looking for "classy" island vacation home! (Seattle, Tacoma: rent, property taxes)

[nicolette]

Also...can anyone suggest a nice place to stay for a few nights in Port Townsend, doesn't have to be fancy...something around a $100 a night??

[bmsea]

Try the Tides Inn... or anything listed on ptguide.com.

[WASailorGirl]

Originally Posted by nicolette

Hi WaSailorGirl! Thank you so much for your info.....I'm glad you found me because I can't quite figure out how to get to my other thread for responses?? From what you describe about PT, it sounds like this is the perfect place for my husband and I....we plan to focus on that area when we come out to visit next month. Water view is desirable but just being able to walk or bike to the water is amazing to us! My husband and I crave trees, space and water and while San Diego is beautiful....you have to be a multi-millionaire to afford these luxuries. Our bar and grill (our business/career) is a block from the ocean, so that's how we get our water fix, but our home is 30 miles inland. Thank you so much!! Why did you move to PT?? If you want to share. Fondly, Nicolette

Hi Nicolette,

San Diego was my first choice also, but I couldn't afford to buy a home there even close to the water.

I moved here because:

1) I was "over" the heat, traffic, crime, concrete, smoggy bad air, dry skin
2) I wanted to live near water, the beach, fresh air, trees, not panic if I forgot to lock my doors, and buy a home with a water view (affordable). Just a better quality of life than in AZ. My partner's family all lives in Sequim, about 30 minutes away. He grew up in the area and had wanted to return. This is actually his third time living in P.T.!

We bought our home in September of 2004, under 300K, in town with a water view. I can walk across the street and be at one of the two marinas where I hope to have my own little sailboat very soon. There are challenges to living here such as Home Depot and Costco being 40 minutes away, but you learn to plan your shopping trips and actually end up spending a lot less money than if they were 5 minutes away.

Seattle is a fun weekend or long day trip for the ballet, theater, or mega shopping trips. If I want a taste of the big city life, it's just the right distance away.

I do wish the summers were a little longer. This year has been the worst so far for rain and cloudy days. The first year was great - lots of sunny days even in the winter. I guess it changes every year. It keeps you on your toes!

For places to stay try:
1) The Tides Inn (tides-inn.com) 1-800-822-8696
2) Port Townsend Inn (porttownsendinn.com) 1-800-216-4985
3) Harborside Inn (harborside-inn.com) 1-800-942-5960
4) Palace Hotel (palacehotelpt.com) 1-800-962-0741 (a Victorian Hotel)
5) Bishop Victorian (bishopvictorian.com) 1-800-824-4738 (a Victorian Hotel)

They should all be in your price range. (They are not in any preferred order)

Check out the Farmer's Market on Wednesday from 3:30-6:30 pm or on Saturday from 9:30-1:30. Also, if you love organic, good quality food, try the Food Co-op off of Sims and Kearney (2nd stoplight as you come into town - turn left). They have a deli also. You can pack a picnic and take it to the beach or one of the parks.

This month every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 6:00 pm there is a production of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare in the Park at Chetzemoka Park. It's a beautiful park overlooking the ocean (the Sound actually). Drag your husband there - it's an opportunity for him to fall in love with you all over again!

Don't miss Fort Worden (parks.wa.gov/fortworden). Great places to hike and stroll along the beach, 5 minutes from town. There is a hands on marine science center and a natural history museum there also. And don't forget the lighthouse!

Also, there is a drop in "Nia" class at the Fort Worden gym at 9:30 am, 12:00 (on some days) and 6:00 pm. Nia is a combination of yoga, tai chi, and dance. I just started it. I love it! (niapt.com)

Whew! I've probably worn you out! And no, I don't work for the Chamber of Commerce. I just think it's a great place to be.

Let me know if I can help with anything else.

Your Friend in P.T.
Beth

[PencilMeIn]

bmsea...checked out your blog Discovering Westport...cool very cool. Coming from South FL where everything has become so commercialized. I miss the "old FL"...you can still find it in a few areas but it's going fast. When we move to WA (which will be soon..Yikes!!!...still don't know where to go) but we will probably live in a little closer to the cities but we will definitely be visiting Westport...I know we'll love it.

[nicolette]

WASailorGirl,
Thanks for all the fantastic information. All the things we like to do...perfect, the lodging places you suggested looked great too...thank you so much!!

I do have another question if you don't mind....I'm looking on realtor.com and seeing many things of interest but I'm wondering if there is an area in PT that might be less desirable that I should stay away from etc...A house can look great on the internet and then when you get there it's a completely different story! Also, if it's not too much to ask, how much has your house you bought in 2004 appreciated? This is very important to us as well, as we want to buy a good investment because if we like PT we will want to continue to "buy up" as our equity grows.

Thanks again, you have been so helpful!
Regards,
Nicolette

[WASailorGirl]

Originally Posted by nicolette

WASailorGirl,
Thanks for all the fantastic information. All the things we like to do...perfect, the lodging places you suggested looked great too...thank you so much!!

I do have another question if you don't mind....I'm looking on realtor.com and seeing many things of interest but I'm wondering if there is an area in PT that might be less desirable that I should stay away from etc...A house can look great on the internet and then when you get there it's a completely different story! Also, if it's not too much to ask, how much has your house you bought in 2004 appreciated? This is very important to us as well, as we want to buy a good investment because if we like PT we will want to continue to "buy up" as our equity grows.

Thanks again, you have been so helpful!
Regards,
Nicolette

Hi Nicolette,

The thing about Port Townsend is, you can really live anywhere and not be in a "bad" area. What might make a home a place you wouldn't want to live might just come down to who takes care of their home and their yard. Another thing I always suggest to people is to go to familywatchdog.us and put in the address of any home, and it will give you a map of any "registered" criminals and how close they are to that location. Of course, that doesn't help you out with "unregistered" criminals.

I'll give you a breakdown of the main neighborhoods in Port Townsend that are actually right in town:

1) Morgan Hill (Uptown) = More expensive usually due to the historic nature of most of the homes and the views. Usually Victorians and mid century homes.
2) Castle Hill (to the left of the Industrial area as you are coming into town- turn left on Sheridan) = A mixture of older and newer homes some with water views if you are on the hill facing Port Townsend Bay. I bought here because it WAS affordable 3 years ago for a water view home. You can still get affordable homes on Castle Hill but usually not with a water view.
3) North Beach = A mixture of older and newer homes, a short walk to the best beach in town.
4) Bell St/Fowler's Park = More wooded area not too far from North Beach. A mixture of mostly newer homes (80's-2000's builds)

There are other areas, but those are the main areas in town. You can also go outside of town to Kala Point or Cape George. Kala Point is about 10 minutes from town. Some of the homes have great water views, some none at all. The have a community swimming pool, tennis courts, and a beach. The dues are low, around $40.00 a month I believe. It's "Semi-Gated." I call it "semi" because every time I go there, the gate is open. There may be some homes and condos there in your price range. (kalapoint.org)

Cape George is about 15 minutes outside of town on Discovery Bay. There are a lot of homes built in the 70's and 80's that haven't been remodeled you could probably pick up for around 350K. There are also some new homes. Cape George has beautiful views from most of the homes. There are two parts to Cape George - the Colony and the Village. I always get them mixed up but I believe the Colony allows manufactured homes and the Village does not. Or, it's the other way around. You'll figure it out once you go out there to look around. If you come to the one with the manufactured homes, don't give up, just go next door and you'll see the "stick built" homes. They also have a pool, a clubhouse, and a beach. They also have low monthly fees. (capegeorge.org)

To answer your equity question, I think anything in Port Townsend is going to be a good investment. You will see it's surround by water on three sides and land is limited. The town just can't grow that much. It's a destination town and highly desirable (in my opinion) as a retirement and summer home location. We've made approx. 200K on our home in three years. We did buy at a good time, we have a water view, and we have a larger lot, so those things also help. We bought a home built in 1991 that needed updating. We're STILL updating, but it's a fun project.

I hope I've answered your questions. Don't ya just love the internet! Information is FREE!

Your Friend in P.T.
Beth

[Skytripper]

After having read everyone else's replies.....I too agree that Port Townsend is worth a look.
I have only been through there once and it seemed very nice and very much what you may be looking for.
IMO....there IS one other town that has some similarity to what I can compare with PT....and that would have to be ANACORTES.
Lots of water around, marinas, etc.....and the ferry to the San Juans/Victoria.
Beautiful town for the most part.....especially the western side of FIDALGO ISLAND.
Anacortes is also a short drive to the little town of LA CONNER and I KNOW you would probably love it as well....even for a visit.
LOTS of character, cute and quaint.
Just another area to look into...FYI.
Port Townsend or Anacortes.....I think you will find what you are looking for in one of these.....though downtown Anacortes is NOT quite as nice as PT, IMO.....so you would really need to look specifically at the western edge of Anacortes near Washington Park.
Good Luck
Also....look at Google Earth....zoom in on these areas and check for local photos.
Or right here.

[nicolette]

thank you so much skytripper....
I have heard about Anacortes and we will check it out. My husband and I will be visiting the weekend of Sept. 14th, so I know I will have a million questions when I get back. You all are wonderful for taking the time to respond!! BTW...how's the weather in September???

[Skytripper]

September here is usually a very nice month as the rainy season doesn't generally begin until October.
It can vary though from warm and dry to cool and cloudy......but usually...NOT much in the way of rain.

[nicolette]

How about Gig Harbor, looks beautiful....any feedback would be appreciated. We are coming for a visit September 18th and will look at all the areas everyone has suggested.