Port Townsend Real Estate

Port Townsend, WA's Newest Business

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:43:38 -0600

Water Street Creperie

Most mornings I like to take a walk in the historic downtown area of Port Townsend and while the streets are empty and the sun is coming up you really notice if a store has gone out of business and something new has popped up for rent. The past 12 months or so it seems we have had more closings than I have ever seen.

This morning I saw a very positive and upbeat sign. A new store called the Water Street Creperie that just opened 2 days ago. What a lovely and delightful shop! Tastefully decorated and beautifully furnished with tables, chairs, counters and imaginative art work.

There are outdoor tables and chairs, and a pass through counter for street side purchases.

They feature crepes with breakfast ingredients, (eggs, cheese, etc.) or lunch type with turkey and ham, a vegetarian offering, plus wonderful desert crepes. The two I would most like to try (as soon as I lose 20 pounds) are the Graham Cracker Crumble, and the Goat Cheese and Honey. YUMMMMM!

I met one of the owners, (who else would be there at 7 am.?) a nice young man named Brandon Ellard, who told me he grew up in Port Townsend, and his friendly employee Jackson. I welcomed them and wished them luck. Brandon's partner James Larson was out of town. A couple of brave and daring young men, and the backbone of our country's economy.

Port Townsend's Otter Colony

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:09:29 -0600

You will see this little guy mostly out for a swim, playing in the water, but occasionally they are walking down the sidewalk, or warming themselves on the beach. They like to hang out on the boat docks and ramps especially on sunny afternoons. There is a wonderful painting in one of the shops of otters crossing the street in Port Townsend, and we have a restaurant named "The Otter Crossing". They are really a fun sight.

Vacation Rentals in Port Townsend, Washington

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 13:50:37 -0600

Get away from the crowds, traffic and big city noise in scenic Port Townsend, Washington.

Take your stay in this serene historic setting to an even more secluded level by staying in a vacation home or cottage. Here are my favorites:

The Birdnest Cottage 533 U Street 360-379-5663

"We Love It"

This premium cottage near Historic Fort Worden and Beaches sleeps 6 and has upgraded amenities andhas a view of the water and Point Wilson.

Almost Uptown Cottage 912 F Street 360-301-5151

Walk to the golf course and scenic trails. Located in a mellow neighborhood. Minutes by car to downtown and beaches.

Sleeps 4 and is available nightly and weekly. Rates start at $125 per night and seventh night is free!

Mountain View Duplex for sale in Port Townsend Washington

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:05:55 -0600

Each unit built in 2004. · Each unit is approximately 505 square feet. 1 Bedroom / 1 Bath

· Inside Laundry, Approximately 5' x 14' Attached Storage,· Private Fenced Yard

Quiet Setting, adjacent to Land Trust Farm· Propane Forced Air Furnace · Mature Landscaping

· Optional Garden Plot · Optional Adjacent Building Lot (Approximately 48' x 100')
Duplex priced at $250,000 (discount for cash transaction).

Check MLS listings in Port Townsend.

Port Townsend's Carnegie Library

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:44:26 -0600

Port Townsend Carnegie Library in Uptown

A gift from Andrew Carnegie, this incredible library is housed in it's original 1898 building (with the exception of an add on from early 1990 when the town had outgrown the original building.) A group of women organized in the late 1890's for the purpose of building a new Library, and first bought the land, then obtained a grant from the Carnegie Library Foundation.

The architecture followed the guidelines of the foundation and has the look of a charming art deco building. The front steps are no longer used, but are still grand and stately. There is a children's section with lots of story telling and special program. There is a room for DVD's, VCR's and special books.

Upstairs there is a fireplace at each end of the room, although they are no longer in use. There are several computers and the library offers the Virtual version. Well run and stocked this is a great library. There are still no book late charges or fines, just a conscience jar!

Port Townsend Key City Players Theater

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:42:07 -0600

Port Townsend's Key City Theater Now 50 years old, and still going strong with exciting plans for a new theater. The group has performed it's plays in venues all over the city, the first one in 1958, held at the public golf course in the dining room with the performance sold out. They moved around to places like the Elks Club, 20 years in the old Scandinavian Church, and then moved to the high school auditorium. Currently the Key City Players are in a storefront building just off Water Street that seats 48 people and performances are continually sold out. The first step toward the new building was the purchase of a commercial lot on Lawrence Street in Port Townsend. This was possible through a donation from a benefactor for $300,000. Plans are for a 2 story building with a footprint of 8500 sq. ft. In addition to 150 seats it will include a shop, lobby, office, restrooms, greenroom, dressing rooms and storage.

This weekend they are featuring the Playwrights Festival with 3 award winning one act plays chosen from the Port Townsend Arts Commission 2009 One Act Play Competition. This is sure to be a hit as always with SRO.

Above is the new location on Lawrence Street.

This is the current location on Washington Street. This seats 48 people.

Five Year Low - Some Sobering Stats for Jefferson County, WA

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:12:07 -0600

Sales of single family Residences in Jefferson Co. , WA

2005 through 2009

Year # of Sales % of Listing Price Average Price

2005 620 99.3 $322,175

2006 506 97 383,550

2007 390 371,357

2008 280 348,048

2009 239 92.6 299,109

This graph was in the Port Townsend Leader, and information is from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Dollar volume dropped during this period by 14.6 %.

The same article also reports the number of Realtors in Jefferson County was 171 and dropped to 115 by the end of December 2009.

Theater and Dance at the Rose in Port Townsend

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:49:02 -0600

Port Townsend's beloved Rose Theater has added some new programs which bring a new dimension to the arts here in our little city of Port Townsend.

This charming little theater opened in Downtown Port Townsend in the 1930's and closed sometime in the 50's. Re-opened in the early 1990's by Rocky Friedman, it is a delightful little theater with one small theater seating about 75 to 100, (I am guessing) with a balcony, and a tiny theater called the Rosebud seating about 35 to 50 people. Charming 30's architecture and decor, intimate atmosphere and the best popcorn you ever tasted.

School of Athens Passionate Minds Lecture Series , Nation, from the London National Theater in HD, and

La Danse, the Paris Opera Ballet. Something for everyone with Avatar held over.

Super Bowl Sunday in Port Townsend

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:42:52 -0600

My son says this is bigger than Christmas...well for some of us maybe. I am glad to have the afternoon to snuggle up with my two Shit Zhu's for a little nap.

This is a photo of Port Townsend at 8 am this morning, and a sign I saw in one of the windows.

Going Against The Tide in a Downturned Economy

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:54:36 -0600

Port Townsend's New Cafe.

Don't tell the owner of the recently opened Undertown Coffee House in Port Townsend that things are slow. He would not believe it. He has taken an old underground basement downtown and turned it into our little towns newest hot spot.

It is intriguing and inviting from the top of the stairs to back into the last room of the cafe. You are instantly met with strong and luscious coffee aromas, small twinkling lights, and the sound of trickling water, all drawing you down the stairs to see what lurks beyond. It reminds me of something in Paris in the late 50's.

These photos were taken at 8 am this morning and the place was humming. It is equally busy in the evening hours with eccentric and quirky jazz groups (Last one I saw there was Hillbilly Jazz, and I liked it!)

In addition to coffee they sell wine, soups, muffins and other light fare. They have art on the wall for sale, and wi-fi, with lots of sofas, easy chairs, and tables grouped into 4 or 5 rooms that flow from one another. It is a great little spot and I wish them best. This is a fun place to meet and greet and I am sure it has been discoverd by visitors and local alike.

Real Estate Sales in Pacific Northwest

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:02:44 -0600

The Northwest Multiple Listing Service just published it's 2009 sales update with some interesting stats includeding:

Sales totals were down 3.7% from 2008 (SFR and Condos)
Dollar volume fell by 14.6%
Highest median price for SFR was $443,500 (San Juan County)
Next was King County (Seattle area) with median of $380,000
System wide median price was $280,000
8 out of 10 sales were co-op transactions
87 % of sales in 2009 were single family homes and accounted for 89% of dollar volume.
The pace of sales as measured by "months supply" (an estimate of how long it would take for all inventory of active listings to sell at the current pace assuming no new inventory is added) showed improvement in many areas. In the four-county Puget Sound region, there was a 5.36 months supply at year-end; at the end of 2008 the months supply was at 7.9 months. System-wide, at the end of 2009 there was a 6.25 months supply, which compares to 8.66 months supply at the end of 2008. (Economists consider a supply of 3-to-6 months to be a balanced market, meaning the market favors neither buyers nor sellers.)

Port Townsend Churches

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:36:37 -0600

Port Townsend Churches

I shopped for a new church when I arrived in Port Townsend 10 years ago. I had been attending the Saddleback Church in Mission Viejo, CA for a few years because I really enjoyed the sermons of Pastor Rick Warren who has since become quite well known for his work in Africa, and hosted the candidates forum in the 2008 election.

Needless to say nothing here would compare to that church that seats 5000 and usually has a full band on stage and sermons from Thurs. night to Sunday night to fit everyone in. Pastor Rick would wear an Aloha shirt and loafers with no socks,so the atmosphere was very casual, but his sermons always hit home and made me feel good.

Port Townsend has many choices tho, and I am sure something for every religion. I counted 33 in the area. Most have their own chapel and they are usually quaint and charming. We have one church that is the oldest in the Puget Sound area dating back to the 1870's. There is also a Christian Science Reading Room downtown. There is a Russian Orthodox Church with small onion domes located off the beaten path in a residential neighborhood. There is also a church group that meets in our local Masonic Hall. There is a Jewish congregation that meets in the Episcopal Church. There is one church in Port Ludlow that has a Real Estate Broker for their pastor. Some clients of mine went to a Seventh Day Adventist Church in Nordland recently and told me they were invited home for dinner by at least 5 families. They chose one and had a delightful time. Something for everyone in this little town.

Tea Party in Port Townsend Today!

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:27:06 -0600

This tea pot is mad as hell! Tea Party to be held at the Chimacum Grange this afternoon. See you there. Bring your signs.

The Department of Ecology is trying to limit growth and therefore a private citizen's right to use his property by tripleing the current setbacks from waterfront, creekfront, or wetlands. This could render a 5 acre parcel unusable. They also want to limit the water we use by a morotorium on wells,

Eminent Domain Abuse

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:33:36 -0600

Washington State Attorney General, Rob McKenna has requested legislation to WA congress to rein in the abuses of taking private property in the state through the Community Renewal Law's power of "eminent domain". One issue is taking private property and allowing private citizens to develop it, and the other issue is the "blight" reason for taking the property.

The hope is to narrow this definition which is vague and too broad. "Blight" may include an entire area which includes property that is not "blighted" in with the the rest, and "blight" also includes inappropriate uses for the land, issues of diversity of ownership, high levels of crime, unemployment, or poverty.

In the past 10 years Washington local governments have applied the CRL to take property of more than 71,000 residents.

The bill Att. Gen Mckenna is backing is Hb2423/SB6199 and HB2425/SB 6200

Bread for Haiti in Port Townsend

Sandra White (John L Scott Real Estate) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:44:43 -0600

Bread for Haiti

People in the small town of Port Townsend are doing what they can, and there are examples in every corner of our daily life. One that stands out is my favorite bakery.

Sunday Jan. 24 the Pain d Amore Bakery baked twice the amount of bread for the day and gave all the proceeds($12,000+) to Haiti relief.

Besides being a benevolent family owned business, they have bread and pastries that are the best you will ever have. Located Uptown they have a small bakery with benches in front, hot coffee, newsapaper and a water bowl for Bowser.