The Big Picture on Bainbridge Island. The tide it is a changing.

The Big Picture

If you consider only the number of homes (or condos) that sold during the first quarter of this year, your initial reaction would probably be, “Ho hum.” Look carefully, though, and you will see some interesting things. If you include what is happening now, in mid-April, you might get even more intrigued.

There were 55 homes sales in the first quarter this year, compared to 56 last year, which indicates stability more than improvement. Nonetheless, these are good numbers compared to 2008 (when there were only 34 sales) and 2009 (with 37 sales). Condos dropped from 19 sales in 2011 to 12 this year.

So far, not a lot to get excited about. But when we look at the median price, we had a 6.2% increase. Our first quarter median price has been declining steadily since its peak in 2008 – until this year. When you look at the distribution of the sales, the median increase becomes clear. Sales over $800K were up 320% from last year. In all of 2011, there were 24 sales over $1 million; this year we have already had 12 just in the first quarter. (I cannot help but point out Windermere Bainbridge was involved in 10 of those 12 sales and Windermere represented 50% of the parties involved.)

The stats are looking up, especially in the over million dollar market.

Stats Tell a Positive Story

On March 30th, there were only 59 homes under contract. By April 5th, there were 74 homes under contract. By April 10th, there were 80. Of those 80, 22 are over $800K and 13 over $1 million. We have not seen these kinds of numbers in several years. Not only are the numbers good, they have grown quickly this month.

Over the past five years, we have had strong individual quarters like the first quarter just ended. But we could not sustain the momentum, and poor performance followed. In 2011, the first quarter was up 14% but then dropped 14% in the second quarter (from the previous year). Our market has gone up and down on an almost quarterly basis while prices have steadily decreased. Now we see a strong first quarter, prices inching higher and a very strong start to the second quarter. These are all positive indicators. Optimism is beginning to creep in, but it will take more time for many of us to feel comfortable making any proclamations. We’ve been lured by the sirens before only to find ourselves on the rocks.

Allcomers on July 5th at the High School. Races run through August.

Specifically for younger kids

• Mom’s Morning Retreat at Grace Church – a place for moms to connect the 1st & 3rd Thursdays during the school year.
• Check out KidiMu in their new, cool location near the ferry - classes, workshops and just open play time.
• Battlepoint Park has a great playground and a nice running path. Also at Battle Point is the Open Gym at the Transmitter Building. A great indoor activity on wet days.
• Check out the Peacock Family Center, a “community of care under one roof” for children birth to six years and their caregivers.

Sports and Activities

• Bainbridge Island Parks and Recreation has a huge selection of classes for you and your kids. Registration for Summer Camps is currently ongoing.
• Dance. You can do this through Parks and Rec, but there is also Bainbridge Ballet and Bainbridge Dance Center.
• Bainbridge Island Little League (sign ups are in Dec/Jan – look for camps via Parks and Rec).
• Soccer starts in the fall, signups will be in early summer. You can either do this through Parks and Rec or Bainbridge Island Youth Soccer, two separate programs. BIYS has Saturday programs in the winter and spring programs too.
• Swimming Lessons either at the Bainbridge Acquatic Center via Parks and Rec or private lessons.
• Check out the popular lacrosse programs on the island– boys and girls teams.
• My kids love knitting Classes with Dixie Moore, also via Parks and Rec or at Churchmouse Yarns and Tea in Downtown Winslow.
• Art at Bainbridge Island Arts and Crafts – workshops, exhibits, special programs for kids.
• Beading at Beads of Bainbridge 162 Bjune Drive Southeast, (206) 855-4043.
• Take a sewing class at Esther’s Fabrics or through Parks and Rec.
• Check out Bainbridge Performing Arts (BPA) - classes and performances.
• Join a Gym like Island Fitness or Bainbridge Athletic Club, they both have child care.
• IslandWood - for classes, free tours, camps, special events.  Great place for summer camps.
• Sign up for a class at Bainbridge Island Martial Arts.
• Become a member or just take a walking tour at Bloedel Reserve.
• Visit the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum. Kids under 5 are free.
• Rent a boat at Back of Beyond Boat Rental.

Fun and Free

• Participate in All-Comers on Mondays nights at 6:15 after July 4th through August.  Free running races for all ages at the High School Track.  See my previous post on this event.  Bring a picnic dinner and dine with others on the field.
• Go to a Star Party at the Ritchie Observatory at Battle Point Park.
• Bainbridge Library Story Time - check here for times and ages.  They have a great summer reading program.
• Pick a park or a trail and get outside. Two of my favorite maps at those links.  I recommend a hike in the Grand Forest.
• Explore beautiful Bainbridge Gardens, lots to see for free, inside and out.  While you are there you can have lunch or a snack at The New Rose Cafe.
• Some local folks have plotted out bike routes along the island and those can be found on Bikely.
• Find a cool beach to relax or play. Check out the Shoreline Access Guide.
• Take a tour through Farmer’s Market on Saturdays 9am-1pm in the Town Square at City Hall Park. April 10-Oct 30.
• Plant a garden in your own yard or take advantage of a Community Garden.
• Enjoy a free Summer Concert at Waterfront Park. July 7th – Aug 18th.

The Boundy Family Farm on Bainbridge Island. A Blakely Elementary School Field Trip.

Many folks are doing spring cleaning and home maintenance this time of
 year. Yes, locals, ignore the rain outside today, it IS spring.  I keep a 
list of professionals I work with and you might find their names and numbers 
helpful as you work through your own ‘To Do List.’ Their info is here in this post, but the same info also resides on my website under the COMMUNITY tab, here.  I personally, or my clients, have used 
these local professionals before, during or after a sale.  Although I 
recommend these professionals, I do not guarantee their performance and 
suggest you research their credentials.

Accountant

Kelly MacDonald – 206. 780.1912

Air Duct Cleaning

Jerry’s Air Duct Cleaning – 360.697.1072

Appliance Repair

Schmidt’s Home Appliances – 206.842.0349

Appraiser

Michael Graham – 206.842.1720

Carver Appraisal – 360.981.6248

Architect and Builder

Bill Corbin Construction- 206.391.7960

Fairbank Construction – 206.842.9217

Red Truck Construction | Preston Todd – 206.842.5600

Robert Moore | Architect – 206.371.5191

Attorney at Law

Hayes Gori PLLC – 206.842.6462

Cabinets

Kitchen Design Group – 360.662.1891

Caterer

Season’s of Thyme – 206.855.0689

Metro Market Catering – 206.842.8524

Carpet Cleaning

RH Koller – 206.842.5671

Cascade Carpets – 206.842.8131

Chimney Sweep

John Voigt – 360.769.2344

NW Chimney Service – 206.842.6002

Cleaner (House)

Kasey Ritualo – 206.920.5033

Concrete

Superior Slabjacking Inc. – 866.455.0823

Critter Control

Action Pest Control – 206.780.4222

Doctor

Virginia Mason | Dr. Catherine Edwards  – 206.842.5632

Doctor’s Clinic | Dr. Sara Rice  - 206.855.7700

Bainbridge Pediatrics | Dr. Linda Warren or Dr. Fred Walters – 206.780.5437

Dentist

Dr. Thomas Knight DDS – 206.842.3764

Dr. Nick Thompson DDS – 206.842.4794

Dr. Sheldon and Dr. Okunami | Orthodontists – 206.842.5592

Electrician

Progressive Electric – 206.387.0586

Eklund Electric – 206.842.0412

Fence Building and Repair

Scott Strickland – 360.620.6265

Flooring

Mills Interiors | Mike Mills – 206.842.2829

Salisbury Woodworking – 206.842.9500

Florist

Flowering Around – 206.842.0620

Gutters

Northwest Gutters – 360.830.4938

Handy Person

Help is on the Way | Sondra Kay – 206.498.0086

Four Seasons Handyman – 360.710.2879

Heating & Air

Advanced Heat & Cool – 360.415.9335

Home Inspector

Cris Ugles – 206.842.1514

Dylan Chalk – 206.842.3739

Insulation/Crawl Space Work

Clean Crawls – 866-651-1700

Insurance Agent

American Family Insurance – 360.697.6700

Interior Design & Staging

Kim McCall Design – 206.310.1679

Landscaping/Gardener

Lemolo Grounds – 360.638.0230

Lupe’s Lawn Care- 206.369.2913

Landscape Design

The PlantsWoman Design – 206.842.2453

Danson’s Landscaping – 360.692.1942

Lenders

Eagle Home Mortgage | Linda Sutherland – 206.780.2991

Windermere Mortgage | Betty Hugel – 360.990.2666

Locksmith

Abracadabra Locksmithing – 206.842.4470

Milk Delivery

Smith Brother’s Milk – 800.639.6455

Movers

Hill Moving – 206.842.6715

United – 206.344.0147

Notary Public

Mobile Notary | Allison Garrison – 206.790.8825

Painter

The Honest Painter | Thomas Moore – 360.598.6699

Kitsap Brothers – 206.334.8434

Plumber

Swift Plumbing – 206.842.9592

Propane

Kitsap Propane – 360.638.1313

Propane Northwest – 360.698.1605

Property Management

Evergreen Property Management – 206.842.4975

Roofer

Hope Roofing – 360.779.9912

Hanley Roofing & Construction – 206.842.4321

Scott’s Home & Roof – 360.297.7524

Septic

Kitsap Septic Pumping – 360.871.5258

Septic Design and Hardscaping and Drainage

JP Landworks | Josh Pippinger – 206.714.8598

Tile

Tile Cleaning & Restoration – 360.731.1735

Windows

Olympic Glass – 206.842.7626

Allan Windows – 360.598.3001

Window Coverings

Duck Blinds – 206.780.9905

A Well Dressed Window – 206.780.3213

Window Washer

A&E Windows – 206.842.7090

Move-in/Move-out Utilities

Bainbridge Disposal – 206.842.4882

Comcast Cable – 877.824.2288

Direct TV – 800.201.2979

QWest Phone/Cable – 800.244.1111

Puget Sound Energy – 888.225.5773

New Nightlife

Until recently night life on Bainbridge Island has been pretty sleepy, but places like the Treehouse Cafe, The 122 and Pegasus Coffee House are changing the shape of evenings out on Bainbridge. Islanders’ options used to be limited to dinner and a movie or cocktails, but now locals can enjoy a caliber of live music, once only found across the pond in Seattle.  Treehouse Cafe, The 122, and Pegasus are now booking entertainment, from local musicians like Steve Grandinetti of Port Townsend to farther reaching acts like Clumsy Lovers of Canada.

Treehouse Cafe Leading the Way

Concerts, spiced with food, drink and dancing are typically sold out at the south end’s Treehouse Cafe.  Owner Arnie Sturnham said “the Treehouse Cafe is now just something different on the island.”  Sturnham’s Treehouse Cafe has live music 3-5 times a month, typically on Friday or Saturday nights.  Tickets are sold in advance for $15-25 dollars and at the door if available.  Acts like Greg Brown (returning this October) and the Clumsy Lovers who played on March 17th, pack the house.

Karaoke & Coffee

In addition to live bands, The 122′s DJ and Karaoke nights on Saturdays are filling their house too. Large groups,  parties, and couples alike now have another place to meet.

The Coffee house music scene at Pegasus is another vibe, a bit more relaxed perhaps than the excitement at Treehouse Cafe or The 122, but a great recipe to ward of the work week is an antipasto plate, cocktail and a little eclectic blues playing in the background.

Check out the full array of live music options available on the island:

Pegasus Coffee House

• Live Music Most Fridays & Saturdays | 8pm
• Upcoming:  Steve Grandinetti | March 23rd | 8pm
• Pegasus Calendar

Treehouse Cafe

• Concerts Most Saturdays | 8pm
• Advance tix required for most concerts
• Upcoming: Eldridge Gravy | March 31th | 8pm | $18 advance tickets required
• Treehouse Cafe Calendar

The 122

• Live Music on Fridays | 8pm or 9:30pm
• Karaoke and DJ on Saturdays | 9pm
• Upcoming: Rule 62 | March 23rd | 9:30pm
• The 122 Calendar

The Harbor Public House (“The Pub”)

• Open Mic Night first Tuesday of the month | 8pm til close
• Hosted by Todd Houghton
• The Pub Website

Seabold Second Saturdays

• Live Music and open mic second Saturday of every month | 7:30pm
• Upcoming:  Hank and Claire | April 14th | 7:30pm
• Seabold Calendar

Island Music Center

• Concerts Fridays and Saturdays | 7 or 8pm
• Upcoming: Star Ana |March 31st | 8pm | $20 advance tickets required
• Island Music Calendar

2012 started off with quite a bang in our office.  In the last week of February alone I had four closings and the statistics right now of PENDING sales show growth and optimism for our market, especially in the higher end segment.

Our $400-$600k market has been our solid and swiftly moving market from 2008-2011, yet as we move into 2012, we are also seeing healthy action in the higher end market of $800k and up.  Right now the sales look like this:

• There are 196 ACTIVE Residential listings
• 52 are PENDING and they break down to:
• 12 in the  0-$400k range
• 13 in the $400-$600k range
• 10 in the $600-$800k  range
• 17  in the over $800k range

Jen’s Recent Sales

Island Curiosities by Amy Lenahan

We have been living on this island we now call home for almost two years.  Most of the time, it still feels brand new to me, perhaps because of the contrast to the urban environment we left behind.   I am trying to hold on to this feeling of newness for as long as possible in an attempt to be more aware, more present – to notice.  As a lover of travel who doesn’t always have the budget to go everywhere I would like to go (confession:  I have used Google Maps’ street view to ‘wander’ the streets of another city), I thought in sharing some of the observations I’ve had about my new home may allow you to visit here in a similar cyber-fashion.   I thought I would  share some island curiosities.  An apt title, taking advantage of both meanings of curiosity – both the desire to know about something and falling in the category of unusual or interesting.

Island Curiosity #38 | You need a thing

Right after we moved into our house, I was out walking with Sally (our Wheaton Terrier) and our daughter and I met one of our neighbors, who is now one of our good friends.  In this initial conversation, my neighbor asked me:  so, what do you do?  Coming from Chicago (and really, all of the other places I’ve lived), I assumed he meant what do you do for a living?  After launching into a really long explanation of the chronology of my somewhat nontraditional career path, it became evident that he wasn’t talking about what I do to make money, but, you know, what I DO.  At one point during our tenure in Chicago, my husband and I determined that our love for and general interest in all things gastronomic would classify us as foodies, which, let’s admit, is really a nice way of saying that our hobby was eating.  In that moment with my neighbor (after he confessed to loving to fish, hunt, camp, run, bike, climb, crab, garden and fix things in his spare time), I realized that saying “I eat,” was akin to also mentioning that I regularly inhale oxygen, blink my eyes and periodically shed my epidermis.  I’m pretty sure this version of doing is a West Coast thing and not just an island thing, but it was then that I realized I need a thing.

Island Curiosity #14 | Gardening

So you’re thinking that I chose gardening as my thing, so I will spoil it for you right now to let you know that there was no choice, my friend. Gardening is mandatory on this island – it is everyone’s thing.  Now my island friends may balk at this, but I’m sticking to my guns.  I don’t think this way just because I came from a multi-unit condo building where a couple of small flower boxes and a sad attempt at an herb garden (if a 12” pot counts as a ‘garden’) was the extent of the gardening I’d done, it’s that stuff grows out here in the Pacific Northwest.  People, rolling stones even gather moss in this climate.  Couple this with the fact that we inherited this from our former owner (who claimed that she wasn’t a gardener, really):

And now, come Spring, I feel like Lucy and Ethel in that episode with the chocolates coming down the conveyor belt – I can’t keep up.  If ever I had a crash course in anything in my life, it has been understanding my garden:  what to weed (note:  those dandelion-looking things are poppies – do not pull – oops), what to water, what to mulch, what to prune, what to sprinkle with emu poop…  So, while your island garden might not look like mine, if you have any patch of land out here, surprise!, you are a gardener!

Finally, because I cannot write a post without mentioning the canine, I give you -

Island Curiosity #7 | Dogs off leash

Ugh.  This one has been a total bummer.  I was 99.97% sure that Sally would have a better life out here – a big yard (vs. no yard), tons of sticks (her favorite) and general outdoors-iness. Even though our hobby up until this point has been eating, we are surrounded by mountains! water!  trees!, and you can bet your sweet bippy that we’re going to take advantage of it all.  What I didn’t take into account are all of the dog roamers around these here parts.  While I completely admire the spirit of the Wild Wild West (I sing the Kool Moe Dee version in my head when I say that), I can’t rally around the idea of packs of dogs roaming freely.  It completely worked in Merle’s Door in Kelly, Wyoming, I know, and in Elizabeth Marshall Thomas’ The Hidden Life of Dogs, BUT…when your gnarling, snarling, off-leash dog comes charging at my (sometimes) frightened and subsequently reactive terrier (small but scrappy), we’ve got us a problem here, ma’am (I like talking Western out here).  Thankfully, I saw this great short video from Patricia McConnell on what to do in this situation and I now walk with a pocket full of misc. meat products (and pepper spray) handy and ready to toss.  So, alas, while my pooch can get the crazy zooms in our backyard and explore the adjacent forest, my vote shakes out to: (slight) advantage – city on this one.  Both parties on-leash until the owners decide that the dogs are down with a little off-leash romp seems to work much more smoothly (and safely).

Island Curiosity #19 | Wildlife Blasé

Growing up, the wildlife I regularly encountered fell into two categories:   birds and small rodent-like animals (chipmunks, squirrels, and…well, just chipmunks and squirrels).  Once I saw three deer in my aunt’s backyard, but she lived 30 minutes away in the “country.”  I’m sure there is more wildlife in Western Pennsylvania than my memory serves as record; but if so, I didn’t see it.  And I know there were birds in Chicago (there were definitely pigeons), but I don’t remember hearing or seeing them.  Again, I know they were there, but perhaps too many other things were catching my attention (like cute outfits in local boutique window displays).

So imagine growing up like this and spending the better part of my life with wildlife deficit and then moving to a place like my new island home and seeing the following with regularity:  deer, raccoons, opossum, great blue heron, seals (seals!), bald eagles, hawks, cormorants, rabbits, coyotes, sea stars (formerly known to me as starfish), crabs, owls, something called a geoduck and more species of birds than you can shake a stick at.  I find this delightful.  I am that crazy giddy lady, index finger held up to her lips, ear cocked forward in an attempt to hear their calls (or at least look like I’m listening for a call).  Many of my island cohabitants, however, do not seem to find this as special as I.  This is often evident when I call out:  Bald eagle!  in a public place, and I get a look that communicates I have pointed out something obvious, like a Taco Bell at a strip mall, or a Kardashian on the cover of Us Weekly. Now not everyone is as jaded as I’m making them sound, it’s just that seeing wildlife is so regular to them, like pointing out street signs, or school buses or coffee shops.

My husband visited Bali the year before we met.  He took a guided tour with a local who at one point during the tour got very quiet, hunched down and tiptoed, as if he were tracking something. My husband got very excited, thinking he was going to see something amazing, something exotic, something photo-worthy.  He stealthily followed behind until the guide suddenly stood erect and pointed with excitement, shouting Squirrel!  Squirrel!  I guess it’s all about what you’re used to. Yes, I may sound foolish to locals whose wildlife ennui rivals my four-year old’s sighs and eye-rolling at whatever I get excited about, but like Mary Oliver, when it’s over, I want to say:  all my life I was a bride married to amazement.  May seeing a bald eagle never become regular to me.

Island Curiosity #42 | Moss

A strange thing to love, I know, but hear me out.  Much like my attraction to John Malkovich, this one needs explaining.  Before we moved here, I was a little bit concerned about the reports of grey dismal winters.  I’ve never been diagnosed with SAD, but I am definitely affected by the weather.  After our first Winter here (this is our second), I concluded that I was actually less bummed out in a Pacific Northwest Winter than I was back East.  How could this be?  One word:  moss.  It turns out that to me, a snow-covered landscape seems bleak and devoid of life.  Something in the ancient reptilian part of my brain screams:  Food shortage!  Frozen limbs!  Digging the car out of four feet of powder! (Well, maybe not that ancient).  But here, things are green all winter long.  Yes, it is misty most of the time and rainy a lot of the time, but it’s lush and alive.  And in the way that I feel about John Malkovich or others feel about those Mexican hairless dogs, moss is oddly appealing to me.  Ensconced in the green fuzz, the trees appear cartoonish, like a scene dreamed up by Dr. Seuss or Tim Burton.   And should you be interested in moss fun-facts, apparently, it cannot survive in a polluted environment and sometimes reindeer eat it to warm up their blood.   This is all comforting to me, in light of the fact that my neighbor’s gardener once told me our yard has “pervasive moss.”  He said it in a disdainful way, but in these times when we are bombarded by images and accounts of how life is being destroyed all over our planet, I’m reassured by moss’ voracity, by its unflagging persistance in just existing.  Yes, I’m sure once its pervasiveness takes over my roof like it has my neighbor’s (and countless others I see), I, too, might see it as the Pacific Northwest whack-a-mole, rearing its head here and there, just when I think I have it under control.  But for now, it is a tangible reminder of how the life force in all things wants to express and propagate itself.  Just remind me of this when I resume weeding this Spring.

Read more of Amy’s Writing at Little Blue Journal.

Riders unloading off the ferry for the Bainbridge Island Chilly Hilly in 2011.

One Week From Today

Next Sunday Bainbridge Island will be crawling with cyclists for the island’s largest recreational race.  Over 2,600 feet of chilly hill climbing and a 33 mile ride draw BIG crowds every year – 6,029 registered riders in 2010. Folks come from  near and far to brave the hills and make the classic loop around Bainbridge.  For a great map of the ride, check out this Bikely Map.

The official race runs from 8am to 3pm and starts as you unload off the ferry or from the top of the ferry ramp at Winslow if you are starting on the Bainbridge side.  The ride is sponsored by the Cascade Bicycle Club, check out their site for more race details.  The race culminates at Battle Point Park with a Chili Feed sponsored by Squeaky Wheels Bicycling Club.  And proceeds from the race support ten local charities.

To register for the Chilly Hilly Race -CLICK HERE.

Speaking of Races

Bainbridge hosts many more throughout the year.  If you are not a fan of cycling, but prefer running, swimming or maybe a triathlon, check out the list below:

Chilly Hilly – February 26, 2012 – Organized by the Cascade Bicycle Club.

Toe Jam Hill Half Marathon – April 2012 – Organized by Bainbridge Island Boys and Girls Club

4th of July Fun Run – 4th of July morning – Organized by Bainbridge Youth Services

Arms Around Bainbridge Benefit Swim – August 11, 2012 Organized by Arms Around Bainbridge

Kiwanis Summer Challenge Bike Ride Around Bainbridge | 52 or 34 or 16 mile ride – August 26, 2012 – Organized by Kiwanis Club

Blackberry Run 10K – September 2012 – Organized by Bainbridge Island Land Trust

Turkey Trot 5K – Thanksgiving morning 2012 – Benefits Helpline House

Solstice Run 5K | 1 mile  – early December 2012 – Organized by Go Run and Island Fitness

Bainbridge Island mini – TRI .5 swim | 12.5 mile ride | 3.5 mile run – mid Sept 2012 – Organized by Island Fitness

Keep your eye on the prize - the house, not the furniture.

The swift activity in the under $500k market has brought back the multiple offers so commonly seen prior to 2007.   I had my fair share of them in 2011 with buyers.  While some buyers prefer to stay far away from multiple offers knowing that they can often drive their offer price up, others have thrown their hats in the ring and been successful. Since in the end, there is only one buyer, there have been disappointments too. Below are my suggestions to help your offer rise to the top:

1 | Make sure you are using a local lender/broker

If the seller’s agent and seller see your loan letter comes from out of state or from a big bank (with a central call center) it may give them pause and a negative check in your column.  Why?  Agents know the local lenders and brokers and they know which ones get loans closed.  Many big banks don’t assign one specific person to a loan, which can make for problems/delays in a transaction and delayed closings. A trusted, local lender/broker is the go-to person during the transaction and having one on your team will add confidence to your offer.

2 | Write your offer as clean as possible

If you do not need to ask for closing costs  - don’t.  And this is not the time to worry about furniture or porch swings.  You want the house, keep your focus on that.  Even though your offer may net out the same as another offer in the pile, I have heard sellers say more than once  ”I don’t want to pay someone to buy my house.”  Paying for closings costs is a mental thing for many sellers. Some sellers could care less and do just look at the net price.  But others are emotional and again it can put a negative mark in your column.

3 | Find out what closing date the sellers prefer

Sometimes the price is not the only big concern of the sellers.  Timing is often the reason many deals fall apart or don’t come together at all.  The sellers may have bought another house already or the family may be separated because of a job.  The sellers could want a quick close to move on or a long escrow period because they still need time to find a house.  Have your agent find out what sort of timing is important to them and if you can make the closing date favorable to the seller in your offer.  It could earn your offer big points.

4 | On that note, ask what is important to the sellers

Have your agent ask questions.  Many sellers want buyers to want and appreciate their home.  I have had buyers earn big points because they really wanted the chickens and chicken coop.  The sellers wanted to leave the chickens in good hands. It inadvertently earned my buyers points to ask for the coop and chickens in their offer.  And, don’t assume the sellers want to take things like appliances.  They may not want to hassle with moving them or their new house might already have them. Ask.

5 | Put down as much as possible

Many times the winner of a multiple offer situation has the largest down payment.  The larger the down payment, the more solid the buyer looks to the seller and the lender and the seller has less concern about the financing falling apart. Sometimes you can’t control this – you may only have 15% to put down when your dream house comes on the market.  But, think outside the box for a few minutes and see if perhaps you have a relative who can gift you some money or if you can borrow from your retirement. Better to think about these things before you put in the offer rather than after the fact.   In many cases you will see a “winning offer” have 30-50% for the down payment.

6 | Present your offer in person and write a letter

Ask your agent whether or not they present their offers in person.  Whenever possible I do, and I suggest all agents do, especially in a multiple offer situation.  If your agent can sit down with the listing agent and the seller that is ideal.  But, above all this offer should not just be faxed in.  Your agent should sit down face to face with the listing agent and tell your story. In addition the buyer or buyer’s agent should write an introductory cover letter about the buyers and their offer.  A lot of things get said, but it is nice to have a letter for the sellers to sit down, read, and refer back to.  See your story in black and white.  If you love the garden and the charm of the house, the sellers will likely want to see and hear that.

7 | Put your best foot forward with your first offer

Don’t think of it as an initial offer that will get countered.  If there are five other offers the sellers will choose the best one and accept it, or they will choose one to counter.  But, you want yours to be chosen, period. If they counter your offer and you were already at your max, you can counter them back at that original price.  Your offer was chosen because it was the best one for the sellers and you may very well get the house at that first price.  But, with the other offers out of play you are dealing with the sellers one on one, and that is right where you want to be.

8 | Waive the inspection or shorten inspection period

Wait, what?  I never recommend buyers waive an inspection, but the sellers may have had a pre-inspection done by the inspector you, the buyer, would have chosen.  If the sellers let you see the inspection, it can give you valuable information about the condition of the house and factor in to your offer price.  Also, even if you choose to do another inspection, you can cut the inspection period down to say 5 days from the standard 10. Make a call to your inspector to find out if that is doable with their schedule.  Sellers love a short inspection contingency period because the inspection is often the largest hurdle in the transaction and all parties breathe a sigh of relief when it is over.

Different factors look good to different sellers.

9 | Know that good agents will do a side by side comparison

Know that when a seller gets three or four offers on their home, if their agent is savvy, they will make a spread sheet laying out the attributes of each offer. Like I have mentioned above you want as many plus marks in your column as possible.

10 | Put in a back-up offer

And yes, you will not always come out on top.  It is disappointing.  Very. But if your offer is not chosen, see if the sellers will take your offer as a back up. If the first deal falls through, your offer will automatically slide into first position.  Many buyers think they might just prefer to watch it and see if it comes back on the market. But if it does come back on the market, you could be right back in another multiple offer situation.  With a back-up offer you avoid all of that.

and 11 |  Avoid a multiple offer situation altogether – get your offer in before the frenzy

Where there is smoke there is fire.  Don’t wait around for someone else to submit an offer before you decide you like the house. Examine the house in regards to how it fits your needs and budget. Don’t wait for someone else to like it to make it look appealing.  That will only drive the price up. Take some time to make your decision, but don’t wait too long.  If you trust your agent (and I hope you do or you should choose another) and they tell you the home will go in two days, listen to them. They work in the market every day and have a keen sense of the ebb and flow of the market. Buyers have a lot more negotiation power when they are the only offer on the table.

Some of these things you can’t control, but some you CAN . . .

Most of the time when buyers miss out on a house it is because of a factor they could not control like their maximum buying price or the size of their down payment.  But many other factors like which lender they choose, the closing date, or writing furniture into the offer –  are under their control and those factors could be the tipping point for the offer.  Imagine your offer on that spread sheet next to the other offers. Many buyers can think of how their offer will look to the seller, but buyers also want to consider how their offer will look up against other offers.  That simple shift in perspective could make all the difference.

About the Weather . . . Does it Really Rain All the Time?

There is a poster you can buy in souvenir shops in Seattle that we locals find amusing.  It says “We Turn the Rain Off When You Leave.”  Kinda true.  My parents look at the weather forecast from their sunny patio in California and gasp in horror of images that look like this.

Bainbridge Island Weather - looks scarier than it really is.

To the folks down south the rain looks kind of scary.  Seattle certainly has its reputation.  And, for the most part we locals are ok with it because we consider it population control.  But,  I am leaking out some of the truth here.   All of the photos above were taken in the last few weeks. All on different days.  All demonstrating that the Seattle area is not always gray. No way.

The Rain

The rain is not constant, nor is it a pouring rain (usually).  It is typically more of a drizzle and usually does not last the entire day.  I do wear my trusted North Face rain jacket most of the winter (I consider it part of my uniform), but I don’t carry an umbrella or even wear rain boots.  So, on the weather forecast it might show rain, and it could very well rain, but by 2pm the sun could be out. But,  the weather forecast does not seem to change – again our form of population control.

The Grey

The grey is also what folks ask about and fear. I will be honest and tell you grey and green are the predominate backdrop for our lives from November to May. Many a day.  But, do know it is NOT constant.  The sun does come out and give us much needed breaks.  Do we have five days straight of grey?  Sometimes. But, to balance that out we just had five days straight of SUN too.  And yes, was it fabulous.

The Snow

A few days a year, we get the white stuff too.  This year we had about a week of it and the local news always comes up with clever names for it.  Like this January it was, Snowpacalypse.  In 2010 it was Snowvember.  In 2009 it was just the Snow Storm, not as clever, no. But the news makes a big deal about it because, unlike cities like Chicago, we aren’t super prepared for snow.  We don’t have fleets of snowplows or de-icers.  So, the world sort of stops for a few days.  The kids get snow days (hurrah) and most people do not have to go into work.  Over the last five years it really has not been a major inconvenience in our life.  As long as the power stays on, we are good.  But, yes, folks do lose power, but most people around here are prepared with back-up generators, wood stoves or propane stoves (things I chat with newcomers about when they buy a house here).  As long as you have a secondary heating and cooking source, you are in pretty good shape.  And a 4 wheel drive helps too.

My kids love the snow because snow = sledding.  For three or four days a year, the kids get to sled around the hills in the neighborhood instead of going to school.  A nice winter treat.

The Dark and the Light

So, this has been my biggest adjustment.  Because Seattle is much farther north than Northern California, getting darker earlier in the day has been the hardest thing for me to get used to. Much of the winter it is dark, dark, termed “dark o’clock” by one of my funny friends, by 5pm.  And it is still dark at 7am when I am getting the kiddos up for school.   It is very challenging not to hunker down and drink hot cocoa at 6pm and be in for the night.   Getting out and staying active, even in the dark, can be challenging, but not impossible.  I can say I have adjusted and stilll get out in the evenings for meetings, gatherings, and even running.

The flip side to the dark in the winter is that in the summer it is light at 5am and still light at 10pm at night.  It is hard to get the kiddos to bed when it is light . . . but mine just stay up.  And it is oh so delightful to be out at the beach at 9pm at night or gardening in your garden after dinner.  The light is just different from what I was used to.  An adjustment.  One I can say I have made after five years.

The Sun

It does exist.  Really. Again, note the photos above.  We just wrapped up a fabulous five day stretch of sun.  It still might be cold, like 45 degrees.  Mid-westerners insert chuckle here.  But, the sun does come out and much more than I expected it would in the winter (again, when I was in CA watching Frasier and imagining Seattle weather).  And when the sun comes out here, with the water, the snow covered mountains, the green trees, the eagles, and the ferries . . .  it is pretty darn spectacular.  Breathtaking really.  I love being outside, love exercising outside and I have found that I get out and get more exercise here than I did in CA. I love running and walking alongside the water and the cool air and temperature are terrific for running (unlike 100+ temperatures in the Sacramento summers).

Don’t Believe the Hype

So, do know it does get grey.  And it does rain.  But, although the forecast for this week looks like ick on the iPhone, it is just our little secret weapon.  The rain, although part of the local color, is not constant. I will still get out and walk and run six out of the next seven days, alongside many other active islanders.  And I hope to see you and the sun while I am  out there.

This year the Bainbridge School's Foundation has pledged a million dollars to help bridge the gap.

Bridging the Gap

The best way to describe what the Bainbridge Schools Foundation does is – bridge the gap.  They bridge the gap between state funding and the amount of money really needed to run a school – and run it well.

Since 2006 BSF has been working hard to raise money to keep the educational standards high on Bainbridge Island.  As a community, Bainbridge Island has not allowed the state budget cuts to compromise our school quality.  This year alone, BSF has pledged 1 million dollars to the district.  With that million dollars, the district was able to hire back nine teacher who were laid off, continue a high level of teacher training, implement the STEM program, fund classroom grants . . . and more.

Education for the Island

Blakely Elementary Students learn about farming at HeyDay Farms on Bainbridge Island.

All around our state and country school districts are being hit hard by dramatic budget cuts.  It is a sad and sobering thought to think that my own children are attending school in some of the most economically challenging times in our century.  And, I do not see things changing much in the next decade when my own children will be attending middle and high school. Things I used to take for granted when I taught back in the 90′s like copy paper or after school homework clubs are now a luxury.

We moved to Bainbridge Island because it was not ok for our kids to have a sub-par education because of bad economic timing.  And a huge part of why Bainbridge Island’s schools continue to be strong comes from the support of BSF.  Hiring back teachers keeps the class sizes small. Funding teacher grants keeps clubs like the Chess Club and Rocket Club alive – and basic supplies like paper and pencils in the classroom. Funding technology programs keeps teachers trained and crucial technology present and up to date.

We are very fortunate that island residents, even those without kids in the school district, support the BSF, year after year.  We all see the value of a smart, well educated island community.

Inspiring Minds from Vignette Creative on Vimeo.

Gala Dinner

One of the major fundraisers for the foundation each year is the Gala Dinner.  It was held about a week ago on January 21st.  This year the auction dinner raised $360,000 for our schools – cheers to the foundation for another great event.  Vignette Creative produced this inspiring video, which debuted at the dinner.  It was truly moving to see my kid’s hard working teachers on the big screen. The video is very well done – take a peek inside our schools.