I was out taking some photos yesterday and took this artsy little shot:
Although the photo is pretty, the best part is the reminder that blackberries will soon be ripe for the picking all around Gig Harbor. Blackberry bushes in your backyard can be a pain…they’re really hard to get rid of and they hurt (see the thorns?). Blackberry picking is great, though. My favorite spot is at Sunrise Beach. Any other favorite spots to pick?
Each Monday I like to write some sort of a real estate report. I’m going to make this week’s report a little different. Many real estate agents say it’s their job to sell homes. I don’t sell homes. I do, but I don’t. I introduce people to Gig Harbor, help them to fall in love with all that Gig Harbor and Washington have to offer (that’s not a tough job, by the way), and then I help them find a house for sale in Gig Harbor that fits their needs. So I guess I do sell homes, but I don’t see that as my primary responsibility.
I don’t mind the rain much, but I will admit that Gig Harbor’s weather from November through April can be a bit tough. Summers in Gig Harbor, however, can’t be beat. Here’s a quick look at what I mean. If living in an area like this interests you, give me a call. If you currently live in the area, and this makes you want a waterview or waterfront home, I can help with that, too.
I’m going to try to start a new series on this blog. I’ll bet you can guess from the title what that series is going to be. There are some pretty great homes in the Gig Harbor, Fox Island, and Port Orchard areas, and I thought it’d be fun to feature some of them on this site.
This week I’ll introduce you to a brand new development in Gig Harbor, The Highlands at Rosedale. Chaffey Homes, who built the popular Estates at Gig Harbor and recently won the National Green Home Building Award, is building this new gated community of approximately 25 homes in a great location just west of Gig Harbor High School and Discovery Elementary School, and just minutes from Kopachuck State Park.
Two homes are currently built and available ($799,950 and $819,950). These homes are built with top of the line materials, sit beautifully on their large lots, and look simply beautiful. To get a personal tour of The Highlands at Rosedale, please give me a call or send me an email. I love showing these homes!
Homes advertised with permission of Gary Brines from Keller Williams Realty
I’m generally not one to toot my own horn, but I’m proud of my most recent accomplishment and since I’m the only author of this blog I thought it’d be a bit silly to wait for somebody else to do the tooting for me.
I’ve spent portions of the past 7 months completing 120 hours of 
continuing education in real estate practices and real estate law. I travelled to Olympia (that’s our state capitol by the way, not Seattle as some folks next to me on the plane this past week thought) this morning to take my real estate broker’s examination. I’m usually not nervous about tests, but this one had me a bit shaky…but I passed!
Terminology is different in different states, but in Washington (for the time being anyway) a real estate agent gets a salesperson license, and each real estate office has a designated broker (obviously requiring a broker’s license). Ultimately, the broker is in charge of overseeing the agents, making sure each and every contract is valid and correct, and ensuring that each of his/her agents have the tools, education, and support necessary to provide their clients with the best possible service.
Basically, being a broker is a lot of administrative work, which I love. It’s detail-oriented work, which I love. I’m not quite sure yet what my next step will be, as our office already has one of the area’s best brokers (sorry Joe) the area’s best broker. I’m in an interesting position in that there’s no opening at my current office, and even if there were an opening at another office I can’t imagine ever leaving Gig Harbor’s Keller Williams for any reason. So for now, I’ll just be proud of myself for doing the work, relieved at having passed the exam, and eager to use my new enhanced knowledge to serve my real estate clients even better!
If you’re visiting Gig Harbor this weekend, or if you’re a Gig Harbor resident who likes to see what folks in the area are doing with their homes, there are 15 open houses this weekend. Several are slated for Saturday, so be sure to check the date and time before you head out the door. Ranging from a $269,950 condo (a great price for a condo in Gig Harbor) to a $1.55M home (not an unusual price for Gig Harbor waterfront and Gig Harbor waterview homes), there’s a little something for everyone this weekend.
Click on the interactive map to see the open houses, their basic statistics, who the listing agent is, and when the open will be held. If you’re interested in purchasing any of these homes, or any other homes or condos in Gig Harbor, please give me a call. I always enjoy chatting with folks and walking you through the home buying process.
The information provided here is from the NWMLS and is reliable but not guaranteed.
2008 is already 1/2 way gone…wow! I wanted to take a quick look at some of the real estate numbers for the 1/2 way point for Gig Harbor and the surrounding areas. I’ll keep it pretty simple for now. Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula, and Port Orchard have seen far fewer homes (single family homes and condos) sell thus far in ‘08 than what sold in the first half of ‘07 (245 vs 390 for Gig Harbor, 116 vs 179 for KPN, and 373 vs 504 for Port Orchard). Median home price in Gig Harbor and Port Orchard have also taken a hit ($420,000 vs $439,750 in GH, $259,000 vs $279,250 in PO), but the median home price on the Key Peninsula is basically unchanged ($249,925 vs $249,950).
Is that as bad as what is being reported? Depends on your perception I guess. Should home owners needing to sell be worried? Again, depends on your perception. If you bought last year and are being forced to sell now, it will be tough to get your money back. If you bought 4 or more years ago and are selling now, you should be making a nice little profit still.
What about home buyers? Should you act now? You guessed it…depends on YOUR perception. I don’t like renting, so if I didn’t own already I’d buy now. I did buy a year ago, because we found a home we liked and could afford. Do you have to buy now in order to get the best deal? As soon as I find my crystal ball I’ll let you know. I’m not enough of a gambler to try and guess on home prices vs interest rates and inventory. If I find a house that I like that I can afford, I buy. If I’m looking to get some rental properties or summer waterfront cabins, I’d probably buy now. Why? ‘Cause there’s lots available at good prices with low interest rates. Just my 2 cents. There may be even more homes at lower prices with better rates in a year. There may be fewer homes at higher prices with higher rates in a year. Don’t know.
If you’d like specific home sale information on your area, give me a call or send me an email and I’d be happy to get you whatever information you’d like.
I usually don’t put a ton of stock in the month-vs-month real estate statistics, but the reality is that they can show us some trends. With all of the negative news we read surrounding real estate, I thought I’d share with you a bit of good news considering real estate in Gig Harbor.
This past month, 60 single-family homes sold in Gig Harbor, compared to 68 during June of ‘07. That’s not much of a drop off. Even more encouraging is that the median price for the homes that sold in June was $473,600. Last June’s median home price in Gig Harbor was $454,500. Only 1 Gig Harbor condo sold in June. ‘08 has seen us clunking along at about 50% of the previous year’s sales volume, but as you can see June was almost equal.
I don’t think we’re getting back to where we were a few years ago, but I don’t think it’s healthy to get back there, either. I do think that these numbers show that houses are selling. The chart below shows some numbers for Gig Harbor homes that sold this past month with 2, 3, 4, 5+ and then all bedrooms.
Click here if you’d like to see this chart enlarged. If you’d like to know what sold in a specific neighborhood, or you’re curious about the surrounding areas’ numbers, please let me know. Gig Harbor, as I’ve defined it here, does not include the Key Peninsula. It does, however, include Fox Island real estate.
Gig Harbor’s new movie theater in the Uptown Center has been a hit, no doubt. I’ve yet to visit there, but I’ve heard nothing but great reviews. Stadium seating, a 3-D theater, the VIP theater that serves beer, wine, and dinner right to your seat (hopefully they’ve found a way to keep kids out of there), it’s all been good.
But there’s another movie theater in Gig Harbor that’s even better in my mind. Outside. Yep. Each summer Gig Harbor hosts the outdoor cinema series, having date night and family night movies at Skansie Brothers Park and Donkey Creek Park, both right downtown on the waterfront. No stadium seating, in fact you have to bring your own chair. No ushers to help keep folks quiet, in fact there’s cars driving by. But no better way to enjoy a movie than under the night sky with the boats on Gig Harbor sailing by. Casablanca, The Bee Movie, Sleepless in Seattle, and Enchanted are just a few of the movies that will be shown this summer. Click here for a full list of movies, dates and times, and locations.
If you’re new to the Gig Harbor area or just looking for a great pediatrician in Gig Harbor, I’d be happy to recommend you to Jennifer Sonney at Pediatrics Northwest. We’ve tried three doctors there, Dr. Rurik and Dr. Lavender first, and they were both excellent. Our daughter was most comfortable, and my wife and I both feel very comfortable, with Dr. Sonney.
If you need a convenient office, a professional and caring doctor, and a nice environment to provide your child with medical care in Gig Harbor, give Peds NW a try!
Sorry for slacking…the holiday threw me off. Didn’t make a big difference though, as there are only 5 open houses in Gig Harbor this weekend, and they’re all tomorrow from 1-4pm. Click on the map below for information on the homes and who the listing agent is.
Information is from the NWMLS and is reliable but not guaranteed.
