Whidbey, Camano, Mt. Vernon questions (Seattle, Vancouver: for sale, rent, crime)

[LMB]

I was just skimming over some of the homes for sale in Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island (on the John L Scott website) and noticed many home prices seem lower than the surrounding areas. Maybe there are just more houses on the market there, but I was wondering why the prices are lower. Anyone know why? Housing prices in general seem to be leveling out and even dropping in a few places.

My husband and I will be checking out the Whidbey Island area in December--as well as several other communities, including Camano Island (btw, how is Camano pronounced? Com-MANE-o, Com-MON-o, CAM-ah-no, or none of the above?), and we're also very interested in Mount Vernon. We spent quite a bit of time looking over the Kingston/Poulsbo area this past summer and liked it too. We're trying to figure out where we want to relocate for retirement next year, so commuting isn't really an issue. That said, we still have a little concern about "living by the ferry schedule" as Dufferz said, which is why we started looking more northward. Kitsap Peninsula is still very much in the running though.

Our daughter lives in Seattle (Phinney Ridge, near Woodland Park Zoo) and we have other family members in and around Seattle. Although we'd like to be within a couple of hours drive, we don't have any interest in living in or very close to Seattle. We prefer a quieter small town environment, nice neighborhood, preferably within a real town, not just a bedroom community. We're still in the research stage, but time is getting closer to start making decisions. We currently live and work in Florida, so a lot of our research has to be done online and during our family visits to the Pacific Northwest--usually just twice a year. We're originally from Illinois, so the chilly weather of the northwest doesn't bother us, and we plan to have a small place in AZ for Jan-Feb break from the grays.

Reading this forum has been invaluable for information about living in various areas in western WA--traffic, crime, housing prices, weather conditions, etc. I'll welcome any thoughts or information about the areas I mentioned, or suggestions for places we haven't thought about yet. Thanks so much everyone!

Lynn

[cbeas]

I don't have a ton of information but I do know a few things. I'm researching a different area and know that any info can be helpful!

Oak Harbor tends to have more options in the less expensive end because of the naval base nearby. There are areas of gorgeous homes in a higher price range as well, but the base creates a demand for less expensive housing. As far as living there, that's where I am no help! Oak Harbor does have a commercial district for shopping, etc.... and it's next to one of the most beautiful parks in the northwest- Deception Pass State Park.

Camano Island (Ca MANE oh) is very rural and quiet. There are families there, although retirees really like it there too. Camano has not had a huge surge in development yet, although the sprawl is beginning to crawl north on the I5 corridor and south Stanwood is starting to see lots of growth. This may effect what the demographics of Camano Island look like in the future.

Mt. Vernon is a rural, farming town made famous because of the annual tulip festival when thousands of tourists pass through to see tulips in April. It's location is great; 45 minutes north of Everett and right on I5. It's also just south of Burlington and Bellingham, which are huge shopping areas.

I hope some of this helps!

[the dufferz]

LMB,

Nice to see you are still looking, but it must wear you out after a while with all the choices.

Based on your current options, in my book the best location listed is the Mount Vernon area.

Camano Island is where my father-in-law lives, so that is the soul reason the houses are cheaper : ) Also, Camano does not have any kind of city/downtown area to speak of that I know about.

Cbeas nailed Oak Harbor, nuf said there.

Mount Vernon and surrounds is one of my personal favorite places. There is a downtown MV and the typical modern commercial sprawl north east of there off of the College ST exit. (walmart et. al.). Cbeas identified the number one tourist attraction, the tulip festival and it is something else if you have never seen it.

Burlington is the next town north and in many respects the two towns are like one. Burlington has an outlet mall, but is more residential than M.V.

When you visit, make sure you venture west of MV and find the town of LaConner. This would be my choice as to where to live. The town is very quaint, very old and is a tourist attraction if you like antiques. (if you do, make sure you visit Nasty Jacks.)

The advantage for MV and surrounds is easy access to I-5, meaning Seattle is about an hour to hour and a half, depending on Traffic. Much better drive than any of the other areas.

Keep us updated.

The dufferz

[LMB]

Thanks much for the helpful information, cbeas and dufferz. I should have connected the navy base and housing prices in Oak Harbor. I noticed there was a dramatic dip overall in housing prices on Whidbey and Camano Islands last Jan-Feb, and prices have not gone back up where they were. Maybe they were over-inflated even more than surrounding areas. I just wondered if there was something else going on that locals may know about. Thanks for the pronunciation for Camano.

Dufferz, your FIL must be a real doozy. :-) You're right, I'm exhausted from all the diverse choices out in your home state! We've been visiting family in the Pacific Northwest regularly for the last 25 years, and the last several trips we've been actively looking for our retirement area. We have come across such vastly different areas, and completely changed our minds about what we thought we wanted. Mount Vernon keeps drawing us back, and I think it's the real sense of community there. I was up there for the tulip festival three years ago. It was a postcard-perfect blue sky with white puffy clouds afternoon, with acres and acres of brilliantly colored tulip fields, stretching nearly as far as I could see. I'll never forget it. Amazing sight.

When you say Burlington is more residential, do you mean it doesn't have the same type of downtown center as MV, or that its neighborhoods are nicer? We haven't been to La Conner yet, but we plan to check it out when we're up there in December. Looks very picturesque in photos I found online. Another point for MV is the proximity to Vancouver, BC. We love that city, and plan to try the Amtrak day trip to from MV to Vancouver, after we're moved and settled in (to whichever area we eventually call home). Ah decisions, decisions.

Thanks again to both of you for your help with our research. If anyone else has thoughts on these communites, especially in comparison with Kitsap county (Kingston/Poulsbo in particular), or other places that fit my wish list above, please feel free to add them here.

Lynn

PS--Ah, Florida finally had a break from our suffocating humidity. It's really beautiful out tonight. Just returned from walking the dog, or actually the other way around!

[LadyLara]

you know i'm keeping an eye on this topic as well!

[LMB]

Lara, are you any closer to deciding? For us, the scales are tipping right now towards Mount Vernon. I understand there's sometimes an issue with the Skagit River flooding and causing problems for the downtown area, and homes along the riverbank. We are looking at houses far away from the river, so hopefully that won't be a concern. We're going to look at houses when we're out there in December, and we might just find one. Prices are starting to drop, and there's so many places to choose from! Maybe we'll rent it for a year before moving out.

Hey, we might even be neighbors someday! :-)

Lynn

[LadyLara]

Originally Posted by LMB

Hey, we might even be neighbors someday! :-)

wouldn't that be a hoot!? i'm gonna take you up on the babysitting thing, too!

[Taranis17]

As others have said, Oak Harbor (where I live) has the Navy base. I like the small-town feel though, less crime than surrounding areas, and getting to the San Juan Islands for a weekend jaunt is 30 minutes away.

I lived in Mt. Vernon for two years and absolutely hated it. Petty crime is rampant, as are the mexican gangs. Ditto for Burlington. Burlington is much more commerical than Mt. Vernon, at least near I-5 and more farm-like the further north toward Bellingham you go. There are residential areas that are okay, but they are scattered and you "pay to play".

Housing prices here are in a bubble that has just begun to pop. If you're looking to buy, I'd wait at least 2-4 months before purchasing, especially Whidbey/Fidalgo islands. You'll save $20-40,000 easy on your home purchase.

I will be moving in the next two weeks to a secluded area east of Mt. Vernon. Even more small town atmosphere, less crime than even here in Oak Harbor.

Note: Be prepared for a commute and traffic delays anywhere south of Arlington during the weekdays. Since you're from CA, you're undoubtedly used to it, so this may not be much of an issue for you.

[LMB]

Taranis17--thanks much for your input. I hadn't heard of gang activity or increased crime issues in Mt. Vernon--I guess it's everywhere. Whidbey Island is still high on our list, and we plan to spend time there in December to see if it might be a good fit for us. It will be at least a couple of months before we buy a house, and maybe closer to six months. It would sure be nice to catch a "deflated bubble" in housing prices.

Is north Whidbey preferable, because of access to the bridge, over south Whidbey with its ferry access? Also, does the bridge become a bottleneck at certain times of the day, or seasonally? That's our biggest concern, although since we're not going to be commuting for work, maybe it shouldn't be a consideration at all. What neighborhoods/areas of Oak Harbor would you recommend? We aren't looking for rural, but would prefer more than just a few feet between houses. Something with a neighborhood feel, mature trees, etc.

What towns are east of Mt. Vernon? Will you still be on the west side of the mountain range?

Would you, or anyone here, have a hotel recommedation for Whidbey? We don't need a fancy B&B, just a nice place to stay for a few days while we scout out the surrounding area.

By the way, we live in FL not CA, though traffic is terrible here too!

Thanks again! Sorry, lots of questions here! This is tough to do from 3000 miles away, but forums like this help so much.

Lynn

[ldbruce]

Originally Posted by LMB

I was just skimming over some of the homes for sale in Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island (on the John L Scott website) and noticed many home prices seem lower than the surrounding areas. Maybe there are just more houses on the market there, but I was wondering why the prices are lower. Anyone know why? Housing prices in general seem to be leveling out and even dropping in a few places.

My husband and I will be checking out the Whidbey Island area in December--as well as several other communities, including Camano Island (btw, how is Camano pronounced? Com-MANE-o, Com-MON-o, CAM-ah-no, or none of the above?), and we're also very interested in Mount Vernon. We spent quite a bit of time looking over the Kingston/Poulsbo area this past summer and liked it too. We're trying to figure out where we want to relocate for retirement next year, so commuting isn't really an issue. That said, we still have a little concern about "living by the ferry schedule" as Dufferz said, which is why we started looking more northward. Kitsap Peninsula is still very much in the running though.

Our daughter lives in Seattle (Phinney Ridge, near Woodland Park Zoo) and we have other family members in and around Seattle. Although we'd like to be within a couple of hours drive, we don't have any interest in living in or very close to Seattle. We prefer a quieter small town environment, nice neighborhood, preferably within a real town, not just a bedroom community. We're still in the research stage, but time is getting closer to start making decisions. We currently live and work in Florida, so a lot of our research has to be done online and during our family visits to the Pacific Northwest--usually just twice a year. We're originally from Illinois, so the chilly weather of the northwest doesn't bother us, and we plan to have a small place in AZ for Jan-Feb break from the grays.

Reading this forum has been invaluable for information about living in various areas in western WA--traffic, crime, housing prices, weather conditions, etc. I'll welcome any thoughts or information about the areas I mentioned, or suggestions for places we haven't thought about yet. Thanks so much everyone!

Lynn

I responded to your inquiry for Camano Island and then saw this one also. Camano is pronounced Ca-Mane-O with the stress on the Mane part. The reason the property is going fo a little less is that Camano Island (C.I.) is somewhat of a bedroom community but it has small business areas like the Plaza area and Terry's Corner with the Elger Bay gas station and restaurant down south. As a result, if you have a 9 to 5 job, you are stuck with one way off and on to the island, State Route 532 through Stanwood, which gets slow in the morning and late afternoon. If like me, you are retired, then it is not such a big deal to leave and arrive in the off hours. Stanwood is the small town that services C.I. and it is just over the bridge. It is a great place with many unique features, and has small town parades, pride, and values. C.I. is partly in the "rain shadow" of the Olympic Mountains and the center part receives lower amounts of rainfall than Mount Vernon or Marysville. I was also looking at Poulsbo and the Kitsap Peninsula but found it too expensive and too far away from the areas I need to travel to on an irregular basis. C.I. is a little cheaper than Whidbey Is. because Whidbey Island has a large Naval Air station that employs a laot of people. Also, beware of buying in a flight ops area over there. Whidbey also is charming but you are captive to the ferrys or having to drive about 60 miles further to the north to then go across the bridge at Deception pass then head south again.

Hope this has been helpful, I love Camano, it's a great place to retire.

Lindsay