Silverdale WA Real Estate :: SoundBiteBlog.com

The following is a brief analysis of the combined single-family home and condo market within Kitsap County, Washington for March 2010, provided by Rich Jacobson of Windermere Real Estate, in Silverdale, WA (this includes data for Bainbridge Island WA)

• Properties currently active on the market:  1775
• Properties closed in the last 180 days:  1339
• Average Sales Price:  $284083
• Average List Price:  $295,292
• Ratio of List Price to Sales Price: 97%
• Average Days on Market: 93
• Sales Pending this Week: 87

Seabeck WA statistics separately: (Area 145)

• Properties currently Active on the market:  70
• Properties closed in last 180 days:  43
• Months of Inventory:  9.77
• Average Sales Price:  $290,041
• Average List Price:  $299,131
• Ratio of List Price to Sales Price: 96%
• Average Days on Market: 91
• Sales Pending this week: 3

For additional area specific market statistics, go to www.KitsapLife.com

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE KITSAP COUNTY WA MARKET NOW?

Now that the National Health Care Bill has been passed, perhaps Washington DC can  get back to the task of kick starting our economy and hopefully improving the housing outlook for the near future. Historically, we normally begin to see a slight increase in sales activity as we enter into the Spring season. No doubt the April 30th deadline for the 1st Time Home Buyer’s Tax Credit will encourage some to get off the fence. Rates still continue to hover just below 5% for a 30-year fixed with .75 to 1 points. For more mortgage rate details, go to The Mortgage Porter.

“SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD” AT CSTOCK COMMUNITY THEATER

This coming weekend is your final opportunity to see CSTOCK’s Black Box Young Adult production of “Songs For A New World” directed by students Billy Buhl, Cherisse Martinelli,  and Jessica Rothwell. This amazing show features local teens and young adults ages 13-20. The vocals are powerful and moving, and showcases the tremendous talents of our area young people. For more information, go to CSTOCK.org

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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, Everyday CK, and Crabbing in the Hood, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com

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Tags: Kitsap County WA, march 2010, market reports, real estate, seabeck wa real estate, Silverdale WA Real Estate

The following is a brief analysis of the combined single-family home and condo market within Kitsap County, Washington for February 2010, provided by Rich Jacobson of Windermere Real Estate, in Silverdale, WA (this includes data for Bainbridge Island WA)

• Properties currently active on the market:  1730
• Properties closed in the last 180 days:  1358
• Average Sales Price:  $284,294
• Average List Price:  $295,084
• Ratio of List Price to Sales Price: 97%
• Average Days on Market: 94
• Sales Pending this Week: 93

Central Kitsap WA statistics separately: (Area 150)

• Properties currently Active on the market:  144
• Properties closed in last 180 days:  160
• Average Sales Price:  $236,201
• Average List Price:  $238,972
• Ratio of List Price to Sales Price: 99%
• Average Days on Market: 80
• Sales Pending this week: 7

For additional area specific market statistics, go to www.KitsapLife.com

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE MARKET NOW?

If I could pick one word to describe the current housing market, it would be ‘uncertainty.’

Most of us would love to believe that things will pick up as we enter the Spring season. Typically, we see a notable overall improvement in both buying and selling of residential properties. But with all the unknowns and instability of our nation’s economy, it’s difficult to accurately predict the direction the market will go in the next month or two.

Short Sales and Foreclosures will obviously continue to impact the market, but to what extent, no one is  sure.

Home prices here in Kitsap County WA, continued to slide in January, adding to the nearly 9% drop we experienced in 2009 over 2008, according to data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

As a comparison, the median sales price of closed homes in January 2010, $224,000, was 4.4 percent less than in January 2008.

Regardless, there continues to be a few exceptions to the rule. There were three north-end communities – Poulsbo, Lofall and Hansville, and two communities in South Kitsap -  Retsil and Manchester – that all enjoyed positive increases in sales prices when compared with the previous month. Close proximity of these communities to ample waterfront was no doubt an influence.

Poulsbo’s median closing price in January was $364,250; Lofall’s $450,000; Hansville’s $429,900; and Retsil and Manchester were at $287,450.

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEW BLOG ‘EVERYDAY CK’

‘Everyday CK’ – My New Blog on the Kitsap Sun

Just wanted to mention that I was recently afforded the opportunity of joining the team of bloggers on the Kitsap Sun website.

My blog is entitled ‘Everyday CK’ and is geared towards sharing information and encouraging conversations about the Central Kitsap area.

Please take a moment to hop over and subscribe!   ‘Everyday CK‘

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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, Everyday CK, and Crabbing in the Hood, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com

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Tags: central kitsap wa real estate, kitsap county wa market report, Kitsap County WA real estate, kitsap peninsula, kitsaplife.com, Silverdale WA Real Estate

Okay, so as I mentioned in an earlier article that I was recently invited to a private ‘invitation-only’  pre-Grand Opening dinner at the new Fujiyama Japanese Steak House & Bar, located in the Town Centre Plaza in Silverdale WA.

The official Grand Opening is Wednesday, Dec. 16th.

As most of my regular readers know, a good number of my articles here on SBB highlight local businesses that I personally patronize and recommend. And many of them are restaurants.

And so I was truly honored and impressed when the owner of Fujiyama, Mr. Peter Chen, sent me two certificates for free dinners at their private event.

My wife and I arrived shortly after 7pm and were immediately seated around one of six teppan hotplates.

The first of several ‘pre-opening’ jitters occurred when I attempted to order a tall Sapporo beer. When you go to a Japanese restaurant, you assume they’ll have a selection of Japanese brews. The usual suspects were, in fact, listed on the menu – Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the waitress informed me that they didn’t have any Japanese beers available, and asked if I would like a Bud Light or a Corona? I passed and got water with a lemon wedge instead.

Patterned after the tradition of the restaurant chain,  Misono,  the originators of  teppanyaki-style cooking (similar to Benihana’s here in the US), Fujiyama’s chefs cook meals on gas-heated hotplates that are integrated into tables around which many people (often multiple parties) can sit and eat at once. The chefs perform the cooking in front of the customers, typically with a bit of theatrical flair—such as lighting a volcano-shaped stack of raw onion hoops on fire.

Our teppanyaki chef, Jeremy, was friendly, attentive, and skilled with various utensils/cutlery. He performed the infamous onion volcano, flipped shrimp tails into the air, catching them in his hat, and played ping-pong with a raw egg. Jeremy relocated to Silverdale from Olympia WA, where he was a chef at another Japanese Steak House owned by Mr. Chen.

Unlike some restaurants that charge you for every single course, Fujiyami serves up a wide array of elements as standard with their dinner entrees. You get a bowl of onion soup, a tangy tossed salad, choice of white sticky rice or fried rice, teppan-grilled vegetables with shrimp, and your selected entree. Prices for the dinner faire were fairly moderate, especially given the entertaining aspect of meal preparation.

Which brings me to our 2nd ‘pre-opening jitter. Throughout the evening, as our trusty chef Jeremy was cooking, the exhaust fans in the hood above the hotplate kept blowing smoke in our faces, especially my wife, Janice. Later, after the meal, while we were shopping at Target, we ran into some friends of ours who complimented Janice by saying, “Don’t you smell delicious!”

I ordered the steak and scallops while Janice ordered the Hibachi Chicken. For appetizers, we got the gyoza and fried oysters. Everything was very tasty, especially the teppan-grilled veggies and shrimp. My wife commented that her chicken was a little dry. We sat next to a nice family that had come all the way from Olympia to help support the event. The father was a contractor who had worked on a number of restaurant projects for Mr. Chen and spoke very highly of him.

As we were finishing our meal, ‘pre-opening’ jitter #3 happened – the fire alarm went off! Fortunately, we were at the tail end of our dining adventure and were able to exit before any permanent hearing damage could occur.

Overall, barring the numerous ‘pre-opening’ snafus that every new restaurant encounters, we had a delicious, enjoyable meal. Lord knows Central Kitsap is on the short end of the stick when it comes to fine dining experiences. Fujiyama is not just another place to grab a meal, it’s a fun, entertaining experience centered around good food meant to be shared with friends, or with strangers who will become your friends!

Given Mr. Chen’s proven track record of successful restaurants in Olympia, Las Vegas, Ohio, and Florida, he will no doubt repeat his formula here at Fujiyama Japanese Steak House.

Fujiyama Japanese Steak House & Bar
9989 Silverdale Way NW, #109
Silverdale, WA 98383  (360) 692-5888
Corner of Kitsap Mall Blvd. & Silverdale Way. Same plaza as Big 5 Sports.

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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, SOUNDBITEBLOG, Crabbing in the Hood, Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com

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Tags: fujiyama japanese steak house, kitsap couty wa restaurants, local business, Silverdale WA Real Estate, where to eat in kitsap county wa, where to eat in silverdale wa

The following is a brief analysis of the combined single-family home and condo market within Kitsap County, Washington for December 2009, provided by Rich Jacobson of Windermere Real Estate, in Silverdale, WA (this includes data for Bainbridge Island WA)

• Properties currently active on the market:  1771
• Properties closed in the last 180 days:  1527
• Average Sales Price:  $287,829
• Average List Price:  $298,147
• Ratio of List Price to Sales Price: 97%
• Average Days on Market: 92
• Sales Pending this Week: 40

West Bremerton WA statistics separately: (Area 148)

• Properties currently Active on the market:  215
• Properties closed in last 180 days:  174
• Average Sales Price:  $194,294
• Average List Price:  $202,626
• Ratio of List Price to Sales Price: 96%
• Average Days on Market: 79
• Sales Pending this week: 7

For additional area specific market statistics, go to www.KitsapLife.com

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?

According to a recent Kitsap Sun articlewritten by Business Reporter, Rachel Pritchett, our local real-estate market has slowly slipped into its usual seasonal slowdown, beginning in November.

However, compared to last years figures, we’re certainly in much better condition overall.

Pending sales in November were 36 percent higher than in November 2008. The 267 sales that closed in November, while steady in the short term, was far higher than the 166 that closed in November 2008.

As I had shared in a previous post, the popular $8000 1st-Time Home Buyers Tax Credit was officially extended by members of Congress, along with some similar tax credits for Repeat Home Buyers.

For more information, go to First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit – The Full Scoop.

Local Business Review: “The Aloha Kitchen”

All I can say is it’s about time!’  Finally, a decent ‘Da Kine’ plate lunch comes to Kitsap County WA with the opening of  The Aloha Kitchen!

I’m a HUGE fan of good Teriyaki, but I’ve missed the traditional plate lunch you can only seem to find on the Islands. My favorite used to be The Kim Chee II over in Kaimuki on Oahu. Now, I don’t have to drive so far!

With most traditional plate lunches, you get 2 scoops of rice, macaroni salad, and whatever main dish/entree your Hawaiian heart desires!

On my first visit, I got the Kalbi Ribs. The food was great, the service Island-friendly! The only thing missing was shaved ice!

Make sure for your next business lunch or dinner date, to head over to The Aloha Kitchen and experience true Ohana!

The Aloha Kitchen – 10516 Silverdale Way, Silverdale WA 98383

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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, or e-mail:  kitsapagent@gmail.com

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Posted in Kitsap Market Reports | 4 Comments »

Tags: $8000 1st time home buyers tax credit, aloha kitchen, december 2009, kitsap county wa market report, kitsap county wa restaurants, repeat buyers tax credit, Silverdale WA Real Estate

Located on Hosman Circle, off Old Frontier Road, in Silverdale WA, Crystal Creek is a residential development comprised of 40 homes constructed in the early 90′s by popular area builders such as Chaffey and Stafford. Most of the homes are situated on 1 acre plus lots, surrounded by tall mature Pines and Cedars. All homes have natural gas, community water (WA Water Supply), and septic. Access to Wave Broadband cable/Internet services is available.

Convenient proximity to Silverdale retail shopping and Central Kitsap schools makes Crystal Creek a highly desireable neighborhood in Kitsap County WA.

Central Kitsap Schools is one of the top districts in the State. Below is a list of schools serving this neighborhood based on current boundaries:

• Elementary school:   Clear Creek Elementary
• Middle School:   Central Kitsap Junior High
• High School:   Central Kitsap High School

Activities and hobbies are important to high-quality living. Here is a list of easily accessible activities.

• Cultural:   C-STOCK (Central Stage Theater of County Kitsap) Community Theater
• Sports:   Kitsap Blue Jackets Baseball
• Shopping:   Kitsap Mall, Costco, Home Depot, Lowes
• Recreational:   Hood Canal, Kitsap, Wildcat, and Island Lakes

The more you know about the area you are considering investing in; the better chance you have to make a sound financial decision.

• Number of homes:   40
• Age of neighborhood:   Early 1990′s
• Sq. Footage (avg):   2300
• Bedrooms:   3 to 4 bedroom homes
• Bathrooms:   2 plus
• Median Home Price:   Upper $300′s to mid $400′s
• Home Owners Association:   $35 annually
• Neighborhood Amenities:   quiet, private, and well-maintained

To get to Crystal Creek, take Hwy. 3 to the Trigger exit, go west on Trigger, and turn left onto Old Frontier, then right on Hosman Circle.

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Tags: Crystal Creek, Kitsap County Homes, Neighborhood Reviews, Silverdale WA Real Estate