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I just wanted to update our readers about some very positive changes that have recently occurred at the Windermere Real Estate offices in Poulsbo, and Silverdale (known as Windermere West Sound, Inc.) here on the scenic Kitsap Peninsula.

Earlier this year, both offices were sold by retiring Windermere veterans, John Demco and Steve and April Kieburtz, to a couple of young Windermere entrepreneurs, Carter Dotson and Mike Pitts.

Dotson, owner of Windermere’s Kingston office, began his ten year real estate career at Windermere Services Company. A native of Bainbridge Island, Dotson has recently returned to Bainbridge with his family and is managing operations at the Poulsbo office which currently has 47 agents.

Co-owner partner, Pitts, also formerly of Windermere Services Company, brings his information technology skills to the management of the Silverdale office, which houses 42 agents. Mike and his family reside on Bainbridge Island as well.

At the Poulsbo office, longtime Managing Broker and popular trainer, Cindy White, has retired. Her void has been skillfully filled by respected veteran Casey McGrath.

In Silverdale, Managing Broker Frank Wilson has taken a position with Graphical Data, Inc., a real estate technology company that provides website design and IDX MLS feed solutions to real estate offices, brokerages and agents. Replacing Frank is Marie Flanders, a longtime successful agent in Kitsap County.

There is definitely a renewed sense of vision and excitement in our offices. Since assuming ownership, both Carter and Mike have garnered the trust, respect, and support of our agents, not an easy task, I assure you.

Under the leadership of the new owners, and the experienced guidance of the new managing brokers, Windermere West Sound, Inc. is poised to continue their dominant position as the leading real estate company in Kitsap County WA.

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, ActiveRain, and Crabbing in the Hood.

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Tags: Carter Dotson, Casey McGrath, Marie Flanders, Mike Pitts, poulsbo real estate, Silverdale WA Real Estate, west sound inc, windermere real estate

In the most recent issue of US News and World Report, Silverdale WA and Bremerton WA were both ranked in 1st place among the Top Ten US Housing Markets for the Next Ten Years.

Citing a recent study conducted by Moody’s Economy.com, Associate Editor Luke Mullins shared findings that the home prices of neighboring cities Silverdale WA and Bremerton WA should expect to increase by an average of 5.2 percent annually from the fourth quarter of 2008 through the same period of 2018.

Situated near the heart of the Kitsap Peninsula, Silverdale and Bremerton WA share more than 300 miles of scenic Puget Sound coastline with other area cities like Port Orchard, Poulsbo, and Seabeck.

While the attractive Pacific Northwest location is certainly a huge draw that brings new residents to the area, the study points to the area’s stable economies as the primary determining factor for the projected future growth.  A large military presence/community— of the U.S. Navy in particular — helps to insulate the local economies somewhat from the widespread volatility being experienced in other markets around the county.

With the current low mortgage rates and the $8000 tax credit, this can be an excellent time for 1st Time Home Buyers to enter the market. And, with the number of bank-owned properties and short sales, there is also opportunities for investors to acquire some bargain-priced properties.

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing knowledgeable empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, ActiveRain, and Crabbing in the Hood.

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Posted in Kitsap County Bites | 2 Comments »

Tags: Bremerton WA Real Estate, Kitsap County WA real estate, port orchard real estate, poulsbo real estate, seabeck wa real estate, Silverdale WA Real Estate

Okay, so I did something for the very first time the other day.

I sent a letter to an elected official. Actually, I sent it to several of our elected officials here in Washington State.

Although I have always been a very faithful voter and take that privilege quite seriously, I’ve never felt overly passionate about a particular issue enough to warrant penning any correspondence.

Until now….

My wife, Janice, is a 5th grade teacher at Brownsville Elementary School in the Central Kitsap School District. Call me biased, but I think she is one of the most gifted and caring teachers on the planet. She’s one of those highly memorable teachers that kids look back on as having made a significant positive impact in their lives.

This last year, along with several other teachers at Brownsville, Janice has been studying for her National Board Certification. Achieving this goal is an extremely difficult and involved process which requires meeting very rigorous standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review. The process culminates in a lengthy exam where the passing rate is only 50%. My wife is scheduled to take the test in May.

The National Board Certification was recently recognized by the National Research Council as having a positive impact on student achievement, teacher retention, and professional development. It’s one of the few truly viable programs out there that offers meaningful incentives for teaching professionals to improve their skills, and actually translates into providing better education to students. As an incentive/reward for their hard work and commitment, those who achieve certification receive an annual stipend/bonus of $5000.

And so it comes with incredulous shock and dismay that one of our local legislators, Rep. Kathy Haigh, of the 35th District, would introduce House Bill 2343 “Achieving Savings in Education Programs” that could potentially jeopardize the future payment of the National Board bonuses.

Let’s face it, teachers don’t earn the kind of salaries they deserve to begin with. And for those who genuinely want to improve or excel, they should be duly compensated for taking the time, energy, and initiative to do so. Why would we want to encourage teachers to simply remain at the status quo and penalize those who want to become better equipped to teach our children?

For the faithful readers of SoundBiteBlog, would you join me in doing what I did? Maybe it might be a ‘first’ for you too! Send a letter to our elected officials, and tell them what a really bad idea House Bill 2343 is. Surely with all the Congressional bailout legislation and pork barrel spending going on lately, some of those programs could easily be eliminated without penalizing our valued teaching professionals AND students yet again!  Thank you!

For the record, I have received one response thus far to my letter. It was from Rep. Sherry Appleton. Here’s what she wrote:

Thank you for your e-mail. I appreciate you writing me for your first time!
I understand your frustration. I do not want to cut education, nor do I want the many cuts that are taking place. With a budget deficit exceeding $9 billion, and no new taxes to bring in more revenue, we have no choice but to make cuts to very critical programs.

I do not support House Bill 2343. I support National Board Certified Teachers and do not want to see any cuts. I understand the amount of work it takes, for both the spouse and the candidate, to become Nationally Board Certified and I commend you and your wife for your dedication and decision to become certified.

Thanks again for writing. I appreciate hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Sherry

Sherry V. Appleton
Representative, 23rd Legislative District

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com and Crabbing in the Hood.

Edited By Mark – 4/17/2009
In an effort to understand this bill and it’s potential impact, I have been researching. The following links may help visitors more clearly understand the issues.

Superintendent of Public Instruction site – It is interesting that Washington State was recently used as a model for a promotional video by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standard. It is also interesting to view the original proponents of the Initiative (bottom, right-hand corner of the page).

The OSPI site includes the following statement:

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Washington State program is unique. The shared responsibility and cooperation among the three different organizations (OSPI, WEA and CSTP) is being copied all over the country.

Washington Education Association site – A description of the National Board Certification program.

Washington State University page – This page is for educators. There is a very clear description of the requirements, time commitment and benefits of this program as well as links to additional sources of information.

Stories From School blog – A collaborative blog of 6 NBPTS Educators. This link leads to a recent post praising the Washington State program that is now in jeopardy.

Seattle Times article – A December 2008 article. The final sentence of the article:

Here is a program improving the quality of hundreds of teachers. It ought to be valued.

2009 Biennial Budget Request – From the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction website.

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Tags: Brownsville Elementary, Central Kitsap School District, Christine Rolfes, house bill 2343, Kathy Haigh, National Board Certification, Phil Rockefeller, Sherry Appleton

One of the biggest challenges of relocating to a new area is finding a good, reputable auto repair shop. Murphy’s Law almost always guarantees that whenever you move to a new area, your car will start to act up. There are few things worse in life than having your car breakdown in a new town and not have the slightest clue where to take it.

If you have recently relocated to the Kitsap Peninsula in scenic Washington State, then you are most fortunate. Not only is Kitsap County WA a great place to live, but we also have one of the best auto repair shops right in our own backyard!

Town & Country Auto Repair, located in Bremerton WA right off of Hwy. 3 on Chico Way, has  been a welcomed Godsend to our family. When we moved to Silverdale WA, our kids were much younger and we only had one car – the consumate Soccer Mom vehicle – the Dodge Caravan. Now, as our kids have grown older, we have added 4 other cars to our collection! Several of them are very basic junkers - ”Point-A to Point-B,” high miles used cars (Two of which were thankfully donated by friends or family). Of course, the more cars you own, the greater your chances of needing repairs, especially for the ones held together by rust.

Without reservation, I highly recommend the expert mechanics at Town & Country Auto Repair, and for the following important reasons:

These guys are like the “Boy Scouts of Auto Repair!”

They’re Trustworthy – they always do what they say they’re going to do and “when” they say they’ll do it!

They’re Helpful – each one of their technicians has been professionally trained and certified. Several of them are specialists for various systems or vehicle makes. They are able to troubleshoot even the most challenging problems quickly.

They’re Friendly - you feel like you’re one of the family. They actually make you feel like you’re the most important customer they have!

They’re Thrifty - here’s an amazing concept: they’ll only do the work that is needed or necessary! They’ll give you options, but they never sacrifice on safety related issues. They don’t gouge their customers, but provide excellent work at a very reasonable price!

Okay, so they’re not Clean, but what would you expect from guys who crawl under cars all day!

So if your car or truck needs work, from a major engine or transmission overhaul, to a simple oil change, check out the boys at:

Town & Country Auto Repair, 3420 Chico Way NW, Bremerton WA 98312

(Corner of Chico Way & Erlands Point) (360) 692-2262

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation for his clients of residential properties and vacant land throughout all of Kitsap County WA and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him at KitsapLife.com, and Crabbing in the Hood.

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Posted in Bremerton WA Real Estate, Business Bites, Kitsap County Bites | 4 Comments »

Tags: automotive repair, bremerton WA, Kitsap County WA, town and country auto repair

In the early 80′s, after the Kitsap Mall was completed, growth in and around the Silverdale WA area literally exploded, and a badly needed retail mecca for residents was created. To this day, it has continued to attract many of the national chains and big box stores.

By far one of my favorites is the COSTCO Wholesale store here in Silverdale.

Founded by current CEO James Sinegal, and headquartered here in Issaquah, WA, COSTCO has over 500 locations worldwide, with nearly 125,000 employees.

Now granted, when you shop at COSTCO, you normally end up with about a 3- months supply. However, with a family like mine, having 3 teenage boys, a 3-months 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 the value and benefits that COSTCO offers, clearly outweighs it.

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!”

Who cares if they’ve got the lowest priced milk in town. Just give me those free smoked weenies!

Seriously though, one of the things that really makes it easy and enjoyable to shop at COSTCO is their extremely liberal return policy. As long as you haven’t drop-kicked it across Montana or dragged it behind your car on the interstate, they’ll take it back, receipt or no receipt, and they refund you in CASH!

Then, you can take your money and run over to get one of those really inexpensive Jumbo Polish Dogs and fountain drink for only $1.50! Boy, it doesn’t get any better than that!

So, if you’re new to the area and looking for a place to stock up, make your way to the COSTCO Warehouse store in Silverdale, WA. And don’t forget the smoked weenie!

COSTCO Warehouse

10000 Mickelberry Road NW

Silverdale, WA 98383

(360) 692-1140

Regular Hours:

M-F  11:00am – 8:30pm

Sat.   9:30am – 6:00pm

Sun. 10:00am – 6:00pm

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Rich Jacobson is a licensed real estate professional providing empowerment and relentless representation of clients throughout all of Kitsap County, and portions of Pierce, Mason, and Jefferson Counties. You can also find him on KitsapLife.com and his fun hobby blog, Crabbing in the Hood.

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Tags: costco wholesale silverdale wa, kitsap county wa local business