Thinking of investing in a Second home or vacation home?  The San Juan Islands, located in Washington State, offer some of the most majestic sights from ocean views to whales, and a multitude of activities from kayaking, biking, hiking and more.  The Island's close proximity to Seattle and the Eastside make it easy to travel to the islands either by car and ferry, plane, or boat.

According to the Northwest Multiple Listing Services in San Juan County for the month of June 2008 looking at Single Family Homes and Condominiums there were 66 new listings for a total of 429 active listings, 18 Pending transactions (those under contract that have not yet closed), and 12 closed sales.  The average sold price in San Juan County for the month of June was $914,799 while the median closed price was $501,250.  Yes, our inventory is up, but so is our closed sale pricing....how many markets can say that?

Buyers, we have affordable waterfront -income producing properties-currently on the market.  There are great deals out there!  Limited land on the islands coupled with destination location status will continue to always make this an attractive place for buyers.  Our close proximity to Seattle (Microsoft and Boeing) make the San Juans an ideal vacation home getaway.  Our real estate values are solid and still affordable compared to other waterfront areas in the US.

My comments to sellers in this market: consider the 4 P's of marketing- Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.  Make sure your home shines when potential buyers come through. Qtip clean, clutter free, and if you need help staging ask a professional!  You have all the control over making your home put its best foot forward.  Make sure you price accordingly.  You'll get overlooked by overpricing a home in our current market.  You don't have much control over location...it is where it is.  Knowing your audience helps with promotion.  The internet is a cost effective way to advertise and hit a large number of interested consumers - locally and internationally.  For specialty markets (such as the San Juans where people are contained on a ferry for hours at a time) print advertising is still effective.  Promote to your target consumer.

If you're looking for a place that offers a little rest and relaxation and you've never visited the San Juan Islands you should consider doing so!  Visit www.sanjuanpm.com for vacation home rentals on San Juan Island.  There are a wide range of homes and prices.  If you're thinking of a vacation home as an investment contact the experts in the Islands....Sybil and Michele at www.SanJuanConnection.com.

Business decisions as of lately have felt more strategic and more risky.  Recently my business partners and I made the decision to merge our smaller, franchised real estate office with a larger, independent office while at the same time affiliating with an entirely new franchise (did you catch all that?!?!?).  Considering we are in a small town (on an island rather) this is a pretty big shift in our market.  Like many others, we're finding our inventory up, sales down, and even higher expectations from our clients.  This seems like the perfect time for some change.  

I think the number one benefit from merging is going to be the benefit of a stronger team.  Surronding ourselves with other working real estate professionals (working being key) adds momentum and synergy to the group as a whole.  Consolidating on overhead and increasing staff productivity is also a bonus. There's strength in numbers, right?  

Sometimes I think franchising is misunderstood.  Does franchising mean that a firm is no longer "local"?  We're the same people involved in the community but we've just acquired more efficient business practices and tools while offering our clients global exposure!  It sounds like a win-win to me!  

I know change is hard for many to digest, but at the same time its exciting and at some times also necessary. I think with our current market conditions we'll be seeing more and more of this (I know the San Juans have seen several of these changes over the past several months).  Hopefully it will generate strong real estate offices around the region with dedicated, working professionals!

We're getting ready for that big summer push here on the island.  Regardless of the increasing ferry fares, the tourists and vacationers look to be returning for yet another season.  My husband runs a vacation rental management business, www.sanjuanpm.com , and bookings are looking good for yet another record season!  The restaurants, variety of retail shops, and the kayak and whale watching businesses are all in full gear.  The question many of us have is how will this affect our real estate market?

There's no question that the San Juan Island market is different from your mainland suburbia.  Limited, pristine land and stunning waterfront can make a place stand out not to mention the tranquil setting offered to boaters and kayakers. I continue to love every minute I'm here on the island and I think we'll continue to see that from others...in strong numbers.  It's true, our first quarter sales volume is down a solid 40% in 2008 compared to last year.  Do I think our second quarter will be down as well?  Yes, indeed.  But I think that our market will suffer a softer blow compared to our Seattle metro market. 

Who wouldn't want to be a buyer in this market?  We have record listing inventories and certainly some motivated sellers and good buys.  No, do not expect to come in and pick up a waterfront home for pennies on the dollar.  There are reasonable values out there with solid investment potential.  Although not a lot compared to years past, San Juan Island does have a wide price gamut of properties currently under contract - single family residences ranging from $185,000 up to $3,950,000. 

There is something here for everyone.  As baby boomers continue to look for second homes, investments and retirement properties I think its safe to say that the San Juan Island real estate market will continue to be a solid market to invest in and I think this summer, more then ever, we'll see people realize the value and concur that there isn't a better time to buy in the islands then now!