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A few days ago I attended a Tumwater Chamber of Commerce luncheon featuring a presentation by the new owners of the Old Brew house. Pat Rhodes and George Heidgerken bought part of the Tumwater brewery a few months ago, and together with Ryan Rhodes, the project manager, and Jim Brown, the project architect, spoke about the brewery's history, introduced a progress report, their vision of the old brew house's future and the potential it holds for the community.
If left unchanged, the historic brew house would have run a course of quick deterioration and would have been an irreplaceable loss to the community. As I've written in a previous blog, the old brew house is a historical landmark who's look is embossed in the local area architecure.
Listening to the presentation I got the impression that the property is in good hands with local and experienced entrepreneurs. Since purchasing the property, George and Pat have received numerous offers from other parties to buy the property from them. They could also just as easily rent the existing structures as warehouse space. However, the partners realize the special opportunity they have on hand and the great potential the property harbors. They are currently in negotiation to purchase the rest of the Tumwater brewery property.
The new owners are looking for a public-private partnership to shape the future of the old brew house. The vision entails the possible re-creation of previous historical buildings on site, access to the lake and river for small boats or kayaks, tying into and expanding the area trail system, creating a grand plaza, utilizing the existing rail system for a trolley to Olympia, constructing a bridge across to Tumwater Historic Park, building a parking garage, converting the buildings for hotel use, coffee house, micro-brewery, and even an indoor climbing wall. The possibilities are endless and are restricted only by limited funds and lack of public support.
The brewery complex is ideally located between Olympia and Tumwater, with immediate access to I-5 and Hwy 101. It is adjacent to parks, Capitol Lake and the Deschutes River. Realizing its full potential could have a huge economic impact for the area. If the old brew house can become a destination resort, it would bring jobs, tax revenue and prestige to the region.
When I think of the best use for the Old Brew House, the Edgefield Hotel, a historic farm outside of Portland, restored and converted to hospitality use by the McMennamin brothers, comes to mind. Take a look at Edgefield and you'll even see a resemblance to the architecture of the Old Brew house.
I hope the new owners of the brewery get all the support needed to transform the property to a valuable community asset. I hope the city of Olympia will take an active role and give support to this undertaking; not just because of the potential impact, but also because, after all, this used to be the Olympia Brewing Company.
I also hope to see the owners establish an online community interface, so the public can track the progress and give input on the project. I look forward to touring the property in the next few weeks.
Sandy Nelson
Olympia Realtor®, GRI, ASP, Built Green
360-789-7505
www.SandyNelsonRealEstate.com
Our community is important to me. I take pride in our beautiful locality, and our quality of life.
I've been asked by newcomers to Olympia, if the signs greeting them when they enter the city are Olympia's slogan. You would really have to slow down and take a closer look to see that these welcome signs have a date on them and do not say "All American", like many people believe, but "All America".
The title "All-America City" is an award given annually to ten US cities by The National Civic League, to recognize communities for outstanding civic accomplishments. To win, each city must demonstrate innovation, inclusiveness, civic engagement, and cross sector collaboration. http://www.allamericacityaward.com/about/
Olympia has received the award for the year 1986 to 1987, and has marked this honor with signs located along major city boundary routes. Many people think that the slogan "An All America City" is Olympia's tag line, or nick name, like "The Windy City" for Chicago, "The Big Apple" for New York, or "The City of Roses" for Portland.
"An All America City" just doesn't conjure a clear image for me, and I wish Olympia had a tag line that embodies its unique essence. If Seattle can be the Emerald City, surely Olympia can do better than "All America". How about Olympia - Crown Jewel of Puget Sound, or Olympia - Organic City, or Olympia - It's the Water... ? You get the idea. Let's give Olympia some identity.
Any suggestions?
Sandy Nelson
Olympia Realtor®
Our community is important to me. I take pride in our beautiful locality, and our quality of life.
Feel free to contact me for questions about local attractions, events, or real estate information.
360-789-7505
www.SandyNelsonRealEstate.com
Distressed homes aren't necessary dilapidated homes. They may look just like your house, or be brand new. Distressed homes are homes that have either been foreclosed upon and are returned to the market with the banks as the sellers, or they are "short sales", listings that are being offered for sale by their current owners for less than what they owe to the banks. Sometimes these homes are in less than desirable shape, but can be a real bargain for buyers. If there are a lot of distressed homes on the market in your neighborhood, these low sale prices will influence your home's value if you plan to sell soon. The ratio of distressed listings versus non-distressed listings, is also an indicator of the general real estate market in any given location.
A few years ago the term "short sale" was not very well known, as short-sales were uncommon. Since 2007 short sales and foreclosure listing in our area have increased dramatically.
Currently, short sale and foreclosed listings make up over 32% of all active listings in Pierce County. Close to one out of three homes in Pierce County is distressed.
In Thurston County this ratio is 16.6%. Consequently, the median home value in Thurston County is $235,000, versus in Pierce County it is $225,000.
Sandy Nelson
Olympia Realtor®, GRI, ASP, Built Green
360-789-7505
www.SandyNelsonRealEstate.com
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All the real estate information on the Internet can not compare to the real time, on-the-ground expertise of a local, skilled Realtor ®. Among all the South Sound real estate resources available, the most powerful tool is my phone number.
Planning a home purchase or the sale of your home will be much more enjoyable when you work with a friendly and knowledgeable professional. I'm dedicated to helping you make informed decisions and providing you with exceptional skill and service.
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As a your full service Realtor and Accredited Staging Professional in the Olympia, Lacey, Yelm, Dupont and Fort Lewis area, I specialize in single family residential property and military relocation.
Who wouldn't want to own their own little piece of this beautiful place?
See pictures of the beautiful Olympia area and local neighborhoods here
You'll want to talk to me when it comes time for buying or selling a home in the greater Olympia area. I'm truly passionate about real estate, and I know what you want: You want a professional who is competent in her field, dedicated to your needs and passionate about her work. You don't just want marketing; you want superior marketing that gives your property an edge over the other properties listed on the market. You want your interests protected with warranties and guarantees. Everybody offers service; you want exceptional service, where every detail is attended to. You want a clear understanding of what you can expect. If you needed an operation, want the best surgeon. If you were sued, you would seek the sharpest attorney; so when it comes to real estate, a major investment, you'll want to turn to me and my team. Quality doesn't just happen by chance. It's accomplished by high expectations, intelligent planning, tireless effort and skillful execution. My services are designed to make your needs the focus of my actions. If you are, or ever have been in the military, you'll appreciate that I have been affiliated with the US military for over 20 years. And as such, you'll understand how familiar this makes me with relocation issues. I appreciate the service of our military and their family members and want to put myself at their service for all their housing and relocation needs.
I practice my profession with the support of two full time Realtor team members, who make up the "Key Group". As a "Key client" you enjoy the benefit of having three professionals with a wide range of expertise and training at your service at all times. Our designations include ABR (Accredited Buyers Representative), GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute), ASP (Accredited Staging Professional) and SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist).
What else do you get with me? You get a person who believes in giving back to the community. I try to accomplish that by serving on my neighborhood association board, supporting Habitat for Humanity and by being actively involved with the American Cancer Society's annual Relay for Life event. 
My Mission:
Memberships, Designations and Affiliations:
"Sandra is a woman of integrity and is unfailingly professional."
-Yvonne Pawelek, Ft. Lewis
" We enjoyed working with Sandy so much! Sandy's professionalism, attention to details, and understanding of real estate market are all outstanding"
-Jennie and Hirsch Diamant, Olympia
"...Her style effectively blends friendliness with professional objectivity and she approaches her work with enthusiasm and commitment."
- Ulla Torres, Lakewood
"You were so great working with our kids and both of them have said that over and over. How lucky to have you as a friend and to have you be a real estate expert."
-Diane Laslie, Olympia
"Sandy, thank you so much for all your hard work and help. You made buying our new home one of the easiest and best experiences we could have anticipated."
-Lilian and James Getchman, McCleary
"Sandy was instrumental in helping us buy our home. She listened to what we wanted and as a result we were able to narrow our search significantly and find exactly what we were looking for within a week.
Sandy's presence throughout the buying process was very reassuring and her advice was always genuine and spot on. We never got the impression that she was 'out to sell' but more so that she was there to ensure that we made decisions that were in our best interest.
Sandy made the purchase of our first home relatively effortless and quite fun. We have had no qualms in recommending her to our friends and will definately rely on her real estate expertise in the future."
-Jay and Prim Jeyasingam, Lacey
"I flew into town and only had a short week to look for houses. Sandy had the patience to show me pretty much ALL the houses between Dupont, Lacey and Olympia! 50 houses! Need I say more? Never grumpy, never grouchy that, even after a week, I hadn't found a house yet that I liked. On my last day I finally found a home that was suitable for our family. I signed the offer, left town and Sandy did everything else! We did not have to worry at all, and that alone took a huge load off my shoulders. I will recommend her to my friends anytime."
- Susanna Haynie, Olympia
"We have purchased several homes in the past, and experienced a variety of real estate agents, ranging from the poor to the exceptional. Sandy definitely fits into the latter of these two categories. Sandy is a consummate professional - she tirelessly searched for a property for us, and didn't waste our time looking at listings she knew would not interest us. When she did find us that perfect property, she continued to work closely with us, and even attended our closing to ensure we understood the process. When we decide to sell and/or purchase a property in the future, Sandy will by the first call we make."
-Brian and Yvette Jones, Olympia
...Our loan representative referred us to Sandy Nelson. From the first time we talked, she was genuinely excited to help us, especially since we were a military family using a VA loan, which she had lots of previous experience navigating.
From the first time we met, we found Sandy to be very in-tuned with what we were looking for and very anxious to help us...
Though we didn't work for weeks or months finding our first home, we would have never found it if it wasn't for Sandy. She is so pleasant to work with and has truly become a friend for life. What we love about Sandy is that she's there for you after you find your home, she doesn't just close the sale and forget all about you. She was there on moving day, providing our friends and family with food and drinks, and she's always so thoughtful. We recently celebrated our first year anniversary in our new home and there was Sandy, giving us flowers to celebrate the ocassion right along with us.
I strongly encourge all of my friends and co-workers to contact Sandy if they're looking for a great real estate professional they can trust. She definitley made our first home buying experience a very pleasant one. We'll always be thankful to her and consider her a friend!
- Gina and Jerry Hobbs, Lacey
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