4th of July is always a fun time in Anacortes and this year is no exception. 10am--The festivities kick off with a town photo.Be there to be part of the fun at 10:00 am, 5th & Commercial downtown Anacortes.11am-- 4th July ParadeAt 11am the Parade will begin along Commercial Ave starting at 3rd Ave along Commercial Ave to 10th Ave right to "N" and ending at Causland Park at 8th and "N" Ave.The parade is a lot of fun for both adults and children. The floats are varied and represent many businesses and community groups. Tip: Take a bag with you to collect the candy and beads thrown from the floats and arrive early to get the best spots along the route.See Map below for the Parade Route Causland Park EventsOnce the Parade has wound down you can stroll over to Causland Park to take part in t... 06/25/2013

"Del Mar" is a unique community made up of several neighborhoods along the western shore of Fidalgo Island, minutes from downtown Anacortes.The "Rancho San Juan Del Mar" Neighborhood Association was incorporated in 1950, for the purpose of providing water service and recreational facilities to its members. All home owners belong to the Association which provides a community water system, boat moorage rights in Langley Bay, and private beach access at Alexander Beach.  Where is Del Mar Community?This area is west of Anacortes and stretches south, outside the city line on the west side of Fidalgo Island along Marine Drive and Rosario Road to Seaview neighborhood. It includes the areas known as Del Mar, Biz Point, Alexander Beach, Seaview and The Pointe. (See map opposite)Del Mar Community... 06/22/2013

Skyline Neighborhood, Anacortes WA is a vibrant community located on the western tip of Fidalgo Island, and minutes from downtown Anacortes.  "Skyliners" as some residents call themselves, enjoy the fabulous sunsets, the seaside atmosphere, spectacular waterviews, the great weather and the sheer amount of activities and amenities that makes it one of the most popular neighborhoods of Anacortes.Many homes have spectacular water views of Burrows Bay,  the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Mountains to the south. Waterfront homes are located at the marina, many with their own docks. Other waterfront homes and condominiums face Burrows Bay, looking south to the Olympic Mountains. Types of Homes and StylesThe Skyline neighborhood was first started in the 1960's with building continuing to thi... 06/19/2013

 Anacortes Mural Project started in 1984 by local artist Bill Mitchell. Mitchell began the work in 1984 and thus began an amazing project that has placed 125 murals on buildings in downtown Anacortes. Bill aims to do about 6 new murals a year so stay tuned. Mitchell brings people of the past back to life in his nearly-life-sized depictions - taken from vintage photos of everyday people of Anacortes. The murals are based on vintage photographs depicting life in Anacortes over the last century. They include an eclectic mix of local characters … bartenders, musicians, shopkeepers, and one of the artist himself. I Hope you enjoy these wonderful murals. Some of them are painted on the sides of the buildings and others are painted on wood backing and then attached to the buildings.    Mural #... 06/09/2013

San Juan Passage Neighborhood is located on the North West side of Anacortes with sweeping views of Guemes Channel and the San Juan Islands  This Master Planned community includes 100 single-family homes that combine modern efficiencies and historic coastal design, with steep gabled roofs and deep, inviting covered porches. Streets and park paths wind to the water, for strolling shoreline trails or enjoying the spectacular sunsets. This exciting "New" Development is one of our favorites. Each home in San Juan Passage is well built with a green, sustainable design along with a wide variety of floorplans and prices to suit any pocketbook. Buyers at San Juan Passage have a choice of home styles. Many of the homes are designed with the option of single-floor living. Several homes are availa... 06/06/2013

Anacortes Housing- Market Trends June 2012-May 2013There has been a lot of press about the U.S. housing market in the past few months. So I thought I would put together some data on what has been happening in the Anacortes housing market over the past 12 months. Number of Sales Vs Number of Homes on the MarketThis chart show us that number of homes on the market(inventory) is down a bit from last year. However, the inventory curve has stayed relatively steady with the usual dip in the winter months.Sales have also held steady at around 25 sales per month on average.What does this mean to Sellers? Anacortes is not showing any unusual spikes in sales or inventory. Therefore to be one of the "sales" you need to price and market your homes competitively.What does this mean to Buyers? Home p... 06/04/2013

It was a common superstition among sailors that renaming a boat would condemn her to an early visit to the deep. This was the equivalent of removing her soul. However, as times have changed it has been found acceptable to accomplish this task as long as a strict regimen was followed that would appease the Gods. SOOO... Here is my Story! A group of us from the Anacortes Yacht Club went on a cruise to lovely Sucia Island (one of the San Juan islands) and during the weekend of fun and frolic we were treated to a boat re naming ceremony for 2 of the boats in the fleet.As you may know, to re name a boat without the proper homage to Poseidon/Neptune is considered VERY BAD LUCK.Before you can Re-Name your boat you have to De-Name the boat. However, before that you must remove from your boat an... 06/04/2013

The Anacortes Island Hospital holds an Annual Health Fair each year in May. This is a FREE community health fair is for the entire family! Included health and wellness exhibits, healthy snacks, chair massage, free screenings, raffle prizes and more! So I went along to see what sort of screenings I could get at the Fair.Here is a video of some of my adventures at the Fair and this is yours truly having a Lung Function Test.Having a first rate hospital in town is one of the many reasons why you should consider moving to Anacortes. Anacortes Real Estate for Sale has a price range to suit every budget, from cute cottages to luxury waterfront estates.The HospitalWe are very fortunate in Anacortes and surrounding communities. The Island Hospital is a 43-bed, tax-supported, medical-surgical fa... 06/03/2013

The Anacortes Farmers Market is held in the downtown area of Anacortes located in front of the Depot Arts center at 611 R Avenue.The Anacortes Farmers Market is held every Saturday from  9am-2pm, May -October & Wednesdays, 4pm-7pm, late June – August. The Farmers Market is one of the most popular  events during the summer with both residents of Anacortes and visitors alike. You will find Fresh produce, Yummy baked goods (love those "pinkie" pastries at Jalillah’s Cookies booth), honey, bread, crafts, fresh flowers, plants and much more. Enjoy the atmosphere, have a cup of coffee and other goodies at the food court and definitely make time to attend one of the workshops (see list and dates below). List of FREE Community Workshops- each Saturday- coming soon a list of Workshops on Wednesd... 05/31/2013

This Market Report for Anacortes includes January 1st to April 30th.Since home sales are quite different for each price range, I thought I would show you what has happened up till the end of April and how the market is trending at the moment in each price category.Charts show - Number of Sales Vs Number of Active Listings in Anacortes, WA. Homes under $300KThis chart shows an increase both in sales and listings since the beginning of our Spring Selling season. This is the most popular price range in this area as in most areas and sales tend to be fast if the price is set at market value.Months inventory went from 6 months in January to 7 months for February and March and dropped to 5 months inventory for April. So far May is holding steady at 5 months inventory. Sellers: Low inventory i... 05/29/2013

The Anacortes Trawler Fest had something for every Boat Owner. The Annual Trawler Fest Anacortes Boat Show was both a land and in-water event that featured a boat show with boat dealers displaying a wide variety of boats in-water including trawlers, yachts and cruisers.  The show was held at the Cap Sante Boat Haven, Port of Anacortes in Anacortes, Washington !  The Trawler Fest included events such as:The Exhibits: At Trawler Fest, attendees were able to find exactly what they are looking for and have the time to network and speak in detail with company representatives. Both Manufacturers and exhibitors showcased marine accessories, electronics, boating equipment, yacht repair, marine services, charters and insurance options. Trawler Fest University Courses:  These University courses, ... 05/29/2013

Every year Anacortes hosts an Annual Garden Art Fair in the "downtown" area. This year’s event at the Depot showed Yard art and container gardens, Plants, bulbs and organic supplies were on sale as well.  Various groups gave gardening demonstrations on the main stage  of the Depot through the afternoon, including representatives from Roosengarde, the famous Tulip farm, with a tulip presentation.   Your own intrepid reporter had a fun but cold afternoon interviewing folks at their booths and checking out all of the cool garden art and plants. The food court was a welcome break to warm up on a cold windy day. My friend Ros came with me and she is now a star of the video.  The festivities continued on Saturday with a demonstration by Northwest Woodturners at noon on the main stage. In the ... 05/20/2013

"Thank You Thursdays" were introduced to encourage Anacortes residents and tourists to shop in the downtown area.   How Does it Work??Each Thursday if shoppers spend a minimum of $25 at a participating business they could win "Shop Anacortes Dollars" which are used as cash in participating businesses. Each participating business is putting $10/month into a pot - so the more participating businesses, the larger the pot. The current participating Business are:  AnaCross Stitch- Yarn and needlework supplies Anacortes Sun- tanning Salon The Apothecary Spa- Located in the Historic Majestic Hotel Bob’s Chowder and BBQ Salmon- Yummy Chowder and other tempting goodies Ace Hardware- we all know Ace and their selection  Alley Cat Antiques- you will always find something interesting here Buer's Fl... 05/20/2013

We are often asked "What is happening in the Housing Market Right Now"?We thought we would put together a snap shot of how the Anacortes Home Market has performed over the first 3 months of 2013.According to the MLS: The 1st chart shows the Sold Price of homes as compared to the Original List price Sellers placed on their homes. The % difference between the two numbers is significant.   January- Sold Price was 68% of Original Price February-  Sold Price was 91% of original Price- (better than January) March- Sold Price was 86% of original price.A drop back but still not too bad.         The 2nd chart shows the % difference between Reduced List (Final) price of homes on the market in the same period vs the Final Sold price.  January- Sold price 92.9% of Final Reduced Price February-  Sol... 05/19/2013

In 1982, the town of Anacortes was looking for a project to make the historic downtown area more appealing. Bill Mitchell, a paraplegic artist offered to paint murals.  Since then the entire town of Anacortes has become Mitchell's canvas. Mitchell began the work in 1984 and thus began an amazing project that has placed 125 murals on buildings in downtown Anacortes. Bill aims to do about 6 new murals a year so stay tuned. Mitchell brings people of the past back to life in his nearly-life-sized depictions - taken from vintage photos of everyday people of Anacortes. The murals are based on vintage photographs depicting life in Anacortes over the last century. They include an eclectic mix of local characters … bartenders, musicians, shopkeepers, and one of the artist himself.Mitchell is des... 05/19/2013

The Anacortes Museum is housed in what was the Carnegie Library.Built in 1910, the Museum was finally listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and in 2009 on the Anacortes Register of Historic Places.Currently the Gallery  has permanent exhibits on the history of Fidalgo (Anacortes) and Guemes Islands. This includes early explorers and settlers, Native American inhabitants, local industries (salmon fishing and canning was one of the largest), as well as cultural life. The feature of the Museum is the Wall Funk Collection of nearly 50,000 photographs. Funk was editor of the Local paper the "Anacortes American" back in 1950 and quickly wrote an editorial asking the locals to preserve their history. The community responded and to this day the Museum staff are still catalo... 05/17/2013

CAUSLAND MEMORIAL PARK is in the center of Anacortes and covers an entire city block.  Designed and built in 1919 by French-Canadian architect and artist, Jean Bastiste Le Page, at a cost of $6000. The 2 acre park is unique in its use of decorative rock and black and white mosaic for structures and walls. Low, serpentine mosaic walls surround the park, and a bandstand, amphitheater and terraces are similarly made of colored pebble and rock mosaic.  Other park features include picnic tables, mature ornamental plantings, a small grassy lawn and many terraces. The park is visited frequently by tourists enthralled by its lovingly detailed decorations. Photos below show the "THEN" and "NOW" views of the Bandstand. The "THEN" photo supplied by the Anacortes Museum.Built by local workers, the ... 05/16/2013

Boating is one of the most popular "Things to Do" for the lucky visitors and residents of Anacortes and Surrounding areas. This last weekend we took our sailboat up to Sucia Island, the northern most island in the San Juan Island Group and joined the Anacortes Yacht Club at their annual Sucia Island Cruise in Fossil Bay. Lots of fun was had by all including Happy Hours, Pot Lucks, Ugly Hawaiian shirt competition, hiking, napping, chatting with friends and much more...Fossil Bay is a popular inlet on Sucia Island with lovely beaches, great sunsets (see below), lots of campgrounds, with excellent facilities including firepits for those sunset marshmallow roasts or a simple BBQ. Is it no wonder it gets a bit crowded in the summer months.Many folks visit this area during the summer months a... 05/07/2013

Skyline Neighborhood conducts many events throughout the year. One of the popular events is the Annual Flea Market held at the Skyline Beach Club Building each April. As Skyline residents we enjoy many of these events and thought we would share them with you.Tables are set up inside the Beach Club, "Skyliners" bring their household goodies to display and sell and meet with their friends. Participants who have larger items set up their canopies in the parking lot.This is great neighborhood get together. Have a cup of coffee and a chat. Meet your neighbors, buy some good stuff and generally have fun. Here are some of our neighbors enjoying the bargains.This event is always well attended and is one of the many advantages of living in Skyline! Skyline is a friendly neighborhood with price r... 04/15/2013

Homes for sale in Skyline Anacortes WA are in a beautiful neighborhood located on the west side of Fidalgo Island and minutes from downtown Anacortes. Many homes have spectacular water views of Burrows Bay, Burrows and Allen Islands, the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Mountains to the south. Skyline boasts some of the most amazing sunset views year round. Skyline neighborhood is a vibrant community where residents can enjoyTypes of Homes and StylesThe Skyline neighborhood was first started in the 1960's with building continuing to this day. Skyline is nestled against a hill overlooking the marina and views beyond. There are over 600 homes and condos in Skyline with a wide variety of architectural styles and price points to suit your budget. The Homes for sale in Skyline Anacortes WA r... 02/22/2013