Moving to Bainbridge Island

My Blog is now at www.MovingtoBainbridge.com

2011-10-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

The success of MovingToBainbridge.com has been tremendous since the launch of Coldwell Banker's Award winning, groundbreaking website. MovingToBainbridge.com is now seeing, on average, over 300 visitors per day.

Please visit my blog at www.MovingToBainbridge.com for market info; insights into new listings and helpful information for buyers and sellers.

Thank you,
Arthur

Big Price Reduction at 14340 Shasta Lane, Bainbridge Island!

2011-01-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

14340 Shasta Lane is now priced at $598,000! A remarkable price for this beautiful 3BD/2.5BA, 2632sf Craftsman Bungalow sited on 1 beautifully landscaped acre just off of Sunrise Drive.
Learn more at www.CBMcKenzie.com/138655

In the meantime, it is snowing here on Bainbridge Island but it's not sticking today! The market is as slow as the weather is cold but we are seeing numerous showings on our current listings; including our high end properties.

Here is a picture of the Shasta Home:

New Listings; 27 Sold for 2010; New Advertising Opportunities with our Team

2011-01-06T14:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! 2010 was pretty fantastic with a 20% increase in residential sales ove 2009. Georg and I had a banner year, breaking our 2009, 19 closed sales with 27 Closed Sales for 2010! We already have two more under contract and in negotiation for a third, so we are off to a good start for this year. Over the next couple of months we have significant new listings hitting the market, so please keep visiting our website.

We are also running weekly listing ads in the Bainbridge Islander and have taken an entire page in the Homes and Land Magazine to advertise our listings, giving our client's the maximum exposure possible in print and on the internet.

We held a Broker's Open for our new $1,198,500, high end home at 5441 Island Ctr Dr., today with 70 agents viewing this gorgeous property on 2.5 pristine acres. Check it out at www.cbmckenzie.com/147258

Beautiful, Right. Go to the link for more picture.

In the meantime, here is a market update for you that can also be seen on http://www.movingtobainbridge.com/.

Updates on Current Market Conditions, Bainbridge Island

as of January 5, 2011

In 2009, the Syvertsen/Mortell Real Estate Team Sold 19 properties.

In 2010, WE SOLD 27 PROPERTIES!

There are currently 161 Homes on the Market, on Bainbridge Island, down from 197 Residential Units on November 7, 2010

RESIDENTIAL
Values have depreciated by approximately 8% to 10% for 2010

SOLD HOMES (Closed Sales):
2011 to date: 2 There are 38 pending home sales
2010 254 sold giving us an 20% increase in sales over 2009

2009 212 sold

2008: 186 sold

2007: 331 sold

2006: 350 sold

2005: 442 sold

2004: 467 sold

2003: 453 sold

Closed Sales For 2011
100K to 249K
250K to 400K: 1
401K to 500K:
501K to 600K:
601K to 700K:
701K to 800K: 1
801K to 900K:
901K to 1 Mil:
1.0 to 1.5 Mil:
1.5 to 2.0 Mil:
2.0 & above:

Closed Sales For 2010
100K to 249K 9
250K to 400K: 43
401K to 500K: 45
501K to 600K: 50
601K to 700K: 29
701K to 800K: 30
801K to 900K: 19
901K to 1 Mil: 3
1.0 to 1.5 Mil: 20
1.5 to 2.0 Mil: 3
2.0 & above: 4

Seven Day Market Watch from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service

New Listing (6)

Back On Market (8)

List Price Reduced (13)

List Price Increased (1)

Contingent (0)

Listing Expired (26)

Listing Pending (8)

Listing Sold (7)

Listing Canceled (1)

CONDOMINIUMS

To Date, we have seen 0 condos close. 53 Sold in 2010 ((5 of which were sold by the Syvertsen/Mortell Partnership): 55 sold in all of 2009; an extremely difficult year, with 44 sold in 2008: 133 sales in 2007 and 155 sales in 2006.

We have only 58 condos on the market today.

I am a Terrible Blogger and the Real Estate Business has Been Fantastic

2010-10-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, I just don't have a lot of time to Blog. I am working full time as a Realtor. My partner, Georg and I have only had about two weeks of "slow" time this year and blogging didn't even occur to me! Year-to-date, Georg and I have closed 24 sales. We currently have another 4 under contract. This has been a tremendously exciting year for us; for our clients and for our great company, Coldwell Banker McKenzie Associates.
I just sent out a few hundred e mail flyers to Brokers across Kitsap County, alerting them to the below Open House this Sunday. For the first time, I had an agent in Poulsbo e mail me, asking that I remove her from my list. The irony is that another agent in Poulsbo received an e mail flyer for my 5 Acre Listing in Poulsbo announcing a price adjustment just this Wednesday. She forwarded the flyer to her clients. I met them at the property yesterday and returned to my office to find an offer from them. We are now under contract!

Success in this demanding business means doing what is right for our clients and that means being thoughtfully creative, present, persistent and committing to a work ethic worthy of our client's trust and confidence.

On that note, come visit my open house this weekend for our new listing in Fort Ward!

Bainbridge Island 4 Bedroom Traditional - Like New and Move in Ready.

Spacious, Traditional 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 3,028 sf home (plus a 2,077sf roughed-in daylight basement plumbed for a bathroom & kitchen!). Main Floor Master Suite; Living, Family & Dining Rooms; Vaulted Ceilings, Australian Cypress floors, new paint & carpets; 7 foot French Doors open to a Trex deck; kitchen with stainless steel appliance package; gas stove; granite tile counter tops & a kitchen dining room with vaulted ceiling. Master Bath with dual vanity, 2 walk-in closets & a washer/dryer; plus a large upstairs utility/laundry room, a huge 2 car garage and pristine lawns & landscaping! Follow the Below Link for a Photo Tour at www.LuxuryRealEstate.com

http://www.luxuryrealestate.com/residential/1596298-bainbridge-island-washington-united-states

June 8th, 2010 Market Update

2010-06-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

Updates on Current Market Conditions, Bainbridge Island as of June 8th, 2010

Year to Date, the Syvertsen/Mortell Business Partnership has closed 17 (Covering 19 Sides) properties, with an additional 3 homes currently pending sale.

Breaking News as of June 10th: There are now 232 residential units on the market.

RESIDENTIAL

Today there are 225 residential units on the market. As of May 3rd we had 211 residential units on the market up from 198 on March 28th and 154 on January 23rd. There were 215 on November 19th and 232 on October 14th. As of August 9th, 2009, there were 264 residential units on the market.

Closed Sales YTD have increased by 6% over the same period in 2009.

Values have depreciated by approximately 4% to 5% for 2010

SOLD HOMES (Closed Sales):
2010 to date: 115 sold Sold for Same Period 2009: 72 There are 47 pending home sales
2009 212 sold giving us an 8.7% increase in residenital sales over 2008, while values depreciated 13%.
2008: 186 sold
2007: 331 sold
2006: 350 sold
2005: 442 sold
2004: 467 sold
2003: 453 sold

Closed Sales Since January 1st, 2010
100K to 249K 3
250K to 400K: 22
401K to 500K: 18
501K to 600K: 21
601K to 700K: 11
701K to 800K: 15
801K to 900K: 8
901K to 1 Mil: 1
1.0 to 1.5 Mil: 13
1.5 and Above: 4

CONDOMINIUMS

To Date, we have seen 22 (5 of which were sold by the Syvertsen/Mortell Partnership) condos close. 55 sold in 2009; an extremely difficult year, with 44 sold for the same period in 2008: 133 sales in 2007 and 155 sales in 2006. We have only 72 condos on the market, which is down from the peak of 114 in 2009

The Big Condo news is that Madrone Village has seen seven sales since last July, including all of the Penthouses, leaving only 7 new luxury condos on the market.

Market Conditions and Current Syvertsen/Mortell Sales for the Year!

2010-03-26T13:40:00.000-07:00

With 19 homes sold last year, Georg and I soared into a very promising 2010 and we are seeing tremendous results for our clients both selling and buying homes! We have already closed six properties to date. We represented both the buyers and sellers on three of these properties, and the buyers on the other three. We currently have another five homes under contract, four of them our listings. Below are a few of the homes we have sold!

Meadowmeer, Country Club, a Penthouse at Madrone Village and a Pre Foreclosure on Maxwell.

Updates on Current Market Conditions, Bainbridge Island

as of March 26th, 2010

RESIDENTIAL

There are currently 198 residential units on the market up from 154 on January 23rd. There were 215 on November 19th and 232 on October 14th. As of August 9th, 2009, there were 264 residential units on the market. This is the optimal time to sell your home given the lack of substantial inventory to compete with. We are seeing a slight, seasonal uptick.

SOLD HOMES (Closed Sales):
2010 to date: 45 sold Sold for Same Period 2009: 34 There are 40 pending home sales
2009 212 sold giving us an 8.7% increase in residenital sales over 2008.
2008: 186 sold
2007: 331 sold
2006: 350 sold
2005: 442 sold
2004: 467 sold
2003: 453 sold

Closed Sales Since March 26th, 2010
100K to 249K 2
250K to 400K: 5
401K to 500K: 8
501K to 600K: 9
601K to 700K: 4
701K to 800K: 3
801K to 900K: 4
901K to 1 Mil: 0
1.0 to 1.5 Mil: 8
1.5 and Above: 2

CONDOMINIUMS
To Date, we have seen 8 condos close. 55 sold in 2009; an extremely difficult year, with 44 sold for the same period in 2008: 133 sales in 2007 and 155 sales in 2006. We have only 65 condos on the market, which is down from the peak of 114 in 2009.

The Residential and Condo Markets are Picking Up!

2010-03-07T15:53:00.000-08:00

The Fall 2009 uptick in sales that we saw in both the condo and residential markets is definitely sustaining itself, but barely; with 5 sales over the same period for last year in the residential market. The "over a million" range has picked up dramatically and the inventory in the $400,000 to $500,000 range has dropped off, with a large number of buyers competing for very little product. Georg and I just put two of our listings in the $500,000 range under contract, giving us four properties in the $400,000 to $500,00 range currently in escrow. If you are shopping in this range, get pre- approved (e mail me for lender recommendations) and set yourself up with our high tech, Coldwell Banker Personal Retriever system that will allow you to see all new inventory as it hits the market. This will give you a tremendous advantage over other buyers waiting for a phone or e mail from their realtor.

Inventory should start to pick up in the coming weeks.

Updates on Current Market Conditions, Bainbridge Island

as of March 7th, 2010
RESIDENTIAL

There are currently 181 residential units on the market up from 154 on January 23rd. There were 215 on November 19th and 232 on October 14th. As of August 9th, 2009, there were 264 residential units on the market. This is the optimal time to sell your home given the lack of substantial inventory to compete with.

SOLD HOMES (Closed Sales):

2010 to date: 31 sold Sold for Same Period 2009: 26 There are 41 pending home sales

2009 212 sold giving us an 8.7% increase in residenital sales over 2008.

2008: 186 sold

2007: 331 sold

2006: 350 sold

2005: 442 sold

2004: 467 sold

2003: 453 sold

Closed Sales Since January 7th, 2009

100K to 249K 2

250K to 400K: 2

401K to 500K: 4

501K to 600K: 6

601K to 700K: 2

701K to 800K: 2

801K to 900K: 4

901K to 1 Mil: 0

1.0 to 1.5 Mil: 6

1.5 and Above: 2

CONDOMINIUMS

55 sold in 2009; an extremely difficult year, with 44 sold for the same period in 2008: 133 sales in 2007 and 155 sales in 2006. We have 69 condos on the market (with 7 sales to date this year), which is down from the peak of 114 in 2009.

A Big Plug for the Bainbridge Athletic Club!

2010-02-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

Dinah and I purchased our home in January 05' and immediately set ourselves to remodeling our beautiful home to suit the needs of three boys, three cats, a dog and a lot of artwork. We hired a great guy, Glenn Prosser, to manage the work. I flew up from Los Angeles a couple of times on my own to check the progress and continue getting the lay of the land/island. I remember turning on to Koura, heading to our little neighborhood, and seeing the Hazel Creek Montessori pre-school on my left. I immediately called Dinah to tell her about my discovery. Are those riding stables part of the school? Can Dinah (who now boards her beautiful horse, Aston, at the Barnaby stables) ride there? Answers to all of these questions another time, except to say, Desi and Oliver became part of the Hazel Creek family and we are very, very close to the Jan and Ollie, the owners...

And then I see the sign to the Bainbridge Athletic Club. Now it's all about me. I had already discovered the Grand Forest and Battle Point Park. I am a distance runner and my excitement about exploring the Bainbridge running grounds was mounting. But what is this club about? At first I thought it was just a tennis club but I drove up and scheduled a trial work out and tour. Well, it's five years later and I just returned from an aggressive workout and on my way back to work, I thought, "I've gotta recommend this establishment on my Blog!"

First, the totally fit owners, Kellan and Ted, have poured their passion and hearts into building and growing the nicest, cleanest & most comprehensive athletic club I have every had the priviledge of belonging to. I respect and admire their efforts, which have won my enduring loyalty.

I have found, at the Bainbridge Athletic Club, an outlet for my stress and physical ambition. The facilities, from the high end locker rooms with clean saunas, steam rooms & showers to the multiple use spaces - the naturally lit yoga, spinning & equipment rooms - and the professionally kept tennis courts, are truly perfect.

The staff is always welcoming, from the moment I enter the huge, comfortable lobby with the dramatic stone fireplace and smoothie bar and then throughout my workout where professional trainers are busy coaching their clients to the employees wiping down the up-to-date equipment.

My children all take tennis lessons. I get to sit in the upstairs stretching area and watch them have the time of their lives through the viewing window. I sit with other parents and marvel about how fortunate we are to get to have this experience. The tennis pros working with my kids are attentive, engaging and very, very good at what they do.

I have made new friends at BAC, from the staff to the Yoga instructors (Dinah wants you to know that in her decades experience with yoga, the instructors at BAC are the most talented she has met) to the poor guy huffing away next to me on the ellipticals... I don't huff.

Check it out if you have a chance! http://www.bainbridgeathleticclub.com/

And watch for the opening of the new, onsite gym!

Arthur

Street Address
11700 NE Meadowmeer Circle.
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Email info@bainbridgeathleticclub.com
Phone (206) 842-5661

Bainbridge Island Market Statistics as of January 23, 2010

2010-01-24T15:31:00.000-08:00

Updates on Current Market Conditions, Bainbridge Island

as of January 23rd, 2010

RESIDENTIAL

There are currently 154 residential units on the market. There were 215 on November 19th and 232 on October 14th. As of August 9th, 2009, there were 264 residential units on the market. This is the optimal time to sell your home given the lack of substantial inventory to compete with!

SOLD HOMES (Closed Sales):

2010 to date: 6 sold Sold for Same Period 2009: 7 There are 35 pending home sales

2009 212 sold giving us an 8.7% increase in residenital sales over 2008.

2008: 186 sold

2007: 331 sold

2006: 350 sold

2005: 442 sold

2004: 467 sold

2003: 453 sold

There are currently 7 condos pending sale.

Closed Sales Since November 23rd, 2009

250K to 400K: 5

401K to 500K: 1

501K to 600K: 0

601K to 700K: 0

701K to 800K: 1

801K to 1 Mil: 0

1.0 to 1.5 Mil: 1

1.5 and Above: 0

(On average, we are seeing homes close at about 8% less than their last list price. This does not take into account the original list price.)

CONDOMINIUMS

55 sold in 2009; an extremely difficult year, with 44 sold for the same period in 2008: 133 sales in 2007 and 155 sales in 2006. We have 75 condos on the market, which is down from the peak of 114 in 2009.

Number of Closed Sales Jumps 9%, Year-To-Date Over 2008

2009-12-13T15:58:00.000-08:00

We have seen continued residential sales through the fall, rather than a traditional drop-off for this time of year, giving us a nice jump in sales-to-date of about 9% over last year. We have even seen a small increase in condo sales over last year. The number of pending sales is also very encouraging, as price points and interest rates continue to become more and more competitive.

Updates on Current Market Conditions, Bainbridge Island

as of December 13th, 2009

RESIDENTIAL

There are currently 188 residential units on the market, down from 215 on November 19th and 232 on October 14th. As of August 9th, 2009, there were 264 residential units on the market.

SOLD HOMES (Closed Sales):

2009 to date: 197 sold Sold for Same Period 2008: 178 There are 38 pending home sales

2008: 186 sold

2007: 331 sold

2006: 350 sold

2005: 442 sold

2004: 467 sold

2003: 453 sold

The current trend indicates an increase in sales for 2009, over 2008 of about 9%, while the median price has dropped about 12%.

CONDOMINIUMS

Year to Date, we have seen 49 condos sell with 44 sold for the same period in 2008. We had 44 sales in all of 2008, off from 133 sales in 2007 and 155 sales in 2006. We have 98 condos on the market, which is down from the 114 year round.

There are currently 6 condos pending sale.

Home Sales Per Price Range from October 1, 2009:

Pending:

250K to 400K: 6

401K to 500K: 5

501K to 600K: 5

601K to 700K: 3

701K to 800K: 5

801K to 1 Mil: 4

1.0 to 1.5 Mil: 8

1.5 and Above: 2 (Georg Syvertsen's Country Club Listing Priced at 2.2 million and our sale of Winslow Way listed at 1.8 million)

Closed Sales Since October 15th

250K to 400K: 0

401K to 500K: 11

501K to 600K: 8

601K to 700K: 2

701K to 800K: 3

801K to 1 Mil: 2

1.0 to 1.5 Mil: 4

1.5 and Above: 0

(On average, we are seeing homes close at about 8% less than their last list price. This does not take into account the original list price.)

Big Price Adjustments, Soccer, Winter and Theatre

2009-12-11T15:57:00.000-08:00

I have been a bit remiss on keeping up with my Blog. In truth, it has been a bit busy both with family and real estate. Soccer has come to an end with my twins 7 year old team, The Rockers, having had a "less swarmy season". They are learning to stick with their positions; in other words, they're getting it. I'm the assistant coach and I'm still trying to figure this bloody game out! I had to cover Tom, our coach, for one extremely wet, cold, muddy game and my big problem was substituting the kids in. I would give the kids their positions, who they are replacing and then forget everything I told them.... a bit chaotic. My oldest son, Dashiell, had a great season with 7-3, against kids mostly one year older. Very exciting!

Dinah, my wife is directing a One Act Festival at Bainbridge Performing Arts. www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org which I will be in, playing a confused Umpire. The closest I'll ever get to Umping.

It's cold. That's all I have to say about Winter

REAL ESTATE: My partner, Georg Syvertsen and I are reducing the price our on Meadowmeer Circle, 4 bedroom, remodeled home, to $538,700 from $562,000 go to www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/11562-Meadowmeer-Cir-Ne_Bainbridge-Island_WA_98110_1112316458 to check it out . And we just reduced the Kalaloch Coast, Pacific Oceanfront, Sea Crest property from $23,000,000 to $14,982,000 www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/153573-Highway-101-S_Forks_WA_98331_1103359622 .

Happy Chanuka everyone!

Arthur

Life on Bainbridge Island with Kids Who Love to Run

2009-07-14T08:10:00.001-07:00

I have lived here for four years now and today I woke up as excited as I ever was about everything that is special about living here on Bainbridge Island! I don't take a moment of this life, here in this remarkable community, for granted.

Last night I brought Dashiell, Desi and Oliver, and our friend Byron, to the All Comers Track Meet that is held every Monday night from 6:00 until about 8:30 at the Bainbridge High School Track. The second I got there I ended up volunteering to enter the times from my favorite event, the mile, so I got to be of service and meet a lot of new people quickly!

The kids had a blast, running in almost every event. Watching them run around the track; play between matches, running free around the field; meeting new and old friends, all of it brought me so much joy!

I'll be there every Monday! The kids can't wait and now they want to train with their obsessive Dad, the runner!

Market Stats for May 29th, 2009

2009-05-29T15:25:00.000-07:00

Updates on Current Market Conditions, Bainbridge Island
AS OF May 29th, 2009

RESIDENTIAL
There are currently 246 residential units on the market which is up from 241 on the 19th and 221 on the 4th of May. On February 4th, 2009, we had 193 residential listings on the market. On November 11, 2008, we had 236 active residential listings which was down from 264 listings in Mid October.

SOLD HOMES (Closed Sales): 2009 to date: 68 sold Sold for Same Period 2008: 68
2008: 186 sold
2007: 331 sold
2006: 350 sold
2005: 442 sold
2004: 467 sold
2003: 453 sold

RESIDENTIAL AND CONDOS PENDING
40 which has been the average for the past 8 weeks

CONDOMINIUMS
Year to Date, we have seen only 15 condos sell. We had 44 sales in all of 2008, off from 133 sales in 2007 and 155 sales in 2006. We have 104 condos on the market.

UPDATE
Price reductions have picked up a bit over the past week as we move deeper into the buying season; a buying season that has been disappointing given the historic low interest rates and remarkable prices for both residential and condo units. The good news is that we haven't seen a decrease in sales from this time last year, for the residential market. This has not been the case for the condo market, which is off by just over 50% from last year. Price reductions for condos have come to an almost complete halt as sellers realize that the downsizing and second home market is basically on hold. Signed Around Contracts have taken off in the past two weeks at our office.

The hope is that we will see an extended buying season and hopefully as sense of urgency as interest rates inch up slightly.

Sales of homes in the $600,000 to $700,000 price range have picked up. This is a range that has been pretty dead until now.

Market Update; Are We Seeing a Bottom?

2009-05-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

Well, the National Association of Realtors is reading the data and telling us that we have reached a bottom; that price reductions in most markets around the nation have stabilized. Is this true here? We are still seeing price reductions but nothing as dramatic in terms of numbers and frequency as Fall 08' to the early part of this year. If the number of sales increased all of a sudden, I would believe that we are at a bottom but it doesn't feel like we're quite there.

Currently we have 221 homes and 122 condos on the market.

We have seen 54 homes and 10 condos sell year to date.

Go to www.movingtobainbridge.com for more raw data.

New Photos from the Ferry and Market Update for Residential

2009-04-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

View from the Ferry as we prepare to dock at Bainbridge Island.

I shot this with my Canon One Shot just as the ferry begins its turn into Eagle Harbor! Mt. Rainier at its best.

to see the entire photo gallery, visit www.movingtobainbridge.com

Currently there are 230 homes on the market with 47 sold to date for 2009 and 33 under contract.

Market Update for March 13, 2009

2009-03-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

With 217 homes on the market, up from 193 on Feb 4th, we are seeing the beginning of our Spring selling period and the new homes hitting the market, combined with short sales and foreclosures are driving prices even lower.

We actually have more closed sales for this period than we did last year, with 28 versus 21.

Market share and sales continue to be dominated by Coldwell Banker McKenzie Associates for Island and Off Island combined.

2009-02-22T13:36:00.000-08:00

Residential inventory is slowly creeping up with 209 homes on the market as of today. We have had 19 residential closings this year. There are currently 19 homes under contract.

The island has 95 condos on the market with only 2 sales year-to-date. 5 condos are currently under contract.

We are still seeing price reductions but fewer and not as drastic as late last year.

The Energy is Picking Up!

2009-02-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

There is definitely an uptick in energy, with more calls coming into the office from out of town visitors intent on purchasing a home on Bainbridge Island and stronger open houses for both residential and condos.

We have seen a few more homes hit the market with a current residential inventory of 200 and stable condo inventory of 95.

Here's some sales history for residential units sold:
2008: 186 sold
2007: 331 sold
2006: 350 sold
2005: 442 sold
2004: 467 sold
2003: 453 sold

As opposed to this year to date: 19.

The weather is fantastic, tulips are coming up and though we still find ourselves in a very uncertain market, there is a sense of shift in the wind!

FYI: Dinah and I just took the kids to Whistler/Blackcomb for a 5 night ski trip. This was our first visit. From our door to the Marriott Residence Inn (ski-in-ski-out) in 225 miles and 5.45 hours! A beautiful drive and for us, a great new discovery!

Visit www.MovingToBainbridge.com and www.seacrestatkalaloch.com

Bainbridge Market Update Feb 4th 09

2009-02-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

My office is humming along at high speeds with 11 transactions signed around last month and 6 already this month! It seems like there is always a meeting going on in one of the conference rooms and a new transaction being added to our sales board!

Here are the current stats:

There are 193 residential and 81 condo listings on the market. We have seen fourteen closed sales for residential and only one for condos.

Here's some sales history for residential units sold:

2008: 186 sold

2007: 331 sold

2006: 350 sold

2005: 442 sold

2004: 467 sold

2003: 453 sold

The condo market is taking the biggest hit do to the loss of the downsizing market, though we are seeing a lot more traffic at our condo open houses, particularly at Madrone Village.

Some Observations: The agents at my office are diligent about keeping up with the new inventory and revisiting inventory that has been on the market for a while. The Brokers Open - when all the area agents visit preview inventory - is held every Thursday. I've noticed a lot less traffic from our competitors. Many island agents have quit the business, but quite a few who are still active are not showing up for the Broker's Open. I'm a little judgemental about that! It's one thing to miss an occasional open, but to stop previewing entirely? How can the agent serve the buyer or seller without knowing the inventory first hand? Makes me crazy!

Check out the new website for my 23 acre, resort zoned property south of the Kalaloch Lodge at

http://www.seacrestatkalaloch.com/ We are now in the application process for 60,000 commercial square feet! Also, there is a wonderful, brand new cabin that sleeps six and has every important amenity!

Done With Los Angeles But Where To Go?

2009-01-21T12:47:00.000-08:00

Living in the Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Dinah and I figured we had it made. What better place to raise our kids? Close to the beach, mild weather and great elementary schools. We were surrounded by endless choices for entertaining the kids and ourselves.

We loved taking the kids to the Los Angeles Zoo; the Science, Natural History, Art and Children's Museums. Every destination was nearby but because of the twenty-four hour, all pervading, continuous rush hour, a fifteen minute drive usually grew to an over one hour nightmare. The scary thing is that we got used to it.

But, we did think we had it made. Why? Well, it seems like that's what you are supposed to think when everyone else keeps expressing, "wow, we are so, so lucky to live here", as if by virtue of living on the Westside of Los Angeles, we were really blessed; maybe chosen. Wasn't "everyone" trying to move to the Pacific Palisades. We came to believe in a self perpetuating myth and the crazy thing was that we were never really happy there.

Dinah and I started fantasizing our B Plan. As time passed and we became more and more frustrated with life in Los Angeles, we imagined living in a community that was contrary to the rat race, traffic, smog, congestion, voices, horns, sirens, violence, filth, neighborhood political battles, failing schools, failing infrastructure, dirty beaches, polluted surf, drive by shootings at the neighborhood high school...etc., of Los Angeles.

We had no idea. We didn't have an actual B Plan. All we really knew was Los Angeles. Our entire community of friends lived close by, yet so distant! Our oldest son was enmeshed in second grade, running with his tribe, learning to surf and loving his life. Paul Revere Middle School loomed in his immediate future, which scared us because of the continual issues around quality education and violence.

I owned a wonderful business just a few blocks from our beautiful home, cramped in amongst other very nice homes, surrounded by nests of gardeners armed with loud, smoggy gas powered leaf blowers that seriously drove me crazy. Once I kept a gardener from getting out of his truck until he put the leaf blower down. I got a little nutty.

Dinah did not love her business. She was ready to move. We craved something that was truly unfamiliar to us.

A very good friend had moved to Seattle 15 years ago and she always told us, "if you ever consider moving, you need to look into Bainbridge Island http://movingtobainbridge.com/. This is the perfect place for you.". We filed the information away, with so much other mental clutter.

I'm a runner. In the fall of 2004, I went for a long run on the bike path that acts as a high-speed freeway for bicyclists and rollerbladers pushing twin strollers at high speeds while screaming stock trades into shoulder holstered cell phones. It's a great place to run; winding along the beach between the surf and Pacific Coast Highway. It was a smoggy day and I could just make out, through the orange pollutants, the Santa Monica Pier 3 miles away. That night I got sick with an upper respiratory infection, as did my children and a bunch of other kids in the neighborhood. Now I live on Bainbridge Island.

That was the tipping point. I was mad.

What were we looking for? Where should we go? Well, I didn't remember, right off the bat, our friend's refrain about Bainbridge Island, but I did get a degree at the University of Oregon in Eugene and I remember loving the silver-light summers; the seasons; the clean air 3 minute rush hour, twice a day! The people who said "hello, how are you today" without malice. But I also remembered how cold it got and I missed being near the ocean and truthfully, I missed being near a big metropolis offering, well, good restaurants and cultural, varied entertainment.

We started our search in Eugene; checked out Portland, OR and towns in between. We looked into Bend and north at Vancouver, WA on the WA/OR border. We studied the demographics, schools, proximity to open space. We did our homework. We looked east toward Ashland, OR and then explored north to Seattle and Seattle looked very good, but not perfect for us. We flew up and truthfully, the freeways felt too much like the clogged veins and arteries of Los Angeles. We were concerned about experiencing a Post Traumatic Stress reaction if exposed to too much traffic and congestion, but we drove and investigated and toured around Kirkland, Bellevue, Woodinville, and, well all over. Nothing rang right with us but our friend was adamant that we visit Bainbridge Island, so we scheduled a two night trip with a stay at the B&B, Springridge Gardens. It was November, cold and raining but we could see the island across the sound as the ferry pulled out of Colman Dock, in Downtown Seattle.

We did explore Seattle and were inspired by the beauty and energy of the city; the museums all within walking distance of each other. The vast choices of menus. The people! The Architecture! The breathable air.

It takes 35 peaceful minutes to cross the sound to Bainbridge Island's, Eagle Harbor. In the distance, behind the island's gentle, pine draped hills, we could see the vast, snow covered Olympic Mountains. To the west, we were awed by the Cascades and Mt. Rainier. What an amazing place! So much to explore!

The ferry captain made an announcement, sounding like an excited kid: "Attention passengers, if you look out to the starboard, well, the right side of the boat, you will see a pod of Orcas."

It felt like a set-up. They knew we were coming and everything was staged; from the screaming seagulls to the Seattle skyline behind us. How they pulled off the Killer Whales will always be a mystery. Who "they" were, we had no idea; maybe our real estate company!

Just as the ferry reaches the island, it makes a sharp turn right and follows Rockaway Beach with its high priced (but radically low priced homes compared to where we lived), tasteful homes reaching south to the serene, Pt. Blakely. It then slows down, cutting its engines and almost silently slips into historic Eagle Harbor. We stood on the front deck of the boat, totally exhilarated; deeply curious and strangely calm. Dinah said, "we're moving here."

We bought a beautiful house. Our property is just less than an acre but it feels like a park. A huge park, with vegetable beds that I somehow, against all odds, built, with vegetables that my children grow; fruit trees that actually produce fruit! Our neighbors all welcomed us and have become good friends. They are from all over the country and every one of them feels grateful to live here. We are walking distance to the Grand Forest, the immense Battle Point Park and the beach. We live a semi rural life but we still have ease of access to Seattle, always a 35 minute, fun ferry ride away.

I bought a great fishing boat and I even fish with it! My wife bought a beautiful Quarter Horse, Toby. She boards Toby next to the Grand Forest and goes for long rides along endless trails.

The kids are in the public school system; a system that outclasses the private school options in Los Angeles by every standard. They have forged friendships that will be reinforced into a self esteem building social network as they progress into High School.

The boys play soccer and baseball in competitive leagues that have an abundance of well kept, safe, clean fields to play on. Imagine that!

We all swim at Bainbridge Island Aquatic Center. We shop locally and we don't shop locally! Our oldest makes sure we get to the farmers market every week; a market featuring real farmers with authentic local produce! He buys fresh made jam. That's his thing now.

Dinah is writing and teaching acting. She writes either in the new office we built at our home or in any one of the excellent coffee houses spread out around the island.

I am doing what I love to do, sell and buy real estate. I work in a community that defines itself by how well it nourishes a safe and enriching environment for its children. I work with a team of agents at Coldwell Banker McKenzie, that sets the standard for professionalism, ethics and integrity with its local competition. My office is an extension of what is enriching and great about Bainbridge Island.

My family is happy and safe. We have more time to do the things we love to do with each other. The region is pure adventure in terms of exploring; hiking, kayaking, river rafting, fishing, surfing, skiing; going to plays, to the theatre, museums... it goes on and on!

We took the chance and left what we knew. We explored the possibilities and found a new home for ourselves: "B Plan" has no place in our lives today!