It is going to be a fun weekend ahead here on Whidbey Island, with lots of activities, including Christmas tree lighting, parades, shopping, concerts, crazy people racing kayaks through Deception Pass, and more. Come out and enjoy!
Dec 2 & 3 - Big Brothers & Big Sisters Festival of Trees - Black Tie event including a silent auction on Friday night, and tree viewing on Saturday afternoon at the Elks Lodge. Read more about this benefit for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Island County.
Dec 2 - Concert on the Cove - Concert on Friday night at Camp Casey, Coupeville
Dec 2 - First Friday at Greenbank Farm - enjoy the wine tastings and tour the art galleries at Greenbank Farm First Friday
Dec 3 - Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade in Oak Harbor - parade at 4 PM, Santa Claus arrives at 6 PM, and the annual Christmas Tree Lighting starts shortly afterward. Read more at the Whidbey News Times
Dec 3 - Greening of Coupeville - parade Saturday afternoon and tree lighting ceremony on Saturday night in downtown Coupeville. Read more in the Whidbey News Times
Dec 3-4 - Country Christmas at the Fair - Arts & Crafts Fair at the Island County Fairgrounds in Langley
Dec 3-4 - Deception Pass Dash - for the not-faint of heart, paddle your kayak through Deception Pass. Definitely not for the inexperienced. Register here for the 2011 Deception Pass Dash or read more about it at the Deception Pass Dash Blog or at the sponsor's website
So get out there and enjoy the weekend. And make sure to spend some money to support our local businesses while you are out there!
Now is the time to buy Whidbey Island real estate.
Home prices are down, interest rates are down, and rental properties are becoming scarce. I see homes everyday that are great investment values, that I would buy myself if I could!
· 15 year fixed interest rates are at the lowest they have ever been! As I write this, the fixed rate for 15 year mortgages (with 0 points) is as low as 3.35%! Other home mortgage rates are at historic lows as well.
· Prices for single family homes are well below peak levels in most Whidbey Island neighborhoods, and many condominiums are priced the lowest they have been in ten years!
· Home affordability in the first quarter of 2011 was at the best level in the 20 years it has been calculated, and remains close to that record level for the latest quarter.
· Stock market volatility demonstrates that stocks are not the safest place to put all your savings. A diversified investment strategy that includes long term investment in real estate should be part of your financial strategy.
· Here are some Oak Harbor,WA homes that I think are great values right now:
|
Status |
Address |
Price |
Sq Ft |
Beds |
Baths |
Style |
|
Active |
4536 Woodland Cir |
89500 |
1344 |
2 |
2 |
Manufactured Home |
|
Active |
537 NE Ellis Wy #B101 |
92500 |
869 |
2 |
1.75 |
Condominium |
|
Active |
30875 SR 20 #F-1 |
118000 |
1399 |
3 |
2.5 |
Condo/Townhouse |
|
Active |
30875 SR 20 #I-1 |
139900 |
1401 |
2 |
2.5 |
Condo/Townhouse |
|
Active |
125 NE Nunan Lp #2 |
145000 |
1333 |
3 |
2 |
Condo/Townhouse |
|
Active |
2011 NE 9th Ave |
174000 |
1127 |
3 |
1.5 |
2 Story Single Family |
|
Active |
1917 Peacock Lane |
175000 |
1567 |
4 |
1.75 |
1 Story Single Family |
|
Active |
553 SE Neil St |
179000 |
2418 |
3 |
1.75 |
1 Story Single Family w/Basement |
|
Active |
2036 Rockcress Lane |
185000 |
1262 |
3 |
2 |
2 Story Single Family |
|
Active |
402 NW 12th Lp |
199000 |
1374 |
2 |
1.75 |
1 Story Single Family |
Call me for an appointment to see any of these homes: Hal Hovey (360) 929-0261
(360) 929-0261
Contact HalHovey
Join Me on Facebook
Visit my website www.HalHovey.com
View my Video Tours at my YouTube Channel
Find my other blogs at Around Whidbey and Oak Harbor Homes For Sale
Hal Hovey, Coldwell Banker Koetje Real Estate, 415 SE Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor, WA 98277
Have you ever seen an underwater farm?
Whidbey Island is famous for some truly delicious local delicacies, including Penn Cove mussels, which are grown offshore hanging underwater from rafts in Penn Cove. Farming isn't just for landlubbers! Martha Stewart enlightens us in this amazing video:
These mussels are world famous, and are considered a real delicacy. This is the only place in the world where this variety of mussels is grown. They can be found on the menus of all our local seafood restaurants, as well as in restaurants all over the country.
One of the best aspects of this type of farming is that it is sustainable! Very few resources are used in this type of farming, and they cause no pollution of our precious waterways. Eat and Enjoy!
(360) 929-0261
Contact HalHovey
Join Me on Facebook
Visit my website www.HalHovey.com
View my Video Tours at my YouTube Channel
Find my other blogs at Around Whidbey and Oak Harbor Homes For Sale
Hal Hovey, Coldwell Banker Koetje Real Estate, 415 SE Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor, WA 98277
Whidbey Island has been chosen the Best of the Northwest Escapes by KING-5 TV's Evening Magazine Viewers!
Great news this week: King-5 TV's Evening Magazine has released the results of their Best of the Northwest Escapes Awards for 2011, and Whidbey Island fared really well. In addition to receiving the award for Best Island Getaway, we also scored in many other areas. I've tried to provide web links to every winner, so bookmark this page and come back to it often:
1st Place - Best Island - Whidbey Island!
1st Place - Best State Park, Best Campground - Deception Pass State Park, North Whidbey Island
1st Place - Best Lighthouse - Admiralty Head Lighthouse, Fort Casey State Park, Coupeville
2nd Place - Best Roadside Attraction - Deception Pass
2nd Place - Best Boating Adventure - Deception Pass Tours - Cornet Bay, North Whidbey Island 
2nd Place - Best Eco Adventure - Anacortes Kayak Tours, Anacortes (so technically not on Whidbey Island, but they do tours out of Deception Pass State Park that are great fun)
3rd Place - Best Bed & Breakfast - Blue Goose Inn, Coupeville
3rd Place - Best Surfing Destination - Fort Ebey State Park, Coupeville, WA
3rd Place - Best Place to Watch a Sunset - Rosario Beach, Deception Pass State Park, (again, technically not on Whidbey Island, but in Deception Pass State Park...and you can get the same sunset at West Beach in Deception Pass State Park on the Whidbey Island side of the bridge!)
4th Place - Best Hiking Trail - Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, Coupeville
4th Place - Best Whale Watching Adventure - Whidbey Island Kayaking Company, Langley, WA
4th Place - Best Storm Watching - Deception Pass State Park, North Whidbey Island
4th Place - Best Picnic Spot - Deception Pass State Park, North Whidbey Island
4th Place - Best Scenic Drive - Whidbey Island Scenic Isle Way
5th Place - Best Windsurfing Destination - Windjammer Park (also/formerly known as City Beach Park), downtown Oak Harbor
5th Place - Best Bird Watching - Eagles on Whidbey Island
Congratulations to all the award winners, and congratulations to all the residents of Whidbey Island who work so hard to make such this a wonderful place to live!
.
.
(800) 509-8277
Contact HalHovey
Join Me on Facebook
Visit my website www.HalHovey.com
View my Video Tours at my YouTube Channel
Find my other blogs at Around Whidbey and Oak Harbor Homes For Sale
Hal Hovey, Coldwell Banker Koetje Real Estate, 415 SE Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor, WA 98277
Community-Wide Open House May 14th & 15th - Oak Harbor, WA
If you are looking for homes for sale in Oak Harbor, this is the weekend to be out! With most of our local real estate offices participating, and over 60 homes open this weekend, it is a great opportunity to get out and see some homes that you might have been waiting for the chance to tour.
I will be holding two Open Houses this weekend:
On Saturday I will be at 430 Elderberry Street in Dugualla Bay Heights from 1-4 PM. There will be several other homes also open in this community on Saturday, so come by and tour them all!
For the full list of Open Houses, stop by our offices on SR 20 or Pioneer Way! See you this weekend!
(800) 509-8277
Contact HalHovey
Join Me on Facebook
Visit my website www.HalHovey.com
View my Video Tours at my YouTube Channel
Hal Hovey, Coldwell Banker Koetje Real Estate, 415 SE Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor, WA 98277
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Looking for Oak Harbor homes for sale? Whether you are looking for a house in town, a vacation home, acreage with a view, or a retirement condo, Whidbey Island has a home to fit every lifestyle!
When we got married, I made a deal with my wife that if she followed me around wherever the military sent me, then when it was time for me to leave the military, we could settle down wherever she wanted.
For almost 15 years we traveled around the country and looked at towns and places we thought might be interesting places to eventually settle. We decided fairly quickly that we wanted to live in the Puget Sound area to be near family, so we looked from Port Orchard to Port Angeles, and from Camano Island to Samish Island and the San Juans. We eventually decided that Whidbey Island had the best combination of small-town atmosphere, island living, and easy access to the mainland that we were looking for. One of the important factors for us was to live somewhere in the Olympic Rainshadow, and Whidbey Island is right in the center.
Our decision to chose Whidbey Island proved to be perfect for our family. The place that a person or family choses to live is always a compromise -- between the occasionally conficting challenges of finding a lifestyle that suits your needs and desires, and being able to make a living (or retire economically). I enjoy telling people the story of how we came to live on Whidbey Island, because some of the questions we had to answer along the way may be helpful to other people who are facing similar questions.
Moving every few years in the military taught me a lot about buying, selling, and investing in real estate, from a homeowner's point of view. I have taken those personal experiences and built upon them with extensive professional training to become a highly experienced and successful real estate agent.
While selling Real Estate is a far different career then my previous career flying fighter jets to protect America, I find the same qualities are important... TRUST, INTEGRITY, SELFLESS DEDICATION... I specialize in helping military personnel, retirees, vacation home buyers, and homeowners who are selling and relocating out-of-state. I pride myself on my service to my clients.
Certifications: CRS, ABR, ASP, PPS
Associations: Licensed in Washington; Member - National Association of Realtors®; Member - Washington Association of Realtors®; Member - Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce
Coldwell Banker Koetje Real Estate, 415 SE Pioneer Way, Oak Harbor, Whidbey Island, WA 98277
Contact Hal Hovey by email or phone: (800) 509-8277 or (360) 929-0261 or on Facebook
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