You will see when you pull off of the ferry that Friday Harbor is a ‘main street” town without any parking lights, overpasses, or four lane highways. When traffic gets busy and the ferry needs to unload in the summertime, a real person often directs the cars with a whistle and their arms. There are no pedestrian lights, either. Jaywalking is not unheard of and usually doesn’t get a second glance. There is a four way stop and people actually take turns with going through it. Often people in crosswalks will motion for a car to go ahead … read full article

I remember the first time that I saw the shore of San Juan from a boat. I squinted to try to get a closer image of the houses that I had only seen from driveways in my car. How different everything looked from the water! Homes with docks and boat moorings and front patios on the water side seemed to have a secret life on the side that faced the Salish Sea. Long and winding wooded driveways visible from the interior of the island led to sparkling shiny homes with boats at the ready to escape to Canada’s … read full article

This weekend was the 20^th annual San Juan Island Artists’ Studio Tour, with sunny weather and friendly artists welcoming visitors into their studios.  This happening started in 1990 when nine artists got together with the idea of having a free tour in Spring weather to give island residents and visitors an opportunity to see where they worked and what they had come up with over the winter.  The idea was not to sell artwork, but to inspire others.  Since that time the original concept has remained the same, but the increasing number of artists coming to the … read full article

For many people when they hear the mention of any place in the Pacific Northwest the first image that pops into their head is…rain, and lots of it! If you believe all you hear you would think that the PNW consists of only two things: rain and coffee. While our coffee availability is quite impressive (in my opinion) and is the truthful tale being spun, the story of the rain is simply not accurate. Not where I live anyway.
The San Juan Islands, tucked into the very NW corner of Washington State (there are parts of Canada that … read full article

It’s that time of year again: the grass is threatening to grow and need mowing and the snow seems gone for good. Seed catalogs are coming in the mail and the flowering trees are starting to bud out. In my yard I can see the daffodils thrusting their long green leaves through the grass. These hardy and cheerful flowers can often be seen in fields of old farms, next to old homesteads, and in contemporary farms with livestock, a relic of the past. Nothing seems to like to eat the flowers, one of the first bulbs to give … read full article

I watch the local market everyday and I notice more and more buyers are taking the initial steps toward home ownership: getting educated in the area that you may want to buy. This makes me happy not only because it is my business to sell homes, but because it’s a SMART time to buy. Here is my opinion of the top 5 reasons that NOW is the time to buy.

1) Price Adjustments are being made and prices are generally “soft”. On average, we are back to values similar to 2002 in and around the islands. Couple that … read full article

 It is said that our ties to the past are a road to the future.  Our real estate office has moved to a new location which dates back to 1883.  This was back in the times when Spring Street had a real Spring flowing down it.  Our new address is #1 Spring Street, a great location which is close to the water and ferry terminal.  The building was first used as a Green Grocer.  In 1894 Jack Douglas took over the ownership and it became Saloon Best.  (See photo below, from the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections … read full article