Postcard Gallery
Fall 2020
It ain’t over yet. Might as well make lemonade. The recent spate of smoke pollution highlighted our plight. Something as simple as breathing can get complicated. Amazing amount of interest in South Whidbey these days. No surprise really. The world has begun to notice what we have. What they can’t readily see is how we treat each other.
Like when the recycle box of discarded office papers fell off my trailer on Double Bluff. First off-islander behind me blasted through the papers & stirred them like blowing snow. 2 Locals stopped, got out of their cars. A neighbor came out of his house. My paper pickup process was reduced to 10 minutes with the help. I didn’t ask them their politics. Instead thanked them for their kindness. It’s why we love living here. Our real estate inventory is down by more than half from last year. Sales numbers are down by 20%. Prices have gone up 10%. Great time to sell if you’ve decided to move out. Better have your running shoes on if you’ve decided to move in. Mean time we’re trying to figure out how to keep everyone safe & whole until the danger of COVID subsides. Enjoy what we have, when you can, Fall is just around the corner. Be safe & remember to nod to you neighbors. We’re all in this together. |
Winter 2020
Our feathered friends greatly appreciate berries, fruits and seeds left after fall harvest. While I haven’t seen a Quail in a scarf, there have plenty of his wild cousins visiting our gardens looking for leftovers.
Real estate this fall has matched the weather. Quieter. Buyers are taking their time, houses on market more than 30 days invite a discount. Sellers, a little enthusiastic at the start of their listing, offer price drops. Similar to last year, median house price $485,000. Inventory down 5%. King County market is different. Sales volumes up, sold prices up, inventory down, median price $612,000. We can continue to expect migration from the Seattle & other hot markets. The last of “Baby Boomers” are ready for retirement. Searching for a place to nest. This year marks our 10th project house, for a family of 5. Habitat for Humanity has determined that refurbishing distressed homes to livable condition is a viable solution. They now have the backing of HUD for financing. If you happen to know of an eyesore in your neighborhood, drop a card or a call. We may be able to change that. Hope this message finds you warm, tucked in for the winter and ready for family gatherings. Blessings in the New Year to Anna Cosper for her excellent rendition of the Quail. We love the artists on Whidbey. If you need a conversation about real estate, or you just want off the list, call. I’m usually around. |
Summer 2019
Summer gardens on Whidbey often provide whimsy. Nature supplies the bounty, gardeners the character. It’s harvest time, physically & metaphorically. Real estate sales continue apace. Some of us are taking advantage of the market, others are staying put. In the garden.
Inventory of homes for sale remains the same as last year, 10% fewer homes sold year-to-date. Average sales price is off 3%, median sales price is up 7%. More homes are being sold under $500,000 than over. Sellers & brokers are more enthusiastic than statistics dictate. Listed homes are running $100,000 higher than sales price. Doesn’t hurt to try. Price drops are frequent, time on market has increased. Buyers still have choice & properties well-presented get quick results. Client take on the North/South comparison? A north end client says he enjoys the normality & orderliness of a military town. Found people in Oak Harbor polite in public places. A south end prospect mentioned how friendly he found the locals. Noticed that we motion one another through intersections or to let others into the line of traffic. Nice to hear of our similarities, when the letters to the editor, op-ed pieces & political points of view make us feel at odds. The bunnies have stayed out of my lettuce, the deer overlooked 2 huge purple cauliflower & I find that gardeners are generally agreeable. Hope you are finding the same in your daily routines & Whidbey Island wanderings. |
Winter 2018
Old man winter made one last appearance; I hope. Spring is pushing forward, we’re making forays into the garden in preparation. The Old Farmers Almanac promises a cool beginning to Spring and we can’t hold it back. Just don’t go dropping seeds until the ground warms up.
2017, a big year for real estate on South Whidbey. We sold more houses than last year; have the same number in inventory & the prices went up 12% on average. We’re back to the 2007-8 price peak & selling 20% fewer homes per year. Nationally, time that families live in their home has doubled. We used to move once every 4 years, we now move every 8. Some have waited out the recession to retain their equity, baby boomers are staying on the job longer & when people are not moving up or on, things slow down. Slower move-up rate has changed availability & prices; like in Seattle. It’s been a long, wet winter, & that hasn’t seemed to slow the pace of real estate sales. Those who want to move here continue to arrive & the only bubble we have is the peace, tranquility & general well-meaning of our community. Hope this finds you patiently awaiting longer, warmer days & looking forward to all that we have to share. |
Summer 2018
Old man winter made one last appearance; I hope. Spring is pushing forward, we’re making forays into the garden in preparation. The Old Farmers Almanac promises a cool beginning to Spring and we can’t hold it back. Just don’t go dropping seeds until the ground warms up.
2017, a big year for real estate on South Whidbey. We sold more houses than last year; have the same number in inventory & the prices went up 12% on average. We’re back to the 2007-8 price peak & selling 20% fewer homes per year. Nationally, time that families live in their home has doubled. We used to move once every 4 years, we now move every 8. Some have waited out the recession to retain their equity, baby boomers are staying on the job longer & when people are not moving up or on, things slow down. Slower move-up rate has changed availability & prices; like in Seattle. It’s been a long, wet winter, & that hasn’t seemed to slow the pace of real estate sales. Those who want to move here continue to arrive & the only bubble we have is the peace, tranquility & general well-meaning of our community. Hope this finds you patiently awaiting longer, warmer days & looking forward to all that we have to share. |
Texas Floods 2017
Every morning, a prayer of thankfulness. These Vidor Texans were thankful to get away from 3 feet of water in their front room. The 2nd story took 3 feet the next day. They did have flood insurance.
Meantime, South Whidbey real estate values went up a whopping 17% this year. Inventory is shrinking slowly, -2% compared to last year. Nationwide people are staying in their homes longer in times of uncertainty. I came home for the Mr. South Whidbey pageant, and our team won the crown. Thanks to you who donate to Friends of Friends. We act in community to provide that which would not otherwise be provided. The young Texans from Vidor expected 3 feet of water. They didn’t expect 52” of rain in 4 days. They were as thankful as anyone I met; a lot of work ahead & the advantage of youth. Hope. Quite a year for me. I visited 250 families in Texas, most of them thankful, all of them shocked. No matter who you are, or where you live, we are far safer and satisfied than most folks in Vidor this year. Let’s take the opportunity to be helpful & thankful this winter; it is the season. Daniel Goldsmith, Mr. South Whidbey 2017-2018 |
Fall 2017
Things don’t always turn out the way they are planned; like bicycle training for the triathlon with Myrtle my Tango mannequin. My Mr. South Whidbey campaign was moving into high gear, running and funning a great campaign, until I got called to Texas to perform disaster housing inspections for FEMA. Clearing remnants of Hurricane Harvey.
Real estate values on South Whidbey continue apace. This year has been a personal best for me. Inventory continues to hold, down a modest 5%; closings are fewer, down 10%, but values have risen 7-9% depending on the metric. Our market continues to be influenced by greater Seattle, more higher market sales, fewer options for first timers. My Friends of Friends Medical Emergency Fund campaign has gone on remote control. The Texas victims are short term, I’m here to help; the neighbors who need our support at home are long term. The campaign ends October 7th, and I won’t likely be home by then. I need your help, your contribution, your vote. Please drop check of any amount to Friends of Friends, PO Box 812, Langley, WA 98260; mention my name. Online, www. fofmedicalsupportfund.org. I deeply appreciate anything you can contribute. Thanks, from Texas. |
Spring 2017
Ever feel like we're all in the same boat and it's going down? Compassion fatigue is what disaster relief workers call it. I'm always looking for a life raft in the midst of chaos. When it happens, humor lifts my spirits, helps keep me afloat. We found these two driving in the flotsam at the farm in March rains. They were the bright spot of the day. There has been a flood of real estate activity on the south end this year. More than half again as many sales have closed this year to date as last. The median price is holding steady, inventory is staying the same. Balanced market. Spring is always a time of optimism; we're coming out of the doldrums into the sun. So if you're not digging in the garden, or watching tulips, now is a good time to move. For buyers & sellers. We're all buoyed by something different, by our faith & what we believe; by our perceptions or contribution. Community is a life preserve for me; it gives me hope. The pay-back is in the look of recognition or thanks from my neighbors when I include them; it lets me know we all belong. Hope Spring buoys your hopes as well. |
Winter 2016
People. Not politics or personal promotion. This year more than ever People Matter Most. The New Year brought in a bright red barn on 7 acres, with a down trodden double wide and a well that runs dry in the summer. Why would be represent this property? Because affordable housing is a terrible thing to waste. South Whidbey real estate saw appreciation last year, more than 10%. Foreclosed & short sales continue to be a drag on stats and there are more homes on the market. Best market in 5 years; and a great way to start a new one. We took on the farm because it was affordable, in poor condition and provided work opportunities. Community is build buy the hand of those who live there. While the majority of us over 50 brought our means with us, young people need a place to start. |
Spring 2014
The Real Estate market on South Whidbey took off with a puff of winding in its sails this Spring. We're hoping the trend will be more than the illusion created by this gun at Ft. Casey, with the Port Townsend mill plume in the background. We're optimistic. Inventory has risen only 5% since last year, while pending sales are up half again and closed sales have more than doubled. Prices are statistically higher on average, a reflection of higher end sales beginning to occur. We expect the real value of sales to be very similar to last year. We are still counseling sellers who are using recent history (2-3 years ago) to plan their near future. History needs the test of time. Market reality today is diminished, no one's to blame. These decisions are ultimately the seller's domain, we can only educate and coach. Spring is in the air, and we're relieved to see growth in nature and growth in the community. Hearts & Hammers did their usual good deeds, and Daniel is off to Nashville to provide housing inspections for FEMA. |
Winter 2010
Turkeys are seasonal so it seems right to include them. Our recent ads in the South Whidbey Record & post cards in the past have featured this starter home. We don't specialize in low end manufactured homes and we don't ignore them either. Everybody deserves a place to call their own and this is affordable. $107,000 for 2/3 acre on Langley Road.
December statistics from NWMLS show South Whidbey performing slightly ahead of last year by every measure. We're cautiously optimistic that our market has bottomed and hopeful for sustainability. Being and selling is more comfortable for everyone when you can count on values. Fallout rate or failure rate is still one in four so don't count your Turkeys before they roost (pun intended). What a year! Slim pickings for apples and blackberries which dampened my pie baking efforts. Green tomato salsa and green pumpkin pie; only my potatoes went wild. We're busy battening down the hatches on our vacant listings and top coating the garden to help our plants survive until Spring. We wish you and yours many reasons to celebrate this holiday season. Thanks for your support. |
Summer 2008
The World is Uncertain. Real Estate is in Flux, and sometimes we just have to focus on what's important. This market is not going to go away, or get better by Spring, or even next year. Those of us in real estate in the early 80's remember high interest rates and a market paralyzed with uncertainty. This is Whidbey 2008; sans the fast pace and foreclosures, but we can't avoid the overall market.
The advantage of years of experience and the willingness to try again until we come up with a solution. It's not only Group Think that has caused our markets to soften. There are structural problems in the banking industry and way too much inventory to absorb. And plenty of us have unrealistic expectations for selling. Recently we've been blessed to meet people who accept that these are not the best of times and are willing to do what it takes to make a move. Although we are involved in real estate in a serious way, it's important to take the time to give our loved ones a squeeze, look around at our great fortune and celebrate the every day things. Like this lady on the post card. If I'm lucky enough to plant one on her cheek, it's the start of a good day. Enjoy the rest of your summer. |