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Great deals on new construction in Anacortes

If you’re looking for a fantastic view, superb design and affordability that will shock you, try looking in Anacortes.

Anacortes, the often overlooked little brother to Bellingham, is one of the best kept secrets in the Northwest.  Seated at the Northern tip of Fidalgo Island, Anacortes offers a quaint, but lively, small-town feel with amazing views from almost every direction.  What it also offers is a sizable collection of new housing developments that blend those views with great design and craftsmanship. The best part, from the buyer’s perspective, is that the real estate slow-down has hit the new-construction market harder than other areas, largely due to over-development.  The problem for new-construction developments is that they often take years to scout,  permit, and build, and in this case they just took too long to come to the market.  So now, after several months with little or no action, many of the developers are getting creative (sometimes downright desperate) about their pricing and packaging.

Here’s a great example:

I recently visited the Portalis community on the North side of the island, between downtown Anacortes and the San Juan ferry terminal.  Though made up mostly of single-family homes, the community itself is condominiumized, meaning that there is an association and common grounds maintained.  Though originally priced in the $500’s and high $400’s, most of  the prices are now down in the low-to-mid $400’s, and the inside word is that the developers are taking offers at 10% below that!  These homes are between 1800-2000 square feet with very high-end finishes and great, open floor plans.  Seriously, they are nice! I look at homes all the time, so I’m not easily impressed, but these are definitely worth a look.

On top of the price breaks, the developers and their lender partners have come up with all sorts of ways to sweeten the deal.  They’re offering things like lease-options and the paying of HOA dues for up to 5 years.  They’re even offering to cover mortgage payments for up to 6 months (!), which is great for buyers trying to sell their current home before relocating. For qualified buyers, Wells Fargo is offering loans on new construction with a downpayment of 3.5% with no mortgage insurance , meaning a savings of at least a couple hundred dollars per month.

Portalis is just one example. There are other new developments in the area with similar deals to be found.  For that matter, with a little bit of digging, you could find opportunities like this all over these days, even in Bellingham and Seattle. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look…and having the right real estate agent to help you, of course!

For more information on Anacortes, Portalis or similar opportunities, or real estate in general, feel free to email me at rob@buyertours.com or call my cell at 360.510.2230.

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Sandy Point – A Waterfront Community

Sandy Point is a waterfront community that is situated on a small peninula south west of Ferndale. Sandy Point has many waterfront homes on it’s west side with outstanding bay and island views looking west to the Straits of Georgia, and the San Juan and Gulf Islands, these homes offer gorgeous sunset views. On the east side of peninsula there are many homes with awesome water views and fantastic views of Mt. Baker.Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this Viddler video.

Boaters here at Sandy Point have easy access to the San Juan Islands.  Sandy Point has it’s own boat moorage that is well protected by an inside canal system. There are many homes that sit along the canal and have docks with private moorage.

Sandy Point has it’s own Marina which has secure moorage for about 60 boats as well as a launch ramp and gas dock for it’s members. They have a clubhouse with meeting rooms and a covered BBQ area and secure storage facility for boats and trailers.

The  Sandy Point community has a golf course for it’s members with great views of Lummi Bay, Mt. Baker and the San Juan Islands.

The Sandy Point Clubhouse has a large outdoor heated pool for Summertime use.

If your looking for a waterfront home you might want to consider Sandy Point.

Here are the Sandy Point homes on the market right now.

If you would like any information about these homes or to make an appointment to see them give me a call at 360-739-6981 or send me an email.

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Northshore Homes: A thumbnail sketch of the quiet side Lake Whatcom

A heartfelt thanks for the new construction on Northshore Drive, as it curves around the Silver Beach.  It’s a great drive, even better ride on a bike or motorcycle, but with the new paving, it’s a quieter ride.  And it sets the stage for the next 19 miles of the road that runs along the perimeter of Lake Whatcom (“noisy water” if you’re interested).

Northshore Drive turns to Northshore Road in a phase out that can only be compared to when they switched moms on Fresh Prince of Bel Aire, though you’d hardly notice with the homes that line up to greet as you drive south along the lake side. Passing the southern side of Silver Beach neighborhoods, and the other half of the bisected Academy Street, the road takes you past a smattering of the more elusive mistresses of the real estate market, the lake front home.

And there’s been a dry spell in sales here, which will be great inventory to bring into the summer, where this section of Bellingham really begins to shine.  About 37 homes are currently on the market on this stretch of lake road. mostly 3 and 4 bedroom (around 32 of the listings) and averaging a little under 2900 square feet.  Where some of my clients have really found hurdles has been in the age of the homes.  Some off them have needed updating, and some have reached the level of maturity where preventative maintenance has done all it can, and things need replacing, which is a great segue into the new 203(k) loan you can ask your REALTOR about.

Future residents should be prepared to learn about septic systems, their upkeep, their half-lives, and the incredible array of them that now exist, including ultra-violet filtration systems.   Look for well agreements, shared road provisions, and for the 23 homes on the market that have docks?Walk out on them, and see what sort of shape their in.  The days of replacing your decking with 2 X 4’s from the tree fort the county condemned because your boy needs a few more hours watching Bob the Builder? They’re over, and there are new conditions for material.

Homes on the Eastern side of Northshore Road show more acreage than a prospective owner are used to, as 21 of the listings have at least 1 acre.

And knowing that if you’re commuting to the highway, you have a few options for getting out to it, rather than winding back through town to hit Britton, or Lakeway.

I can only pray to the Gods that the restaurant that is on the corner of Y road, and Northshore, opens back again, and continues to serve some of the best Eggs Benedict since that turncoat sold us out, and wrecked the deliciousness of Hollandaise with the bitter taste of treachery. Grammy’s, you will be missed.

It’s country living on the lake, and a stones throw from Mount Baker Highway and the Northshore Trail.