Anacortes??

[lino]

Hi Jen
I was just wondering if you folks ever decided on Anacortes, and if you ever found a house there.
Lino

[jojo7]

I so much enjoyed your post and admire anyone who would take the time to correct a previous post. Your honesty is very refreshing (don't see it often). I am not the person who started this thread, but I was happy to hear positive reviews on Anacortes. We are looking for a vacation home and although my heart was set on Poulsbo, my husband feels Anacortes is in a better location and closer to more other interesting places to visit. In addition to being near the places you mentioned, it's also near to La Conner (another one of my favorites), Whidbey Island and Deception Pass which is the most beautiful bridge in Washington state IMO. So we decided to think twice about Poulsbo and consider Anacortes. My husband has a dream to build his own sail boat and go sailing through the San Juan Islands and maybe Victoria, BC. Sorry, got a off topic for a moment. Thanks again for your wonderful post and wish me luck as a try to find a home in Anacortes under $300K. Not easy, but not impossible.

[LMB]

Jojo,

I'll look back through our notes from our last winter trip to Anacortes, Mt. Vernon and Whidbey Island. We found several areas of Anacortes that we really liked--it's a wonderful little town, and as you said, very close to so many other great places! If it had been a bit closer to Seattle, we would have bought a home there. I think we saw a few houses we liked for around $300K, but most were in the mid-high $300s, or higher of course! Congrats on making your decision. Can we come visit? :-)

[jojo7]

Hi LMB. Are you getting ready for your big move to Poulsbo? You must be very excited. We went to Poulsbo two weekends ago and we got the thumbs down from the builder because we weren't going to make the house our permanent home. We need to live there 6 months out of the year which is impossible for us, although, I wish I could. We drove around and looked at several properties in our price range but I didn't like the areas in our price range so hopefully it won't be the case in Anacortes. It's a shame that a perfectly nice neighborhood have neglected homes. My husband and I wanted to be really close to town but the prices have really gone up in the past year. Too many people are discovering Poulsbo. LOL. I haven't totally given up on Poulsbo but I think it's going to come down to the right price, the right house and the right location, so we'll see. My husband knows how much I love Poulsbo but we need to see if Anacortes is a better fit overall. It really is close to so much that it's hard to rule it out. I can visit La Conner (yah!) Anyway... we are going to Anacortes next weekend and staying overnight so we can really have lots of time to check all the neighborhoods. One plus before I even visit is that it has a movie theater, a skatepark and a bowling alley. Three things my teenager enjoys so we plan on visiting all three. Teenagers can sure get board easy. Trying to consider everyone's needs. Forgot to mention... I'm originally from the east coast (New Jersey). Florida is wonderful but you will not miss the humidity nor the mosquitos this summer. Summers here are just worth the miserable, gloomy winter. I have family all over Florida but haven't been there for many years. Keep me posted on your move. If you have any favorites areas of Anacortes you would like to share, that would be great. I have my eye one Skyline because it has several amenities like a club house, tennis, boat launch, etc. so that will be a great way to meet the locals. Someone mentioned Similk Beach? How did you like Washington Park? It looks beautiful from the photos.
PS The next time you go to Mor Mor Cafe in Poulsbo, try the lobster ravioli. Ordered on our last trip. Super!
Oh, by the way, of course you can visit as long as I can visit you in Poulsbo. LOL

[LMB]

We'll be moving in about three weeks, and there's still so much to do! However we are very excited to get back to Poulsbo, and take the rest of the summer off--even if it's only another six weeks! :-) Heat & oppressive humidity, mosquitoes, and hurricane season that lasts until Nov will NOT be missed. Maybe we'll come back to FL in February for a visit, and recharge our solar batteries.

Skyline is one of the areas in Anacortes I was going to recommend. It might be hard to find a house there under $300K though. Washington Park IS beautiful!!! Don't miss taking a hike (or at least a drive) through there. I'll look through my notes if I haven't already packed them, and email you more detailed info. Also, I have a contact there and I'll ask if I can send you her email address. She's on the police force and knows about all the good (and bad) areas.

I don't know if the movie theater there will pass the teenage test! :-) It's very small--maybe only 3 screens. We loved it, but not sure if teens would. We're used to the huge stadium seating 24-megascreen theaters here in Orlando, so to us the little Anacortes movie theater was quaint and cozy. It all depends on your perspective I guess.

Keep checking on houses in Poulsbo too. It is rare to find something affordable near town--it took us a long time to find our place, which is smaller than most houses in the neighborhood. My sister-in-law has lived there for years, and she said to find something in our area of Old Town for under $500K is difficult. When we get there, I'll watch our neighborhood for houses for sale. Of course, you're welcome to visit! Let's meet up at Mor Mor for lobster ravioli (yum!).

Lynn

[Jiff]

As for housing prices, Anacortes is expected to be hit hard by the sub prime fallout:

from KIRO TV 11/25/07:
"The crisis is taking an especially tough toll in the Mount Vernon/Anacortes area. The report says it’s among the top ten areas in the country expected to suffer the most marked loss, growing 1.3 percent less than it would have in the absence of the mortgage crisis, and taking a hit of about $105 million."

I have a summer place there and really enjoy the live music scene, much better than the rest of the county, with several younger artistic types around. Anacortes has a nice downtown, just too bad it's cut off from the waterfront, and wonderful views, by industry. Only one restaurant with a view, Randy's.