Many folks moving to Gig Harbor, or thinking of moving to Gig Harbor, often have questions about our transportation system.  Many who are considering buying a home in Gig Harbor will be working in Seattle or Tacoma, and want to know what the commute will be like. I've never ridden the public transit system in Gig Harbor, so I'd love to hear from those of you who have.  I know that there are several options, ranging from Park and Rides to Van Pools to buses to trains to ferries.  I'm just not sure which is the easiest and cheapest.  I know that Pierce Transit runs several buses from Gig Harbor to Tacoma, and I know that Sound Transit has buses and trains from Tacoma to Seattle, and I think they both have some version of the van pool, but I can't tell you much about them.I have ridden the... 02/28/2008

Gig Harbor's Uptown Center is getting further and further along.  I didn't really want to say this, for fear that my wife would read it, but Ann Taylor Loft is now open in Gig Harbor.  I'm going to have to sell a few more houses to support her Ann Taylor habit.  Actually, I'm quite fortunate in that my wife, while she enjoys shopping, is extremely thrifty and is a great deal-seeker. In addition to the opening of Ann Taylor, Gig Harbor's new Galaxy Theater is set to have their grand opening on Friday, March 7th.  They are offering the first 500 guests a free T-shirt and the first 100 guests will receive a free 90 day pass!  The entire first weekend will feature $1 popcorn and $1 soda.   I'm not sure how or if you can go to the movies with a 5 month old, but that sounds like a pretty good... 02/27/2008

Before I entered the world of real estate, I taught math for 7 years and was the head track and field and cross country coach at Life Christian Academy in Tacoma, WA.  Coaching cross country was a lot of fun, but it was a completely anonymous sport, and we were up against football and cheerleading so it was tough to get the good athletes out.Track and field was different.  The first day of practice marked the first day of spring, in my book.  Yes, it was often cold and rainy or sleeting, but it meant that warm weather and the end of school was right around the corner.  I miss being out on the track and hearing the ping of the baseball bats coming from the field below.  Track and field brought a wide array of kids into a common training ground.  Throwers and distance guys, vaulters and s... 02/26/2008

I frequently get emails and phone calls from folks who are considering a move to the Gig Harbor area.  One of the most common reservations is the weather.  I can't begin to count the number of times I've heard, "Isn't it always rainy in Gig Harbor?"  If by always you mean sometimes, or by rainy and gray you mean sunny and blue, then sure.  Take the past 6 days, for example.  Bright sunshine, blinding blue skies, and temps in the mid to high 50's.  Gorgeous.  Not normal, but gorgeous.So what is normal?  You can check here for statistics, but I prefer to go off of somebody's thoughts on it.  July-September are incredible.  Sunshine pretty much daily, temps in the 70's with the occasional 80's and very rare 90's.  October-November you can feel it getting cooler, and some rain starts coming... 02/25/2008

I need to stop getting so caught up in these online forums that I read.  I just can't believe how negative some people are about everything.  I'm not an outwardly giddy type of person, but some of these folks must just be miserable.  I jumped into the online world with the idea of providing information about my community to those who may want to move here and to those who already love it here.  I need to get back to that and away from arguing with folks about whether or not the economic sky is really falling.  Let me make one quick point, then on to the title of this post.  Real estate in Gig Harbor is not care free right now.  We have seen our market slow considerably, our inventory rise, new construction is popping up all around and for the most part not selling, which makes resale ho... 02/23/2008

Are you thinking of moving to Gig Harbor?  Maybe you're just visiting Gig Harbor and think touring some homes sounds like fun.  Or maybe you're a Gig Harbor resident and you want to compare your home to other homes that are for sale in the area.  Whatever the case, here is the list of this weekend's open houses. Buying a home is a huge decision.  You'll want to make sure that you have a professional in your corner who can help guide you along the way.  I can help you with the purchase of any of these homes listed here, as well as any other house that you may wish to purchase.  If you're looking to buy a home in Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, Tacoma, or the surrounding areas, please give me a call.This list of open houses is taken from the NWMLS.  Information is reliable but not guaranteed.  ... 02/22/2008

Gig Harbor is located on the Olympic Peninsula with a population of 6,500 in Gig Harbor proper and a total popultion of 66,000. Gig Harbor is surrounded by snowcapped mountains, lush forests, and beautiful sparkling water, no wonder so many artist call this home.  It is a quaint community that offers a waterfront of 2.8 miles lined with local shops and restaurants where "Her Majasty" Mt. Ranier, can be seen almost everywhere. The charm of the community reflects in residents as they walk the harbor with a smile to greet you and a friendly hello that is heart felt.What was once a well kept secret has now become a very desirable place to own real estate not just for the family looking for a great place to live but for investors as well.  The opening of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge make it an ... 02/20/2008

I don't know why I get such a kick out of this photo, but it cracks me up.  I was walking with Sebastian through Canterwood Golf and Country Club yesterday, and when I got about 20ft away, this radar actually picked up my speed!  Since nobody was around, I kept going back and forth, trying to see how high I could get it.  At one point, I had it up to 12MPH, but it's really tough to take a clear picture at those speeds.  I could have gone faster, but Seb's getting old (if you believe that one...).This afternoon the whole family went for a walk along the Gig Harbor waterfront.  Sunny skies and temps in the mid 50's meant that there was no shortage of folks out for a walk.  Gig Harbor's downtown is just one of many great places to slow down and take a stroll in this beautiful town.  It may... 02/18/2008

For my weekly look at the Gig Harbor real estate market, I wanted to revisit the absorption rate of houses for sale in the area.  As a reminder, the absorption rate measures how long it will take for our current home inventory to be completely sold, or absorbed.  To calculate this number, we take the current number of homes for sale in Gig Harbor, and divide that by the number of houses selling each month. Currently there are 572 homes for sale in Gig Harbor.  Over the past 3 months, we are averaging 24 home sales per month (only 20 homes sold in Gig Harbor during January).  At this current pace, if no more homes were listed for sale, our current inventory wouldn't be sold until January of 2010!  Port Orchard has a much better scenario, as their absorption rate is only 12 months, exactl... 02/18/2008

Here is the weekly look at the open houses you'll find in Gig Harbor this weekend. If you would like more information on ANY of these homes, I'd be happy to provide it for you.  If you are looking to relocate to Gig Harbor, or simply purchase a new home in the Gig Harbor area, I'd love to show you what services I can provide.*This list of open houses is taken from the NWMLS.  Information is reliable but not guaranteed.  If your home is open this weekend but you don't see it on this list, contact your real estate agent. 02/15/2008

This is my first attempt at this. After looking a several agents blogs, I figured out this doesn't have to be about real estate. We need help with the paperwork end of this business and have been doing a lot of research about how to free up our time by using a VA. Is anyone using one that they think is terrific, or horror stories? All help is appreciated, Jeanette 02/14/2008

Here is the list of open houses in Gig Harbor for this weekend.  If you'd like a list of opens for Tacoma, Port Orchard, or Key Peninsula, please contact me and I'll get that right out to you!11457 Bristol Pl 98332 3bd, 2ba$299,990Saturday 10am-5pm13504 57th Ave NW 98332 3bd, 3ba$425,000 Saturday 1-4pm3612 118th St Ct NW 983323bd, 3ba$579,000Saturday 10am-4pm6886 Main Sail Ln 98335 2bd, 2ba$449,000Saturday 1-4pm3714 Harborcrest Ct NW 98332 2bd, 1ba$215,000Saturday 1-4pm3889 Harborview Dr #203 98335 2bd, 2ba$495,000Saturday 1-4pm4828 56th Ave NW  98335 3bd, 2ba$449,950Saturday 1-4pm1706 41st St NW  98335 3bd, 2ba$459,900Saturday 1-4pm6614 95th St Ct NW  983324bd, 2.75ba$582,900Saturday 1-4pm4616 77th Ave NW 98335 5bd, 3.5ba$768,00Saturday 1-4pm14121 49th Ave Ct NW 983323bd, 1ba$240,000Su... 02/08/2008

Are you considering relocating to Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, or the surrounding area?  Moves don't have to be intimidating, in fact, I think I can make moving to Gig Harbor quite easy.  First, you need to gather information.  Far too many people seem to bury their heads in the sand and try to avoid gathering facts.Many of the online forums that I participate in seem to be flooded with people who have grown tired of the home search process, and it often seems as though real estate agents are to blame.  Three times in the past two weeks real estate agents have been referred to as "used car salesmen" on these forums I read.  From the context, I know that's supposed to be an insult, but I really like most of the car salesmen I've dealt with, and if I don't like them I tend to "fire" them and... 02/06/2008

Following is a list of open houses for the Gig Harbor area this weekend.  For more information on any of these homes, driving directions, etc, please feel free to contact me.  While I am not the listing agent for all of these homes, as a Realtor it is my job to know these houses and show them to prospective buyers.  It is interesting to note that 17 of the 24 open houses this weekend are listed by Keller Williams agents.  You can swing by our office at 11515 Burnham Drive to pick up a Keller Williams open house packet, or simply use the form here.AddressSizePriceDate/Time6115 Woodhill Dr 983325bd, 2.75ba$549,000Saturday 1-4pm3612 118th St Ct NW 983323bd, 3ba$579,000Saturday 10am-4pm6613 77th Ave Ct NW 983354bd, 2.5ba$634,950Saturday 1-4pm12414 58th Ave NW 983323bd, 3.5ba$630,000Saturday... 02/02/2008

Growing up in the Tacoma/Gig Harbor area of Pierce County Washington was like living full time in a State Park!  There is always a beach, park or trail to explore and never a lack of things to do!  As an adult, I have traveled extensively, but I always return to Western Washington because no where else feels so good!  It's true, that sometimes we feel like we get more than our share of wet weather, but the first cloud break treats you to a sky so incredibly blue and trees so green, that you forget almost instantly about the former grey skies!   The Evergreen State, with its many parks and recreation areas, is the only place to live!! 01/29/2008

As Gig Harbor awakens to a new selling season hopes and expectations began to build. Buyers are acutely aware of low interest rates and high inventory. Sellers putter with last minute projects while they attempt to quantify the little town's multiplying attractions.For a real estate agent it's a great opportunity to start new habits; a New Year's kick-off to consistency and self discipline. Last year was a tough one and that's no secret. But I've always felt that blaming external events for disappointment was making excuses. As I watched my goals slip further away I realized 2008 would be a year of change. Knowing full-well hard work makes good luck I hypothesized smarter could make even luckier.In real estate working smarter is actually pretty simple, but it's not very easy. Being a go... 01/28/2008

01/10/2008

Statistics don't lie.  You can make them say just about anything you want, so they can be very deceiving, but they don't lie.  Real estate is full of statistics.  One of the numbers that I find to be important is what is referred to as "Absorption Rate," the rate at which the market could absorb all of the houses currently for sale.  To calculate this number, I look at how many homes are currently on the market, and divide that number by the number of homes that sell each month.  If, for example, there were 600 homes on the market, and 50 sold each month, it'd take 12 months for all 600 homes to sell (be absorbed). Looking specifically at Gig Harbor real estate, there are currently 517 homes on the market in Gig Harbor.  Averaging November and December's numbers, we are selling 26 homes... 01/08/2008

Back last month, a Keller Williams agent out of Gig Harbor WA posted a comment to one of my articles on SOUNDBITEBLOG. After tossing a few e-mails back and forth, I sent him an invitation to join our beloved network.Please take a moment to send an e-mail welcoming Matt Thomson to our ranks! He is affiliated with the Keller Williams office in Gig Harbor WA, and also maintains an 'outside' blog, "Gig Harbor Undressed." (please don't be worried. There is no nudity on his blog, except for maybe pictures of his dog, Sebastian)It's great to have some new faces in our own neighboring Rain Puddle! Other recent new members are Jo Soss, an agent with Skyline Properties, and Marlene Scheffer of Realty Station, both based in nearby Bremerton WA.Let's All make it one of our New Year's Resolutions to... 01/02/2008

Well, it's that time of year again-- time to put away the holiday decorations. I registered a half-hearted grumble and began organizing lights and Santa trinkets in the garage... Something caught my eye and from a dark corner I pulled out a precious but forgotten treasure, my trusty crystal ball. This enlightening globe helped me relocated from Tacoma almost 20 years back. It flashed a green light on Gig Harbor waterfront 10 years ago. It's been a good little cohort but not infallible; together we accumulated alternative energy stocks several years ago-- a tough lesson in humility that earned the little ball it's hiding place on this damp garage shelf. I polished the dust away and these 3 predictions for the coming year appeared:#1- New homes in Gig Harbor North will stand the market on... 01/01/2008