When Spring Arrives in the NW... Photo taken by Paul Henderson, RE/MAX Professionals, Tacoma, WA. and is displayed in its original digital image state and may not be reproduced, cropped, edited, or enhanced in anyway without express written permission of Paul Henderson. All Rights Reserved... © 2010 Paul Henderson, When Spring Arrives in the NW, All Rights Reserved Shared 04/02/2010

The best way to appreciate something you have is to sit down and write about it. This practice really makes you sit and appreciate what you have. I recently sat down and thought of why my family bought into the Hartstene Pointe development on Harstine Island. The best question to ask oneself is if we had a chance to do all over again, would it happen. First, sitting in the Great room of our cabin is probably not the best place to sit and try to come up with negative things to say about Hartstene Pointe. Nine years of memories come to mind as I look about the room; oddly enough the good times always surface first as I enjoy my cup of coffee in front of the wood stove and panoramic view of Puget Sound. This was not the first property we have bought at Hartstene Pointe, we bought a buildi... 03/29/2010

  It is human nature when you see an animal, you want to feed it.  At Hartstene Pointe we have rules that both protect the wildlife but protect us, the humans as well. We are blessed by the abundance of wildlife there is in Washington State and what better case in point than at Hartstene Pointe. We have; Chipmunks Squirrels Possum Raccoons Red Fox Sea Otters A resident herd of Deer Bald Eagles These animals and birds are not dependent on humans for their existence and we try to keep it that way. When we feed these animals we make them dependant on a food source that is only present for the time you are present. Sunflower seeds, nuts and the like are not native to Hartstene Pointe and can mess up the fragile Eco system that makes the Pointe a desirable place to visit and live. A danger t... 03/29/2010

  Why do I want you to experience Hartstene Pointe? I believe it is still the best kept secret in vacation and retirement property in the State of Washington. My hardest job is to get people to visit for the very first time. I have heard so many excuses, I can’t remember them all.  I have been marketing Hartstene Pointe since I became a Realtor in 1999 because I only sell what I believe in. I first discovered my love for the Pointe in1992. My wife, Connie and I stumbled upon it in our quest to find an escape from everyday life. We were looking for recreation property and had visited many a venue looking to invest our money in the right place. We looked at some very beautiful areas of our state, but always found something wrong that turned us away. We decided to give Hartstene Pointe th... 03/28/2010

Finding Vacation property at Hartstene Pointe is not that difficult a task. Call me, I can set up an appointment and we can tour anytime. But before you set out, the first question you must ask yourself “Is what I like to do.” If you like to snow ski, don’t look at vacation property on a golf course.  I can hear you saying “duh”. My family set out on this quest about 20 years ago. We got the idea for looking at vacation property from our visit to Norway. All my relatives in Norway had holiday or weekend cabins.  These cabins were very simple escapes from everyday life. We decided this is what we wanted, a place to escape. We first set out to the mountains, because we liked to downhill ski. We could see ourselves enjoying a chalet in the winter time but the area offered little for sprin... 03/27/2010

  If you’re looking for an Eco friendly community perhaps Hartstene Pointe might be just what you are looking for. The community is what matters when you look for a weekend escape or retirement home. Do your neighbors want a green environment? The Hartstene Pointe Maintenance Association was incorporated as a non-profit corporation on June 12, 1970 by the Quadrant Corporation, a subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Inc. At Hartstene Pointe we believe in the beauty of our environment. The Quadrant Corporation decided in the late1960s to develop a special place to reflect on all the beauty the Pacific NW has to offer. From the moment you drive through the gate you will see they succeeded. In order to build a community of this size the planners had to deal with a hard layer of clay that would make ... 03/27/2010

Fiber optics for Hartstene Pointe,  I hope so! One thing we can all be thankful for on Harstine Island is that we are serviced by a very progressive Public Utility District (PUD3). Offering fiber optics to rate payers will not only spur growth but will create or save jobs in the rural county. I also think this project will be a big draw for Buyer's who will be able to use the fast Internet speeds to telecommute to work, so, think future draw here people. In a recent survey sent to all rate payers on Harstine Island, the PUD3 asked if we would like the Mason County fiber optic system extended to the island and to Hartstene Pointe. We, on the island are at the mercy of the two satellite TV providers and DSL Internet service. We need options! What is fiber optic communication, you may ask... 03/26/2010

Hartstene Pointe    How do I love thee, Let me count the ways! I love thy beaches and the time my family has walked and played upon them I love thy trees of green that reach for the sky I love thy wildlife and the joy it brings my heart I love thy spectacular views of land and sea I love thy gates that give us peace of mind I love thy trails that beckon my visits I love thy smell of fresh air off Puget Sound I love thy underground utilities that never block my views I love thy protected green spaces that block my view of my neighbor I love thy maintained roads to bring me here I love thy cool nights and warm days I love thy winter’s snow I love thy spring bloom I love thy summer’s joy and water fun I love thy fall’s leaves and crisp nights I love thy generations past who have enjoyed th... 03/24/2010

Tantalizing Tuesday It really comes down to one thing when you dream of what you want. I believe that Ben Stein says it best with this quote... "The indispensable first step to gettingthe things you want out of life is this: decide what you want."- Ben Stein Photo © 2010 Paul Henderson, Tantalizing Tuesday Shared 03/23/2010

Photo taken by Paul Henderson, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, Realtor® with RE/MAX Professionals of DuPont & Lacey and Hartstene Pointe, WA. Making real estate services a positive experience for home buyers and sellers in DuPont, Lacey, Olympia or Pierce, Thurston, Mason, and Kitsap counties for over 10 years now.  ©2010 Paul  Henderson, Peace at Hartstene Pointe... ... Shared 03/21/2010

 A Maryland-based energy company hopes to break ground by late this year on a power plant in Shelton that would convert wood waste from logging operations into electricity. This could mean more jobs on the horizon. "We're contacting all the major landowners within 50 miles of the plant site," Reed Wills, president of the energy startup firm, Adage LLC, said after a public unveiling of the project in Olympia recently. The company, a joint venture of Duke Energy and a global energy firm called Areva, is negotiating with forestland owners to secure the 600,000 tons of wood debris it needs yearly to fuel its $250 million biomass plant. Green Diamond Resources Co., a major timber company in the Shelton area, is in talks with Adage about supplying feedstock for the plant. The plant would be ... 03/01/2010

©2010 Paul Henderson, Peaceful Lapping Waves! All Rights Reserved Photo taken by Paul Henderson, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, Realtor® with RE/MAX Professionals of DuPont, Lacey & Hartstene Pointe WA. Making real estate services a positive experience for home buyers and sellers in DuPont, Lacey, Hartstene Pointe or Pierce, Thurston, Mason, and Kitsap counties for over 10 years now. Shared 02/20/2010

  "If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes." - Andrew Carnegie     Photo ©2010 Paul Henderson, The Spirit of Sunday, All Rights Reserved Photo taken by Paul S. Henderson, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, Realtor® with RE/MAX Professionals of DuPont, Lacey & Hartstene Pointe WA. Making real estate services a positive experience for home buyers and sellers in DuPont, Lacey, Hartstene Pointe or Pierce, Thurston, Mason, and Kitsap counties for over 10 years now. Shared 02/14/2010

 ©2010 Paul Henderson, Silent Saturday, I love Driftwood... All Rights Reserved Photo taken by Paul Henderson, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, Realtor® with RE/MAX Professionals of DuPont, Lacey & Hartstene Pointe WA. Making real estate services a positive experience for home buyers and sellers in DuPont, Lacey, Hartstene Pointe or Pierce, Thurston, Mason, and Kitsap counties for over 10 years now. Shared 02/13/2010

Hartstene Pointe with Mt Rainier in the distance! ©2010 Paul Henderson, Super Speechless Sunday From Hartstene Pointe..., All Rights Reserved Photo taken by Paul S. Henderson, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, Realtor® with RE/MAX Professionals of DuPont, Lacey & Hartstene Pointe WA. Making real estate services a positive experience for home buyers and sellers in DuPont, Lacey, and Hartstene Pointe. I have also served Pierce, Thurston, Mason, and Kitsap counties for over 10 years now. Shared 02/07/2010

That's the beauty of Hartstene Pointe, we can see and appreciate the snow from a safe distance! ©2010 Paul Henderson, We can get our fill of snow at a distance..., All Rights ReservedPhoto taken by Paul S. Henderson, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, Realtor® with RE/MAX Professionals of DuPont, Lacey & Hartstene Pointe WA. Making real estate services a positive experience for home buyers and sellers in DuPont, Lacey, Hartstene Pointe or Pierce, Thurston, Mason, and Kitsap counties for over 10 years now. Shared 02/05/2010

How can you get mad at someone being early? We have all had a vendor be late or not show up for an appointment. On January 26th I had an appointment with a satellite television provider out at Hartstene Pointe. I had a client who had signed up for a bundle deal for internet, phone and satellite TV but lives out of state and asked if I could be there to meet the installer. No problem! I am one who doesn't like to be late for an appointment and the service provider was scheduled between 8 and noon. I left my office at 6:30 AM to make sure I had plenty of time to reach the house and turn the heat and lights on. At 7:15 I drove through the gate at Hartstene Pointe and into the drive way of my client's beautiful view cabin. I walked up to the door only to find a "Sorry We Missed You" door ha... 02/05/2010

We appreciate the sun no matter how high it is in the sky at Hartstene Pointe... ©2010 Paul Henderson, The winter sun at Hartstene Pointe..., All Rights ReservedPhoto taken by Paul S. Henderson, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, Realtor® with RE/MAX Professionals of DuPont, Lacey & Hartstene Pointe WA. Making real estate services a positive experience for home buyers and sellers in DuPont, Lacey, Hartstene Pointe or Pierce, Thurston, Mason, and Kitsap counties for over 10 years now. Shared 02/03/2010

How can I effectively sell my vacation property? Price it right! Remember what year it is. This is 2010 and many people have their properties at 2006 prices! The market has made a correction. Make sure you're not being sentimental when setting your price. Most people must finance! You can ask any price, but will it appraise for that price? Some Sellers are now paying a professional appraiser to find the true value of their property. Never use the tax appraisal for your pricing. Get the word out! Advertise, find an agent who can advertise! If you think a "For Sale" sign will sell your property in a gated community, think again! Make sure your agent is using the internet. Not just posting your property on the multiple listing services! Know when to sell! Know what the selling season is fo... 02/01/2010

©2010 Paul Henderson, All Rights ReservedPhoto taken by Paul S. Henderson, ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES, Realtor® with RE/MAX Professionals of DuPont, Lacey & Hartstene Pointe WA. Making real estate services a positive experience for home buyers and sellers in DuPont, Lacey, Hartstene Pointe or Pierce, Thurston, Mason, and Kitsap counties for over 10 years now. Shared 01/28/2010