We’re a big fan of social media – it provides us with a way to instantly reach out to anyone that is interested in what’s going on here on Whidbey Island, and it also provides us with a way to let prospective buyers know about new listings in the Whidbey Island real estate market.

Are you a fan of ours? If not, you should be! Stop by our Windermere Whidbey Facebook page and ‘Like’ us.

You’ll see posts on new listings, interesting posts about houses, decorating, landscaping, etc., and posts about fun things to do on Whidbey Island.

See you soon on Facebook!

Instead of buying a gift ahead of time this year for Mother’s Day, we have a better idea.

Visit Whidbey Island’s charming towns of Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Langley and Freeland and do a bit of shopping while you’re there.You’ll find all sorts of fun gifts – from home decor to artwork, to flowers, plants and gardening tools … perhaps your Mom can find something in each town to remember her trip by.

You’ll also find a kinds of wonderful restaurants to try, whether you’re looking for brunch, lunch, an afternoon ice cream cone or dinner. Or, start with brunch at one end of the island, have ice cream mid-island, and have dinner at the other end of the island!

If Mom is a history buff or outdoors enthusiast, there are all sorts of interesting stops to make – from Greenbank Farms to Fort Casey, to Deception Pass Bridge and State Park.

Here are links to several Chamber/Tourism websites that will have ideas as well:

Coupeville

Oak Harbor

Langley

Freeland

If Whidbey is a new adventure for you, we bet you’re like a lot of folks who visit … the thinking cap goes on and you start imagining yourself living the island lifestyle in this stunningly beautiful part of the Pacific Northwest. Because we’re in close proximity to the metro areas of Seattle and Vancouver B.C., it’s easy to become a full-time, part-time, or even just weekend resident. From cabins to ramblers to waterfront estates, Whidbey Island real estate has something for every buyer, whether you fall in love with Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Langley or Freeland.

Come see us in May – and celebrate Mother’s Day on Whidbey Island!

Original artwork by Tony Taj This year, we are excited to welcome Cornell University and Dartmouth College to the 27^th annual Windermere Cup on Saturday, May 4, 2013. Historically, the Windermere Cup is part of the Seattle Yacht Club’s Opening Day of Boating Season celebration on Seattle’s Montlake Cut. Since 1987, Windermere has sponsored the main race between the University of Washington and world-class teams from around the world. The event is free for families around the region. Spectators line the shore of the Montlake Cut and a log boom flanking the course in Lake Washington. New this year, shore guests can visit food tents, including Ivar’s Salmon House, Dante’s Inferno Dogs, and Veraci wood-fired Pizza. Bike messengers will be distributing free Windermere Cup flags and programs before the races. If you are looking for special gear to commemorate the race, you will find Windermere Cup items at one of the four Husky Team Store locations on store. Leading up to the Windermere Cup festivities, the Windermere Foundation is hosting 60 fourth and fifth grade students from Madrona Elementary at the University of Washington Shell House for a half-day fieldtrip and fitness education. Athletes from UW, Cornell, and Dartmouth will mentor groups of students on health, fitness, and training. Students will get a chance to row in the UW boats, visit with athletes, tour the campus, and take home souvenirs. A delayed broadcast of the event will be featured on May 12 at 3:00 PM PST on the PAC12 Network. You can follow the whole week of events on our Facebook page. We hope to see you at the Windermere Cup on Opening Day!

When you first move into your new home, it is likely you will have a list of items you must change right away, to fit your design and practical needs. As far as your landscaping goes, I recommend that you maintain what you have for at least one full year—the entire growing cycle of everything in your lot.  This way you may avoid chopper/whacker/digger remorse: “Oh, I wish I’d known that was a flowering syringa (lilac) and not just a weedy-stick-y looking thing.”  Additionally, if you begin planting right away, you won’t really know your micro-areas and could well be pulling dead, stick-like plants, shrubs, trees which you only recently purchased. It takes a bit of self-control to avoid that initial “clean-up” and planting frenzy, but you may thank yourself eternally if you can hold off. During that first year of restraint, watch the pattern of the sun across your lot/land, learn the irrigation system or lack thereof, note shady, sunny, dry, wet, windy, catbox, and understory areas. Note the neighbors’ yards, and see what works and doesn’t, and what you like and don’t.  If you are so inclined, keep a gardener’s notebook with your observations..  Decide what you want your lot to be, and what fits into your lifestyle. Whether you are a retired, full-time master gardener, or an organic gardener, or you “just wanna bbq and kick-back”, there are landscapes to fit your ideal. Developing a plan for all of your “yard-rooms”, as 20^th century British gardener Gertrude Jekyll named the various areas of the yard, is a comprehensive approach.  Where do the kids play? Where are the garbage/recycle bins stashed? Think about traffic patterns—where do you want paths, seating areas, and garden beds. Also consider “hardscape”: walls, fences, garden structures, screening from neighbors, and parking areas. A well-planned landscape enhances the value of your home and lets you extend the walls of your home from lot line to lot line. Patricia Allene Atkins is a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) with a passion for plants in Eugene, Oregon.

Seems like these days, everywhere our Windermere agents go people are asking about the real estate market.

How’s the market doing?

Are we out of the woods?

Is it a good time to sell or buy?

While we’ll never have access to a real-life crystal ball, we do have access to a lot of Whidbey Island real estate data. And, the data we are seeing these days points to a much-improved real estate market and an exciting future for buyers and sellers.

One piece of data that we look at regularly is the list-to-sale price ratios; this information helps us guide sellers in pricing their property accurately from the beginning so that their home sells quickly and doesn’t become market-worn, and allows us to assist buyers in understanding the current market so that when they’re ready to buy, they have insight into structuring an offer that is more likely of being accepted by a seller.

Below you’ll find our March report. If you’d like more information on either selling or buying a home, give one of our offices a call (Freeland, Coupeville, Oak Harbor, Langley) to find out how you can take advantage of our Spring and Summer real estate market. It’s great time to buy or sell a home on Whidbey Island!

Mark your calendars for the weekend of April 20 and 21, 2013—and join Windermere Whidbey as we participate in the National Association of Realtors® Nationwide Open House weekend.

This is a great way for you to be able to see a wide variety of  Whidbey Island homes  for sale – whether you’re ready to start looking for a new home, have been looking but haven’t found the perfect home yet, or are thinking about putting your home on the market.

According to Eric Mitten, owner of Windermere’s Oak Harbor and Coupeville offices, and Joe Mosolino, owner of the Langley and Freeland offices, “This is a fantastic opportunity for folks interested in homeownership to connect with one of our Brokers- who can offer expert guidance and advice on the home buying and selling process. During the open house event, our Brokers will be on hand to answer questions about the local housing market and provide insights into the benefits of homeownership.”

Adds Mosolino, “Open houses are also a great way for potential buyers and sellers to get a feel for Whidbey Island’s current market trends.”

While these days most people start their search online, and use extensive photo galleries and mapping features to search for homes  in Whidbey neighborhoods, 45 percent of all buyers also use open houses as a source in their home-search process. (Source: NAR 2012 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers)

To view homes that will be open during open house weekend, click on the Search/Open House tab on our website. Be sure to check the dates and times, as not all homes currently on the market will be open, and some areas of Whidbey will only be open on Saturday.

If you’d like more information on open house weekend, or would like to find out more about our current market conditions, feel free to contact any one of our experienced and knowledgeable Brokers.

The news was devastating … Early on the morning of Wednesday, March 27^th, a massive landslide just outside Coupeville destroyed Driftwood Way, the only access road to 17 homes in the Ledgewood neighborhood. At least one home was left uninhabitable.

Our hearts sank. When bad things happen to our friends and neighbors, we all feel it.

But within a week, the wonderful people of Whidbey have pulled together to make certain that those in need get the things they need. And once again we are reminded of how truly amazing this island – this community of ours – is.

Please join us this Saturday, April 6^th, in supporting the slide victims, who truly need our help to get back on their feet. This is going to be a fabulous event … we hope to see you there!

Here’s the scoop:

Whidbey Slide Relief Food and Music Festival Benefit

Saturday April 6^th from 2pm-7 pm at Greenbank Farm. Tickets are $20 at the door.

The party gets started at 2:00 pm with the Great Whidbey Slide Relief Cook-Off.
Come smell the sizzle, and get messy with the best barbeque, tacos, and grillin’ this side of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Live Music
2:00 Mojo Filter,
3:30 local funk sensation The Still Bill Band
5:00 Johnny Bulldog, lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revisited

All proceeds will go to the WHIDBEY SLIDE RELIEF FUND at Wells Fargo Bank.  Any and all donations can be given the day of the event or deposited at any Wells Fargo Location.

Windermere Real Estate is pleased to join the list of Whidbey Slide Relief sponsors including Ciao, Columbia Distributing, Coupeville Chamber of Commerce, Flyers Brewery, Greenbank Farm, Fraser’s Gourmet Hideaway, Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, Spoiled Dog Winery, Sho Nuff BBQ, Sysco Food Service, Three Sisters Cattle Company, Useless Bay Coffee Company, and Whidbey Island Wines.

Now is a great time to prepare your home for Spring!

Here are a few general home maintenance tips to consider this time of year. If you discover that you need some professional help, please feel free to contact one of our offices or your Windermere Real Estate agent for a list of referral businesses.

Clean the kitchen exhaust hood and filter.

Replace the furnace filter. It may be especially dirty after the winter months.

Inspect the roof for water damage. It’s also a good idea to check any fences, carports and sheds. Tip: Check the south end of your roof first; it is the first to show wear.

Test the batteries in all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Clear the gutters of any build up to allow for proper functioning.

Start the grass revival cycle by aerating, thatching and fertilizing.

Be sure all air vents inside and out are not blocked by fallen debris.

Clean the windows and screens. Repair any holes or replace screens if needed.

Inspect and repair siding and peeling paint. Fix or replace damaged siding: Strip peeling paint and replace with a new coat.

Check the basement for water damage. Pay attention to musty smells, water stains and damp surfaces.