San Juan Island Perspectives » San Juan Island

Traffic and Parking in Friday Harbor

Diana — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:31:26 +0000

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 of them while they are in the crosswalk. Maybe not having lights and signals and laws regarding who is first has made us more considerate of our neighbors. I hope so.

Perspective

Diana — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:30:33 +0000

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 Gulf Islands or over to Fisherman’s Bay on Lopez with the crab pot for a dinner on the deck. Looking up, I could see homes on hilltops that would have spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains and passing pods of whales, little kayaks, even me, a spec looking to the sky. I remembered this time recently when a real estate client who lived on a boat told me how different San Juan seemed to her from a car. She had no idea of the lovely farmland on the interior, no feeling for the difference between topography and climate on the north verses the south end of the island. She marveled at the limited amount of traffic and the friendly drivers. Thee two huge National Parks were amazing resources. She felt that what had seemed like a small port was actually a large, varied island with many choices of residence. She thought that this was where she should stay.

Artist’s Studio Tour

Diana — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:15:34 +0000

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 islands to live has increased the number of open studios to 19. We visited the studios with our grandson, age 4, who was welcomed as heartily as we were. We visited a bronze sculpture studio and a potters studio. On the way we saw alpacas in the fields getting ready to be shorn and stopped at Roche Harbor Store for a beverage. The quality of the work of the artists was truly inspiring and it was fascinating to learn how they created their work and found their inspirations. As the artists say in their brief history, “The fact that these diversely artistic people have come together united by their love of the arts and their willingness to mutually support each other is nothing short of a class act.”

It’s not as rainy as the rumors lead you to believe!

Michele — Mon, 09 May 2011 17:30:50 +0000

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 are farther south than some parts of the island) have a very different weather pattern than the city of Seattle. The San Juan Islands enjoy an average of 247 days with sunshine and about half the rainfall of Seattle, thanks to the “rain shadow” effect of the Olympic Mountains to the south and west.
The message being sent lately is beginning to tell the truth and people are starting to take notice. For example, when the New York Times introduced its 2011 recommended destinations list (published January 7) with the words “From the beaches of Mexico to the wilds of Kurdistan, the places on this year’s list take you to the end of the world and back.” The San Juan Islands of Washington State are listed in the #2 position on this world list! Yes, IN THE WORLD! To read the entire article go to: www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/travel/09where-to-go.html or use the shortened link of http://nyti.ms/gJXhwc.
My only question is, when are you arriving?

Honoring the Island Daffodils

Diana — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:00:56 +0000

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 a bright face to the formerly grey days. Grazing animals and deer just leave it alone. Maybe they enjoy seeing the fields of flowers bending to the warm spring winds. It’s a Friday Harbor remembrance of those that came before. A reminder of older days and a harbinger of the warmth of spring. The botanists have developed bulbs that will yield huge bright yellow daffodils, even fragrant ones. But what I like best are the pale yellow ones with the smaller flowers that have been around so long. Look for them in the fields on all the islands soon.

Why NOW is a great time to buy in the San Juan Islands

Michele — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:29:51 +0000

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 with phenomenal interest rates and it simply makes sense.

2) Interest rates are still low, for now… If you are “waiting for the rates to go lower” you may miss the boat. We are seeing indications that rates may slowing begin to increase. It makes sense to step forward now and take advantage of these 30 year low rates.

3) Tax deductions in your mortgage payments. Owning a home is a great tax shelter and tax rates favor you if you are a homeowner. As long as your mortgage balance is lower than the price of your home, mortgage interest is fully deductible on your tax return. Deducting the interest on your income taxes helps make the real cost of owning more attractive. Talk to your financial advisor for specifics.

4) Sales prices are lower than replacement values. You have a lot of choices in homes and raw land. But the cost of building can look down right scary if you compare it to buying a pre-existing home. Rates are lower, down payments are lower, and you can move right in upon closing!

5) Pride in ownership. There’s no place like home! Think of all the things you get to do: decorate your house, landscape your yard, brag about how cozy and wonderful your home is, take your Holiday pictures in your home and send them to everyone! You have worked hard to have a home and the sense of accomplishment is invigorating. Enjoy!

For more information about the real estate market in this area go to www.SanJuanConnection.com or email me directly at Michele@sanjuanconnection.com (text to 360.317.5683).

Moving

Diana — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 23:10:05 +0000

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 WAS0896).

128 years later it is our turn. Realtors at Island Group Sotheby’s International Realty are confident that this is an ideal and welcoming location for marketing island properties. Some places are known as spots where people gather, and this is one. A warm and welcoming interior reflects through the wavy windows of the past and reminds one of our intimate ties to the sea. Here is where all-night festivities known as “fishermen dances” occurred when the fishing fleet was in, a place with an excellent pool table that beckoned travelers. In real estate it is said that the three most important elements of value are 1.Location 2.Location and 3.Location. It is also said that the only constant is change. We embrace both of these concepts now that the boxes are all unpacked and the files have been tucked away. Here is a picture of how our office and Spring Street appear today. Our signage will go up soon on the building with the curvy top, and a new era will begin.

Expectations of Visitors to San Juan

Diana — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:52:09 +0000

If you obey these expectations, you will be looked upon as a welcome visitor rather than a confused tourist!
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• Do not leave your car alarm on when you board the ferry!
• Do not act as if you are in a hurry, even if you are.
• Do not walk off the ferry and walk up the middle of the road as if it were not a street for cars also.
• Do not come to San Juan dressed in a suit unless you are an attorney or going to a wedding or a funeral.
• Do not apologize for being from California, many islanders come from California.
• There’s elbow room here! Do not tailgate people on the road or with your grocery cart.
• Keep your boats a great distance away from any Orca you are lucky enough to see. Use the telephoto lens on your camera or your binoculars to get close to them without disturbing them, or view them from the shore.
• Leave your jet skis at home! They are not legal to use in this county.
• Open the door for the next person as you leave the store, it’s what we do.
• It is considered impolite to pass by an island dog without saying hello.
• Watch where you stop you bike, but do pull your bike or moped off the road occasionally to let people in cars pass.
• Sit on a bench in town and watch small town life go by, it’s relaxing and humorous.

Old Time Island Halloween

Diana — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:20:29 +0000

My family moved to San Juan Island with a small surge in island population in the late seventies. We began by renting on San Juan Island to see if we liked the place. It wasn’t long before we decided it was prudent to buy since we knew we were staying. We were in our thirties and we had three young children.

We learned that Halloween wasn’t the same here. For one thing, the owner of many of the stores downtown dressed up in costumes for the business day. The owner at King’s Market, Vi King, was always a witch in black gown and high pointy hat. There was a funny attitude all the costumed people seemed to have, like it was perfectly ordinary and nothing was unusual in their dress.

Next, because many of us lived on acreage away from each other, it was necessary to go to our trick or treating exercises in a car. We would carefully plan on when each of us would be home, then work our car visits around that. The result was that we maybe went to somewhere between three and six places at the most.

Mostly, on Halloween, I remember taking the kids to Clyde and Ruth Sundstrom’s farm. They had such a great sense of humor they had named their barn the Barn Marche and that’s where they’d have garage sales. Clyde was one of the Sundstrom four brothers who had lived on the land since he was a boy. He married Ruth Guard, daughter from another farm family. Their turn of the century farmhouse was the scene of much family activity year round. Clyde was still farming then, and he had some nice horses. Every now and then he’d hitch up the horse to the cart and drive to the town of Friday Harbor, taking the cart down San Juan Valley Road. The special thing about Halloween was that Ruth would always make homemade donuts that night in honor of Clyde’s birthday which was on Halloween. There was no getting around the fact that you’d have to go into their warm kitchen for a spell and then each of your children would get a good teasing from him.

An Island Wedding

Diana — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:53:13 +0000

The field had been mowed and the fragrant hay was rolled up into huge circular bales, wrapped in white plastic, and stacked out of the way. The gate to the field was open with several acres for cars to park. In one corner there was a barbeque going full force and there were tables laden with food and coolers full of wine and soft drinks and water. The day was sunny and bright and many guests choose to relax in the white tent that had been rented for the event.

It was an island wedding, with guests from afar and just down the road. A home-grown island girl and the guy she met at college were getting the royal send-off. But first, the energetic band was going to play the music that seemed to suit all the generations present: Rock and Roll. Little girls in pretty dresses flounced around in their filmy skirts and boys in cowboy hats jumped up and down to the beat on the wood floor that had been put together for the day.

It felt like the old island, when people came together and knew just about everyone because there were so few people residing here. The Gigantic Garry Oak trees that the first farmer had left in this field stood over it all. This family farm had been owned by several generations of the same family The beautiful bride in her ivory satin gown had been married there under the trees in the exact same spot as her parents were wed. I thought how proud her grandparents would have been of her on this day. Everything seemed to have come full circle.