About Belfair's Hood Canal

In the moments of Sunday sales, I had this car drive into the parking lot, for no other reason than just good old classic fun, I wanted to share this picture.

Many times over the sales drives me to get another classic, if you have a favorite send me a picture.

Or if you have another love send it with your thoughts.

Have a great 2nd quarter end!

Daryl

www.daryldatus.com

This year we are looking forward to oyster fest, below is some info to help guide you to the PLACE!

With the help of nearly 100 community organizations, Skookum Rotary stages it's annual small town, BIG event! The Pacific Rim Oyster Open Speed & Half-Shell Oyster Shucking Contests are the centerpiece of the festival. Two other Open events are the Art and Photography Competition and the Seafood Cook-Off. Free entertainment is on-going. Wine tasting is provided by several Washington State Wineries and the Microbreweries certainly know how to do their thing. Not to mention the food venders--none of whom may duplicate another's delicacy. Our advice-Come Hungry! The Fairground is located on Sanderson Field, 1/2 mile north of Shelton, west of US Highway 101. Many folks with private aircraft fly in for the event, park their planes and walk or ride to the Fairground. Skookum Rotary Club contracts for the Free Shuttle Service with Mason County Transportation Authority. Free parking areas and pick-up points are located at the Shelton Civic Center, Shelton Yacht Club, Olympic College, Shelton High School, the Port of Shelton property adjacent to the Olympic Air facility. We recommend the Port of Shelton satellite parking area which is reached through the Main Entrance to the Port of Shelton. (The Port entrance is about 3/4 of a mile north of the Fairground Entrance, both of which are on US Highway 101. Also, the Port Entrance has a 'left turn lane in this stretch of the highway for Northbound traffic.)

Have a good time!

www.daryldatus.com

North Mason Rotary Club is the proud sponsor of the 9th Annual "Taste of Hood Canal" summer event on Saturday, August 13, 2011, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Downtown Belfair on Clifton Lane. Admission is free!

The "Taste" will feature a larger and expanded custom and classic car show, beer, wine tasting by Riverhill Winery, featuring specialties from local restaurants, family entertainment throughout the day, live music all day, food booths including North Mason Chamber of Commerce world-famous grilled oysters, seafood salads, and a variety of wonderful treats, informational displays, art and craft booths, fire engines, local artists and lots of fun for all!

Come early for the 4th Annual Mason County Fire District 2 Pancake Breakfast- Served from 8:00a.m. to 11:30 am- Menu includes pancakes, sausage, eggs, juice and coffee. Served at Station 21 - 460 NE Old Belfair Highway. A shuttle will run from the Taste to the Firehall during the morning.

Parking will be available on Old Belfair Highway 500 feet from the event and a free shuttle will be provided for event parking at Sand Hill Elementary School. Just follow the signs!

Hope to see you there!

www.daryldatus.com

Hood Canal Waterfront Homes Sold and Active~The 2010 Year in Review~

Well, I think we can all agree that 2010 was definitely a tough year all around and we are all glad to move forward into 2011!

So how did the Hood Canal, North Shore and South Shore and Puget Sound (Allyn, Grapeview & Victor) waterfront homes for sale fair throughout the year of 2010? Let's take a look.

There were a total of 13 sold waterfront homes in those areas specific.

• North Shore Waterfront Homes Sold : (4) total.
• South Shore Waterfront Homes Sold : (4) total.
• Puget Sound (Allyn, Victor & Grapeview) waterfront homes sold : (5)
• Average sold price: $449,069
• Average $$'s per sq foot? $333.29
• Average Days on the market : 154

It was a fairly slow market throughout the year for waterfront homes for sale along the Hood Canal & Puget Sound waterfront, but interest seemed to increase the last quarter of 2010. There are some awesome prices on the waterfront homes activey for sale out there!

Currently there are 37 active listings for Hood Canal & Puget Sound Waterfront Homes for sale. The inventory is a lot lower than what we have seen throughout the summer. The breakdown of the areas for the waterfront homes currently for sale is as follows:

• North Shore Waterfront Homes for Sale : 13
• South Shore Waterfront Homes for Sale: 11
• Puget Sound (Allyn, Victor & Grapeview) : 13
• Average Price = $510,296
• Average $$'s per sq foot = $293.78
• Average Days on the Market = 319.

Many waterfront choices out there! Lots of opportunity, lots of choices, lots of great values! Is it time for YOU to start thinking about your Hood Canal waterfront home for summertime fun??

Home appraisals are a necessary step in the process of selling or refinancing your home. While many homes today aren't worth as much as they were when they were bought, it is crucial for homeowners to be realistic when it comes to getting their home appraised.

If you are in the process of getting your home ready to be put on the market or if you are interested in refinancing, review the following tips from Equity Mortgage Lending as you prepare for your home appraisal.

• The appraiser will need approximately 30 minutes to one hour to complete the inspection phase of the appraisal process, which includes: exterior photos of the front and rear of the home and a photo of the street in front of the property; measurements of the exterior of the home, garage and any outbuildings; a walk-through inspection of all rooms and levels of the interior of the home, including the basement.
• Get organized. Put together a checklist that will help you get ready for your appraisal and get the results you're looking for.
• Be flexible when scheduling the appointment.
• Have a copy of your home's blueprint to help verify measurements and lot size.
• Provide a list of improvements made to the property since the purchase. Improvements that should be noted include adding a pool, patio, updating your kitchen or bathroom and any room additions, etc.
• Allow your appraiser access to the entire property, including access to any crawl space or attic areas.
• Keep in mind that a clean home makes a good impression. Be sure to trim the lawn, clean the pool and garage, repair cracked windows or torn screens, check for leaky faucets and secure gutters and down spouts before your appraisal.
• Point out any amenities that may not be obvious to the appraiser: sprinkler systems, patios, pools, security systems, built-in vacuum, etc.
• Provide a copy of last year's tax assessment information.
• Know what year the house was built and when improvements were made.
• The first thing appraisers look for is comparables, so be prepared and have a list of recent sales of similar properties in the immediate neighborhood.