About Kitsap County, WA

Just a little reminder - Don't forget to give to Toys for Tots.

Toys for Tots is a Marine Corps Reserve community service project. You will see Marines in their dress blues at malls, shops and local businesses soliciting donations. If you see one of their barrels please make sure you drop something in. On the Toys for Tots official websiteyou can find a drop location, or take your donation to any ToysRus. Toys for Tots is very special to many families in our great country. The toys collected will be given to families in need in many areas.

My husband who is in the Navy is stationed with a Marine Corps unit in Anchorage, Alaska is gearing up to go out "on remote delivery" for Toys for Tots. The Alaska Marines do this every year prior to Christmas. This year there are two teams. Team #1 will fly into Galena and deliver via snowmobile toys to the school in Ruby. Usually they travel to Koyukuk and Nulato too, but due to the warm weather up in Alaska and the late icing the toys for Koyukuk and Nulato will have to be flown in. The native guide they use has told them it is too dangerous to ride the snowmobiles over the water right now. There will be toys delivered to about 550 children and teens in the remote city/villages of Ruby, Koyukuk and Nulato. Team #2 will be flying into McGrath and delivering to Nikolai. There is a high school there that offers a trade school so they will be delivering to these teens. It is nice to know an organization that realizes older children are just as important.

For some of these kids these will be the only gifts they receive. For some these are the only toys they receive for a year. Until the next remote delivery arrives.

I know my husband enjoys this part of his job tremendously - the adventure of the Alaska wilderness on snowmobiles in minus 10, 20 or 30 degree weather and the look on the kids faces when they bring in the toys - and yep one of the Marines dresses up as Santa.

REMOTE DELIVERY 2008

Delta(-)Company Anti-Terrorism Battalion

Anchorage Alaska

This is how Santa loads his sleigh to go remote. (Santa's sleigh is a C130)

Here is the gorgeous view flying over Mt McKinley area!

This is how Santa travels over the vast wilderness of the Alaska Bush -(with native guide Fred)

HO HO HO !! This is the first time some of these children have seen Santa or received a Toy

Fishing with Alaska Native Guide Fred

Just looking at these photos gave me a chill. My husband loves to do this. He has learned so much about the Native Alaskan life and has made some real fascinating connections. He was so amazed at how people with so little would feed them and give them jams, jellies, jerky and what ever they had to say thanks.

A couple of months back I received a contact from Ron Finney of NorthWoods Productions requesting permission to use a photo I had taken and uploaded to Google Images.  This photo uploaded to Google led him to my web site where the photo is used.  You see Ron was in the process of putting together the Visitor's Video for the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce and must have been researching for local area photos. Of course I said yes and have been checking for the video on-line every so often.

Well, today I was reading the blogs over at the Kitsap Sun - the local newspaper and found the information on Chris Henry's blog Speaking of South Kitsap about the release of Ron's video. 

“Ferries, Bridges and Boats: The Adventure Begins with the Journey”

If you look real quick at 9:33 on the time line there is a picture I took of the Naval Museum in Bremerton. How exciting to be a part of the local area!  Thanks Ron for including me in the video and you did an amazing job! I love it and will be sending the link to those relocating to the area!

Authored By: Jo Soss : WestSoundLive.com

The Definition of Absorption Rates:

Number of weeks it takes to sell the current inventory at the present rate of sales. Using absorption rates can help you define markets. My definition breaks down like this…

Normal Market - Between 5 and 6 months of inventory. (21.65 - 25.98 weeks)

Seller’s Market - Between 1 and 4 months of inventory. (4.33 - 17.32 weeks)

Buyer’s Market - 7 months and higher. (30.31 plus)

Now remember that absorption rates just track trends and isn’t an exact science! Here is the absorption rate trend for 2008.

Similar Posts

• Bremerton WA Real Estate Market Report Recap | October 2008
• Bremerton WA Real Estate Market Report Recap | September 2008
• Bremerton WA Real Estate Market Report Recap | June 2008
• Bremerton WA Real Estate Market Report Recap | August 2008

Jo Soss-Olson · WestSoundLive · Copyright © 2008 · All Rights Reserved

Authored By: Jo Soss : WestSoundLive.com

Are you looking to purchase a new home in Kitsap County? How about one in the area of Port Orchard? If so I have some “scoop”. Send me your email or give me a call and I can let you in on the secret. If you are a VA buyer this offer could be worth $10,000 plus some closing costs. It is exciting!

Similar Posts

• $$ Seller’s [Move-Up Buyer] Advantage Plan $$
• How to become a First Time Home Buyer
• Just for Fun - Kitsap County 24
• Naval Base Kitsap : VA Home Buyers
• WHY SELL IN A “BUYER’S MARKET”

Jo Soss-Olson · WestSoundLive · Copyright © 2008 · All Rights Reserved

Authored By: Jo Soss : WestSoundLive.com

You are a 1^st time homebuyer, should you purchase a new home with all the bells and whistles or should you settle for that tried and true “fixer-upper/equity builder”? This question is a tough one for many 1^st time homebuyers. Considering there is a $7,500 tax credit for homes closed prior to July of 2009 you have more research to accomplish than your parents did.

I never would have thought of owning a new home as a 1^st time homebuyer. It just wasn’t something you thought about in our income bracket. Oh, and our parents would have been screaming about working hard for what you had and that someday you would be able to have the shiny new house.

My first home was a fixer-upper, after a couple of years we sold and we did make a modest profit that enabled us to be “move-up buyers”. The second home was newer and really just needed an unfinished basement finished – easy yes, but with 2 toddlers and daycare bills the projects just didn’t seem to come to fruition.

The next home was a new construction home and after moving in and doing fencing and landscaping all we did was enjoy it. Yes, I do love a new home. So back to my question, should a 1^st time homebuyer purchase a new home – SURE, Why not?

Today, in Kitsap County the re-sale inventory between the $215,000 and $230,000 is filled with some junk, some “as-is”, some “no repair”, and some “equity building” garbage type of homes. There are several short sales that are over priced and some soon to be REO’s that are really “tear-downs”. So why not look at new?

In the Kitsap County area you can you can buy a new home in a new home community for right around $230,000. If you need help finding these homes just give me a call.

Between the years of 1995 and 2003 I worked exclusively the new construction “niche”. I was a buyer’s agent for several home builders in the South King County area. I know my way around a new construction site and the process of what would be considered the “pre-sale” type market. I have a strong background in construction, having learned the trade as a construction sales representative for a large building supply company that was called back then a “lumber yard”.

You won’t get all the bells you would like but you will be able to enjoy your new home purchase without feeling the pressure of attending a Lowe’s seminar every Saturday morning. Let me know how I can help.

New Construction in Kitsap County under $230,000

Currently there are 33 homes between the prices of $194,950 and $229,950 listed in different stages of construction. Some are offered as a pre-sale, some are listed as under construction and some are listed as complete and ready. There are 32 homes with 3 bedrooms and one home with 2. There are homes with 2.5 baths, 2.25 baths, 1.75 baths and 1 baths. If you would like the bath definitions just leave me a comment and I will send you the data.

Jo Soss-Olson · WestSoundLive · Copyright © 2008 · All Rights Reserved