Gig Harbor waterfront homes sell at 2005 prices Gig Harbor waterfront homes sold at a much faster clip this past year but median sales prices compare remarkably close to 2005-no where near the 2006-2007 peak. 2009's price for Key Peninsula and Gig Harbor waterfront homes was $683,000. This closely parallels the decline in sales of all homes in the area Sales in 2008 were depressingly slow-only 22-the worst year for sales of Gig Harbor waterfront homes for the nearly three decades I've been recording waterfront market statistics. This year's 51 sales are a 128% improvement but it is still the second worse year of the past 15. The ups and downs in median prices for Gig Harbor waterfront homes over the past six years: 2004        488,000 2005        680,000           40%▲ 2006        850,0... 01/29/2010

Sandy Wagner | RE/MAX Professionals | 253.225.8322 13225 Emerald Dr NW, Gig Harbor, WA Beautiful view home in Gig Harbor, WA with sweeping view of Henderson Bay and Mt. Rainier. 3BR/3BA Single Family House offered at $425,000 Year Built 1976 Sq Footage 3,837 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 3 full, 0 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 0.350 acres HOA/Maint $8 per month DESCRIPTION Now is your chance to own a view home in Gig Harbor. Take in sweeping, wide open view of Henderson Bay and Mt. Rainier from 2-story window wall. Gorgeous landscape invites you to enter through double clear window entry doors to large view dining room and entertaining-sized living room with large brick fireplace for cozy nights. Updated kitchen with dramatic slate counter, designer tile backsplash and stainles... 01/20/2010

Gig Harbor home prices continue to climb out of hole Gig Harbor home prices are continuing to sustain moderately higher sales prices as 2009 closes out. December is the fifth of the last six months to show improvement year over year. Gig Harbor is defined as the Gig Harbor peninsula and Fox Island. Gig Harbor home prices are up 1% over 2008, comparing the months of December only. The 4-county Puget Sound area however experienced a 7% decrease in sales price. Another plus--sales of Gig Harbor homes have been better than 2008 for the last half year now-in each of those six months.    While December sales improved by 7% over November-which is not the norm-they were up dramatically 41% over 2008 and 160% over 2007. The 4-county Puget Sound area reported 54.7% more sales than last year, but ... 01/15/2010

Is spring around the corner? With the better weather (we will eventually have) comes outdoor living. Here are some tips to brighten up your decks.   Step 1: Clean away dirt and gray weathered wood with an acid-free, biodegradable deck cleaner, like Wolman? Deck Brite? (Formerly Deck & Fence Brightener?)Deck Brite is tough on ground-in dirt, mildew and algae stains, yet it's gentle to handle and safe to use near grass, plants or shrubs. Its fast- acting foaming action loosens and lifts dirt, stains and weathered-gray discoloration in 10 minutes or less. And unlike chlorine bleach, which can actually degrade the structure of the wood, Deck Brite's oxygen bleach formula cleans and restores the wood to its original, like-new look without whitening or damaging the wood surface. Protective fi... 01/12/2010

Tacoma is #1 Best Real Estate Market in 2010 According to MSN Real Estate, Moody's has named Tacoma the city where home prices will peform the best in 2010.  Five cities were chosen - the other four are Memphis, Pittsburgh, Charleston, and Seattle.  That's great news for us in the Puget Sound area.  And for anyone who is considering moving here soon.   Not only are we surrounded by an abundance of natural beauty and recreational activities, but our economy seems to be fairly strong as well.  (I'm sure not everyone who has been laid off or lost their homes would agree, but apparently we have fared better than other large cities.) The basis for Tacoma's #1 Best Real Estate Market in 2010 ranking consists of a few factors: 1)  Our market is not saturated with homes for sale 2)  Over the pa... 01/11/2010

Here are a couple of pictures my husband took while down along the harbor a couple of mornings ago. BTW, he took them with his phone. Gig Harbor, Washington is the most beautiful place to live, even in the winter!! What you're seeing is a little fog lying on the water by the public boat dock.     If you know of anyone who would love to move to Gig Harbor, Washington or Tacoma, Washington, please send them to my website. I love this area and am always thrilled to show it off. 01/10/2010

      What's at the end of the rainbow? I've been working on a short sale, in Gig Harbor, WA   (one of many) where I am the listing agent. As soon as I get a short sale listing I fax the Authorization to Release Information to the lenders. I then will give it 48 hours and call back to make sure the authorization is in the file. In the case of Bank of America, the one currently high on my frustration list. I started faxing them the Authorization to Release Information (in my name so I could speak with them on behalf of the sellers/borrowers) December 9. They have told me repeatedly that it was in Loan Modification and not Short Sale and the seller had to call and switch it, which they have done on three different occasions, always being told it was taken care of. I will then call back ev... 01/10/2010

Since I live in this community, in Gig Harbor, Washington, I am often asked about the market here. People living in Gig Harbor tend to take the temperature of the economy here by what is happening in the Canterwood Golf and Country Club community. It actually has picked up a bit since the last time I looked. This information is for solds only, but you can see how many actives, pending, etc. there are. Active: 52  Pending: 2  Sold: 20  Other: 45  Total: 119    Bedrooms  Bathrooms  Square Feet  List Price  Selling Price  DOM  Minimum  2   2.00   1,780   $265,000   $265,000   4   Average  4   3.41   3,986   $786,679   $620,605   220   Median  4   3.50   3,927   $699,999   $580,000   180   Maximum  7   7.00   10,450   $1,800,000   $1,210,000   1155   Total Dollar Value           $12,412,100... 01/09/2010

This chart is just for properties sold in the last 3 months.     Property Type  Residential     Areas  5-Fox Island, 6-Gig Harbor South, 7-Artondale, 8-Gig Harbor North, 1-Gig Harbor, 2-Purdy, 3-Rosedale Status  Sold (9/8/2009 or after)    Active: 0  Pending: 0  Sold: 192  Other: 0  Total: 192        Bedrooms  Bathrooms  Square Feet  List Price  Selling Price  DOM  Minimum  1   1.00   936   $133,000   $133,000   2   Average  3   2.58   2,665   $439,538   $420,687   115   Median  3   2.50   2,455   $397,000   $380,000   80   Maximum  7   6.50   7,800   $1,495,000   $1,210,000   738   Total Dollar Value           $80,771,961        Average DOM Breakdown and Average % of List Price received on Solds by Market time:      0-30 Days   31-60 Days   61-90 Days   91-120 Days   120+ Days   No. of... 01/09/2010

Short sales small percent of Gig Harbor home sales  National media hypes short sales and bank-owned properties as a large part of the market, but in Gig Harbor they represent a smaller portion of Gig Harbor home sales than the casual observer might think. Key Peninsula is not as fortunate but still better than many parts of the country. 22.6% of Gig Harbor home sales in the past six months have been bank-owned or short sales and 41% in Key Peninsula. This compares to figures as high as 80% of all sales in Las Vegas and 50% in Phoenix and Southern California and parts of Florida. North Las Vegas currently has one in 50 homes in some stage of foreclosure, and in parts of Phoenix it is one in 20 homes, and some areas of southern California it is one in 50 homes. In Washington State one in ... 01/08/2010

Sandy Wagner | RE/MAX Professionals | 253.225.8322 12972 Gopher Hill Pl SE,, Gig Harbor, WA Beautiful Country Setting 4BR/2.5BA Single Family House offered at $322,500 Year Built 1993 Sq Footage 2,000 Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 2 full, 1 partial Floors 2 Parking 2 Car garage Lot Size 3.830 acres HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION This picturesque country setting could be a Rockwell Painting. Travel down a country road tucked into the Olalla Valley & discover this quaint farm. Starting with a wrap-around porch & double entry doors open to hardwood floors; 4 bedrm, 2 1/2 baths, country kitchen w/cast iron stove in family room & the dining room is surrounded by windows. The acreage is almost all flat with towering fir trees & lots of pasture. Leave it as a gentleman's farm or add more fencing &... 12/30/2009

Gig Harbor home sales and prices up big in November Gig Harbor home sales more than doubled from 2008 and median prices are up for the third month in a row. November sales not only bested 2008 but, surprisingly, they also beat 2007 numbers. November represents three out of the last five months with more sales than either 2008 or 2007. This trend is going the right way for homeowners. These figures include both single family and condominiums and encompass Gig Harbor and Fox Island zip codes 98332, 98333, and 98335. The statistics are stronger than Pierce County as a whole, which show sales up 73% year-over-year, but a dip in median sales price of 3.5%.   The $406,250 median sales price is an increase of 30% compared to the same month last year ($313,000) and 6% better than October. But i... 12/17/2009

"I want to buy a bank-owned home in Gig Harbor." This is quite often what current buyers tell me.  Their assumption is that the only "real deal" out there is a home that has gone back to the bank. So let's take a look at home sales last month in Gig Harbor, WA.  Out of 42 single family home sales, 7 were bank-owned.  I checked assessed value of each home and calculated how much over or under it sold for.  Not that assessed value is an accurate price indicator, but it's a decent place to start the comparison. The 35 non-bank-owned homes that sold in November ranged in price from $230,000 to $1,075,000. Assessed values of these homes ranged from 217,600 to $1,050,100.  Only 13 of the 35 sold for more than assessed value, the rest (22) sold for below assessed value.  How much over and how ... 12/14/2009

How much do you spend on utility bills?  Do you even know?  The US Dept. of Energy estimates that consumers spend 6-12% of their income on utilities.  Here are some ways to conserve energy - and decrease the amount you spend on electricity, water, and heat bills. 1.  Switch to CFL (compact fluorescent bulbs).  Yes, you've heard this before.  They're more expensive to purchase, but do you know that since they last 10 times longer than incandescant bulbs, they can save up to $60 in electricity costs per bulb?!  That's significant.... 2.  Of the total energy used to run home electronics, 40% is consumed when the appliances are turned off.  If you're not ready or willing to unplug them all while not in use, consider purchasing a device that will cut energy consumption for you, such as a Sma... 12/09/2009

Two weeks ago we had our regular social media round table in Gig Harbor at the Borders uptown locaiton.  And all went well except for one little glitch.  Some of the attendees were unsure about the event since Borders doesn't open until 10AM and our event occurs at 9AM. Borders is kind enough to allow us to meet in their cafe upstairs - Thanks Borders!!! So to clear up any confusion, we decided to have some fun and shot a quick video to explain how to get your backstage pass for the 9AM event... (click the image below to view the brief youtube video) Thanks and hope to see you at the next one on Tuesday the 9th at 9AM!! Cheers, Matt Sweet Ticor Title     12/07/2009

As a Realtor, I like to keep tabs on the Gig Harbor real estate market, and part of that includes analyzing Gig Harbor's market share by real estate company.  Here's the funny thing, I can't claim to be #1.  My company, Keller Williams Real Estate, isn't #1 in Gig Harbor market share or closed sales.  We're actually #3 in both, but I still believe this is the greatest company to work for and work with.  But I digress.  Just for kicks, here's a look at the market share of Gig Harbor's top real estate companies. Click to enlarge  The chart above shows the top 10 real estate offices by number of properties listed in all of Gig Harbor.  This includes single family homes, condos, vacant land and multi-family homes in Gig Harbor, Fox Island, and the Key Peninsula.  Click to enlarge  This show... 12/01/2009

Gig Harbor home sales follow western trend Nationally home sales rose 21% and in the West 10% in October, compared to a year ago. Gig Harbor home sales were up slightly less--8% from 2008. These numbers are certainly an improvement but October 2008 was a sobering sales month after the financial crises of AIG, Lehman, and others. November 2008 was even worse but this year Gig Harbor home sales are on track to beat 2008 by at least 25%.  The median price is up in 98333 and 98335 from September, an improvement from the year-over-year figures. We are cautiously optimistic we have reached the bottom for prices for Gig Harbor home sales as we are seeing some higher price sales currently. Another month of similar figures and we might call it a trend. Here are current trends for the three zip c... 11/27/2009

Bank-owned Gig Harbor home sales business lower than nation Bank-owned and short sale homes are striking the Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula markets with less impact than much the rest of the nation.  In Gig Harbor, less than 13% of all the homes listed and slightly more than 14% of sales fall into this category. In Key Peninsula, slightly more than 20% of the inventory fits this classification while sold homes are pushing 40% in the past 30 days.  The Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue area is running 17.8% of all sales but some places in the nation are running much higher-56% in Phoenix, 67% in Las Vegas and 43% in Southern California. 10.68% of the inventory but only 8% of the sales on the combined peninsulas are short sales. 4% of the inventory is bank-owned but 13% of the sales are from this gro... 11/26/2009

Windy in Gig Harbor! Gig Harbor didn't get a lot of rain this weekend, but it sure was windy.  I can't believe that there are ANY leaves left on the trees.  This photo was taken from the east side of Wollochet Bay, which is typically nice and calm - it's a great area for kayaking, water-skiing, fishing, crabbing, seal-watching, and beach-walking.  As you can see, there are whitecaps out there today!  I didn't notice any sailboats, but if there were any out there, I'll bet the ride was exciting - a little TOO exciting for me.  Can you imagine what the waves were like under the Narrows Bridge.? It'll be fun to take a walk and see what washed up on the shore tomorrow.   11/22/2009

The number of first-time home buyers rose to 47 percent of all home sales from 41 percent of transactions in last year's study, and was the highest on record dating back to 1981. The previous high was 44 percent in 1991. It's interesting to note the last cyclical peak of first-time home buyers was during the last noteworthy economic downturn, with first-time buyers starting the chain reaction that led the nation out of recession. The profile shows the median age of first-time buyers was 30 and the median income was $61,600. The typical first-time buyer purchased a home costing $156,000, down from $165,000 in the 2008 study, and plans to stay in that home for 10 years. Fifty-five percent of entry level buyers reported they financed their purchase with an FHA loan, while another 8 percent... 11/16/2009