When I first started highlighting the area churches last month, I thought I would call the post "Church Of The Week".  But North Tacoma does not have enough churches to make this possible, so I altered my thinking to have the feature called "Church Of The Month".This month's church is Immanuel Presbyterian Church. Immanuel Presbyterian Church is located at 901 North J Street in Tacoma. Worship services are held on Sundays at 10:30am.Immanuel Presbyterian has a long history in Tacoma.  It was chartered on January 28, 1888! In 1888 it was called the Second Presbyterian Church of Tacoma. And it had 22 members including the first pastor, the Reverend Thomas MacGuire.  In 1892 the name was changed to Immanual Presbyterian Church. In 1909 the church was built and the school building was added... 06/13/2007

Thursday, June 7th, the Broadway Farmer's Market kicks off it's season.The Broadway Market will be held in Downtown Tacoma on Broadway between South 9th Street and South 11th Streets.The Broadway Market will run every Thursday from 9am to 2pm through October 28th.There will be food, garden plants, fresh fruite and vegetables, crafts, and much more!For more information, call 253-272-7077 or visit www.tacomafarmersmarket.com 06/06/2007

Saturday, June 2nd, the Proctor Farmer's Market kicked off it's season. The Proctor Farmer's Market will be held in the Proctor Business District at North 27th Street and Proctor Streets.The Proctor Farmer's Market will run every Saturday Thursday from 9am to 2pm through October 27th.There will be fresh fruite and vegetables, herbs, and more plus advice from the Master Gardeners at WSU!For more information, visit http://www.proctorfarmersmarket.com 06/06/2007

May 2007 Real Estate Sales Stats for North TacomaFrom May 1st to May 31st, 2007, 20 homes sold in the North Tacoma from Proctor to Commencement Bay and Sixth Avenue north to Commencement Bay.  In 2006, there were 27 sales in the same period and same geographic boundaries. 2007 averages are as follows:Average Sales Price- $389,562Average Days on Market- 76 daysAverage $ per Sq Ft- $184.54Average Sq Ft- 2250Low Sales Price- $159,000High Sales Price- $905,000 Homes sold for 97.03% of their asking price.  The four week average of demand was only 17%.  That tells us that is it still a very strong buyer's market in North Tacoma. 06/05/2007

May 2007 Real Estate Sales Stats for Tacoma's North Slope Historic DistrictFrom May 1st to May 31st, 2007, nine homes sold in the North Slope Historic District in Tacoma. In 2006, there were 10 sales in the same period. 2007 averages are as follows:Average Sales Price- $425,533Average Days on Market (DOM)- 74 daysAverage $ per Sq Ft- $175.08Average Sq Ft- 2420Low Sales Price- $159,000High Sales Price- $875,000. Homes sold for 95.89% of their asking price. The DOM is a little deceptive. Three of the nine homes were on the market more than 110 days. The other six were sold in 55 days or less. That means they were priced to sell. Even in the buyer's market that North Tacoma is experiencing. Demand for homes has been on average only 6.25% of the homes currently listed for sale.   (Under 45%... 06/05/2007

Tacoma In Top 20 Nationwide For Home Appreciation On Friday, MSN Money Staff released their findings of the top 282 cities across the nation in regards to home appreciation. The rankings are based on average house price changes in repeat sales or refinances of the same single family homes. The results are given in the first quarter of 2007, 1 year averages, and 5 year averages.  Tacoma ranked 19th in the nation with a first quarter average gain of 1.52%. The average appreciation over the last year was 11.90%.  The average appreciation over the last five years was 76.09%!As a whole, Washington State had 10 Metropolitian areas place in the top 50 nationwide. Proof that our housing market is still pretty good overall.Metro Area                  Rank   1st Qtr 2007       1 year     5 year W... 06/03/2007

Broadway MarketThur. 9:00am to 2:00pm (May 17th - Oct. 18th)You'll still find your festive Thursday tradition on Broadway, offering up the season's freshest produce, artisan crafts, prepared foods, toe-tapping music and much more. Ride your bike to the market on May 17th and join in the Bike to Market Day festivities sponsored by REI! Don't miss monthly KIDS' DAY events, June 21st and August 2nd.Other Special Event Days to look for in 2007 include 3rd Annual Dog Days of Summer on July 12th, and Health and Fitness Day on August 23rdDowntown on Broadway between 9th and 11th  Dome District MarketTue. 3:00pm to 7:00pm (Jun. 5th - Aug. 28th )Location, Location, Location. Enjoy free parking or ride the LINK, the bus or the Sounder to our convenient Dome District Market, Tuesdays from 3-7pm be... 05/17/2007

Historic Homes of Tacoma Tour 2007This weekend I went on the Tacoma Historical Society's homes tour. The homes (and 1 church!) chosen were great examples of the wonderful craftsmanship of historic homes and buildings typical in Tacoma, WA.  In order of the tour there was1) Epworth LeSourd United Methodist Church.Built in 1926 with a modified Gothic style and a pretty steeple. This lovely church was a whopping $90,000 to build and was dedicated on May 23, 1926. It holds about 600 people in the auditorium and up to 400 at tables in the social hall. The Epworth congregation was organized in 1889 by Reverend George Wilding. The actual building of the church was started by the Reverend David G. LeSourd. In 1972, Epworth united with LeSourd Methodist. 2) Wilson HouseBuilt in 1906 the home cos... 05/07/2007

HISTORIC TACOMA ANNOUNCES LECTURE SERIES FOR PRESERVATION MONTH May is National Preservation Month and to celebrate Historic Tacoma is offering an informative series of lectures covering architectural identification, window repair, historic landscaping, and lighting. A community forum will close the series featuring a moderated panel discussion on rehabilitation and adaptive re-use of neighborhood landmarks.You won't want to miss this series which takes place in the majestic setting of the historic Pythian Hall in downtown Tacoma. Call or email today to order your tickets. Lectures are free to Historic Tacoma members and $8 per ticket for general public, or $25 for the series. Join Historic Tacoma today and save!Series details:May 3: ID Required: Residential Architectural Styles from 18... 05/06/2007

May is National Preservation MonthTacoma,WA (May 1, 2007) - Citizens in Tacoma will join thousands of individuals around the country as part of a nationwide celebration of 2007 National Preservation Month in May 2007. "Making Preservation Work!" is the theme of the month-long celebration, which is sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Since the National Trust created Preservation Week in 1971 to spotlight grassroots preservation efforts in America, it has grown into an annual celebration observed by small towns and big cities with events ranging from architectural and historic tours and award ceremonies, to fundraising events, educational programs and heritage travel opportunities. Due to its overwhelming popularity, the National Trust has extended the celebration t... 05/06/2007

The Tacoma Historical Society is sponsoring the following event Monday, June 11th, 2007 at the Tacoma Public Library. The event begins at 7pm."The Great Streetcar Wreck of 1900" Russell HolterResearcher, co-author of Rails to ParadiseFor more information about this event or to join the Tacoma Historical Society, call their information line at (253) 472-3738 or visit them online at http://www.tacomahistory.org/  The Tacoma Historical Society was founded in 1990 to preserve and present the history of Tacoma. The THS meets the second Monday every month at 7pm at the historic Carnegie Library (102 Tacoma Avenue South, Tacoma, WA), unless otherwise announced.   05/05/2007

This Week's Church is-St. Patrick's Church in Tacoma is located at 1112 North G Street, Tacoma, WA 98403. The current Father is Seamus Laverty. This gorgeous church is turning 100 years old at the end of June, 2007! Per their website-In 1891 there were three Catholic churches in Tacoma; St. Leo, Holy Rosary and St. Mary. Because of the close proximity of the three churches, and the recognized need of a church in Old Town, Bishop Junger gave permission to dissolve St. Mary's and to establish St. Patrick Church in the Old Town section of Tacoma. Early in the spring of 1892, a small 30' x 40' frame church was built on the corner of Tacoma Avenue and Starr. The modest wooden church building also served as the Parish school. On August 15, 1905 the original wooden church building was destroye... 05/05/2007

April 2007 Real Estate Sales Stats for North TacomaFrom April 1st to April 31st, 2007, 23 homes sold in  North Tacoma from Proctor Stree to Commencement Bay and Sixth Avenue north to Commencement Bay.  In 2006, there were 24 sales in the same period. 2007 averages are as follows:Average Sales Price- $379,685Average Days on Market- 94 daysAverage $ per Sq Ft- $184.61Average Sq Ft- 2063Low Sales Price- $210,000High Sales Price- $775,000  The biggest change this past year was the Days on Market. Last year's average for the same period was 68 days as compared to this year's 94 days. That tells us that is it still a very strong buyer's market in North Tacoma. Homes sold for 99.01percent of their original asking price which means there were price concessions.  05/05/2007

April 2007 Real Estate Sales Stats for Tacoma's North Slope Historic DistrictFrom April 1st to April 31st, 2007, five homes sold in the North Slope Historic District in Tacoma. In 2006, there were six sales in the same period. 2007 averages are as follows:Average Sales Price- $383,210Average Days on Market- 125 daysAverage $ per Sq Ft- $206.46Average Sq Ft- 1933Low Sales Price- $210,600High Sales Price- $557,500Average sales ratio (Assessed value vs. Sales Price)- 1.23358The biggest change this past month was the Days on Market. Last month's average was 84 as compared to this month's 125 days. That tells us that is it still a very strong buyer's market in North Tacoma. Homes sold for 97.62 percent of their original asking price which means there were price concessions. Demand for homes ... 05/05/2007

I'm fascinated by Old Houses (Part 2) - The Victorian Period-The Victorian period encompasses several styles.  Early-Victorian, Mid-Victorian, and Late-Victorian.Early-Victorian homes were built in several styles such as Gothic, Italian, or Norman. They are very distinct and somewhat rigid in their design. The Mid-Victorian house, built from about 1860 to the late 1870s, is a bit more loose in design and generally combined several different styles all in the same house. It is not unusual to find Italian style windows and columns with Elizabethan Ironwork.  Sometimes they are viewed as an eye-sore because they are so eccentric looking. The Late-Victorian period, from about 1880 through the early 1900's, saw cleaner and asymmetrical lines. The Elizabethan Ironwork was gone.  So was the fr... 05/01/2007

I finally had a little bit of time to catch up on my reading this past weekend. So I pull out my newest copy of "Arts & Crafts Homes and the Revival" magazine and I do a double take on the cover photo. I have a feeling of deja-vu. I know this house. I've been in it. I think I must be mistaken. So I flip open the cover and dive in.My feelings are quickly confirmed. Pages 62 through 69 showcase the home I had the priviledge of walking through on November 4th, 2006 during the North Slope Historic District's progressive dinner. I have always admired this home from the outside.  The house is a mismash of styles and yet it works. To put it simply, I like the location, I like the lines of the home, and I like that it has a good sized yard with gardens. It is graceful, stylish, elegant. The pi... 04/26/2007

1st Quarter 2007 Real Estate Sales Stats for Tacoma's North Slope Historic DistrictFrom January 1st to March 31st, 2007, 13 homes sold in the North Slope Historic District in Tacoma. Average Sales Price- $458,654Average Days on Market- 78 daysAverage $ per Sq Ft- $179.51Average Sq Ft- 2789Low Sales Price- $200,000High Sales Price- $731,000Sales for the first quarter of 2007 were a bit sluggish as compared to the same period last year. Last year for the same period 18 homes sold. However, the average sales price increased 30.2 percent! 2006's first quarter average sales price of a home in the NSHD was $351,685. Days on market in 2006 was 84 days.    04/07/2007

 From March 1st to March 31st, 2007, four homes sold in the North Slope Historic District in Tacoma. Average Sales Price- $495,750Average Days on Market- 84 daysAverage $ per Sq Ft- $187.40Average Sq Ft- 2768Low Sales Price- $272,000High Sales Price- $731,000March sales continued on the slow side.  Interestingly enough, the average sales price increased. As did the days on market. Homes sold for an average of 99.66% of their listing price. Demand for homes has been on average only 2% of the homes currently listed for sale.   This tells us that it is still a strong buyer's market in North Tacoma. 04/07/2007

From February 1st to February 28th, 2007 four homes sold in the North Slope Historic District in Tacoma. Average Sales Price- $432,625.Average Days on Market- 72 daysAverage $ per Sq Ft- $146.03Average Sq Ft- 3497Low Sales Price- $296,500High Sales Price- $549,000Febuary sales continued on the slow side.  Demand for homes has been on average only been 3% of the homes currently listed for sale.  February was also definately a buyers market in the NSHD.   03/23/2007

From January 1st to January 31st, 2007 four homes sold in the North Slope Historic District of Tacoma. Average Sales Price- $512,250Average Days on Market- 79 daysAverage $ per Sq Ft- $195.27Average Sq Ft- 2623Low Sales Price- $259,000High Sales Price- $725,000 January sales have started off a little slow.  There has only been about a 5% demand for the homes currently listed for sale.  January was definately a buyers market in the NSHD.   02/17/2007