Make sure you visit the Narrows View condos on Saturday afternoon.  There are 4 units in there ranging from $500,000-$575,000.  Amazing views of the Puget Sound and the Tacoma Narrows Bridges from this gated condo community.

Remember, this information is taken from the NWMLS and is reliable but not guaranteed. 

This is the bird’s eye view of the property I have listed at 1916 Lybecker Drive in Gig Harbor.  If you searched for “waterfront” in Gig Harbor, this would come up at $750,000.

This property was also listed as
“waterfront” in Gig Harbor.  I think it was an innocent mistake by the agent, but clearly it’s not waterfront.  You can see the mud at the left…1/2 the day that’s a very nice bay full of water (when the tide’s in), but the home is obviously not waterfront.

Did you hear that Henderson Bay Estates was a great neighborhood in Gig Harbor?  Take a look and see what the neighborhood looks like.  Rotate the camera, zoom in and out, have fun while exploring what Gig Harbor looks like!

Want to see what kind of play fields the schools in Gig Harbor have?  You can find that here too!  This is a great tool to locate what you’re looking for and get a great idea for what Gig Harbor (or any area) looks like!

Click here to read the article and get tips on making the move easier for your kids.

I’ve never fished at Narrows Park, but I’ve seen some guys pull in some good sized salmon while fishing there.  Anybody know much about fishing in Gig Harbor?  Good spots, what types, etc?

 I figured I’d give Panera Bread  in Gig Harbor’s Uptown Center a shot for dinner one night.  I had just had Harbor Greens for lunch that day, so soup and a sandwich twice in a day may have been an odd choice, but it gave me a good chance to compare.   At Panera, I got their “Pick 2″ deal, where you get to choose any 2 of a cup of soup, 1/2 sandwich, and salad.  I went with a turkey sandwich and baked potato soup, and threw in a mango smoothie as well.  The sandwich was disappointing.  The one I had at Harbor Greens earlier in the day is a real sandwich; my dinner sandwich was something I’d be able to slap together from grocery store breads and meats.  The soup was pretty good.  Nothing out of this world, but certainly good enough to go back and get more at another date.  The smoothie was also disappointing, but I’d just had a Jamba Juice a few days before, and with Jamba Juice being right next door to Panera (and much cheaper), I’ll go that route in the future.  The price was so-so.  My meal came to about $11, largely due to the smoothie.  But they did throw in a chunk of bread to dip in the soup that was really good. 

So if I was to recommend Gig Harbor’s best soup, salad, and sandwich restaurant, which would it be?  Depends.  Harbor Greens has WAY better sandwiches, and really good salads, but I didn’t try a Panera salad.  Harbor Greens also has great employees, but I’ve known several of them for many years, and the folks at Panera were quite nice as well.  Panera has a much better eating atmosphere, with lots of seating and places to talk.  Harbor Greens is really a grocery store with a few tables and chairs.  Panera also has a wider selection of soups, but they’re pretty much even in salad and sandwich choices.  So, if I’m just going out to grab a bite to eat, I’d say Harbor Greens.  If I wanted a place to sit down with a group, or we were going to catch a movie at the new theater or go shopping afterwards, I’d say Panera.  How’s that for wishy-washy?  Care to weigh in if you’ve eaten at either/both or somewhere else?

I argued (and still believe) that Gig Harbor’s real estate market has shifted back to a more normal market.  This other agent said we’re nowhere near normal, basing his belief off of our absorption rate (how long it would take to sell off all of the listings currently on the market).   So who’s right?  We are.  Real estate in Gig Harbor has come back down to earth.  Prices are appreciating anywhere from 1%-7%, depending on how you tweak the numbers.  YTD ‘08 vs ‘07, Gig Harbor’s median home sale’s price has actually declined 6%.  I’d still argue that a 6% decrease is far more normal than a 26% increase.

This other Realtor from Gig Harbor was pointing to our inventory and slow sales.  As of today, there are 697 homes for sale in Gig Harbor (remember, I don’t include KPN in Gig Harbor’s numbers and I am not including condos either).  We have seen 113 homes sell in the first 4 months of’08, for an average of 28.25 home sales per month.  Assuming no other homes were listed for sale, and assuming we maintained our current pace, it would take 24.5 months to sell all of Gig Harbor’s home inventory (our absorption rate then is 24.5). 

This is from the waters of the Puget Sound, with Tacoma’s Pt Defiance Park the land to the right, and Vashon Island the land in the background. 

This is the lighthouse that welcomes boaters at the mouth of Gig Harbor Bay.  You can access it from private homes at the mouth of the harbor, or by kayak (or other boat).  I don’t know if it’s public or privately owned, however, so I’ve never stopped by.

Probably the most photographed shot in all of Gig Harbor, but I never grow tired of it.  Pictures of Mount Rainier over Gig Harbor rarely look alike, as the mountain and sky are always changing.

I love what black and white can do to the same image.  Mt Rainier, assuming it doesn’t blow anytime soon, is just a gorgeous mountain to look at.

Shake it off!  Both homes I sold this past week were in the Rosedale area of Gig Harbor.  Yes, the market has changed.  But this is one real estate agent who won’t participate in the pity party.  Does that make me tough or defiant?  Nope…it means I have a company of leaders around me at Keller Williams who can guide me, remind me that this market is normal, and support me as I move on.