Meredith Laws - Windermere Real Estate/ Anacortes Properties - 360-770-1997

It's been many many months since our local comedy pros have taken the stage - and with all the snow and the bleak media reports about the economy, we could all use a little laughter right about now!

One night only, January 9, 8:00pm at Brodniak Hall with a special pre-show at 7:30. We are sponsoring this show in conjunction with Marty, Craig, Brian, Nate and the rest to benefit SABA - the Anacortes Schools sports booster association.

Tickets are available at the door - $5 - with all the proceeds going to SABA. My advice: GET THERE EARLY! It will be crowded!

If you have never seen these very talented guys perform, you are in for something truly hilarious. The show is family-friendly (no swearing or off-color material, but really little kids might not get it), and pretty much guaranteed to make you laugh until you are in pain!

So- scrape off any remaining snow on your car and get over to Anacortes High School on January 9th - you will be VERY glad you did!

The Washington State Ferries are a defining feature of Anacortes in so many ways. Not only are they beautiful to watch as they come and go, they bring tourist dollars through, provide lots of jobs, are a vital link to the rest of our treasured San Juan Islands and give us an amazing, international connection to Vancouver Island and the residents of Sidney and Victoria, BC.

The ferry run to Vancouver Island from Anacortes is once again in danger of being eliminated by the State of Washington as a "cost saving" measure. Once again, no one is considering the huge economic impact this ferry run has on our area. This is one of the few state ferry runs that actually operates in the black when all is said and done.

Below is part of an announcement from our Anacortes Director of the Chamber of Commerce, Mitch Everton, regarding community action to save this ferry:

"In her current budget, the Governor has proposed elimination of the Anacortes-Sidney ferry run.

A community meeting to save the international ferry run is scheduled for Wenesday, January 7 @ 6:00 p.m. in the City Council chambers. The purpose of the meeting is to share information about the impact of this decision, provide contact information, and lay out an action plan.

Please put this on your calendar and plan on attending. The impact of this decision on our local economy will be potentially significant. It will take a concerted effort to turn the tide on this, especially given the dire situation of our state budget. "

The last time we had to rally to save our ferry, the state thought the private ferries to BC that operate out of Seattle would serve the demand just fine. We love those ferries, too, but given the popularity of the ferry runs from Seattle and Anacortes, believe that there is a place in the market for both to operate successfully. It is true that the state ferries aren't as glamorous and are a little rough around the edges on the creature comforts sometimes, but they serve a critical need in our island transportation network.

If you are from Anacortes or just have a fond memory of the San Juan Islands or the ferry system (this one in particular), please speak up! Backpackers, bikers, kayakers and sight-seers beware! If we lose this ferry, it will be gone forever, and with it, a big part of the San Juan experience.

If you can't be at the meeting, send me your comments or send them to the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce. You can find them at www.anacortes.org.

We need your help!

We hardly ever get snow... Really! Another three inches or so fell at my house last night - it just keeps coming down! Real Estate must go on, though! So I will put down my sled and take off the apron, (snow makes me want to bake - go figure) and post some real estate stats for those who are interested.

15 single family homes have closed so far in December in Anacortes and Fidalgo Island. That is already over twice as many as November. Good news! Prices are continuing to fall, and although the snow is keeping folks out of the office and off the street, things look a bit more optimistic heading into the New Year.

There are currently 253 homes on the market in Anacortes - about 20 of them have accepted offers.

Average price of homes sold in December is $339K. Average price of active listings is $590K. Average price of pending homes is $400K.

Average days on market for pending homes is 151.

Again - I cannot overstate the buyers opportunities right now in the market. Interest rates are at historic lows, prices are more reasonable than ever and sellers are motivated. If you are a first time buyer - get to a bank this week and find out your lending options. If you are thinking of moving up, out or downsizing, getting into waterfront or waterview, now is a great time to take advantage of the low buy-ins. They won't last forever.

And for sellers - buyers are out there as evidenced by the market activity this month. Let's get it on the market, and get it sold!

Follow the seagulls and discover Anacortes at www.GoSeagull.com.

I have had lots of hints from lots of lenders over the past few days about interest rates dropping under 5% - but I just got the first actual confirmation from a lender offering a 30 year fixed at 4.5%. It looks like it's actually here. Hard to believe that they would ever be so low, but encouraging that our fed is willing to go the distance to help out home buyers!

It NEVER snows in Anacortes! Really! Except once in a while... like now! If memory serves, but it often doesn't, this year's weather pattern seems eerily similar to the winter of 1996, when we had a ton of snow throughout the holidays, even a fresh few inches on Christmas morning to cover Santa's tracks. We have escaped the usual November winds, and I don't remember a cold Northerly wind like this in the last few years. So... white Christmas? Maybe! I know my kids are hoping so!

I'd tell you where the best sledding is in town, but then everyone would know and it would get crowded. All I can say is stay off the streets - that is really dangerous. If you want the inside tip on where to sled safely, call me. In the meantime, get busy on that snowman!

For lots of local links and info about Anacortes, go to www.lawscraig.com