this amazing view property listed in Gig Harbor, Wa.  Easy walking distance to the downtown Gig Harbor waterfront as well as the Kimball Drive shopping area, this home has fantastic views of the Puget Sound.  This home sits on a rare .56 acre lot within the City limits.  The 4bd, 2ba, 2173sf home is in need of some cosmetic updating, but at only $460,000 this is an opportunity you won’t want to pass up!

House is listed by Matt Foster of Handspring Real Estate and published here with his permission.  If you are interested in viewing this home, or any other home on the market, please give me a call!

Buying a home in Gig Harbor, WA

Buying a home is a huge decision.   Homes are definitely financial investments, but they are emotional investments as well.  So much thought goes into buying a home.  I work with several buyers who are moving to Gig Harbor from out of state, and that can make learning the buyers’ needs a little bit more tricky.  Often times I’m unable to ascertain what is truly important to a buyer until we’ve walked through a few homes together and I can listen to their likes, dislikes, and concerns.  Often times buyers aren’t really sure of what they want until they experience it.

Size, number of rooms, etc are pretty standard across the board.  So what are some factors to consider when purchasing a home in Gig Harbor?

• Truly usable rooms.  A home may be listed as a 3 bedroom, but it may actually have 4 or 5 bedrooms.  Why?  Nearly all of our homes are on septic systems here, and if you only have a 3 bedroom approved septic, you have a 3 bedroom house.  Look in the marketing remarks for “bonus room” or “office/den.”  Often times those will be clues that the home is larger than it may appear.
• Views.  Gig Harbor homes have several different categories of views, including “Sound,” “Mountain,” “Partial,” and “Territorial.”  I’m frequently amazed at the amount of waterfront and waterview homes that are available for sale in Gig Harbor.  “Sound” views will be looking out at one area of the Puget Sound.  Take a look at any map of Gig Harbor and you’ll see that we’re surrounded by the Sound (that’s why we’re a peninsula!).  “Mountain” views will either refer to the stunning sunrise views of Mt Rainier, or breathtaking sunset views of the Olympic Mountains.  Both are gorgeous, and both will often have water views as well.  “Territorial” views are more subjective.  We have several forests, green belts, and valleys in Gig Harbor that are beautiful to look out upon.  Those are “Territorial.”  “Partial” views are up to the discernment of the agent.  Some say if you can see a hint of blue through the trees when you’re squinting at noon time, it counts as a partial view.  Others feel that if it’s even somewhat obstructed by trees or rooftops, it’s partial.  If you see “View” in the remarks but there’s no photos, probably not a sweeping view! 
• Schools.  All of Gig Harbor is part of the Peninsula School District, however there are certain schools within the district that are more highly sought after than others.  My daughter is nowhere near school aged yet, so I have no first hand experience with the schools, but I have a hard time believing that one is that different from the others.  I certainly can’t imagine moving from one area of Gig Harbor to another to get into a different school.  But again, I can’t really speak to this.  Check with the PSD to find out which schools have which programs, what their test scores are, and what areas those schools service.
• Commute time.  Many Gig Harbor residents work in Seattle or Tacoma.  From HWY 16, it’s really not that bad of a drive, and there are public transit options as well.  But some areas of Gig Harbor (especially Fox Island), can be a 20 minute or more commute just to hit HWY 16.  If you’ll be commuting frequently, you may want to consider living closer to freeway access.  For example, the home I recently listed in Port Orchard is closer to Tacoma than a home I sold this past summer on Fox Island.  If you’re not sure where a house sits, or how long it will take to get to the freeway, just ask! 

Obviously these are just a few of the things to consider when buying a home.  I’m not even getting into the considerations of when to buy, or how to go about making an offer.  Most consumers are tired of hearing real estate agents scream “BUY NOW,” so I won’t.  Remember, prices may or may not be at their low point (I don’t think that they are).  However, unless you’re planning on buying with cash, I’d consider moving sooner than later.  The government isn’t making home loans any easier.  Despite the needs, and despite their claims, financing a home is actually getting more difficult.  If you are moving to Gig Harbor, or considering a move within the area, I’d be more than happy to talk through all of the different buying options!

Great Southlake Ridge Home!

I’ve just listed this great new home in Southlake Ridge.  Located only 15 minutes from Gig Harbor North (Target, Costco, YMCA, Pier 1, etc), only 5 minutes from HWY 16, a stone’s throw away from Long Lake recreation area, this home is central to everything you need.  The Port Orchard address means better value and lower taxes than a Gig Harbor address, too! 

2792sf, 3bd, 2.5ba, office, bonus room, beautiful great room, 3 car garage, and a huge back yard.  Perched atop the highest point of the cul-de-sac, you are offered privacy and great views of both the Olympic Mountains and Mt Rainier!  All for only $485,950!  Click on the photo below for more details.

Open houses in Gig Harbor

Here is the list of open houses in Gig Harbor for this weekend.  Only 10 homes this week!  Click on the interactive map to find out full information.  Position your cursor over a push pin to see number of bedrooms, bathrooms, price, date and time, and who the listing agent of the property is.  Remember, the push pins are approximate…if you click on “bird’s eye view” you’ll see a great shot of the neighborhood, but the pin won’t necessarily be on the exact home that is open.

If you find a home you’re interested in, I am happy to provide you with more information about the home and walk you through the process of purchasing a home.  Just call or email!

Rare Gig Harbor Waterfront Property

I just listed this gorgeous waterfront property in Gig Harbor, WA.  1.14 acres, 129′ of sandy beach, views that extend forever.  A savvy buyer will grab this property in today’s buyer’s market and turn it into an amazing waterfront estate. 

Click on the photo for full details.

Open Houses in Gig Harbor

Wow!  The weather is cooperating again which means that this weekend would be a great weekend for touring some of the homes for sale in Gig Harbor, Wa.  With sunny skies and temps nearing 70, moving to Gig Harbor never looked better!

Here is the list of open houses in the Gig Harbor area this weekend.  Simply click on the interactive map and hover your mouse above any of the push-pins to get info on the home, date and time of the open, and the listing agent of the home.  Be sure to scroll out and pan around to make sure you get all of the homes!

Remember, I am not the listing agent on all of these homes, but as a licensed Realtor I can answer all of your questions about these and any other properties listed for sale in the Gig Harbor area.  If you see anything you like, or need more information, please give me a call or email me.

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.