Anacortes, WA

The Seattle Times ran a great article on the Heart lake Trail in anacortes, WA

To read the full story click here

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/getaways/393224_hike25.htm

TRAIL DATA

Heart Lake

Length: 2- to 3-mile loop

Elevation gain: Up to 200 feet with side trips

Rating: Easy

Location: Anacortes

Scenery: Heart Lake, old-growth forest, birds, wildlife

Trail condition: Fair, muddy in spots

Challenges: None

The Anacortes City Forest Land is one of the secrets of Anacortes that many people do not discover until they live here. they move here for the great Marinas, boating, fishing... and then discover that there is a lot ot do on land!

To see more go to www.AnacortesRealEstateBlog.com

www.AnacortesHomeTeam.com

Jean Groesbeck

Coldwell Banker island Living

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!

M

Most of today's blogs are about the weather in our area. Here are some great photos from Linda Harris, Anacortes real estate agent, showing off her Anacortes home covered in snow.

I love the fish garden which adds a lot of color in the winter and fits our seaside community. But they even look better in the snow!

For more photos check out our other blog...

www.AnacortesRealEstateBlog.com

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.