April :: SoundBiteBlog.com 2007 :: SoundBiteBlog.com

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!

Posted in Bites of Washington, Kitsap County Bites | 2 Comments »

Tags: life in kitsap county

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!

Posted in Bainbridge Island Real Estate, Bremerton WA Real Estate, Kitsap County Bites | 1 Comment »

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!

Posted in Buyers, Real Estate Bites, Sellers | 1 Comment »

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.

Posted in Kitsap County Bites, Silverdale WA Real Estate | 2 Comments »

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!

Posted in Miscellaneous, Mortgage Bites | 6 Comments »

Tags: kitsap real estate blog, mortgage fraud, real estate fraud, seattle real estate blog, silverdale real estate blog