This is the 3rd and final installment in a series entitled “The Art of Offering Less” and deals with the unique nuances associated with tendering an offer that is lower than the asking price. In the 1st article we discussed the market dynamics that tend to encourage or breed low offers. In the 2nd article, we shared various strategies for Buyers to achieve success with low offers. In this final part, we’ll talk about the risks that are inherent with making low offers. To read the rest of this article, simply click through to SOUNDBITEBLOG. (Opens in a separate window for your viewing ease)  ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~ Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of... 05/03/2009

   ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~ This picture shows the day's catch of Dungeness Crab from Hood Canal WA. Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, and Crabbing in the Hood. 04/22/2009

   ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~ This picture is from a live webcam that I have linked to my website, KitsapLife.com, and shows Hood Canal WA and the Olympic Moutain Range in the background. Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, and Crabbing in the Hood. 04/15/2009

Here is the real estate market report for NWMLS Area 145 - Seabeck WA - as of March 23, 2009. Current Active Listings:     92 Sold in Past 6 months:     38 Average Sales Price:        $ 259,126 Average List Price:           $ 274,922 Ratio of LP vs. SP:           96% Days on Market:              109 Pending this week:           3   After what has seemed like an eternity of waiting, the proposed Olympic View Marina project is finally moving forward. County Commissioners approved an amendment to the shoreline master plan, changing the existing zoning anomaly from conservancy to rural, allowing the the construction of the new marina to commence. The developers hope to begin the dismantling of the existing marina soon. Completion of the new marina will no doubt have a huge positive impact o... 03/25/2009

   ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~     o     ~ This picture was taken last Summer from our boat, a 16-ft C-Dory, towards the end of a day out crabbing on scenic Hood Canal in the Puget Sound WA.  Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, and Crabbing in the Hood. 03/18/2009

~    o    ~    o    ~    o    ~    o    ~    o    ~ This photo shows a westerly view of Hood Canal from the Kitsap Peninsula towards the Olympic Mountain Range, and was taken by a webcam courtesy of Dr. Dale Ireland of Silverdale WA. Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, SOUNDBITEBLOG, and Crabbing in the Hood. 03/11/2009

03/03/2009

I was out and about today and drove by this site. I had to stop and take a picture (how could I resist?) This photo is only a sample of what the Kitsap Peninsula offers it's residents and visitors. Find out more by going to www.TheNorthWestLife.com You will find valuable information on our area and our local Real Estate market. 360-649-1195 or 360-551-8888 01/19/2009

Authored By: Jo Soss : WestSoundLive.com         This charming lake community offers beach access, community center, playground, basketball court, baseball diamond & even a salmon ladder.  Lake Symington is a lovely area to look for your next Bremerton area home.           Currently there are 16 Active Listings on the Market with an Average List Price of $243,114. Within the last 10 months, 23 homes have SOLD and closed with an Average Sales Price of $242,294.   If you live in the Lake Symington Area and would like to know what your Lake Symington Home is worth, you can request a free Lake Symington Market Anyalysis by filling out the Your Home’s Value (CMA) Request     Jo Soss-Olson · WestSoundLive · Copyright © 2008 · All Rights Reserved   10/23/2008

Okay, so we were never actually in any kind of perilous predicament, or in danger of losing our lives, ....but we did catch a lot of crabs!!! It was the last day of the crabbing season, Labor Day Weekend, on the scenic Hood Canal in the Western Puget Sound of Washington State. The capable crew of Bob Stewart, Jonathan Washburn, my oldest son, Ben, and Yours Truly, set sail for a three-hour tour.... uh, wait a minute...that's a different tale! We spent a good part of the afternoon motoring around the Hood Canal to where our crab pots were submerged, about 120 feet down. We pulled up 4 pots, and limited out with 20 legal sized male Dungeness crabs. Then it was off to Pleasant Harbor to grab some munchies and soak up some rays..... Jonathan provides the 'Play-by-Play' as Ben skillfully dem... 10/08/2008

One of my favorites things I enjoy about living on the beautiful Kitsap Peninsula here in scenic Washington State, is taking my boat out crabbing on the Hood Canal, part of the extensive inland waterways of Puget Sound. The Hood Canal is a long, deep, narrow strip of water wedged in between the Kitsap Peninsula and the picturesque Olympic Peninsula. The Olympic Mountain range rises up rather dramatically from the edge of the water. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking.!  To learn more about recreational crabbing out on the Hood Canal WA, go to Crabbing in the Hood. ~    o    ~    o    ~    o    ~    o    ~    o    ~ Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land througho... 08/16/2008

This coming Friday could be Doomsday for the long awaited and much-anticipated Olympic View Marina Project out in Seabeck. How this has remained under my radar, I have no idea. Tonight, while taking a walk with my wife, I ran across fellow RE agent, Nick Blickhan (Nick and I had worked together at the Windermere office here in Silverdale). As a waterfront resident of Seabeck WA, Nick has been keeping close tabs on the progress, or lack thereof, of the Olympic View LLC Marina Project. Four partners purchased the fledging property a few years ago, and put together a very detailed development plan. At considerable expense, they effectively jumped through each and every hoop that the County and State required, and in most instances, went way beyond what was necessary. From every indication... 08/13/2008

Okay, so after a really enjoyable Listing Appointment earlier in the morning, my oldest son, Ben, and his buddy, Josh, finally talked me into taking the boat out today for some late season Crabbing.We only live about 10 minutes from the public boat launch at Miami Beach on Hood Canal WA, and one of the prime Crabbing spots in the Puget Sound.Call me a 'Wimp' or a 'Wussie' or whatever non-hacker term you wish, but I'm the first one to admit that I'm a 'Fair Weather' Crabber. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE the playful pursuit of pulling up these 'snap-happy' bottom-dwelling crustaceans. There are fewer things on the planet better tasting that freshly caught, cooked, and cracked Dungeness Crab!But taking my boat out onto Hood Canal when its SNOWING, well, there's just something wrong with ... 11/28/2007

This past Saturday, my oldest son, Ben, and I drove out to the Washington Coast for the first official Razor Clam dig of the 2007 Fall Season. It takes us about 2 1/2 hours to drive out on Hwy. 3 through Shelton, past Aberdeen & Hoquiam, and then on up to Copalis Beach. Four area beaches were opened to harvesting, including Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis, and Mocrocks. I prefer Copalis because you can drive your vehicle right onto the beach, park it, and walk a short distance down to the surf. To learn more about Razor Clamming on the Washington State coast, go to Crabbing in the Hood. ~    o    ~    o    ~    o    ~    o    ~    o    ~    o    ~ Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential pro... 10/29/2007

As an avid recreational boater out on the Kitsap Peninsula, I am thrilled about the new "Olympic View Marina" development project out in Seabeck WA. While there are a number of really excellent marina resources on the eastern half of the Kitsap Peninsula, the former Seabeck Marina was the only one on the Hood Canal side. Unfortunately, that facility was closed and condemned as unsafe a couple years ago, leaving boaters with no place to moor or gas up. Since I almost exclusively launch and operate my boat over on Hood Canal, the prospect of having a new, improved marina in Seabeck was music to my ears!To read more about the Seabeck WA Olympic View Marina project, go to SOUNDBITEBLOG (opens up into a separate window for your viewing ease)                                                   ... 10/18/2007

Yes, it's true. I can't deny it. I love crabs. And not just any ole' crabs, mind you. But Dungeness Crabs. The delicious 'mouth-watering' variety that is plentiful here in the scenic Pacific Northwest. When the crabbing season rolls around here on the Puget Sound WA, you can typically find me out cruising the deep, clear waters of Hood Canal in my trusty C-Dory, in search of the illusive 'Dungie.' But the question I have to ask myself is this, "Would I ever leave my wife for a Crab?" To find out the answer to this puzzling question, go to Crabbing in the Hood. ~    o    ~    o    ~    o    ~    o    ~ Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap ... 09/02/2007

Seabeck Christian Conference CenterThe Conference Center in Seabeck, nestled in an out-of-the-way corner of Kitsap County, boasts tremendous views of the Olympic Mountain Range across a private lagoon and the Hood Canal. Mornings are often breathtaking and always serene.The Conference Center property and the town of Seabeck were originally purchased in 1914 by Laurence Coleman and his brother George. Arn Allen managed the conference for the YMCA for the next 29 years. In 1936 Laurence's son Kenneth Coleman formed a non-profit, private corporation, to which he deeded the conference center and 90 acres. For the next 45 years Kenneth Coleman watched over, guided and financially supported the center.  The Seabeck Conference Center is the oldest continually running conference center in the P... 01/02/2007

It never ceases to amaze me that people drive from hundreds of miles around just to stay at a state park that's only a short distance from where I live and work. As a licensed, professional real estate agent here in Kitsap County, WA, I'm surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery and vacation playgrounds in all the Pacific Northwest.One such spot is Scenic Beach State Park located just west of Seabeck Harbor along a 1,500 foot stretch of Hood Canal shoreline. This lush 88-acre camping park is filled with wild, native rhododendrons that blossom in early-to-late spring. The park is a popular location for weddings, boasting breathtaking views of Hood Canal and the majestic Olympic Mountains. Take a relaxing stroll along ADA-compliant paths that wind through country gardens, crossi... 11/08/2006