The Belfair, Washington public is again cruising on Hood Canal.  The 54-foot Lady Alderbrook is now available to the public two days a week for summertime cruises on Hood Canal.Owned by Alderbrook Resort & Spa near Belfair, Washington, the yacht is normally reserved for private parties, but until Aug. 28, the public is invited to enjoy the views of the Olympic Mountains as you motor the Olympic Peninsula resort area of Hood Canal.The Alderbrook Resort turns 100 years old this year but you don't have to stay overnight to hike, golf, dine and participate in activities at the 88-acre resort.Cindy Sund is the director of marine services and captain of the Lady Alderbrook narrates the 90-minute afternoon cruise. "It's an opportunity to get out on the water and enjoy the canal," Sund said. "I... 07/13/2013

The Faith in Action Belfair Senior Center is one step closer. On Monday, the State of Washington House of Representatives rolled out its two-year capital-spending plan.  The House Capital Budget Committee hearing on Proposed Substitute House Bill 1497 included several projects like the Belfair Senior Center here in North Mason County – some of which did not get help from Gov. Chris Gregoire's earlier proposal.  Within this House bill is $1.36 million for the much needed Belfair Senior Center. Among the other North Mason projects the House named for funds was: ● Mason County PUD 1’s intertie project along Hood Canal ● Belfair Water District No. 1's water main project - $2 million ● North Mason Recreation Area infield renovation - $257,500 Proposed Substitute House Bill 1497 has a ways t... 07/10/2013

There are a number of things that can trigger the decision to remodel or move to a new home. Perhaps you have outgrown your current space, you might be tired of struggling with ancient plumbing or wiring systems, or maybe your home just feels out of date. The question is: Should you stay or should you go? Choosing whether to remodel or move involves looking at a number of factors. Here are some things to consider when making your decision. Five reasons to move: 1. Your current location just isn’t working. Unruly neighbors, a miserable commute, or a less-than-desirable school district—these are factors you cannot change. If your current location is detracting from your overall quality of life, it’s time to consider moving. If you’re just ready for a change, that’s a good reason, too. Som... 07/03/2013

The current market is the best of most worlds: low interest rates, a supply of homes to choose from that are aggressively priced, and lenders who are beginning to engage in 'make sense' loans." TheWashington state housing market allows for a buyers and sellers market. If you are looking to buy a home, now is the time to start the process and make it happen! If you are looking to sell your home, the current housing market situation is favorable as well. The housing inventory is low and there is a high buyer demand; thus getting your home on the market now may yield to a quicker sale and higher profits.   www.daryldatus.com 06/07/2013

Ever have one of those days when nothing seems to go right, when it seems up hill both ways or Murphy's law has it out for you? I have and there is one thing that gets me through them, people who have been there too. It does not cost anything to smile at someone (especially if they appear miserable) or to offer a listening ear when someone needs to share. being supportive can make all the difference in the world. I have been fortunate to have people in my life that have been there for me. Co-workers that shared a funny experience have made many a rotten day not look so bad after all. In this business we are all about people. We form relationships and maintain them. We work hard to go the extra mile and it can really pay off. Sure there are times we feel competitive but they should be su... 04/12/2013

I am always on the look out for products to offer at Inferno Advertising that set my clients apart from the rest. The best way to do that is to find something that will surprise people when they see it and cause them to take a closer look, or as in the case of my latest favorite product cause them to STAND OUT! I found these cute flip flops with the unforgettable "Don't Worry- Be Happy" imprint on them. They can be personalized any way you want for your business or just for friends and would make a great closing gift or memorable give away. There are a million different way to market yourself with unforgettable personalized products. And these flip flops could be a good "step in the right direction." So whether you offer homes for sale on a beach, the mountains or your clients prefer a ... 04/09/2013

Design A Daily Cleaning Schedule  After all your hard work is done and your house looks like a home ready to move in or be shown!  Make sure that you have a good cleaning schedule in place. Whether you need to make one from scratch or update the one you have, set small daily tasks that will help keep your house in order until its sold!     www.daryldatus.com 02/27/2013

 Waterfront, waterfront and more waterfront!!        What are YOU waiting for??  An excellent opportunity and time to buy your very own waterfront!    Hood Canal waterfront, Tee Lake Waterfront, Mason Lake waterfront and LakeLand Village Homes for sale!        And it's an excellent time to buy! The prices are affordable!   The interest rates are at all time lows; the inventory is aplenty! What are you waiting for?   Check out the waterfront homes available for sale!  Summertime is almost here and there's no better time to get ready to buy your waterfront than now!  Looking for lakefront? Mason County has many many lakes to choose from!  Pick your style of lake - whether    it be a peaceful quiet non-gas powered lake or a bigger lake with water skiing and then find your dream lakefront h... 05/07/2012

80 NE Victory Lane Belfair, WA 98528 Easy living on private acre. Park like setting. Home Photo Gallery Virtual Tour Property Map Payment Info Request Showing Jo Soss Office:360-830-6195 Mobile:360-990-1433 Website:Visit Website Price : $118,000 Bedrooms : 3 Bathrooms : 1.75 Square Foot : 1,344 Lot Size : 43,560 County : USA Property Type : Detached Year Built : 1980 MLS Number : 293428 click for more information and pictures Property Description Easy living on private acre. Space for all your cars, RV's and toys. Play in the level green grass, work on your hobby car in the over sized detached 2 car garage/shop w/ bonus room! Have everyone over for holidays in huge country kitchen with either large dining area or family room. The kitchen is equipped with more than enough storage and ni... 05/05/2012

Easy living on private acre. Space for all your cars, RV's and toys. Play in the level green grass, work on your hobby car in the over sized detached 2 car garage/shop with bonus room possibilities! Have everyone over for holidays in the huge country kitchen with either large dining area or family room. Kitchen is equipped with more than enough storage and nice oak cabinets. To the right is the formal dining room with built in custom shelving. New roof/gutters 2011. Updated baths. 04/01/2012

    Belfair Real Estate~March 2012 Update~ What's Happening in the Local Real Estate Market?     It has definitely been a busy start to the 2012 year in the Belfair real estate market.   Home sales are slow but steady!!  I personally, have been very busy taking care of my clients real estate needs, wants and goals; I am looking forward to a busy and successful year!       A couple of things that I have seen and that I anticipate as the year progresses:   1) an increase in the length of time it takes to close a sale due to lender efficiency, or inefficiency depending on how you want to look at it;  This has actually been the case for the last year - closing dates stretching out longer.   Crossing the t's and dotting the i's as underwriters review files, seems to be where most of the slow... 03/11/2012

Matthew Gardner has released his Q4 2010 performance evaluations of Washington real  estate.  This quarterly report is exclusive to Windermere Real Estate but is made available here at no cost.  His conclusion to our Q4 market is: As has been the case for all of 2011, an increase in sales of Washington real estate does not mean an increase in prices. The value of transacted units in our market declined by 15.5 percent from a year ago, excluding the volatile San Juan County which saw a drop of 14.8 percent. Looking at the specific counties within our survey, there were two that exhibited price growth from December of 2010, these being Island (+7.1%) and Clallam (+4.5%). Counties that saw the greatest price declines included: Jefferson (-30.1%), Kittitas (-28%), Mason (-26.4%), Grays Harb... 02/14/2012

Hood Canal Waterfront Homes for Sale~What's going on along the Hood Canal Waterfront?   So What is going on along the shores of the Hood Canal for waterfront home sales? 2011 proved to be a tough year in waterfront home sales along the Hood Canal.  Inventory was fairly heavy. No one knew what the year had in store and it chugged along quite slowly but it did chug along.  There were a total of 15 Hood Canal waterfront home sales along the South Shore and North Shore of Hood Canal between January of 2011 and the end of the year. The average dollars per square foot reflected in these 15 sales was $288.76 with an average market time of 156 days. The average price was $406,480.  Those stats are actually not too shabby considering the economy.  Let's look a little closer at the breakdown: Pri... 02/11/2012

89% of all properties sold were first seen on the Internet. That means the single most critical moment in selling a home is to move a buyer from their screen to your living room. If an Internet shopper does not see your listing, they cannot consider it.  Syndicate every listing to the big real estate search engines. Don’t forget Facebook.  It’s become a Swiss Army Knife and makes a fine website, well-connected and SEO coming out its ears. Also, don't forget a backlink to your website. Buyers are looking for pictures - lots of them with detailed descriptions on a website made just for that home.  They want a video tour, a 3D Google Earth overview and a PDF of your brochure. The better a buyer thinks they know your home, the more comfortable they are to take the next step. 33% of American... 01/29/2012

Preparation Deck manufacturers suggest using a plastic or rubber-tipped shovel, never a metal shovel, to remove snow from a wooden deck. Choose a sturdy plastic snow shovel with rounded corners to effectively remove heavy snow and debris. Do not shovel across the decking but instead shovel in the direction of the wood grain, to prevent scratching or denting the decking. Loose Ice Use the same plastic or rubber-tipped shovel to remove loose pieces of ice from the deck. Shovel gently and don't try to dislodge any pieces to avoid scratching or denting the wood pieces. If your deck wood is older or pressure-treated, take even more precautions when shoveling the decking, as the wood is more fragile.   Melting Ice Wooden deck manufacturers sometimes recommend using a pet-safe ice melt to get ... 01/13/2012

       My magical crystal ball fogs up and my head spins everytime I even try to figure out or anticipate what a bank is thinking or what their reasoning is for something. What are they thinking?  I can honestly say that I feel a "change in the air" and a new trend coming..... Yes - I have had numerous clients already this year call and request my services because their lenders told them to list their home with a real estate agent and sell their home - short.  They did not want to hear back from the borrower or their agent until there was an offer on the table.  Another client had a buyer for his home, had already submitted his short sale package because his tenant was purchasing the property (all without agent/negotiator involvement), and the bank directed the borrower to list the home... 01/11/2012

According to Rich Childers of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2011 appears to be a record year for the amount of crabs harvested by recreational crabbers in Puget Sound. An estimated 2.1 million pounds of crabs were taken in the summer season from July 1 to Labor Day, with additional harvest coming during the fall and winter. "Lots of people enjoyed a high rate of catch this year", Childers said.  "We are seeing an abundance of crab, phenomenally high in some of the Puget Sound marine areas," he said. "We're seeing the same thing with shrimp. Something in the environment is favoring the survival of Dungeness crabs from larvae to adult." Crab season will close in all areas on Dec. 31, and anyone with a winter catch record card must report their catch by Feb. 1 — even if n... 12/29/2011

Jo Soss | Homefront Realty | (360) 990-1433 80 NE Victory Ln, Belfair, WA Easy living on just shy acre. Space for all your cars, RV's and toys. Huge garage/shop with bonus room above! 3BR/1+1BA Manufactured offered at $118,000 Year Built 1980 Sq Footage 1,344 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms 1 full, 1 partial Floors 1 Parking Unspecified Lot Size 43,560 sqft HOA/Maint $0 per month DESCRIPTION Easy living on just shy acre. Space for all your cars, RV's and toys. Play in the level green grass, work on your hobby car in the over sized detached 2 car garage/shop w/ man cave possibilities! Have friends & family over for holidays in huge country kitchen with either large dining area or family room. The kitchen is equipped with more than enough storage and nice oak cabinets. To the right is the formal di... 12/21/2011

  When IS the right time to sell your home?   I receive a lot of calls with this and other questions this time of year.   When is the right season to sell? Should I wait til spring to put my home on the market? Should I take it off the market during the holidays?  Will the market change?  Isn't it better to sell in the spring and summer?  So when IS the right time to sell your home?   The right time to sell your home, is WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR YOU!! First - there is no wrong or right time to sell seasonal wise.  The question and the answer falls with   "when is the time right for YOU?"   Second- if you want to sell your home, it needs to be actively marketed. It Needs to be seen to be sold! That's when its the right time to sell - when its right for YOU and your personal and financi... 12/11/2011

    I am not a mind reader. Are you?  How many people do you know that are mind readers?  That's my question of the day or week or whatever.... Why?   Well because this past month has been the same situation with a few sellers... we all know it is definetely a tough real estate market out there, but you can be successful if you take the "trying to mind read" part out of it.  Here's the scenario: A seller receives an offer- it, of course is a "low ball" offer that turns the sellers face red with furry, makes fire come from their eyes,head spin, feet stomp, teeth grit, incoherent language I can't understand as he/she then says to me :  "I will NOT respond to this ridiculous, how dare you @#$%^&*(&*(!   offer!!!!!!!    Double emphasis - double emphasis - Fists clenched ready to kill me sel... 12/11/2011