Suggestions for Vacation? (Seattle, Tacoma, Bremerton: for sale, real estate, oceanfront)
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My wife and I are considering retirement in the Puget Sound area in a couple of years area and will be taking our first trip to the area in the beginning of October. We have relatives in the Bremerton area but would prefer an area with less rain. In that vein, we are visiting Port Townsend for four days then taking a ferry to Anacortes for another four days. We will visit different towns in each area and I have printed out about 50 real estate fliers of houses for sale in the regions we will look at. If anyone has any suggestions on restaurants it would be appreciated. Any other suggestions about arts and crafts stores or local museums etc would be great also. You can always PM me if you'd like. I can never figure out the difference between a suggestion and an advertisement, but it seems that the moderators can.
This will mainly be a look-see vacation rather than our usual kayak fishing excursions, but any suggestions on places to do that would also be a great help, and enter into our decision about where to retire. We currently live on the Monterey Peninsula in California, and like most everyone else we know, will have to bail out of here in order to retire.
Originally we were considering Oregon, and then Texas for relocation, but lately Washington seems to fit the bill. Wherever we end up, we plan on showing up hat in hand and respectful of local tradition.
Be sure and check out the Rockfish Grill for fish & chips in oldtown Anacortes. Yum! Also, try the Calico Cupboard (I think that's the name) for breakfast. Port Townsend has a really good pizza place along the main commercial street--ask one shopkeepers where it is, because there's another bigger pizza restaurant on the same street. This one was small and we ate upstairs. Excellent pizza! There are several good restaurants in both towns. La Conner, near Anacortes, is a fun place to go for lunch--quaint little town with good antique shopping if you like that sort of thing.
We visited many areas in western Washington over the last five years in the search for our new hometown, and retired to Poulsbo this summer (from Florida). We love it here, but we're just a half hour north of Bremerton so we'll have pretty much the same rainy weather they do. Poulsbo is a nice little town though, and worth a visit on your way to Port Townsend. People have been very friendly and welcoming and we feel right at home. If it wasn't for visiting family in Seattle frequently, we'd probably never leave north & central Kitsap county. Silverdale is only 5 miles away, and has all the shopping & usual chain stores needed.
The Monterey-Pacific Grove area is going to be hard to beat! One of our favorite places on the west coast. It's beautiful and nearly perfect as it gets--well, except for not being able to afford to live there!
I always recommend people who are looking for a place to retire to consider Grays Harbor County. This area gets a lot of eye rolling from the Seattle crowd because it has been through some tough economic times (it was a timber economy until the timber economy collapsed), but it has some of the most beautiful land anywhere (and I grew up in Hawaii, went to college in LA and have always been a beach person, so I know beautiful land).
Most of Grays Harbor is small town america, for sure. There are two main beach towns, Ocean Shores and Westport, and oceanfront or view property is still attainable by meager budgets. You'll be in Washington during the Westport Boat Basin Fishing Derby, where you can catch up to 6 salmon a day right off the docks in the Westport Marina (4 adults and 2 jacks).
If you have family that you'd like to pass your property on to, I would suggest that you have the most growth potential in Grays Harbor County (compared to places like Port Townsend or Port Angeles). In fact, I would compare Westport to Port Townsend 15 years ago. There is one 55-and-over community in Hoquiam, called Summerhaven, and duplex units are selling for around $210K for a 1400 SF home. There is another one planned for ocean shores, but I think units will not be available for a year or two. There is another subdivision further up called Seabrook, in Pacific Beach, but that is really remote.
Things that are growing the economy: a growing ship building business, the largest biodiesel plant in the US (which just opened), new port facilities that is bringing more rail product to be shipped through the Port of Grays Harbor.
There is a small community hospital (Grays Harbor Community Hospital) which offers great care, and just recieved a gold award from some medical organization. We have a Wal Mart and a Home Depot. Rumor has it that Costco and Target both have plans into the local planning dept, although thats only rumor.
If you do come here, I recommend 3 places for overnight stays: the Guesthouse Suites in Aberdeen, Vacations by the Sea in Westport, or the Quinault Casino in Ocean Shores.
Oh, regarding the weather, we do get our fair share of rain, but it usually comes in huge increments - heavy seasonal downpours, rather than the steady drizzle that you find in Seattle.
Thanks to both of you for your responses. I have spent thousands of hours perusing the internet over the past several years trying to come to a decision about where to retire. Of course, the internet is just a snapshot and nothing compares to visiting and getting a feel for the area.
In my opinion, geography has less to do with your happiness than how adaptable you are, and how comfortable you are with yourself. People who complain about their current surroundings and yearn for the places they left are wasting their lives. More than likely they wouldn't be happy no matter where they landed. Sure, we'll miss where we live right now, but we prefer to think of it as an adventure, and if we make a mistake, then it's our responsibility to fix it.
LMB,
Thanks for the dining suggestions, we'll be sure to give them a try. Poulsbo sounds great, and it's good to hear that you've gotten a warm reception. It's impossible not to get preconceptions in your mind from reading negative posts about different towns. I have to say your posts are always refreshing and positive.
BMSEA,
Unfortunately, we won't have time to visit the Ocean Shores and surrounding areas on this trip, but plan on doing so sometime in the future. I have noticed the attractive prices of housing and land though, and it's funny how every picture shows serene vistas with bright sunshine, which belie the veritable rainforest type rainfall tallied every year in the region. It would be interesting to have a crystal ball and be able to look into the future concerning how our apparent climate change will affect different areas. We are third generation residents in the Monterey area and the climate has definately changed down here, albeit for the better.
Port Townsend is one of my all time favorite places in WA. When we relocate DH has to be near Tacoma, so its out for us.....but definitely gets my vote. One piece of advice in Port Townsend...or other cities with old housing stock. To decrease your overhead during retirement check out property tax incentives for historic homes. City Hall should have a pamphlet or info for you. If you buy a historic home in many cities you can apply for a property tax reduction, provided you maintain the property. can save you a lot of money. Pm me if you need more help looking into this. I'm a hist. pres. consultant and have some experience with this type of thing. (I'm not advertising, just offering free advice)
Thanks for the suggestion on historical property. Property taxes are one of our biggest concerns, and through searching the web I've found that Washington State ranks 21st worst in property tax and 4th worst overall for all combined taxes in the country (MSN Money), which was kind of surprising considering the fact that Washington has no State income tax. Of course this includes all taxes like cigarette taxes which I don't have to worry about paying. Tax levy rates, which are a multiplier over and above the %1 of the %100 assessed value of your home, are special taxes added by each county, and are additional considerations when choosing a new home. In California we have Prop 13 which has saved home owners from the burdensome load of constantly rising property taxes. Prop 13 is controversial in that almost all residents support it while most would admit its negative affect on school funding.
The argument is always made that no matter how much tax revenue is raised the government will find a way to waste it. I don't want this thread to degrade into a political debate though, and after all, taxes are a fact of life no matter where you go. It seems like a small price to pay for the opportunity to live in paradise. I've also read about the various exemptions and deferments available to retirees 61 years and older, with varying degrees of benefit depending on income.
Back to the advantages of owning a historical house, as long as the plumbing and wiring were updated, the only possible drawback I could think of would be having the city being able to tell you what you could and could not do to your own property. That being said, I can't imagine destroying the beauty and heritage of a historical home through personal preference.
Thanks for the suggestion on historical property. Property taxes are one of our biggest concerns, and through searching the web I've found that Washington State ranks 21st worst in property tax and 4th worst overall for all combined taxes in the country (MSN Money), which was kind of surprising considering the fact that Washington has no State income tax. Of course this includes all taxes like cigarette taxes which I don't have to worry about paying. Tax levy rates, which are a multiplier over and above the %1 of the %100 assessed value of your home, are special taxes added by each county, and are additional considerations when choosing a new home. In California we have Prop 13 which has saved home owners from the burdensome load of constantly rising property taxes. Prop 13 is controversial in that almost all residents support it while most would admit its negative affect on school funding.
The argument is always made that no matter how much tax revenue is raised the government will find a way to waste it. I don't want this thread to degrade into a political debate though, and after all, taxes are a fact of life no matter where you go. It seems like a small price to pay for the opportunity to live in paradise. I've also read about the various exemptions and deferments available to retirees 61 years and older, with varying degrees of benefit depending on income.
Back to the advantages of owning a historical house, as long as the plumbing and wiring were updated, the only possible drawback I could think of would be having the city being able to tell you what you could and could not do to your own property. That being said, I can't imagine destroying the beauty and heritage of a historical home through personal preference.
The tax break on historic homes does come with restrictions, but they are often not as stringent or prohibitive as people assume. Many counties don't even review interior changes, only exterior. The City should be able to give you more specifics. There are of course trade-offs but many people find that the monetary benefit outweighs the negatives.
Here is a pdf file that details the program. It looks like Port Townsend is a participating city.
I have to say THANK YOU for all your good information. We are buying a house in Aberdeen. We have friends that have lived there for about 9 years who are very involved in the community and it's revitilization. Their kids (my husbands childhood friend) are buying a house there too. (We are all from Idaho) They have given us a lot of honest information on the community and it's history. But I am finding so much great information on this online community, yours being some of the best.
It's very interesting to see the differing views of the people who lived there their whole lives vs people who havn't. You can see a little thread of the tough times the town has gone through???
I have to say THANK YOU for all your good information. We are buying a house in Aberdeen. We have friends that have lived there for about 9 years who are very involved in the community and it's revitilization. Their kids (my husbands childhood friend) are buying a house there too. (We are all from Idaho) They have given us a lot of honest information on the community and it's history. But I am finding so much great information on this online community, yours being some of the best.
It's very interesting to see the differing views of the people who lived there their whole lives vs people who havn't. You can see a little thread of the tough times the town has gone through???
Melinda - I totally agree with this! Although we have met a LOT of nice old timers that have are really grounded, a lot of people from Grays Harbor county (ESPECIALLY those that have moved away) are SO critical of the area. It's not perfect, but its so much nicer than most people give it credit for. And it truly is the most beautiful part of the state - from a natural resources point of view. I think I've said before in my threads that my husband and I decided to move here when I got pregnant, and we had the opportunity to telecommute and not have to live in the City full time. We moved from a neighborhood in the Central District to Westport. A bigger contrast does not exist! But its great to be so close to the beach, the Olympic National Forest, to Willapa Nature Refuge. I am looking forward to measured growth out here... I think we'll start seeing kayak rental places and more services (restaurants, a decent salon) over time. But for right now, we are really happy with the basics - the schools, the medical care. I totally trust our new family doctor in Westport over the revolving door of doctors I would see in the City. Anyway - not to ramble on, but we're very happy with this area.
Another lovely place to check out is Shelter Bay, over the Rainbow Bridge, in La Conner. A small community on Puget Sound, 2 pools, marina, small hoaky golf course. Some water front houses, some views and some just plain nice. We have been there 2 years now and love it
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