Sandy's Blog

Mukilteo Makes Money Magazine "Top 100 Places to Live"

Sandy Kaduce (Gallery Homes Real Estate) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:02:56 -0500

Mukilteo is a great place to live and it seems like all the big magazine polls are figuring this out. Last year, Mukilteo was named one of Business Week's "Top 25 Affordable Suburbs." Last week, Mukilteo came in #69 in the Money Magazine "Top 100 Places to Live" poll, one of only four Washington state communities to make the list.

I posted about this on my blog, click here to see more.

Harbour Pointe Village Market Report

Sandy Kaduce (Gallery Homes Real Estate) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:21:22 -0500

Here is the market report for Harbour Pointe Village, the neighborhood where I live (and work). This report covers the period of April 1 - June 30, 2007

11 homes listed
3 homes under contract (Subject to Inspection and Pending)
5 homes sold

Average list price: $528,577

Average sale price: $512,570

Average price per square foot: $245

Market time increased by 9 days on average over 2006, but sale prices also increased 7% over the same period. We currently have about two months of inventory on the market.

Overall, in spite of recent changes in the real estate market, Harbour Pointe Village home sales are holding up well and continuing the neighborhood's 6 year trend of healthy appreciation.

The key for sellers right now, is to keep in mind that buyers this year have more to choose from, so make sure your home is priced right from the start, and prepare it well for the marketplace so that it looks better than the competition. Staging DOES make a difference in markets like this one.

Mukilteo Market Report - June

Sandy Kaduce (Gallery Homes Real Estate) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:13:37 -0500

Here are the market stats for the month of June in Mukilteo.

All statistics are hand calculated by me, using NWMLS data, and include Mukilteo (in city limits) ONLY for the period June 1, 2007 through June 30, 2007:

Active Listings
Listing Count: 92 (this includes ALL listings currently on the market, regardless of date listed)
Average Time on Market: 88 days
Median List Price: $622,475
Average $ Per Square Foot: $259

There were 25 new listings in the month of June

Under Contract (includes Contingent, Active STI and Pending)
Listing Count: 21
Average Time On Market: 55 Days
Median List Price: $579,900
Average $ Square Foot: $252

Sold Listings
Listing Count: 29
Average Time On Market: 123
Median Sale Price: $620,820
Average $ Square Foot: $238

For the in-depth report and further analysis, please visit my blog at http://northsoundpropertynews.blogspot.com

Mukilteo Blog Roundup

Sandy Kaduce (Gallery Homes Real Estate) — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 15:34:22 -0500

I posted recently to my blog regarding May market statistics for Mukilteo. Market time and number of listings available have both been increasing, so I would expect to see some softening on price this summer unless things change--which they may, as school has just let out.

I also posted community events for the summer, including where to go for 4th of July fireworks, the Mukilteo Chamber summer concert series, and other events taking place in or near Mukilteo/Everett.

March Madness

Sandy Kaduce (Gallery Homes Real Estate) — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 23:23:25 -0600

So, my husband and I took a much needed vacation to Cabo last week, and naturally, all heck broke loose as soon as we got home. It don't rain but it pours I guess.

On this topic, someone here on Active Rain (I should go back to see who it was but I am too tired/lazy to do it tonight, and I will forget about it by tomorrow) wrote a great post about the law of attraction and how when you go on vacation your clients always choose that time to come out of the woodwork and make a move. The movie the Secret talks about this--how whatever you are thinking of, whether you are thinking of it and wanting it to happen, or thinking of it and wanting it NOT to happen, has a way of coming to pass. Because your energy is focused on that thing (for good or bad) and so, your energy attracts whatever it is to you.

Now, I don't know whether these things can be scientifically proven (and, being married to an engineer I am very aware that there are some people out there who always want scientific proof for anecdotal theories) but, regardless, I believe it because I have seen it work many times in my own life both personally and professionally. Depending on your religious preferences you might call this focusing of your energy "prayer" or "mindfulness" or whatever, but whatever it is, it does work.

Anyway, this woman (pretty sure it was a she) drew the connection that this is why your clients always want to do something when you are trying to go do something else. You cause it by thinking to yourself, "Gee, I hope my clients don't need me while I am on vacation." Then inevitably, they decide NOW IS THE TIME, to do whatever it is they have been putting off!

Now, there may be other reasons for this besides just, "the law of attraction." In my case (maybe yours too if you have ever been in this situation), before I go on vacation I always make sure to contact everyone that I know is "thinking about" doing anything and let them know my plans. I don't want them to try to call me when I am at the beach and I can't help them so I try to give them some notice about my plans and make sure they will be covered if they need anything.

So, it's not entirely attraction at work, it's also that I gave them a little nudge. All this is just by way of observing that I am suddenly feeling very busy!

So I second the original blogger's advice that if you want to attract business you should book a vacation!

Okay, maybe not, but at the very least pretend you are going on vacation...and think whatever thoughts you normally do before you go!

On competitive advantage in real estate

Sandy Kaduce (Gallery Homes Real Estate) — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 12:52:26 -0600

Jeff Brown wrote a great post at Bloodhound Blog about "Why the Traditional Brokerage model is fading away." I had a couple of points I wanted to add but it ended up being so long I thought I better post it here.

What real estate is going through is not so different from what a variety of other industries have gone through when facing a commoditized marketplace (lots of people all trying to sell basically the same thing). When that is the case, profit margin comes from being able to add value to the transaction. In some cases, this takes the form of brokerages getting involved with ancillary services. What ancillary services do is give clients a convenient alternative to shopping their business around. When it is of value to clients, it is a competitive advantage for the broker.

Before real estate, I worked for a consulting services firm that had to face this challenge in the wake of Y2K. The industry had grown too large to support the amount of business that remained after Y2K was over, and this had a lot to do with the "dot-com bust" of the early 2000s. I saw first-hand what happened to companies that didn't focus on competitive advantage. You didn't have to be the biggest or even necessarily the best to survive, but what you did have to do was provide something that your clients wanted. Mid-size firms like the one I worked for moved into a variety of what I suppose we might call "ancillary services" to ensure that they didn't leave potential revenue streams untapped. From the client side, it ultimately came down to whether they would choose a variety of "lowest bid" vendors to service their IT needs, or if they would pay a little more for the convenience of having it all under one roof. The latter were the clients we wanted to get, because with the advent of offshore outsourcing, competing for the lowest bid was just too low margin to be worth it. Of course, we also moved into offshoring, but it was intended to support rather than compete with, the primary business lines.

My job was to work with our various practices to help them create their competitive advantage statements, and to look at their businesses as part of an integrated service model. Given their origins as stand-alone companies that only did one thing, getting them to think in those terms wasn't always easy. That experience has flavored how I approach real estate. I am always thinking in terms of differentiation--"How can I set myself apart so that a client would choose me over the next person?"

And this is the right approach, it's the approach that led the traditional brokerages to provide ancillary services. But, when everyone provides them, they lose their status as a competitive advantage. Then you are back to competing on your other merits or coming up with something new that differentiates you. Which is kind of where we are today.

Now, there is something to be said for one-stop-shopping. Most of the clients I have worked with want to get a good deal but they don't REALLY want to shop around for title, mortgage and escrow. Also, their definition of "good deal" isn't always "who is the cheapest?" A lot of them will pay for convenience (ultimately this is why they have chosen a real estate agent versus trying to go it alone or do a private sale). That kind of client might choose to work with a different vendor than the person who is shopping solely on price. Each client has different requirements. I try to help them find someone who fits with their requirements. I give them a list and tell them the pros and cons of each provider (this one is less expensive, but that one is really easy to work with...whatever the case may be) and let them decide what criteria is important to them. I don't think I push them in one direction or another--I try not to anyway.

Ultimately, some will choose to use the ancillary services, some will choose to go elsewhere, and whatever they decide is fine with me as an agent. My broker might prefer if they used our title, our mortgage, etc. but I've never been pressured about it per se.

One other point I wanted to make about commoditization is that ultimately what happens in industries that have become commoditized, and particularly in industries where the internet has a disintermediating influence, is you will eventually have a thinning out until the level of competition returns to a level that the market will bear. When that happens, a lot of the "mediocrity" will by necessity leave the industry.

I always think it's interesting to ask agents what they do that is different or better, what makes them stand out, and it never ceases to amaze me how many can't answer the question. The ones who won't make it are the ones who can't think in terms of competitive advantage.

Staging: Part of the Marketing Budget? (or, why I don't like print ads)

Sandy Kaduce (Gallery Homes Real Estate) — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 14:52:36 -0600

Yesterday, Val Allocco (I hope I spelled her name right!), a home stager in New York, responded to my blog post about a home I am staging and asked me about whether I allocate my staging expenses as part of my marketing budget. The short answer is yes. But I thought I would go into a little more detail on my thinking about this, because it differs somewhat from the prevailing attitude in the industry.

I think we are at an interesting time right now in the real estate industry because things are changing very quickly and I think a lot of people struggle to figure out how to keep up with the changes that are happening. I think this is especially difficult for people that have been in the industry longer than I have, because they got used to a certain way of doing things. But change is inevitable. And the big change that will transform our industry just as it has transformed a host of others, is the Internet. Our industry will survive because there is a real need out there for our services, but it may look different than it does now, just as it already looks different than it did 5 or 10 years ago.

How this relates to the way I market homes is, that I think most forms of traditional media advertising are a complete waste of time and money, at least as far as selling a specific home. But I think we all have tried it at some point. When I first started in the industry I would run display ads (4x6) to market the homes I had listed, and never received any interest off them. But I ran them anyway, because I thought that is just what you were supposed to do. All the big name people were doing it, after all, so if I wanted to be a big name person I better do it too. But, the results were just not there. The one thing I did notice was that all the other agents saw my ads and commented on them, but as far as consumers or the people I wanted to reach? Zippo.

That reminds me of one of my more embarrassing realizations, which was how nonsensical it was to run a newspaper ad that says "The Internet Changes Everything." Which I did. Well, one day I realized that one of the things the Internet had changed, was that the person I was trying to reach with that ad wasn't reading the newspaper! I believe that is what you call an "aha" moment. Love those!

Based on my research and what I have seen personally, people looking for homes today aren't looking in print media anymore. NAR estimates that 77% of people are using the Internet to find homes and that number goes up a little every year. The next most important sources are the Realtors working with the buyers, and sign calls. Newspaper and other forms of print advertising are now mainly a supplemental source of information for people who haven't gotten that serious yet. Reason being is that most print advertising is out of date by the time it even reaches the consumer, and a lot of them learn this very quickly after calling to inquire about a house they saw in the newspaper or a magazine only to find that it was sold days or even weeks earlier. At this point, the buyer will either hire a realtor, and of course the agent placing the ad this buyer has just responded to hopes the buyer will choose him, or they will start using the Internet if they are inclined to do so.

So, obviously, the ads aren't placed to sell the home, they are placed to advertise the agent. Getting a lead for the house you are trying to sell is actually pretty unusual--not that it NEVER happens, but it's unlikely. Yet, when we market our listing services to home sellers, we go into great detail about how we are going to buy all this great advertising for their house. Maybe it used to be an effective way to sell a house, but not anymore.

So I've changed the focus of my listing presentations to emphasize the Internet, and minimal print. Not necessarily none--if you're selling a $15M vacation home or something else that is unusual or difficult to sell, you are going to need to spread your net far and wide, in which case print media might be an effective part of that. But in most cases print media is not an effective way to reach MOST buyers anymore, and the sellers know it. And how do they know it? They know it from personal experience...they are looking on the Internet for their next home themselves! So this message really makes sense to them because they are living it.

Furthermore, you need to know your market. I realized (after spending thousands of dollars on print media advertising) that the kind of buyers who are looking in the paper or in magazines aren't the buyers I want to work with anyway, and are probably not the buyers that want to buy the homes I am selling.

And "name recognition" in and of itself isn't that interesting to me. I want a select clientele that understands my value and will tell their friends. In other words, I don't need a lot clients, I just need good ones. These people are not looking in the paper to find an agent, they are asking their friends for referrals, or are looking on the Internet.

I now do all my advertising and marketing on the Internet, at a fraction of what it would cost to run less-effective (for my sellers anyway) print ads.

So if I am not spending money on all this print advertising, what do I spend it on?

Staging, professional photography and web presence. I look at staging as being sort of the "styling" of the house--getting it ready for its close up. Just like how in the fashion magazines the models don't pick their clothes or do their own makeup, I don't have pictures taken of the house until it has been staged and professionally "dressed." And I've seen enough "agent pictures" and professional photographs to know that it is TOTALLY worth the $150 it costs to get a professional out to take the pictures. The difference it makes when you look at an online listing that has professional photos versus one that doesn't, is like night and day. You could be selling a dump and if it's staged and the pictures are done right, with good lighting and the right lenses and so forth, it's going to look like a million bucks, and buyers/agents will flock to see it. Conversely, if you have a million-dollar mansion and the photographs are dark, cluttered and dingy looking, no one wants to come see it.

Maximize your traffic, and you will generate offers. As long as you've done everything else right!

Once I have great pictures that make the house look like a model home, staged to appeal to the most number of potential buyers, I focus on effective promotion via the Internet, other agents, and a variety of other techniques to reach the most potential buyers. But I focus on marketing the home, rather than myself, and believe that by providing better service, I will find the kind of clients I am looking for.

So, yes, staging and photography is part of my marketing budget. I think of staging as the packaging of the product. The product is the most important part of the Four P's, which those with a marketing background may remember from their college days:

The right Product (packaging is a big part of this--your product needs to appeal to its market)
At the right Price (a price that works for buyers and sellers)
Placement (in other industries this is about distribution channels, in real estate, it's your interagent networks and other buyer sources--how will you find them?)
Promoted effectively (selecting the methods you will use to communicate with buyers and maximizing the effectiveness of these methods).

Home Staging Ideas

Sandy Kaduce (Gallery Homes Real Estate) — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 14:31:27 -0600

One of my favorite parts of being a realtor is being able to help sellers get their homes ready for sale. You see and hear a lot about staging but from my perspective it is how you take a house that someone is living in and turn it into something that makes a buyer say "wow, this is the house for me." There is a big disconnect between those things--how we live and what makes us want to buy--and therein lies the challenge of staging a home.

Some sellers will let you do more with staging than others. I am currently working with a seller that is going to let me be a little more creative. Reason being, of course, that the seller wants to get the most money possible for their home. So I am working on creative ideas that will really make this house pop.

The house is only a couple of years old and in very good condition...not perfect, but no house is when you've got toddlers running around the place! Those issues that it does have, however, are very fixable. The one thing that I think needs to be addressed is how to warm the place up in an elegant way. It's an aspirational neighborhood, and part of what you are selling is the lifestyle, not just the house. Currently there isn't much in the way of furniture and the house still has that flat, white builder's paint on it, so you walk in and it just doesn't portray the potential that the house really has--the house wants to be an elegant, beautiful home (and the buyer wants it to be that too!), but currently, it's not doing that, although the bones are there. In the decor it really reflects the fact that the owners don't have time to do much except raise their two young children!

So I am thinking of ways to warm it up and show off its great spaces. Got a great idea from Home Depot today, which is to do an accent wall with a cherry blossom stencil in Wedgwood colors. I was thinking this would be a great, dramatic treatment for the front entry and would bring a little bit of the outside in. It's also a great way to handle the fact that the entryway wall has quite a few little areas where the little ones got a little out of hand with the marking pens and crayons!

We are also renting furniture to give the home the right look--not Ikea stuff. Anyone who knows me will tell you I love Ikea, but it's furniture isn't appropriate for staging all homes. It can work well for a modern space, but it doesn't work as well for a more traditional type of home, which this one is. So, a quick phone call to Cort furniture rental and we can give this home a completely different look for a very reasonable price.

I just consider these things to be part of the marketing expense of the home. Marketing dollars can go towards a variety of things, only a few of which are truly effective at getting the home sold. Personally, those are the areas where I would prefer to spend the money. For the same money as it will cost me to rent furniture, I could spend the money putting an ad in the paper, which will most likely not result in finding a buyer for this particular home. Personally, I would rather spend the money doing the things that I know will make a difference towards getting it sold for this seller--making sure it shows its very best and looks the part of a house that the target market will want to buy.

The Best of Everett

Sandy Kaduce (Gallery Homes Real Estate) — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 23:56:41 -0600

Once a thriving lumber mill town, and now the home to the world's largest aircraft manufacturer as well as a Navy homeport, Everett is a city of hidden gems. With a population of just under 100,000, the city is undergoing an amazing transformation from sleepy mill town, to a dynamic community with unique historic districts, revived shopping areas, and a strong community spirit.

One thing Everett is not, is a "true" suburb of Seattle. More and more people who work in Seattle and the Eastside are choosing to live in Everett for its affordable housing and great quality of life, but it's more than a bedroom community. It's truly a city in its own right, with good schools, a city government committed to improving the quality of life for residents and visitors alike, and cultural and entertainment opportunities that are surprisingly diverse. Yet with all it has to offer, Everett retains a charming, small-town feel. And, with its location on Port Gardner, surrounded by the mountains, the Snohomish River and Puget Sound, Everett's natural beauty can be breathtaking.

Many people pass by this city by the bay on their way north or south, without ever stopping to explore the attractions that Everett has to offer. Because of this, Everett is one of the last areas areas in the Puget Sound that is truly undervalued, given its proximity to the Northwest's largest employer (Boeing, of course), it's public transit options into Seattle, and its many attractions. Why is it undervalued? Simply because people don't know about it!

Let me introduce those who may not be familiar to one of my favorite little cities.

Sandy's Top Ten Places in Everett

1. Everett Events Center and Comcast Community Ice Rink: Your first stop in a trip to Everett should be the Events Center--the cornerstone of the "New Everett." Visiting this building, which is home to the Comcast Community Ice Rink, the Everett Silvertips and the Everett Chamber of Commerce, is your first opportunity to marvel at the transformation that Everett has undergone in the last five years, due in large part to the city's decision to build the events center. The Event Center is an attraction in its own right, but is also many people's first introduction to the new Everett. While you're here, visit the Everett City Concierge to learn about events being hosted by local restaurants and shops, or visit the ice rink and strap on some skates.

2. Hewitt Corridor: Traveling east-west along the Hewitt Corridor allows you to imagine what Everett must have been like at the turn of the last century when it was known as the "Pittsburg of the West." Once blighted by empty storefronts and pawnshops, Hewitt Avenue is now home to numerous high quality restaurants and a few nightspots as well. If you're looking for a great meal, try Buck's American Cafe or the Majestic Cafe, located at opposite ends of Hewitt. If you would like to go out for a drink, you might try the Dirty Martini. Looking for live music? Try the Alligator Soul (cajun and zydeco music--also great cajun food) or Jimmy Z's, which is host to Everett's monthly "Rockabilly Rumble" as well as numerous rock and blues bands. If you're more into relaxing with friends and watching a game or playing some pool, the Hewitt Corridor has that covered too--check out Tailgater Joe's.

3. Colby Avenue: Colby and Hewitt are the two "main streets" in Everett, and their intersection is the heart of downtown. Running north-south, Colby is home to many wonderful shops and restaurants including the Pave Bakery, The Flying Pig pub, J. Matheson Gifts, the historic Everett Theater and the Everett Symphony (in its newly remodeled, 1936 art deco building). The street is also home to the beautiful 1910 Everett High School and a fabulous tree-lined boulevard of older homes. The downtown area of the street was recently upgraded by the city with wider sidewalks to encourage outdoor dining and shopping opportunities, better parking, benches and street sculptures.

4. North Marina Project: The Port of Everett's North Marina Project is currently underway with dredging and construction of an additional 200 slips, which will bring Everett's total moorage capacity to over 2,200 spaces. It is the 2nd largest marina on the west coast--only Oakland in the Bay Area is larger.  The North Marina project will include Port Gardner Wharf, a combined condominium and commercial space project, restaurants and shops, an ampitheater and an esplanade, which will complement jogging and bike trails along the Snohomish River waterfront.

5. 10th Street Marina Park: This two acre park is colocated with the Port of Everett's 10th Street Boat Launch, and is the launching point for many a great day on the water, whether that includes a motor boat, sailboat, kayak or kiteboard. The Jetty Island ferry leaves from here during the summer months. It also has barbecue and picnic areas.

6. Jetty Island and the Jetty Island Ferry: Jetty Island is a two-mile long, man-made island with rare sandy beaches and shallow warm water. In the summer it is a haven for kayakers, windsurfers and kitesurfers, and those looking for a quiet getaway from the city. The City of Everett runs a ferry out to the Jetty during the warm months of the year--check the City website for more information.

6. Everett Station: There is just something romantic about train stations, even ones that are only a few years old. Reminiscent with it's rounded roofline of a European train station, the Everett Station was designed both as a transportation hub and also a gathering place.  The Amtrak Cascade and Empire Builder lines stop here, as well as Sound Transit's daily Seattle commuter train and multiple bus lines.  It's also home to the University Consortium, classroom space that is shared by Everett Community College, the University of Washington, Western Washington University and Washington State University. Don't miss the art gallery space inside.

8. Grand Avenue Park: Possibly the most beautiful spot in Everett, and definitely
Everett's best spot to watch the sun go down over the Olympic mountains and Puget Sound, Grand Avenue Park looks due west over Port Gardner towards Hat and Whidbey Islands. On the east side of the street are some of Everett's most beautiful and best preserved historic homes, including the home of Washington's beloved, late Senator Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson.

9. Forest Park: Everett's oldest and largest park, Forest Park is host to many a summertime barbecue and various community events. In the summer, the Swim Center and the Animal Farm are open to the public, and the Music in the Park series is available for the music buffs. Classes and events are hosted year-round in Floral Hall.

10. Historic North Everett and Rucker Hill: Thanks to an active historical commission and city-led efforts to encourage historic preservation, Everett's two main historic districts feature a large collection of late 19th and early 20th century homes of historic significance. Rucker Hill, to the southwest of Providence Hospital, features a fine collection of historic homes including "Scoop" Jackson's boyhood home and the Rucker Mansion. Historic North Everett includes the area north and west of downtown, with the grandest and best-preserved homes found north of 19th Street west of Broadway. Other historic neighborhoods includ Riverside and Lowell, east of Broadway. The non-profit Everett Historical Society puts on a number of interesting programs regarding the history of Everett, historic building preservation and was part of a consortium that recently acquired and will restore the Howard S. Wright house on the 2100 block of Rucker Avenue.

11. And, And, And: What, you thought there would only be ten? Here are a few more favorites, in no particular order:

For waterfront fine dining, try Lombardi's Restaurant or Anthony's Homeport at the Everett Marina, or for a quieter dining experience try the new "Under the Red Umbrella" restaurant recently opened by Celebrate Catering located at the corner of Rucker Avenue and 15th.

Want to entertain the kids? The Imagine Children's Museum located at 1502 Wall Street downtown has plenty of acivities that kids and grownups can enjoy.

Directly across Wall Street from the Children's Museum, Smashed Tomatoes in the historic Monte Cristo Hotel is a popular Italian restaurant with tasty food served in a cheerful, mediterranean-inspired atmosphere.

The Monte Cristo Hotel is also home to the Arts Council of Snohomish County and a permanent collection of glass from Dale Chihuly's Pilchuck School in the hotel's grand lobby.

Il Bistro Vino at 1801 Hewitt just northwest of the events center is also a popular and inexpensive dining choice for a meal or a drink before or after a hockey game or concert.

The Sister's Cafe next to the Everett Food Coop on the 2500 block of Grand Avenue is a popular spot for breakfast and lunch, with fresh healthy options and a fun, cafeteria style atmosphere.

Daruma Japanese restaurant located at the 12th Street Marina offers fantastic sushi and japanese specialties.

For more information on the downtown Everett revitalization, check out the following:

Energizing Everett, Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, Aug. 9, 2001
Everett-This Working Town Just Wants to Have Fun, Seattle PI, May 25, 2006
Northsound Dining

The Best of Mukilteo

Sandy Kaduce (Gallery Homes Real Estate) — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 20:07:21 -0600

Mukilteo is more than a place to catch the ferry to Whidbey Island, it's also a fantastic community in which to work and live. Recently voted "Seattle's Best Affordable Suburb," Mukilteo features still-affordable housing as compared to comparable neighborhoods, an award-winning school district, and stunning natural beauty. With convenient access to I-5 and 405, Mukilteo is also extremely convenient to Seattle and the Eastside, as well as major employers such as Boeing and Fluke located less than 10 minutes away.

Mukilteo, which means "good camping ground" in a local native american dialect, is divided into two distinct areas: historic Old Town, and the newer, master-planned community of Harbour Pointe. The areas two areas offer distinct lifestyles.

Harbour Pointe features one of the Northwest's most popular public golf courses and a large variety of homes ranging from condominiums, townhomes, and single family residences, to luxury homes in developments such as Waterton, Crown Park and One Clubhouse Lane.

Mukilteo's Old Town district features a waterfront park and boat launch, shopping and restaurants, a community center and of course, Mukilteo's famous lighthouse. Connecting the two areas is the Mukilteo Speedway / Hwy 526, which features bluff-front homes, a wide variety of businesses and restaurants, and provides access to Mukilteo's various neighborhoods.

Branching east from Old Town and the speedway, Mukilteo Boulevard links Mukilteo to downtown Everett, and provides scenic views of Port Gardner, the Everett waterfront, and the Olympic and Cascade mountains as it passes through the neighborhoods of Bridle Trails, Edgecliff, Narbeck, Forest Park and others.

If you are thinking of moving to Mukilteo and would like a local resident who can introduce you to the area, please contact me.

Sandy's Mukilteo Favorites

Mukilteo Ferry Landing and Waterfront: Mukilteo's past as a fishing village comes alive on its waterfront. Here you will find the historic and scenic Mukilteo Lighthouse, the Mukilteo beach state park and boat launch, several restaurants and watering holes, and the Silver Cloud Inn with rooms overlooking Puget Sound.

The newest attraction on the waterfront is the recently remodeled Ivar's Mukilteo Landing (formerly known as Taylor's Landing). The deck and windows of Ivar's were wiped out by a rogue wave several years ago and after that the restaurant received a much-needed overhaul in Northwest lodge-style chic. The restaurant now serves excellent food from an all-new menu, and its bar is now "The Place" to see and be seen in Mukilteo, with a great wait staff, fun atmosphere and fabulous happy hour specials.

Also on the waterfront is the Diamond Knot Brewery, a great place for a beer and pizza in a comfortable, "toss-the-peanut-shells-on-the-floor" type of atmosphere.

Harbour Pointe Golf Course: A great course in a beautiful location, with a fantastic restaurant (Mukilteo's best breakfast buffet on weekends) and bar. Harbour Pointe Golf Course's signature hole is number 11, which features incredible views of Puget Sound and the Olympic mountains.

Fantastic Restaurants: Charles' at Smugglers Cove, John's Grill, Amici Bistro and many others. The small bar at Amici Bistro is new and always packed--but worth visiting even if you have to stand to enjoy your drink! Piazza's Wine Bar is a great little watering hole with a friendly, intimate ambience. If you like Chinese, Golden House on the Mukilteo Speedway should not be missed.

Willow's Edge Tea Room: Here's something unusual in this coffee-centric part of the country--a tea room serving traditional English-style tea in a cozy ambience. Sweet and savory treats are served with a fine selection of teas from around the world on fine china and silver.  The Willow's Edge is own version of the Empress Hotel in Victoria, a repast here will have you feeling like a true lady or gentleman!

Whidbey's Mukilteo Cafe: No self-respecting Puget Sound resident can make it through the morning without a fresh cup of joe. Whidbey's Mukilteo Cafe (formerly the Mukilteo Coffee Company) is a cafe/community gathering spot with a fine selection of pastries, breakfast and lunch items, and it also hosts open mic nights during the summer.

Rosehill Community Center: Home to the Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce, the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival Association, a dance school, arts center and various community events, the Rosehill center at 304 Lincoln just off the Boulevard (formerly Mukilteo's only school) is the historic heart of Mukilteo civic life. Unfortunately, the building is in need of much repair and debate continues over its ultimate fate.

Harbour Pointe Town Center: Co-located with the Bellaterra apartment complex and the Camden townhomes, Harbour Pointe Town Center addresses Harbour Pointe's need for a walkable area in which to live, work and shop. The area features a park which is used to host community events, a hair salon, restaurants, shops and live/work spaces.

Best Grocery Stores: Mike Olsen's Food Emporium, while not technically in Mukilteo, probably has the best selection of specialty food items around. For more typical fare, QFC and Albertsons are great choices. All three are located on the Speedway.

Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival: Mukilteo's town party, the Lighthouse Festival, usually takes place in late August or early September and features a fun run (held on a different weekend due to traffic), a juried art show, a grand and children's parade, and a wide variety of musical and other attractions. The festival is capped off with a bang, with a big fireworks display.