Gig Harbor Washington; The Best Place To Buy Investment Property I want to talk about Investment Property! I want you to know that right now is a perfect time to invest. We all know the Stock Market has been scary and we can't count on Social Security or Pensions to pay our way when we are older. PROPERTY. It's the only true safe bet. In reality it's not a bet at all. It makes sense. For everyone who is between 18-35 listen up. If you are in a position to purchase a second home, or third, or fourth, then you should be buying it now. Real Estate has always been an amazing long term investment. Not only can you count on appreciation over the long haul, but once it's paid for it is nothing but a cash flow machine. Plus, right now with interest rates being so low and the price of homes bein... 10/05/2010

Gig Harbor Housing Market Report September Continued Here are the latest numbers on the Gig Harbor and Pierce County Market Data. The numbers speak for themselves. We are starting to see a shift in the market for the better. I will be posting this and watching this very closely. With interest rates this low, it's now a great time to buy a home. The number of New Listings are down for the first time since January. This is not a huge shift, but it shows that inventory is going down. It's small, but things are getting better. :) 10/05/2010

Gig Harbor Real Estate Activity Summer 2010 vs. Summer 2009   So what happened with Gig Harbor real estate  this summer?  Did prices go up?  Or down?  Did number of sales go up?  Down? Well, actually a little bit of both depending on which of the three summer months (June, July, or August) we're looking at.  This June, a total of 86 single family homes sold in Gig Harbor - with a median price of $345,000. But in July there were only 70 sales and median price was down to $301,000 Then in August, which had 82 sales, waterfront homes impacted the numbers.  Four sold for $1 million or more. Those sales boosted August's median sales price to the highest since March - $355,000. Also interesting this summer, Gig Harbor new construction sales were up substantially over the summer months.  Throu... 10/04/2010

Gig Harbor Real Estate Marketing and Social Media I have been busting my butt marketing myself in Gig Harbor, WA as a new agent. I use Social Media a lot and has been a huge client generating tool. One thing that stuck out with me was this video I saw at a Social Media Workshop put on by Max Pigman with www.realtor.com I hope you enjoy this video. It was a huge eye opener for me. 10/01/2010

Gig Harbor Home Values Report For September 2010 Here is the Home Value Report for the month of September 2010. The area's included in this report are for: Colvos Passage, Crescent Valley, East Gig Harbor, Gig Harbor, In Town, Peacock Hill, Picknic Point, Rosedale, Seacliff, Shore Acres, Sunny Bay, Sunrise Beach, Victor. Active Properties: 88 Average Sq Ft: 2,447 Average List Price: $656,643 Pending Properties: 5 Average Sq Ft: 1,447 Average List Price: $262,870 Sold Properties: 4 Average Sq Ft: 1,643 Average SOLD Properties: $430,625 Numbers Provided from the NWMLS. If you would like to search for any of the homes in this area than use the search source below. 09/30/2010

09/29/2010

19609 Whiteman Cove Drive Gorgeous Waterfront Home Overview Maps Photos Description Video Market Stats $599,999 Single Family Home Main Features 3 Bedrooms2 Bathrooms1 Partial BathroomInterior: 3388 sqftLot: 1.12 acre(s) Location 19609 Whiteman Cove DriveLongbranch, WA 98351USA To get updates on open home dates and other property events, please click the "Like" button below: Stacia Whatley Hawkins-Poe Inc.(253) 426-8785staciawhatley@gmail.comhttp://www.staciasellshomes.com Listed by: Hawkins-Poe Inc. Our recent listings Salmon Bay Estates Home on Fox Island, WA Gated CommunityBuild Your Dream Home on Fox Island Gated CommunityGorgeous Home on 1 Acre in Fox Island Gated CommunityGorgeous Home on 1 Acre in Gated Fox Island Community1 Acre Lots in Gated Community on Fox Island Subscribe t... 09/28/2010

Gig Harbor Unplugged on Facebook! If you haven't already checked out my new facebook page Gig Harbor Unplugged, then what are you waiting for? I started this page so that people who live in Gig Harbor, WA can have a place to go to see what's going on in our local town. In addition, I want everyone around the world to realize what a great place this is to live, work, and play. So come and see what all the buzz is about. Click the link below to see for yourself! 09/28/2010

What Motivates YOU? When it comes to Buying a Home of Course... I have always been the type of person who could read someone by talking to them for a few minutes. I can usually read your tone in your voice, your eye contact, or lack there of. I have always been able to tell if someone is really serious about what they are saying, or they are trying to blow smoke up my dress. But lately I have been baffled. I may have lost my touch... I have been talking to Buyers and Sellers and it seems very weird to me. They say one thing, but do something different... I thought I would make this members only at first. But now the more I write I want to know from Buyers and Sellers. I want to know why you say you want to put your home on the market and then you don't. Or buyers, in a market like today... 09/26/2010

Did You Know About The Other Tax Credits Out There??? Everyone has heard about the Buyers tax credit that ended recently, but did you hear about the tax credit that is available for replacing your windows? They are out there and haven't had as much talk and squawk! This is a huge opportunity to upgrade your home with new windows which does add value to your home and get a tax credit when it's all done. Here are a few rules on the tax credit for windows. 1)  The U-Factor has to be .30 or less and the SHGC (Solar Heat Gain Coefficient) must be .30 or less. These numbers can be found on the tags right on the windows at the store. If you are doing a special order or doing custom windows make sure to ask the provider that they follow these criteria. 2)  The federal energy efficiency tax cred... 09/24/2010

  Love Gig Harbor, Washington? Love Chowder? This Saturday is the 10th ANNUAL CHOWDER COOK OFF at the Farmers Market on Kimball Drive. Will O'Callahan's defend their crown or will the Tides Tavern or the Inn at Gig Harbor dethrone the 2009 champion? Come taste and see. The cook off starts at 11 A.M. and admission is free.  09/23/2010

Landlord Policy... Trees, Sewers, and everything in between. I get a call from a friend of mine this morning and she is very upset. I ask her what's going on and she starts to tell me about her investment property. Keep in mind she didn't intend on being a landlord, but was forced into it because of a job transfer and a horrible housing market. She told me she is about to lose her house! I was stunned. I didn't even know what to say. I asked her what's going on?? She got a call from her property manager and he informed her that the tenant was upstairs taking a shower and the shower and toilets started backing up with sewage. Of course I couldn't imagine that happening to me. I don't think I would be able to keep my breakfast down. Anyway, the plumber comes out and tells her that the tre... 09/15/2010

A few months back we had the privilege of bringing Jannae Mitton Jolibois on board as our account manager in Gig Harbor. Jannae is very involved in the Gig Harbor community and has a long history here. So to announce her arrival with Ticor Title, we shot a quick video to clear up a couple things. The first thing we cleared up was the pronunciation of her name. (Jolibois, apparently, is easily mis-pronounced). The second thing we cleared up was the proper pronunciation of her employer. And finally at the end of the video, Jannae cheerfully signed off with, "See you in the harbor!". I'm sure you can imagine what happened next... Shortly after Jannae's arrival, there were a few more changes with our Gig Harbor Escrow branch that needed to be announced. First, we had a new location. And sec... 09/14/2010

Harbor History Museum Opening Soon in Gig Harbor, WA I want to announce that the Harbor History Museum in Downtown Gig Harbor, WA is having it's Grand Opening on September 18, 2010. This is a great addition to our waterfront and a great way to show the history of our gorgeous boating town. They have many exhibits including: Galleries The museum offers 7,000 square feet of permanent galleries showcasing the rich, unique heritage of the Gig Harbor Peninsula. Unique artifacts, video kiosks, hands-on exhibits, computer inter-actives, and a small theater bring Peninsula history to life in our permanent galleries. Now Showing  September 18, 2010 - January 16, 2011 Stars and Stripes: A captivating collection of America's icon Drawn from world-renowned graphic designer Kit Hinrich's collection ... 09/13/2010

Price Your Home Right And It Will Sell I have been asked by so many people lately about why people are still pricing their homes too high for our market. Most of the time these people haven't been watching the market like we do as agents, but I don't think they are too far off. Price plays a huge part in our market today. I am fully aware that there are probably many different reasons why a home is over priced. I am not so quick to blame the agent. In the past, I was a little harsh, but now that I have talked to sellers more and really heard their individual situations I have a better understanding now. With that said, I still agree though that there are many homes on the market right now that are over priced and should probably not be on the market at all. With inventory's still high a... 09/12/2010

PHOTO CONTEST! ON GIG HARBOR UNPLUGGED! I am very excited to announce that I am holding a photo contest on Gig Harbor unplugged on facebook. If you haven't "liked" the page yet please do so that you can participate in this wonderful contest. I have been in such a fall mood lately, it may be the weather we are having, but I want to see and enjoy all the gorgeous places from around the world and their fall pictures. Here is the info and rules! I want to announce that I am offering a photo contest. I was going to hold it only for Gig Harbor photo's, but I know there are a lot of people who love this town but don't live here. So I want to extend this contest to anyone in the world! I want to see all of your fall photo's and then we will have the members of this page to vote on their favorit... 09/11/2010

Real Estate Isn't The Same Everywhere! I have been checking the stats lately via the MLS in our area lately and I have noticed something very weird. I say "weird" because I have heard nothing but negative and horrible news about the housing market. This is a great point to show that Real Estate isn't the same everywhere. It really does depend on your local market. First thing I noticed was the numbers below. This is a national average. This is to show that if you thought we haven't hit rock bottom, think again. The numbers speak for themselves. Now to my local market: Washington State. I noticed that our unemployment has gone way down in a very short time frame. Things are changing very quickly. And NO I have not fudged these numbers at all. So are you still thinking we are in doom and ... 09/10/2010

HOME BUYERS LISTEN UP! Down Payment Assistance Programs! I had a meeting with my loan officer yesterday and he explained to me some exciting programs available for home buyers. Did you know that you can possibly buy a home with ZERO down?? Here all over Washington State there are programs available that offer zero down or low down payments! That is huge news for a lot of my friends and clients who have been telling me lately that they can't afford to purchase a home because they don't have a down payment! 09/10/2010

Washington Un-Employment Numbers Are Down! I am excited to announce that the Un-Employment in the State Of Washington is working it's way down. This is very exciting news in our area. We have not been hit as hard as most other states in the US, but still we had some high un-employment rates as you can see. I hope the up-swing continues. More jobs means more people able to purchase a home and that is going to get our economy back out of the toilet. 09/08/2010

It's Labor Day Weekend! What Are You Doing? I am actually taking the weekend off because my ma-n-law and pa-n-law are coming to Gig Harborfrom Glenville, WV. I am excited for their visit (yes you read it right) I am excited for them to come because I haven't seen them in quite some time and I really enjoy their company. It got me thinking of what we could do this weekend. So I started to do some research. The first thing we are doing is going to the Blackberry Festival in Bremerton, WA. This is one of my favorite events. Bremerton is my home town and I only live 30 minutes away, but always like an excuse to go back home. We are also going to go and watch the runners at the Over The Narrows Run. I won't be participating because, I just don't run. ;) But this event is great the proceeds g... 09/03/2010