You are the source. What does this mean? It means that your knowledge, your emotions, your photos are what create the personality of the home you have lived in and are selling. Sharing these brings your home to life. So tell me your story. We have the time, and it does make a difference.
All homes have a story. Sometimes it is about the history of the people who have lived there, and many times it is just the story of why you bought this house and made it your home. I have heard some very funny stories from people who are just driving by a house and know that is the house they must live in. It may not be on the market right now, but they are going to live in it some day. Some even go up to the house and tell the owners if they ever sell that they want to be the 1st to know about it. Surprisingly this has worked many times, and they have ended up the owners of this home that called out to them.
Some people have raised their families in homes they sell, and I find the pencil marks on the door from the garage to the kitchen showing little Susie’s inch by inch growth over the years. It’s always hard to have those painted over. Out back might be an apple tree that you put in the ground the 1st year you were in your home, and today it means a fresh apple pie to those who visit in the fall.
Gardens are always full of stories, and just like the color you chose for your kitchen, the garden gives this home a certain personality which is a reflection of you.
I try to use these source stories when I sell your home, because otherwise it ends up just another house on the market with 3 bedrooms, a large kitchen and and a two car garage.
So when you sell your home, whether it be with me or someone else, tell the story. It will make you feel good, and it will be something special to pass on to those who love your home and buy it.
Watch this video about a home for sale on Plum Tree Lane on Whidbey Island in Clinton. This home is loved and cared for by Jill Johnson the long time owner. You can feel the history and emotions that come with this, and you know that soon someone is going to buy this home and love this home just like Jill.
If you live on Whidbey Island you really have it good when it comes to garden fresh produce from Spring through fall. Think baked bread, herbs, free range chicken, eggs, and so many other things you just can’t get enough of. Which is the reason why you REALLY have it good. From one end to another on Whidbey Island is only an hour but we have FIVE regular farmers markets, and best of all they are not all at the same time. So be sure to visit every one of them, as they each are uniquely different have so much to offer.
Starting at the south end we have the Bayview Farmers Market and the South Whidbey Tilth.
The Bayview Farmers Market is held on Saturday between 10 AM and 2 PM at Bayview Corner behind the Cash Store. This is one of the largest and most diverse. There are vendors serving hot food, plenty of music and entertainment, besides a glorious amount of fresh produce and flowers.
The South Whidbey Tilth is at Thompson Rd. and Hwy 525. There is music, handmade crafts, cooked foods and organic produce available; you can sign up and tour the experimental gardens and forest restoration projects; the WSU Master Gardeners will have plant clinics. There are often special activities for children.
Also on Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM.Greenbank Farm has a Sunday Farmers Market. Located at the historic Greenbank Farm, look for banners welcoming you to the market at the narrowest point of Whidbey Island. Organic produce, honey, art and crafts of all kinds. Hot food and coffee and a lovely setting. Walk your dog after you are done shopping on the trails and take in the beauty of the water from the east and west. The market is 10 AM until 3 through October.
Coupeville market is the quintessential small town market. Located at the heart of beautiful Whidbey Island, they offer a wide variety of local produce, plants, as well as tasty treats, such as homemade chocolates and fresh local honey. We also feature local artisans and crafters and hot food vendors. Saturdays, 10 am. to 2 pm, April thru October, then it closes with Harvest Fest. The market is held at Alexander and 8th Street (behind the library).
And if you miss the ones on the weekend you can still get fresh produce in Oak Harbor. Mid May and continue every Thursday through September 24, from 4 pm to 7 pm. It is located on State Route 20 next to the Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Center.
Maybe you know of another farmers market on the island? Are there some smaller farms you visit and buy produce and eggs at during week? What other specialty farm stores do we have on the island? I would love to hear more about your experiences.
Most of us today are concerned about our environment, and recycle paper products with enthusiasm. We try to not use paper products when we can avoid it, and we read our magazines and newspapers and then recycle them too.
That is why it is a mystery to me why some sellers insist on having a flyer box. Granted, not everyone wants one, but if you drive around you will see that many people have them, and they are stuffed with faded paper when it’s sunny, wet soggy paper when it’s raining, and a lovely combo of the two most of the time.
I figured out that I use two reams of paper a month to keep my flyer boxes “fresh”. Not only is this a loss environmentally in the production of the paper, but the ink, and of course the energy (power) to copy.
But if you want to know what the sad part is about this, it isn’t about the waste, the money, the time. It is about the fact that I may never get to talk to that person who looks at your house, thinks they might be interested, and then looks to eliminate it through either the price on that flyer or something that they think doesn’t match up with their needs. And that is really too bad
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You see the most important element of our agreement is my willingness to market and sell your home. I have spent decades talking to people about homes, finding what their needs are, and helping them find the right home. When they call about your home I get to take the power of my experience, the facts and the most interesting characteristics of your home and present them to the buyer in a way that will move them one step closer if it is the right home. It’s a win win for all. So what about that flyer box? Well if you are a seller working with me now, give me a call and we will take that off the sign. The sign has my telephone number, and people will use it.
If you have your house listed with someone else call them. Tell them you want them to sell the house to the interested party, so please pick up that flyer box. And if you haven’t listed your home, when you do, please call me, and together we can save a tree and sell a house.
The history and folklore of an area can be an interesting component of making a place your home. Here is a little bit of history about one of the special places on this island. South Whidbey is home to a profound 225 acre forest across the road from the So.Whidbey State Park.
The trail through this forest is call the Wilbert Trail in honor of Col. Harry Wilbert and his wife Myrl who led a four year struggle to stop the clear cut harvest of this land. There is a ridge in this woodland that the trail climbs that is approximately 450 feet high. Because of the shape and soils of both the ridge and the swamps below the growing conditions were good for the growth of several species of trees. In 1883 a great fire swept through this wooded area and only about 100 trees were left standing.
The fire permitted the trees to grow several years without competition, and along with great soil and plenty of water produced a small grove unlike any other in Washington. This is a truly wondrous area to hike through. There is a cedar there which is approximately 34 ft. in circumference. There have been bones found from woolly mammoths in this forest. These animals were known to be over 10 feet tall with a large head and tusks 7-10 foot long.
So take a walk on this trail of history, right here on So. Whidbey and you will know why it is so important to many islanders to buy the Trillium property which is adjacent to the Wilbert Trail and contains many of old growth trees and undiscovered treasures of our island past.
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust is in the throes of raising the money to protect this important piece of land from development. Read more at their website and then help save this natural part of our Whidbey history. Enjoy this perspective on saving forests..
If it’s spring, it is the beginning of salmon season in the Pacific NW. Wild salmon is an iconic symbol of our region, and every spring we are reminded about how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy this wonderful fish. It is a symbol of the the natural beauty and bounty of the Pacific NW, and rekindles our desire to protect and preserve this precious gift. [click to continue…]
What makes a good Windermere Realtor? It is a person who can cheerfully sort huge piles of miscellaneous clothing in different sizes, price them, and ready them for sale. He is a person who can work all day in rain or hot sun in a big garden without complaining. She is a person who can lift boxes, sort items, fill shelves, break down boxes, sweep the floor and all the time be having fun with other agents getting the work done. [click to continue…]
You have the nicest home on Whidbey Island, the friendliest neighbors , the best view, the most lovely gardens, and now you want to sell your home. You want to sell it for as much as you can.
How do we decide what is the “as much as you can” price without getting to the buyer’s “no way” price? [click to continue…]
You must price it right when when your home 1st goes on the market. You have about 21 days to be “new”. After that you are just another home in the ever increasing inventory that we are all seeing now. I can show you comparatives, we can review the numbers, the days on market etc, I can provide good photos, but if you are not priced very competitively you will not sell your home. [click to continue…]
It is amazing the variety of homes that are available for sale on Whidbey Island. That is why I think I enjoy helping buyers and sellers find their dream homes. Because more times than not, we have the dream home here they are looking for. [click to continue…]
The catch phrase has been around for some time, and can be used to describe homes without any real substance behind it. In the last few years it has taken on a new definition with the public’s concerns about energy costs and global warming.
But buyers do need to beware of the loosely used marketing term “green”. There are now third party certifications that can be included when sellers put their homes on the market. The LEED program is one of the programs with the most stringent standards. A more likely program available in our area is a certification from Energy Star. To qualify for this program a home must be at least 15 % more efficient than homes that were constructed to the 2004 International Residential Code. [click to continue…]
Wikipedia describes it as a slang term used for a stalemate or impasse, a confrontation that neither side can win in the foreseeable future. It describes the conflict between buyers and sellers in the real estate market today. There is a huge amount of nostalgia for the boom days of 2004 and 2005 from sellers. They have been racking up the profits in their notebooks that they will make when they sell. They have ignored data, and continued to believe that this is a short term adjustment. Soon things will be back to normal and their house will sell for what it should sell for if everything had just kept going the way it was in the early part of this decade. [click to continue…]
We are moving quickly towards summer with long days and plenty of time to spend outdoors taking strolls at the beach and to walk our dogs. But since we all know there are always a few rainy windy days left in the next couple of months, I thought I would share with you some great real estate flicks. Who better than a Realtor to recommend real estate movies? Most of these you can get from your library. [click to continue…]
No, I am not talking about grouchy people. Whidbey Island has many popular crabbing spots, but many crabbers like to keep their special spots secret. One of the best spots is off of Bells Beach, along Saratoga Passage, and the location of one of my great beachfront listings. Row your boat out to your crab trap, and bring home fresh crab for dinner. So keep reading, we are going to talk about how to clean and cook fresh, live crab. [click to continue…]
Bank of America announced a new program for their mortgage holders who are upside down in value on their current mortgages with B of A. Borrowers must demonstrate a hardship in making current payments, and be at least 60 days delinquent on the loans and owe at least 120% of the current home value. Borrowers with second mortgages or home equity lines of credit will not qualify in certain cases. The bank looks first to reduce principal by cutting unpaid interest tacked on as principal in calculating affordable payments. [click to continue…]
What do buyers really want? What I have found is that most people want to know what makes this town, this community, this street, this house – special and different. I live on an island, so many of the people who come here to buy a home are new to island living. Interspersed with looking at homes, I like to give a taste of Island life, both literally and figuratively. [click to continue…]
I am a foodie. I love to cook, I love to eat, and I love to share that passion. Doesn’t it just make you feel welcome when you walk into a house and there are wonderful food aromas coming from the kitchen? One of the older “tricks of the trade” in real estate is to instruct the seller to bake a batch of cookies just before the potential buyers are supposed to arrive. We are all seduced by the primal, comforting feelings that are released by the smell of food. [click to continue…]
If you love gardening you won’t want to miss the Whidbey Gardening Workshop in Coupeville on March 20. It is an all day affair with an amazing group of workshops, and a keynote address by Valerie Easton. Valerie writes about gardens and houses for Garden Design, Metropolitan Home and the Seattle Times,and lives and gardens in Langley. The cost of this incredible day is $35 for the workshop and $8 for lunch. There are over 50 classes to choose from, and yes, one of them is “Chickens in Your Garden.” [click to continue…]
The 21st annual Penn Cove Coupeville Mussel Festival is being held over the weekend of March 5-7 2010 on the waterfront. Come enjoy briny mussels fresh from the sea in chowder and off the grill. This is a fitting place to hold an event like this, as the famous Penn Cove mussels are farmed here. Cruise aboard the Mystic Sea and visit the Penn Cove Shellfish farm just a short distance from the historic Coupeville Wharf. The vessel is equipped with an underwater camera and two large screens for viewing. Tours will be led by Penn Cove Shellfish staff and will leave the wharf every hour on the hour 11 AM to 4PM Saturday and Sunday. This is a fun way for adults and children to enjoy the day.
Surviving off the gifts of the sea was essential to the everyday lives of the natives and early settlers of the northwest islands. Enjoying this natural bounty is a practice of many islanders today. From algae to salmon, a balanced diet can be achieved from the sea. Mussels can be pulled from rocks, or harvested from a chain on a dock. Their formal name is black bivalve mollusk and there are over 70 types.
You may want to consider investing in some improvements to your current home as spring approaches. Before beginning, it is wise to see if the home improvements you are contemplating are eligible for a home improvement tax deduction. [click to continue…]
Rain doesn’t bother me one drop. I love the sound on the roof and watching the way the earth, sky and the “ in-between” interact. But my personality doesn’t let me spend too much time in contemplation. I start looking for ways to enjoy the rain experience on the islands when I have a day [...]
What is important to do, and what is not, for properties I represent for sale? In my profession I must ask this question for each of the properties I represent every day. First and foremost, it is important that I make sure that my clients properties are being presented in an inviting way to the [...]
Looking at Whidbey Island Real Estate Statistics ending Dec 2009, our year to date sold homes finished ahead of last year. Active listing inventory is down but I think that may have more to do with it being December, and we will need to see what happens in the early months of 2010 to give [...]
When you think about winery wine tasting, I’ll bet you think California, Oregon or Eastern Washington. On South Whidbey Island, there are a number of local wineries making some pretty darn good northwest wine. It is an eclectic mix of wineries, some offering wines made from locally grown grapes and/or wines made from grapes grown [...]
You get up in the morning to the quiet of island life, waves lapping on the shore, birds and eagles flying overhead, deer and other wild life framing the landscape of your life. But every once and a while, you just need to go to the city and feel the pulse and excitement of Pike [...]
I am often asked by those who come to the islands and are thinking about making it their home, “What do you love best about living on an island?” From the well of who I have become living here, comes these thoughts: eagles soaring above in the bright sun, Madrona red sunsets, black nights with [...]
It’s a fact, if you are a seller, and someone wants to buy your home, they will need an appraisal for their loan. Much of the time they will also want to have an inspection on the property as a contingency. The inspection usually comes before the bank gets around to ordering an appraisal. Most [...]
There are many changes happening in the way lending institutions are having to do business. Some of these are now affecting the appraisals on your home if you are selling and if you are buying the one you may want to purchase. Please read the article below and if you would like to discuss it, [...]
So you are thinking about selling your house or property and you have made the decision to use the services of a professional realtor to help you. Congratulations on that good decision – to not use one could end up costing you money and time. So which realtor should you pick? Here are some suggestions [...]
