Sequim, WA

Are homes being built in Sequim and Port Angeles? How many new homes are being built so far in 2008? Has the slowing real estate market and the troubled economy hurt the building industry? No doubt it has, but the picture is brighter than I might have thought just by reading headlines and listening to the talking heads.

I’ve tracked building permits issued by Clallam County from 2005 through September of 2008, and here are the results:

I’ve included data for single family stick-built homes, manufactured homes, and duplexes. We see again proof that 2005 was a banner year in real estate with 359 permits issued for homes. Since then we have a steady decline, and for the first nine months of this year, we have 160 building permits. Annualizing this number would give us a rough equivalent to the number issued last year, but I suspect that the remainder of this year will see fewer permits with the year ending at about 190 building permits.

This is good news. You would have thought no one was planning to build a home, but in fact many are, an average of about 17 each month. That’s not a big number, but in little Clallam County, that’s a positive number in the worst real estate market in decades.

I’ve included data for manufactured homes to show they are still a factor for many retired couples moving here. I also included duplexes only to show that we have virtually no duplex market here at all. That may answer a few questions for investors who email me asking about duplexes.

[Source of Data: Olympic Listing Service]

Sequim is a wonderful place to live. Here are seven reasons I love Sequim, and why you might love it, too.

1. Sequim is a beautiful and peaceful community with water views, mountains, and old growth forests;

2. Sequim has retirement communities, lots and homes built to suit retirees in close proximity to shopping and community activities (but you can also buy a farm or 5 acres outside of town);

3. Sequim’s school district is one of the best in the country, and the children are all above average (4 of them are mine);

4. Sequim has an extremely low crime rate, and you’ll feel like you went back in time 30 years;

5. Sequim doesn’t suffer the traffic nightmares of most cities (do you love the country?);

6. Sequim has great weather and is popular for its rain shadow, meaning it gets about a third of the rain fall of Seattle; and

7. Sequim has an amazing variety of recreational activities, such as fishing, boating, bicycling, hiking, flying, marathons, dog shows, farmer’s markets, boat races, bird watching, hikes into the Olympic National Park, skiing at Hurricane Ridge, short ferry rides to Victoria, B.C., horse riding, lavender farms, great motorcycle rides around the Peninsula, more volunteer activies than one can list here, dozens of hobby groups and clubs, and just about anything you can imagine for every age group.

[Photo by Chuck Marunde, John Wayne Marina in Sequim]
[Original Article Posted at: Sequim Real Estate News]

What's the secret of Sequim weather? Is there a rain shadow? Is it warmer and does the sun shine more in Sequim than in Port Angeles? Well, this is a topic of conversation from Port Angeles to Santa Barbara and Houston.

Finally, you can compare the weather in Sequim and Port Angeles LIVE right here. See this live comparison of the weather in Sequim and Port Angeles.

The Broker of Sequim and Port Angeles Real Estate, LLC talks about real estate and the Internet, finding buyers and selling in this market on this brief video interview.

People from around the Western United States often ask, "What is the secret of the weather in Sequim?" We have a rain shadow, and it's a big attraction to the area.

But it also does not rain on the Northern Olympic Peninsula as much as people think, unless you climb up into the mountain rain forest south of us. But if you like water, mountains, sun and a wonderful community of generous retired people, all basking in this rain shadow, you would love Sequim.

For a detailed weatherman's explanation, go to the "Secret of Sequim Weather."