Lakewood Washington single-family MarketWatch (July 1, 2014)   There are currently 194 active listings in Lakewood. In the past seven days Lakewood experienced;   14 New listings recorded 3 Homes came back on the market 17 Homes had list price reductions 2 listings expired 2 listings cancelled 25 listings went pending 12 listings sold and closed  Currently there are 57 houses that have been on the market for over 100 days...   About Lakewood; ~ Lakewood is a incorporated city founded in 1998. The population in 2010 census was 58,163. Lakewood is a host community to JBLM (Joint Base Lewis-McChord). Commute times 2 JBLM are between 10 and 15 minutes. (Depending on traffic)   ~ What's coming up this week; July 1 ~ The Lakewood farmers market. Located at Lakewood City Hall between 10 AM and... 07/01/2014

Penny's on the Boulevard (formerly Lakewood Bar and Grill)  7505 Steilacoom Blvd. SW Lakewood WA. 98498 www.pennysontheboulevard.com This seems to be a great location for a restaurant with a decent traffic flow. My family use to frequent the former restaurant and we were very surprised when it folded. At first glance, there is no difference. The interior and furniture are the same. The staff is different as is the menu which seems to have a great selection. The five of us had; The appetizer was the deep fried mushrooms (Quality B) Main course- Turkey Pot Pie (Quality A) The slider sampler w/fries (Quality B+) The child slider w/fruit (Quality B) The 16" pepperoni pizza (Quality C-) [It advertised plentiful pepperoni and we counted 15 thin, small rounds]  The mint lemonade was a hit (Qua... 05/03/2014

Do you have an iPhone you love - with lots of grand apps including the camera app? Did you upgrade your iPhone in the last few months? Did you notice the cute little multi-color thing in the far right? Did you have too little time to try to figure it out yet? If so, you have just made me feel better, because I didn't either. But I finally was forced to figure it out when my pictures first started turning up blue...I figured out a work-around for that by always picking the square option. Then, when I was taking photos at my Lakewood, Washington open house, my photos started turning out black and white!!! I was vainly trying to figure out if another app I had added was conflicting with my camera app when I read that with iPhone 7, we now have color filters. "How do I access those," I wond... 04/28/2014

Real Estate Broker Tours are a grand way for REALTORS® to get together, preview houses that have just been listed, network with real estate brokers and agents from other companies, as well as get to know agents from their own office a bit better.  Going in groups to various homes is beneficial to each other and to everyone's clients, as one broker will highlight something they like that the rest of us hadn't always noticed. For example, I am always looking for things to make life easier for elderly seniors who may be living on their own or moving in with their family. So showers or tubs that are easily accessible are always a high point for me and I love to point them out to the others. Another agent really notices the skylights in a home - which are especially nice in the state of Wash... 03/01/2014

Washington is a state of many lovely and intriguing wonders - from the tall evergreens that give Washington its nickname of the evergreen state to the stately and majestic mountains, including the one we see from all over Pierce County - Mt. Rainier.  Those wonders don't stop at inanimate objects either. There are plenty of delightful critters all around us. Geese - LOTS of geese - are a regular and enjoyable sight when driving through Lakewood, Steilacoom, and areas around JBLM (Joint Base Lewis McChord). My grandkids and I were thrilled to spot a deer munching the flowers at a home in DuPont. I was a bit less thrilled when five deer ran across the street I was driving on in the Lakewood area as it was twilight and I almost didn't see them! My grandkids chortled at spotting them though... 01/29/2014

We hear so much bad news on the TV, radio, and in the newspapers. But the good news is that there is PLENTY of GOOD news out there in our communities. Here are some examples from my neck of the Pierce County Washington woods this month. Grand news for Tacoma! The Tacoma Fire Department has just announced that they were awarded a grant from the SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) Program. While this grant won't pay to re-open a recently closed fire station in Tacoma, it will provide $3.4 million to fund as many as "20 existing front-line firefighter positions for two years."  The City of Lakewood shared a variety of ways that collaboration between city and a wide variety of groups is helping to make Lakewood an even better place to live. For example, Young Life and ... 01/28/2014

Parks are such a grand part of a city's plans, aren't they? And such a help to so many who live there - including grandparents with visiting grandkids. In Lakewood, Washington, there are twelve parks. One of our favorites is Fort Steilacoom Park located at 8714 87th Ave SW, right across the street from the historic Fort Steilacoom. It's 340 acres, the biggest park in Lakewood, and enjoyed daily by people from Lakewood AND beyond. It's full of fun options for all ages, including: picnic areas and rentable shelters for friend and family get-togethers a very cool playground a huge trail system for walking, including with dogs on a leash an off-leash dog park baseball fields  soccer fields historical barns restrooms and drinking fountains a lake Of course, the Castle playground is my grandk... 01/06/2014

Caring for veterans shouldn't be a partisan issue. It should be an American one... Jennifer Granholm Thank you to all that have served in whatever capacity.   This post was authored and photo taken by Paul Henderson, © 2013, all rights reserved. All information is deemed reliable however it should be independently verified by the reader. Any reproduction of this blog post or photo is prohibited without the prior written permission of the author… 11/11/2013

Who wants to live where the commute is shortest around JBLM (Joint Base Lewis McChord)??? Let's face it; The last thing you look forward too when leaving work is sitting in traffic. So most people talk to people who were stationed at FT Lewis or McChord AFB in the late 1990s or early to mid 2000s. Back then everyone was looking at Lacey WA. Lacey was growing fast and prices were lower. The commute at that time was 15-20 minutes tops. Today; I can leave JBLM (McChord main gate) and make it to Lacey in 45-50 minutes unless its Friday. If it's Friday expect that trip to take 60-90 minutes. My Top 3 places to live for the shortest commute from JBLM... DuPont (NW Landing) Homes ($185k-$500k). Not the Cheapest, but as a planned community, it has many amenities worth considering... Commute 10 ... 11/01/2013

I travel several miles each week in neighborhoods, just off the beaten path. I really get a neighborhood review as I preview houses for my clients. Scary to say; They are not all positive...What leash laws are all about... My travels often see an abundance of lost cat or dog signs, posted illegally on telephone poles and street signs. As a child I lost my pet and I know how traumatic and helpless a child can feel over the loss of a pet. So the parents help the child print out signs and post them around the neighborhood. We have an abundance of eagles, barn owls and coyotes in many areas and I know where many of these pets end up. About a year ago an eagles nest fell from its high perch in a tree above Lake Steilacoom. In the remains of this nest was between 25 and 30 pet collars with n... 08/04/2013

Yes Realtors eat out! It had been a while since I last visited Moon Rise Cafe in the Lakewood Towne Centre and I must admit they have done a nice job fixing some of my concerns. They bought the smoothie shop next door and now you can sit and enjoy a cup of coffee while waiting for a table... The food is still above average... The servers are prompt and friendly...  Smoothie samples are a nice touch in the cafe... On the downside; You must watch to make sure they cross out the people they have seated on the waiting list... When they turn the page on the waiting list, I found they didn't transfer my name thus I waited longer while others were seated first... The portions are smaller, price is the same... Overall - an above average experience and worth the visit! (A 4 out 5 star experienc... 05/09/2013

  Have you ever walked into a bike shop and you were greeted with a smile and felt appreciated.  This is how I feel each and every time I walk into the Bike Tech Store in Lakewood Washington. I stopped going to bike shops who treat you as an inferior or talk down to you.  You know the ones, they believe they're doing you a favor just waiting on you.  This has never been the case at the Bike Tech Store.  No matter what kind of bike you have, they want to help you... I find the pricing to be fair and any work I've had done has been done in a timely manner with no surprises.  If they don't have a part in stock, the first check have their other stores and if not available will order almost anything.  Check out their sale prices for huge discounts! If you're tired of being treated inferior a... 05/01/2013

From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty Tacoma 253 212 1252 One of my favorite things about Lakewood it how easily I can walk where ever I need to go. For my latest blog that tells more about that and how to rate the walkability of any neighborhood or address click the link :)   http://lakewoodliving.blogspot.com/2013/04/walkable-neigbhorhoods-real-plus-to.html   04/20/2013

Scared to death, a client's 911 story It was a cold and dark evening as my client headed for bed.  Her husband was working the night shift and she was always a little on edge what alone. About 10:30, she turned out to last lights and was headed for the bedroom when she heard a loud thud, thud, thud.  She froze in her steps.  She turned on the lights and checked all the doors. Feeling reassured, she started once more for the bedroom.  Again thud, Thud, THUD. She screamed and crawled in the dark into the kitchen. She searched for the phone in the dark and dialed 911. The 911 operator reassured her the police were on their way and she requested the operator stay on the line until the police arrived. The operator was cool and collected and told my client that the police were at the front do... 12/16/2012

From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Tacoma 253 353 2662   Here is my newest blog about Lakewood Living-  Pizza! http://lakewoodliving.blogspot.com/2012/11/tri-lake-treasure-garlic-jims-great.html 11/09/2012

From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty Tacoma  253 353 2662   Here is a link to my blog about a wonderful shoe repair shop in Lakewood WA.   http://lakewoodliving.blogspot.com/2012/11/tri-lake-treasure-ardessons-shoe.html 11/05/2012

From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty Tacoma 253 353 26662   Here is a review of Park Lodge elementary in Lakewood WA   http://lakewoodliving.blogspot.com/2012/10/parklodge-elementary-tri-lake-treasure.html 11/01/2012

From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty. 253 353 2662 Here is my latest review of a local restaurant. http://lakewoodliving.blogspot.com/2012/11/living-in-and-eating-out-in-lakewood.html 11/01/2012

From Anna Matsunaga Team Momentum Realestate, Keller Williams Tacoma 253 353 2662.   Here is the link to my newest blog about the Lakewood WA area.   http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3409753505575970856#editor/target=post;postID=7394084102325507874   Want to know more about Lakewood in General, What it's like to live, shop and play in the area?  Subscribe to my blog....   http://lakewoodliving.blogspot.com/   Have a home in Lakewood and curious about it's current value?  Click here Want to know more about market conditions in Lakewood WA Click here   10/10/2012

The road to easy street goes through the dump... John Madden Why do people leave their garbage cans out all week long.  Are they trying to live on easy street?  Have you ever tried to take a decent picture of a neighborhood with all the trash cans and containers out? This post was authored  and picture taken by Paul Henderson ©2012, All Rights Reserved, This content may not be reproduced or reprinted (Except for ActiveRain Re-blogging) without express written permission of Paul Henderson, RE/MAX Professionals, Tacoma, WA. 05/30/2012