Carole's Blog

Gig Harbor WA Salt Waterfront Home for Sale. Gig Harbor Bay—75 feet of no-bank sunny Western exposure from this salt waterfront home for sale.

…For the boater—both private small power boat dock and boat launch.   

…For the entertainer—both spacious deck and level brick patio and lawn for games and leisurely dinners.

…For the gardener—all-day sun and spacious yard.

…For the hobbyist—double car garage and third car garage attached to shop.

…For those who just want to enjoy the activity and view of Gig Harbor Bay—2850 square feet salt waterfront  home for sale with three bedrooms— on a generous half acre of backlands plus tidelands rights. All just two blocks to city limits, parks, walking, restaurants and shopping.  

Call me at 253.549.6611 or email me Carole@GigHarbor-Waterfront.com for more information about this or another salt waterfront home for sale. Or click on www.GigHarborBayHome.com for more photos of this salt waterfront home for sale.

Gig Harbor was named during the 1841 Wilkes expedition after a crewmember in a small boat, called the captain’s gig, sighted a harbor and led other boats exploring in the area to take refuge in the harbor during a storm. When the first European-American settlers came to the harbor in 1867 there was a Native American village, with longhouse, located at the head of the harbor near a small creek. In 1867, two Slovenians and a Portuguese rowed a skiff south from British Columbia to fish. They entered Gig Harbor by accident to seek shelter at night. Samuel Jerisich liked the area and decided to stay. He married a fifteen-year-old native woman from near Vancouver Island and settled in Gig Harbor, becoming the first European-American settler in Gig Harbor. Soon Yugoslavians, Germans and Scandinavians followed to settle in the harbor. A major boatyard, lumber mills, salmon fishing fleet and farming provided the early economic base for the town. In 1886, the Indian longhouse served as the first school. Later, the Indian village became the site of Austin mill.

Chicken farming prospered in the 1920s and 1930s. Early fishermen used rowboats to fish. Later, motorized boats allowed fishermen to fish in Alaska and the San Juan Islands starting around 1905.

The town incorporated as a fourth class city in 1946 because of the need to provide for water and sewer systems. Gig Harbor was home to a fishing fleet of more than 70 vessels in the 1970s that decreased to 30 vessels in the later 1980s.

The  Skansie Shipbuilding Company was founded in 1912, producing four-to-five boats per season with 25 to 30 employees. The company built a variety of boats including ferries and wooden fishing boats. One of four Skansie brothers operated the Washington Navigation Company, which operated ferries around the Puget Sound in the 1910s until the 1940s and for the State between the time the first Narrows Bridge collapsed and the second Narrows Bridge was constructed.

Lumber was one of the early industries in the area. The first mill in Gig Harbor started operating in 1887 on the west side of the harbor with two others in the early 1890s and in 1909. Many early settlers engaged in farming, including apples, pears, loganberries, holly and chickens.

Area residents have consistently demonstrated their strong commitment to provide a high quality public education to nearly 10,000 students. The district enjoys a statewide reputation for meeting the educational needs of today’s students who become tomorrow’s leaders. In addition, Gig Harbor has nearly a dozen private schools. 

The Harbor History Museum is located on Gig Harbor Bay and allows visitors a place to experience the history of Gig Harbor. In 2010 the Museum opened its new multi-million dollar facility, highlighted by the Shenandoah, a purse seiner built in a Gig Harbor shipyard and the Midway schoolhouse. The Midway Schoolhouse Experience may be the only all-day pioneer classroom experience on the West Coast. It has been designed with actual curriculum and is the buzz of all 4^th graders who are given the option of attending. It is hosted by numerous volunteers and comes complete with “school marm”. The permanent gallery is spectacular and the temporary exhibits are diverse.

While Gig Harbor was once most known for its fishing and logging, it is now also known for its numerous art galleries, art walks and art shows. A theatre company in Gig Harbor provides entertainment including dinner theatre and summer outdoor theatre.

The Gig Harbor area is ideal for enjoying water-related recreation. Whether you prefer water skiing, power or sail boating, kayaking, fresh or salt water fishing, scuba driving, windsurfing, clamming, beachcombing or swimming, the secluded harbors provide excellent moorage and docking facilities.

There are four state parks. Boat ramps are located near the major bays. Gig Harbor operates a waterfront park, a park on Crescent Creek, a boat-building facility and a pioneer farm. Eight golf courses offer year-round golf close to Gig Harbor.

Numerous events are scheduled throughout the year, largely centered on the Gig Harbor waterfront, including farmers markets, outdoor cinema, Tuesday night music at the park, and lighted holiday boat parade.

Youth and adult baseball, basketball, football, gymnastics, dance, and soccer programs are provided through community organizations. Two local pools provide swimming opportunities for the community and swim clubs.

Carole Holmaas is a Managing Broker at Windermere Real Estate. She may be reached at 253.549.6611 or Carole@GigHarbor-Waterfront.com

Gig Harbor WA Salt Waterfront Home for Sale at Horsehead Bay.  Escape to the quintessential beach house…this salt waterfront home for sale has it all—dock for canoe, kayak and run-about, rope swing into the Bay for the kids, big swing set and sandbox, horseshoes, hammock, waterside patio, partially covered huge deck, outside shower.

But did I mention the salt waterfront home for sale? This charming 1600 square foot contemporary “farmhouse” was built just six years ago with knotty pine floors, vaulted ceilings, 2 story river rock fireplace, stainless appliances, eating bar, corner breakfast nook, covered entry porch, wood windows.

Be ready for this summer’s fun on Horsehead Bay!

Call me at 253.549.6611 or email me Carole@GigHarbor-Waterfront.com for more information about this or another salt waterfront home for sale. Or click on www.GigHarborSaltwaterHome.com for more photos of this salt waterfront home for sale.

The first European-American settlement began in Arletta in the late 1870s and the post office was established in 1893. The first postmistress coined the name Arletta by combining her daughter’s name Arla with her friend’s name Lucetta. Most early settlers farmed. Other activities in the area included logging, fishing, and trapping. When a permanent dock was constructed, a business district developed around the waterfront and included a store, fish fertilizer factory and warehouse. By 1910 the first roads had been constructed between Arletta, Horsehead Bay and Warren.

The first Euro-American settlement in Warren began in the late 1870s.  A permanent dock was constructed in the early 1910s and farming formed the economic base for the community at the beginning. In the late 1920s, local residents constructed a road connecting Warren to Arletta and Horsehead Bay.

Area residents have consistently demonstrated their strong commitment to provide a high quality public education to nearly 10,000 students. The district enjoys a statewide reputation for meeting the educational needs of today’s students who become tomorrow’s leaders. In addition, Gig Harbor has nearly a dozen private schools. 

The Harbor History Museum is located on Gig Harbor Bay and allows visitors a place to experience the history of Gig Harbor. In 2010 the Museum opened its new multi-million dollar facility, highlighted by the Shenandoah, a purse seiner built in a Gig Harbor shipyard and the Midway schoolhouse. The Midway Schoolhouse Experience may be the only all-day pioneer classroom experience on the West Coast. It has been designed with actual curriculum and is the buzz of all 4^th graders who are given the option of attending. It is hosted by numerous volunteers and comes complete with “school marm”. The permanent gallery is spectacular and the temporary exhibits are diverse.

While Gig Harbor was once most known for its fishing and logging, it is now also known for its numerous art galleries, art walks and art shows. A theatre company in Gig Harbor provides entertainment including dinner theatre and summer outdoor theatre.

The Gig Harbor area is ideal for enjoying water-related recreation. Whether you prefer water skiing, power or sail boating, kayaking, fresh or salt water fishing, scuba driving, windsurfing, clamming, beachcombing or swimming, the secluded harbors provide excellent moorage and docking facilities.

There are four state parks. Boat ramps are located near the major bays. Gig Harbor operates a waterfront park, a park on Crescent Creek, a boat-building facility and a pioneer farm. Eight golf courses offer year-round golf close to Gig Harbor.

Numerous events are scheduled throughout the year, largely centered on the Gig Harbor waterfront, including farmers markets, outdoor cinema, Tuesday night music at the park, and lighted holiday boat parade.

Youth and adult baseball, basketball, football, gymnastics, dance, and soccer programs are provided through community organizations. Two local pools provide swimming opportunities for the community and swim clubs.

Carole Holmaas is a Managing Broker at Windermere Real Estate. She may be reached at 253.549.6611 or Carole@GigHarbor-Waterfront.com

(Add link to GHWF)

New Gig Harbor home sales reverse February trend

There are two bright spots in March Gig Harbor home sales but the overall trend reverses the gains made in February. Pendings sales—contracts negotiated but not yet closed—are up nearly 20% from a year ago while inventory is down nearly 23%. The table includes both Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula.

Gig Harbor home sales numbers along with Key Peninsula and their accompanying median prices were all up in February but that picture changed drastically in March.

Pending sales produce the “pipeline” for closed sales. If a high percentage of the pendings close in April and May that will produce more sales than we have experienced since 2007. It wouldn’t take much beat April 2010’s 59 sales with only 51 and 55 the two years prior. One cautionary note is pending numbers for short sale transactions are always a bit dubious. And February “pendings” were also high—23% over the year before. Gig Harbor’s “pendings” was contradicted Pierce County as a whole which was down for March.

 My personal feeling is buyers are reeling from the combination of higher gas prices, the disaster in Japan and the political upheaval in the Middle East. Because interest rates stopped their climb some buyers decided to sit on the sidelines. Additionally March figures for Gig Harbor home sales was pushed upward in 2010 as the federal buyer stimulus was winding down.

With unemployment figures slowing and consumer confidence gaining those buyers will come back into the market, especially as the inventory of available homes continues to decrease. This pool of homes is down 23% from a year ago—the reason appears to be sellers holding out for the market to rid itself of foreclosures. Currently there is a 10 month supply of homes in Key Peninsula and Gig Harbor.

Gig Harbor home sales have been following the national trend where one in three closed sales is a distressed sale. Lately we have been seeing more bank-owned properties than short sales. The bank-owned sales are killing the prices as the lenders constantly drop the listed price to find a buyer.

Carole Holmaas is a Broker at Windermere Real Estate, licensed since 1968. She specializes in waterfront and view properties. She may be reached at 253.549.6611 or at Carole@ISellGigHarbor.com, where you may follow her blog postings.

February brings recovery to Gig Harbor home sales

The short February month brought signs of recovery to Gig Harbor home sales as well as Key Peninsula. While the indicators showed improvement it is too early to tell if a trend is developing. The world economy and political turmoil, as well as unemployment and foreclosures still provide a rocky picture for all of this year.

Gig Harbor home sales numbers along with Key Peninsula and their accompanying median prices were all up, from January as well. This is a particularly good sign for Key Peninsula which has experienced a very stagnant market for over a year.

The last 12 months has seen a 12% drop in prices in Key Peninsula from the previous 12 months while Gig Harbor’s pricing is essentially flat.

The numerous foreclosures and economic instability is perpetuating another trend—price reductions. One in four sellers dropped their price last month—and this has been consistent the past couple years—while they try to find the sweet spot that will entice the buyer to offer.

 One positive trend we have been seeing for a year now—and one that historically produces upward pressure on prices—is fewer sellers in the marketplace. Unfortunately the reason appears to be sellers holding out, when they can, for the market to rid itself of foreclosures.  Inventory is down 21% currently. There is a nine month supply of homes in Key Peninsula and a 14 month inventory in Gig Harbor.

 Carole Holmaas is a Broker at Windermere Real Estate, licensed since 1968. She specializes in waterfront and view properties. She may be reached at 253.549.6611 or at Carole@ISellGigHarbor.com, where you may follow her blog postings.