"Chocolate Extravaganza with Walter Dacon Wines"
If you are from the South Sound, hopefully you have tired some of the outstanding wines made at Walter Dacon Winery, located just south of Shelton & north of Olympia. Washington state is getting so well known for excellent wines, and Western Washington has some outstanding boutique makers. This one is a gem!
Looking for something special to do with your sweetie?
I recommend a trip to the winery.
All Valentine's Day weekend, (February 14th, 15th and 16th, President's Day) from 12 to 6 p.m. each day, for only $7.
Expect a lovely crowd this weekend.
This afternoon, it was full of friendly happy customers & friends, and even the outdoor seating was full! (There is covered & heated seating outdoors, just in case of rain.)
Directions:
From Olympia or Shelton take Hwy 101 and go East onto Lynch Road at TaylorTown, (near the drive-in theater and Taylor Shellfish Company) and follow for a little over a mile to just down the dill and on your Right.
Link to a google map with directions here.
What came home with me?
The C'est Syrah Belle.It will go perfectly with some sausage and pasta.
I also really enjoyed their semi-sweet Viognier, which I tried for the first time today, but they are SOLD OUT!
I am just glad I can find this great locally made wine at local stores and restaurants.
SE 50 Skookum Inlet Rd
Shelton, WA 98584
360-426-5913
winemaker@walterdaconwines.com
http://www.walterdaconwines.com
And now they have a Facebook Page too!
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If you are moving to the Olympia / Shelton area and enjoy how small, locally owned businesses enhance your quality of life, I would love to help you make this your home and learn about the area. (And all those shops!)
I help Buyers, Sellers & Investors throughout the South Puget Sound buy & sell homes.
Call me or email me with any questions, or CLICK HERE to find homes for sale in the Arcadia / Kamilche Pt areas of South Mason County near the winery.
Here are some NOT-scary looking graphs showing you what is happening in the local real estate market of Mason County– all the way back from the year 2000. The thick black line is this year (2008).
Average Sales Price
As you can see, the average price for each month is dancing around a bit, but is staying above the $200,000 mark. The first time Mason County had average sales prices of over $200,000 was in August of 2005. Current price averages are just about on par with November of 2005 too.
5 year Perspective: Average Sold prices are about 25% higher than November 2003.
Time to sell
Consistency seems to be the description here: Consistently taking a looong time to sell. The last time it took this long to sell a house was back in 2000 & 2001. And it was not for this extended time frame.
Note: The seller’s market spike was 2004 & 2005.
Actual Sales per Month
As you can see, there was a rather sudden drop in the number of homes that are selling each month. It can be tracked to the October 6 market crash– portfolios got hammered! We are in uncharted waters with this type of sharp decline in # sold.
The Silver Lining: December is looking up, with 14 closed sales already, which is more than 50% of November, and the month is only one-third over.
My Forecast for Mason County Residential Sales
No clue. My crystal ball is broken. How is yours?
This is not a time to "try" selling a house. Sell if you NEED to sell. Expect to make concessions to Buyers.
Let me know if you would like a closer look at statistics in your particular area of Mason County- every area is a bit different. I am never too busy to answer the questions of clients & friends.
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Mason County is located on the West side of Puget Sound, about 20 miles northwest of Olympia. Mason County is a lovely wooded place full of places to hike & hunt & fish with a HUGE number of lakes & salt water inlets & bays, with small communities throughout. Newcomers are delighted by all the lovely fjords in the area too.
The largest towns/communities are Shelton (County seat) Belfair, Allyn, Union & Hoodsport, Timberlakes, Mason Lake, Lilliwaup, Lake Cushman & Grapeview. The zip codes for the region are 98584, 98592, 98546, 98588, 98528 and 98548. Telephone area code is 360.
While I am not expert in all of Mason County, I know the agents who know every nook and cranny and can tell you when & where to find the best steelhead. If you are thinking of moving to this gorgeous unspoiled part of the Pacific Northwest, give me a call. I can either help you find you your new home, or introduce you to a professional from the area who can.
Take a look at my website to view everything currently for sale in Western Washington, including Shelton & Mason County.
Local food banks are having a tough time meeting the rising needs of people in our communities.
My office is collecting non-perishable foods and money to help. Other local Realtor offices are also doing this in conjunction with our annual Auction for Charity tomorrow. Hopefully this will help keep people from being hundry this winter. (And if you are reading this but don't live in Thurston County, please take a moment and find out how hard hit your local food bank is this year. The needs are growing everywhere.)
The food bank says they especially need canned fruit at the moment. But ANYthing is worth giving.
Want to help?
You can drop off donations at my office through the month of December. We are just off I-5 Exit 107 at 3009 Pacific Ave SE in Olympia. We will be collecting all month long.
Here are some scary looking graphs showing you what is happening in the local real estate market– all the way back from the year 2000. The thick black line is this year (2008).
#1 Are Any Houses Selling?
As you can see, about as many houses are selling now as in 2000 & 2001. November saw a sharp drop in the #s. The October 6 market crash hammered portfolios. And my websites were very quiet for a short time.
So far in December, 47 homes have Closed, which puts it on par for November numbers.
#2 Haven’t prices Tanked?
As you can see (black line) Thurston County’s average price isn’t doing the sharp drops we keep hearing about. Of course, that is dependent on your specific neighborhood and property. Micro-market is the word of the day.
5 year Perspective: Average Sold prices are about 43% higher than November 2003.
#3 How long to sell?
A long time.
Average time to get a property sold is higher than anything Thurston County has seen in the past decade. Unless you price your house very aggressively. Remember, these are just averages– you control your own destiny!
Note: Average is about twice as long now as 2005 & 2006.
My Forecast
Snow sometime this winter and rain. And blue skies too. Other than that, my crystal ball isn’t showing much! But I would be happy to sit and do the "what-if" game with you. Just give me a call.
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If you are looking for a home to buy in Thurston County, from Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater to Yelm or Rochester or Tenino or Steamboat Island, give me a call. Or take a look at my litsings website, where you can browse all the available properties throughout Western Washington.
-Sarah, (360) 789-7898
http://www.sarahnopp.com
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Let me help you become a Real Estate Investor: Olympia, Shelton and nearby. Helping my clients Monitor the multi-family market, Identify the good performers and Develop their portfolios and goals.
Where do you want to live?
Serving clients throughout the South Sound, from Dupont south through Olympia, to Centralia, north to Shelton and west into parts of Grays Harbor County. I have helped clients relocate here from around the country and even internationally, who have a very short time, even one day, to make a decision.
Many of my clients are first time buyers and my focus is to help them understand the process so that they make their best choices. My specialty is Residential real estate with a focus on Investments, which includes sales experience in the widest range of residential property types:
Military PCS & Other Relocation
Military personnel, and support personnel, are very important to the South Puget Sound. Because we enjoy a number of military posts, we also enjoy more diversity of cultures, a stronger economy, and a dynamic or energy that only enrighes the whole region. And this is such a wonderful place to live, many soldiers choose to stay here or return after retirement.
But when military personnel is sent here, they usually have only a Single Day to find a home here.
Let me help you learn the area and get a sense of the geography, the lenght of time for commutes, access to I-5, routes to the different gates for Ft Lewis & McChord. I personally work in a rather large geographic region and know the backroutes, the fun diners, the parks and trails and waterways. And I am a pretty entertaining guide- lots of local trivia is stuck in my head!
The South Sound area is an unusual place with a lot of great communities to choose from, and they all offer different things
What is important for you and your family, especially in your spare time?
-What do you do for Entertainment? Golfing, hiking, boating?
-Where do you like to shop?likes to do in spare time?
-Are schools important? Church?
-Do you need to be close to a hospital?
-Do you have a spouse who will be working?
-Are you going to keep the house as a rental when you are PCS'd out?
-What have friends from this area told you to look for?
The system I have developed relies on great communication between me and you, and helping you develop a real understanding of the area. I have helped many soldiers and their families, as well as corporate relocatees, find a new home here that they have been happy in for years.
Please give me a call or email me to talk about your timeframes, and we can start working together right away.
Should you be a Landlord? Does it make sense for you?
Are you an Investor trying to identify which properties in the South Sound will perform to your needs?
Which investment gauge do you like to track and compare?
I am one of those odd people who thinks creating spread sheets and measuring these things is fun. I like numbers!
I track each multi-family property as it comes on the market, and can report to my clients a pretty good estimate of whether it will or will not meet their specific needs. Then it just a matter of you identifying your comfort levels in area and quality.
If you are an investor who would like to expand their portfolio of properties, or if you are just starting to invest, I can help you. I have taught a course on Investing Fundamentals and would be happy to share my How To Packet with you when we sit down to talk.
Experience Matters
Licensed since 2001 and working full time as a Real Estate Professional since then.
I have discovered that one of the aspects I really love about the Real Estate profession is that I will almost certainly learn something new with every client and every transaction. An agent can never be too educated- it all helps my clients somehow. My education includes staying up to date on technology, ever-changing land use laws, as well as developing the basic skills of customer service.
My background
My family is from all around the Puget Sound, but I grew up in Helena, Montana. My husband and I moved back to Western Washington in 1993. My husband is Daniel Brent, the owner/operator of Lucky Dragon Computers, and he does mobile computer repair in the Olympia area. You will often meet me in the company of my pug dog Lilly too. We are big fans of taking little trips out the ocean and love to explore the local parks and go hiking.
Many of my clients have become my friends. I am grateful they have come to me for help in finding new homes & investments, and to help their own families & friends. Since 2001, I have helped over 90 clients & their families achieve their real estate goals and I treasure these relationships.
Joe & Julie Pellegrino, Clients since 2003
Sarah is very professional and knowledgeable. Having her represent our property was a pleasant undertaking during a stressful time. And she has located many successful investments for us. She gives generously of her time, her knowledge and herself. We couldn't ask for a better real estate agent.
Mervet Sanchez, Chicago Title Company
I have sat at the signing table on both sides of the transaction with Sarah and her clients and have seen the loyalty to her and the gratitude for her services and input. Sarah does not hesitate to call to obtain information for her clients. And although she usually knows the answer, she verifies her research. Her availability via email is also quite admirable. Sarah is a valuable and integral part of the professional real estate community here in the South Puget Sound area.
Referrals
Referrals are the truest measure of my sucess. Thank you for your referrals of your friends and family. It means so much that you would trust me to help them. Please have them call or email me, or I can get in touch with them. You know the level of service I offered you, and I will offer the same to your loved ones.
I am not able to succeed without the support of the people who know me and trust me.
Thank you.
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