Silverdale, Washington - Bites of Life on the Kitsap Peninsula

April 29, 2007 at 9:59 am · Filed under Bites of Washington, Bites of Kitsap, Sparks from Sparky

I’ve done my fair share of traveling around the world, but of all the places I have been, nothing compares to living amidst the majestic beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Silverdale, Washington, is strategically located in the center of the Kitsap Peninsula, surrounded by the waters of Puget Sound. It provides the perfect launching point for adventuresome trips into the heart of the Olympic National Forest, along the rugged Washington coastline, or a brief ferryboat ride into the cultural explosion known as Seattle.

Lt. Charles Wilkes led the first known expedition to the area in 1841. Loggers and farmers came along shortly thereafter. Silverdale grew quickly into a popular port of commerce for the large Farmers Cooperative that was formed in 1887, sending produce over to Seattle by the ships of the Mosquito Fleet.

But it wasn’t until 1971 that truly significant growth in the Silverdale area occurred. The United States Navy announced plans to construct their Trident Submarine Base at nearby Bangor, along the shore of Hood Canal. This new base would add a considerably larger military presence to the existing Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in neighboring Bremerton.

A few years later, the Kitsap Mall was opened, providing a much needed full-scale retail complex to the region. Since that time, a flood of national retail chains have flocked to the area, making Silverdale an even more popular shopping desitination.

The nearby waters of Hood Canal offer a wide variety of recreational activities from salmon fishing and crabbing, to harvesting oysters and clams.  Public campgrounds and boat launches are in plentiful supply, making even the most remote areas accessible. Pleasant Harbor, located on the Olympic side of the canal, offers several marinas, a country store, pizza restaurant, and a romantic getaway, “Houseboats for Two.”

Depending on which direction you’re traveling in Silverdale, you can normally view the majestic Olympic Mountain Range to the west as it rises dramatically from the waters edge, or the snowcapped peak of Mount Rainer off to the east.

Silverdale is served by the Central Kitsap School District, one of the leading districts in the state. In 2005, Central Kitsap High School was rated in the top 2% of secondary schools by Newsweek Magazine. Over 12,000 K thru 12th grade students attend schools which serve a 110 square mile area.

Even with its Northwest location, the weather in Silverdale will surprise many. During Winter, the temperature hardly ever gets below freezing, making snowfall a rarity. The Summer months are spectacular, posting consistent 70 to 90 degree weather.

Nearby communities include Poulsbo (The Little Norway), Bremerton, Port Orchard, and Kingston.

Living in Silverdale, Washington, has so much to offer, you’ll truly feel as though you’re on vacation all year round!

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C-Dory, the Perfect Utility Boat - Bites of Life on the Kitsap Peninsula

April 29, 2007 at 9:39 am · Filed under Bites of Kitsap, Bremerton Real Estate, Bainbridge Island Real Estate, Sparks from Sparky

When we first moved to the Kitsap Peninsula, it became quickly evident, being surrounded by the waterways of the Puget Sound and Hood Canal, that our family was going to need a boat.

At first, we were in denial, and attempted to circumvent the process by taking the “Wally-Mart 2-Man Inflatable” route. First let me say that the term “2-Man” is clearly misrepresented, and should really be a ”2-Small-Child” raft. Can you picture me and my 6′-tall teenage son, packed to the hilt with crabbing gear, paddling out into the swift currents of Hood Canal? Have you ever been utterly terrified and yet laughing uncontrollably at the same time?

Needless to say, we quickly admitted our stupidity (a very hard thing for guys to do!) and began our boat search in earnest.

One summer weekend, while camping at Seal Rock Campground on the Olympic Peninsula, we found Pleasant Harbor, a really cool marina, nestled in a protected cove near Brinnon. We parked the car and walked along the pier, admiring the various motor and sail boats.

And then suddenly, it was “Love at First Sight!”

We learned that this was a 16 ft. C-Dory, manufactured right here in Washington State. While over in the Kent area, I toured their plant and got more information. I came to the conclusion that a new model was way over my budget, so I turned to the internet and found the C-Dory Owner’s website. They had a classified section, so I posted an ad for a used C-Dory. A couple days later, I got a call from a retired Navy guy who lived just a few miles from our house! We drove over and found a 1985 C-Dory 16 ft. Angler Model in his driveway. It was in mint condition, with less than 70 hours on the 40hp Johnson, and a 9hp kicker!

Since then, we’ve discovered the joyous financial Black Hole that boat ownership brings. However, the C-Dory truly is the perfect sportsman’s utility boat for the Pacific Northwest. It’s great for a relaxing day out crabbin’ or pulling up to a secluded beach to dig clams or oysters. It’s not fast or flashy, but I guarantee that it’ll turn heads at the public boat launch, where your fellow fishermen will nod with envy and give you the traditional Tim Allen “Tool Time” grunt!

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“And the Survey Says!”

April 26, 2007 at 10:37 pm · Filed under Real Estate Bites, Buyers, Sellers, Sparks from Sparky

As a Buyer, one thing you need to be mindful of in the buying process is property corners. This isn’t always as important of an issue in residential developments, but more usually in rural properties, or vacant land. Still, if it’s important to you, have your agent explain your options. Let me give you some examples why this can be so vital:

I represented a Buyer on a really nice single-story home (what we call a “rambler” out here, a “ranch-style” home elsewhere). It was situated on a half-acre wooded parcel in a small 40 home residential development.

During our final walk-thru, the previous owners showed us all the various features of the property, including where they believed the approximate property corners were situated (you seasoned agents know where this going, right?)

After closing, my Buyers began to make the place their own. They spent a huge amount of time and sweat trimming back the overgrowth in the yard (a very common battle here in Washington!), cut ouf a few paths, and tore down some wood fencing that was old and rotting. Removing the fence really opened up their lot and made it feel less confining. Plus, there was a significant amount of natural growth or green buffer to act as  barrier between their house and the neighbors. According to the previous owners, the property line was actually about 10 feet over towards the neighbor’s yard from where the fence was.

Shortly after my folks pulled down the fence, the next-door neighbor went on a massive ”de-foliage” campaign. He pulled up every bush and shrub right up to the point where the fence used to be. This effectively eliminated any amount of natural barrier between the two properties. The neighbor then erected a make-shift fence back where the old fence used to be. What once was a very lush and green landscape looked more like a moonscape!

Frustrated, my Buyers hired a professional surveyor to come out and mark the property corners. To their dismay, the property line extended right along the same line as where the old fence had been.

Another friend of mine purchased a vacant lot with the intent of building his family a dream home. The lot provided more than enough room for the footprint of home they wanted. Shortly after closing, as my friend was clearing some trees off the property, a man drove up in a BMW. He was dressed in suit and tie, and looked like a lawyer.

“Can I ask what you’re doing?” the Lawyer guy asked.

“Just clearing my property” replied my friend.

“Well, as soon as you’re done clearing ‘My’ lot, then I guess you’ll clear ‘Yours!

Turns out the the guy WAS a lawyer! And suddenly, the large expansive lot that my friend ‘thought’ he had purchased, was reduced to about a 1/3 of what he actually purchased. It was later determined that the Listing Agent was completely clueless as to what he was really selling and misrepresented the property corners.

Moral of the story? Never, ever take the previous owners, or the Listing Agent’s word on anything. After closing, they’re history. If property corners are a huge deal to you, consider having a line or boundary survey done prior to closing, or even condition the purchase contract on having a survey done to your satisfaction.

Or, you can simply be really generous, and clear someone else’s property!

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SUBASE Bangor WA - Voted Best Overall Base by the Navy Times

April 24, 2007 at 10:37 pm · Filed under Bites of Kitsap, Silverdale Real Estate, Sparks from Sparky

Back in the late ’70’s, I was proudly serving as a Radioman onboard the USS George Washington (SSBN598), the world’s first nuclear ballistic submarine. Shortly after refit at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, CA, we transited up along the West Coast, finding our way into the waters of the picturesque Hood Canal, and made port at the newly constructed Bangor Subase, situated along the scenic shores of the Kitsap Peninsula.

I can remember standing watch up topside, looking out over the majestic splendor of the Olympic Mountain Range and the deep blue waters of Hood Canal, and thinking to myself, how great it would be to live here someday.

Now, some 25 years later, I am thrilled to call the Kitsap Peninsula our home!

As I have mentioned in some previous posts, the Kitsap Peninsula is proud to be home to a very large military community who faithfully serve at various locations in the surrounding area that make up Naval Base Kitsap. Naval Base Kitsap is comprised of the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, the Bangor Submarine Base, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Keyport, as well as various surface ships and submarines that are home ported at Bremerton and Bangor.

SUBASE Bangor was originally used as one several sites for shipping ammunition to the Pacific theater during World War II. Construction of the current base began in 1974 and was officially activated in February of 1977 as the homeport for the first squadron of TRIDENT submarines. Since that time, SUBASE Bangor has garnered numerous prestigious awards including the coveted Navy Times “Best Base in the Navy,” as voted by active duty service members.

SUBASE Bangor is an amazing self-contained, city-within-a-city. In addition to single barracks and family residential units, you’ll find a full-range of services available, including a McDonalds, a Subway, a grocery store, an exchange department store, a movie theater, bowling alley, gas station, chapel, and much more.

Two nearby elementary schools serve Navy families living on base - Clear Creek Elementary and Cougar Valley Elementary. These schools are part of the Central Kitsap School District, known as one of the premier districts in the State.

The adjacent community of Silverdale offers the largest variety of retail shopping, restaurants, and services than anywhere else on the Peninsula. You’ll find all the big box stores, including Target, Best Buy, Old Navy, Home Depot, Costco, and many national retailers in the Kitsap Mall.

There is never a lack of great leisure activities here on the Kitsap Peninsula. The surrounding waterways of the Puget Sound offer excellent boating and sportsfishing opportunities. You’ll definitely want to try your hand at crabbing or clam digging. The Washington State Parks Commission maintains a wonderful network of top-rated campgrounds and hiking trails. The Olympic National Park is only a short drive across the Hood Canal Bridge.

SUBASE Bangor is a wonderful place to be stationed. Our area offers a great quality of life, and a safe environment to live or raise a family!

I am grateful to live in a community that is made up of dedicated service men and women who are stationed here, along with their families. Their devoted patriotism makes the Kitsap Peninsula a wonderful place to call home.

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Should I Tell My Loan Officer About The Loan That’s Not On My Credit Report?

April 24, 2007 at 3:41 am · Filed under Bites of Buckwheat, Mortgage Bites

It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally credit reports are missing some information. What about child support from before your current marriage? That doesn’t show up at all on a credit report. Should you tell the loan officer or just keep it to yourself. If it’s not on the report it doesn’t count, right?

Your loan and your credibility are at risk

You can go to jail if you deliberately withhold information from your mortgage application. It is called fraud and it’s not worth the risk. If you have ever wondered whether or not you must let a loan officer know about something that isn’t on you credit report, now you have the answer. Everything you know about your debts or obligations, regardless of if it may be on your credit report, must be disclosed to your lender. The lender is considering lending you thousands of dollars and has the legal right to full information. If that lender makes a decision to loan you money and finds out later that you withheld pertinent information, you could still go to prison.

Think of it this way. If a friend of yours asked you for a loan, but didn’t tell you something financially critical like they just totalled their car after a hard night of partying and need to get another one as soon as possible. And they didn’t tell you until after you gave them money. You’d be pretty ticked off, wouldn’t you? I would be. Without a car, your friend probably can’t get to work. And no work means no money. So of course you are going to wonder how they’ll pay you back.

A mortgage lender is in exactly the same position. They are making a decision based on a lie of omission.

Here’s the good news

Your loan officer can probably get your loan approved anyway. There are so many creative loan programs available these days, your debt ratio may not be as bad as you think, to a lender. If the lender agrees to make a loan after you have told everything there is to tell about your debts, you have nothing at all to worry about. The lender knows what he needs to know and fraud is no concern of yours.

So, if you have ever wondered about that hidden obligation or been tempted to keep it all to yourself, go with the honest solution and let the loan officer do his or her job. It works better for everybody involved. The honest solution allows you to stay out of jail and live in a nice house. The other decision? Well…..visitors are allowed!

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New Construction Homes on the Kitsap Peninsula WA

April 21, 2007 at 9:49 pm · Filed under Real Estate Bites, Buyers, Sellers, Sparks from Sparky

As with most large metropolitan areas, home prices have been increasing significantly in the Greater Seattle area, making it difficult to find affordable new construction. Many homebuyers have been discovering a valuable, cost-effective alternative across the Sound on the Kitsap Peninsula.

As licensed professional real estate agents here on the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State, we are fortunate to have a number of skilled home builders who offer excellent new construction properties for our clients.

The Home Builders Association of Kitsap County provides a list of current Builders who are members in good standing. Whether you are looking for a spec home or desire a more custom approach, there are a number of very reputable Builders to choose from.

Here are just a few examples of those builders and some of their current projects on the Kitsap Peninsula:

Chaffey Homes:       Chaffey Homes has over 40 years of home building experience in the Northwest, having successfully housed over 10,000 families since its inception in 1963. Current projects include: Oyster Bay Estates in Bremerton; City Sights II and Hawkstone II/McCormick Woods in Port Orchard; Newberry Woods, Town’s Summit, and High Pointe II in Silverdale; Avondale Glen and Clear Creek Estates in Poulsbo.

Quadrant Homes:   Building homes in the Seattle and Puget Sound area since 1969, Quadrant Homes was awarded “Builder of the Year” in 1004 by the Master Builders Association. Current projects include: Stendahl Ridge in Poulsbo, and The Ridge at McCormick Woods in Port Orchard.

Akamai Homes:       Based in Edmonds, Akamai Homes offers both spec and custom homes. They are currently building homes in the new White Horse Golf Community in Kingston.

Bushnell Homes:    A family-owned and operated business for over 20 years. Current projects: near Kitsap Lake in Bremerton, and in Bridgeview in Kingston.

Central Highland Builders:         Central Highlands, Inc. designs, builds, and develops residential communities as well as individual custom homes. They are currently building Poulsbo Place II in Poulsbo.

Ferguson & Cole:   Successful builders in Washington State for over 20 years, with numerous projects throughout Kitsap County.

Your local real estate professional will be able to recommend many additional quality builders for you to choose from.

Discover a great quality of life and your next home on the Kitsap Peninsula in scenic Washington State!

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Costco Wholesale Silverdale - Business Bites on the Kitsap Peninsula

April 20, 2007 at 11:46 pm · Filed under Bites of Kitsap, Sparks from Sparky, Business Bites

In the early 80’s, after the Kitsap Mall was completed, Silverdale quickly became a fast-growing and badly needed retail mecca for residents within the large surrounding area of the West Sound. Since then, it has continued to attract many of the national chains and big box stores.

One of my favorites is the COSTCO Wholesale store here in Silverdale.

Founded by current CEO James Sinegal, and headquarterd here in Issaquah, WA, COSTCO has over 500 locations worldwide, with nearly 125,000 employees, and ended their fiscal year this past September with almost $59 billion in sales (about half of that was just to my family!)

Now granted, when you shop at COSTCO, you normally end up with about a 3 month supply. However, with a family like mine, having 3 teenage boys, a 3 month supply lasts about 3 days!

I realize with a “warehouse-style” store you lose some of the intimacy normally associated with smaller shopping venues. But that isn’t the case with our local Costco store here in Silverdale. The staff goes out ot their way to make you feel welcomed and important. The check-out is always quick and pleasant. Several of the employees know me by name, and I’m not the one wearing a badge!

Let’s face it, while COSTCO does offer a wide variety of products, and at some very attractive prices, who are we kidding?

It’s ALL about the “FREE SAMPLES!” So what if they’ve got the lowest priced Milk in town. Just give me that free smoked weenie!

Seriously though, one of the things that really makes it easy and enjoyable to shop at COSTCO