Wonderful Uptown Victorian home with a stunning panorama of Admiralty Inlet, PT Bay, mountains, ferries. All the hard work has been done - new foundation, roof, paint, wiring, plumbing, insulation, storm windows, deck, fencing. Original fir floors and vintage hardware. Beautiful fixtures. Three propane fireplaces, bay windows, wood details. Lovely perennial garden featured in the Secret Garden tour. Put your own touches on this authentic beauty and enjoy the milliion dollar view!!!  Now priced at $595,000. 03/05/2011

I have noticed my property taxes have increased 300% in the past 10 years.  The value of my home tripled since I bought it, but then has gone back down about 25%.  Of course the taxes do not follow that decline.  Our city keeps adding new Levy's, increased sales taxes, etc.  The most outrageous fact is the Assessor's Office  Appraisers are now using  current listings to appraise properties as well as sales, since there are not enough current sales.  So they are using some seller's wishful thinking to appraise our homes for taxes, instead of real sales.  I do not think this can be legal.  Has anyone else heard of this? 02/12/2011

Port Townsend, WA has sales stats that are very similar to other parts of the country.  Sales have risen in number in 2010 compared to 2009, but median price is down.  The prime property in this small Victorian Seaport is the Victorian home which is generally priced higher than a newer home, especially if it has seen some expensive rehab work.  Homes were built between 1850-1910 and located in the original townsite of Port Townsend.                             Homes sold (MLS)       Price per sq. ft.      Median price of sold 2009                      7                             $219                    $383,000 2010                       7                             $150                     $323000   Currently on the market 2011   Active          11                            $246   ... 02/06/2011

We have been fortunate in our area as far as numbers of foreclosures.  So far, they are few and far between.  In the immediate area of Port Townsend,  out of 102 current listings, 3 are lender owned.  The percentage increases as you go farther out into the county, and if you include manufactured homes.  Sold listings for last year in the immediate Port Townsend area were 96 with 13 of those being Lender Owned.   Short sales are a bit more common, and increasing.   Prices continue to decline, and it is very much a buyer's market here in Port Townsend, WA.                                           01/30/2011

We Try!  My real estate office, John L Scott, Port Townsend was recently named "Best Real Estate Company on the Peninsula." This is a local contest in which readers of the Peninsula Daily News ( a daily newspaper which serves Clallum and Jefferson Counties), can vote for their  favorite restaurant, retailer, establishment of whatever kind.   Our area has 10-12 small real estate offices, and in our county we have about 100 agents.  John L Scott is a regional company which has franchises in 3 states, WA, OR and Idaho.  Our Port Townsend office is a privately owned franchise and run very much like a small boutique office, with policies of the corporate office in place.  We are like a big family with a great designated broker, and lots of team spirit. We now have 17 agents, (down from about... 01/29/2011

I read a post the other day re: dog food and I totally agree about using quality food.  My Shit Zhus Teddy and Lulu seem to have itchy skin from a lot of things and chicken seems to be one of them.  Makes sense also that most commercial dog foods have questionable ingredients. I cook for my little guys, and here is one of my recipes.  Easy, fast and can be cut in slices and stored in freezer ready to nuke and serve. Lulu's Favorite Meatloaf 1 1/2 lb ground lean beef or lamb (or comb.) 1/2 to 1 lb. ground beef liver 1 C oatmeal  1/2 C wheat germ                                                1-2 cloves of garlic 1 C or more beef or vegetable broth 1 raw egg                                                        1/2 C eggbeaters 2 shredded carrot 1 C shredded or chopped gr. beans Mix tog... 11/08/2010

I was just reading a front page article in our local newspaper, The Port Townsend Leader stating that foreclosures in the county (Jefferson County) have increased by 25% this year over last year.    It seems to me that here in Port Townsend we have had very few.  Looking back one year on sales in the city limits we have had 95 sales of residential homes with 6 of those being foreclosures.  That amounts to less than 6% of the sales.  This is not an area where people do a lot of spec building, or moving up.  Homeowners are more inclined to stay in their homes and remodel, add on, or just make do.  This is not an area where people are impressed by the size of your home, or the model of your car.  County wide there were 275 total residential listed sales in the past year with 28 of them be... 10/20/2010

Port Townsend has a wonderful state park called Fort Worden, an old army post dating back to the late 1800's.  It is full of wondrous things, including trails through the forest.  On one of our walks there earlier this summer I caught a glimpse (and a photo) of this magnificent guy.  We have a lot of deer in Port Townsend, sometimes too many if you are trying to grow your favorite roses. They are generally used to people and are seen in most neighborhoods.  09/14/2010

Another amazing year at the Wooden Boat Festival brings a record number of wooden boats, festival goers and visitors  to Port Townsend.  Weather is perfect, and the town is packed.   This is the perfect event for wooden boat enthusiasts, all boaters, and people who just enjoy looking at boats.  The wooden boats tie up at the docks and many are open to view, some are for sale and all are interesting.  One of the highlights is the beer garden with entertainment, both contemporary and the beloved shanty songs.  This year there will be tours of the new Maritime Center, the Chandlery is open with boating themed gifts and clothing, and the display of wooden boat makers in action.  In the harbor there is a reagatta, and tall ships. Not too late to miss all this.  Open all day on Sunday.     09/11/2010

In a recent private sale the historic CC Bartlett Building was sold for $1,000,000.  Purchased by long time tenant, Siren's Club owner Chris Nelson moved  to prevent the building from going to auction and thereby securing the fate of her successful nightclub and restaurant.  The 10,600 sq. ft. waterfront  building had been previously purchased in 2008 for $1.5 Mil and had been in a dispute with the property manager and family members of the last owner.  This is a boon for Port Townsend and the Historic Waterfront District and a good buy for Chris Nelson, 39 year old member of Port Townsend City Council, and champion of Port Townsend small business and tourism.   We need more like her on our city council. 09/09/2010

Port Townsend is a very small town, geograhically, and in population size.  It is surrounded by water on three sides, so no possibility of sprawl here.  There are several neighborhoods, each built in a different era, with distinct flavor and character.   Even now, in a exagerated buyer's market we do not have a large inventory to choose from.   North Beach Neighborhood As the name would imply this is located on the North side of the Quimper Peninsula, with views of the San Juan Islands and the shipping lanes of the Straits of Juan De Fuca.  The homes range in age from the early 40's to new, and lot sizes usally are around 10,000 sq. ft.  I love the ecclectic look and feel of the area, and there are several easy ways to get to the dog friendly beach.  When the tide is out you can walk t... 09/04/2010

As of the end of business on Friday afternoon, Coldwell Banker in Port Townsend closed it's doors.   Most of the Port Townsend real estate community was shocked, and dismayed, as this is a long standing company with a very excellent reputation.  As far as I could tell, it was about 3rd in the rankings of volume, number of transactions, and number of listings.  They had about 5 or 6 top producing agents, and the owner of the company was a working broker who also owned 3 other locations.  The Port Ludlow office was sold to the top producer there, and he will continue to work out of his Sequim office.  This left many agents literally out in the cold along with a lot of sellers whose listings they held.  I can't think of much worse in our business than moving to a new office, but to do it w... 07/12/2010

Port Townsend's one time Customs House is on the waterfront on Water Street, and is now home to The Lighouse Cafe, which serves breakfast and lunch.  I have never eaten there, so no comment on the food, but it is a very interesting building which is in great shape for it's age.  06/06/2010

This area is full of wonderful music all summer long, with every type of music you can think of.  Beginning in July there is Fiddle Tunes, Chamber Music Festival, Jazz Festival and Blues Festival.  Most are performed at the Centrum Campus at Fort Worden, with some of the local clubs hosting performances in the clubs.  Great music and great fun. Also, the Olympic Music Festival beginning in July and continuing every weekend, Classical Concerts in the Barn.  There is also some fun music at the Saturday Farmers Market, and last Sat. it was one of my favorites, the Limpopo Band.  Every Wed. you can catch the "Music at the Dock" show, with local bands and dancing in the street.   05/31/2010

The tall ships Hawaiian Chieftan and Lady Washington were in our harbor this weekend with tours and sailings for the public.  Always a delight to see, they complete the scene of the Vitorian Seaport Village and add a lot of character to the downtown waterfront.  The Lady Washington has been in several movies: Pirates of the Carribean, Star Trek, and Blackbeard. The tall ship replicas are from the Grays Harbor Maritime Museum and their main purpose is to teach the public and especially students about the maritime history of the Northwest.  05/23/2010

Well worth waiting for, it seems to be here at last!  Port Townsend is a beautiful little city all year long and it does have all four seansons which is something I am not accustomed to as a native of So. CA.  But I think we all love summer the most.  Temperatures rarely reach the high 70's, and the sun is out every day. Number one favorite thing to do in summer! Whale watching:  This is the best!  You can board the Glacial Spirit at the Point Hudson Marina around 8:30 in the morning, and cross the Strait of Juan De Fuca to Friday Harbor for a wonderful day of amazing sights.  The whales are the Southern Resident Orca pods (3 pods live here in the summer).  Known as "killer whales" they look like playful pets, cavorting through the water.  You will also see seals (maybe they are sea lio... 05/23/2010

             The tall ships were in Port Ludlow (neighboring community of Port Townsend)  this weekend and available for sailings, open for tours and inspection.  They are the Lady Washington and the Hawaiian Chieftan and come from Grays Harbor, WA.  They are visiting ports in Washington State to preserve the maritime  history of Grays Harbor and the Pacific Northwest.  These replicas of the turn of the 18th century European merchant ships are available for charter for school outings, company meetings, and weddings.              04/25/2010

When visiting Port Townsend, WA do not miss this fun and happy eatery.  A blast from the past, you will think you are back in high school (if you are from my generation) or you will experience what your parents did after school.  There is a a long counter with stools topped with red vinyl, individual juke box players, wonderful black and white checkered flooring, and of course hamburgers, malts, shakes and French fries.   Just one of so many fun places to check out when you are strolling down Water Street in Port Townsend, WA 04/16/2010

  This photo was taken by my son at our Port Townsend Post Office which is located in Uptown in the old Customs Building.   As you can see from bottom photo even our post office has a gorgeous water view! Evidently the petitioners were creating quite a ruckus among our extremely liberal citizens who love Obama!   There were people arguing with raised fists, and a few signing the petition.  The sponser of this petition is Lyndon Larouch, still running for office.                                                                                         04/14/2010

The Leader Building Located in downtown Port Townsend, The Leader Building has an interesting background dating back to 1874.   Early settler Enoch Fowler was a sailor who moved to Port Townsend  in the 1850's when his ship dropped off the first white settlers.   In 1874 Fowler constructed Port Townsend's first substantial stone building which is thought to be the oldest multistory masonry building in Washington.  Built of large sandstone blocks from a quarry near Indian Island, it is still in extremely good repair and a sturdy building.  In its early days the "Fowler Building" was used as the County Courthouse, until 1892 when the new courthouse was built.  Sometime around the time of Port Townsend's first big recession, in the late 1890's it became  empty was not used again until 1916... 04/13/2010