A question put to our Seattelite members.

[mtsmiths]

Is thare any part of the Olympic Peninsula or the islands that actually have 'sun'? At least part of the time.

 

My daughter may be moving to Port Ludlow, and we will have a 1031 R.E. exchange to get rid of when we sell her house in L.A.. Since it looks like all our kids and grandkids will be in western WA we may want to look to retiring in the area.

 

We would have to buy a place that we could rent for four years or so, then move to. Oh, need a small airstrip close by, or a hangar home on an airstrip.

 

I found a 'perfect' house on Decatur Island, directly across from Anacosta. Airstrip, hangar home, community beach/dock, but I don't think it would be a good rental.

 

Thanks fom Montana.

[edrach]

Locate near Sequim...in the rain shadow and supposedly lots of sunshine; also has an airport.

[mtnman38]

Hey Man I used to live in whitefish I was there almost all summer floating in the bob and in the greatbear Had to go to the Northern for good fresh beer and of course the bulldog for those sweeet burgers.

 

 

But any way I have live on the kitsap penisula for about 5 years now and I gota tell ya there is a lot less rain here than in montana back in the day

but now its diffrent there here i would agree with ed squiem is going to be the ticket for no rain and acsess with out driving three hours( OLY park and mtns ) The biggest diffrence that I noticed is that when it rains there are still cloud breaks so you get to see the sun all year not just in the summer

I can not remeber it getting socked in for two months with the gray like it does in the flathead valley

 

But if you want to ski or have easy acsess to endless woods stay where you are

snow sucks here unless you go to canada or Mt baker

there are many reasons why squiem is good and bad it bepends on what you do for mula and if you have to travel cause the hood canal bridge can be a *************** some times

 

Well I know its kinda scattered (no coffee yet)but feel free to pm for any questions or conserns LT

[mtsmiths]

Thanks guyz, does the rain shadow extend up to the Anacortes area and the northern mainland around Birch Bay?

 

We are looking to purchase now (maybe, if my daughter sells our L.A. house and moves to Port Ludlow) and rent until we retire. We expect to stay in Whitefish for four or five more years. But we figure after that we'll want to start hitting ski hills all over the NW, and not just Big Mtn. We want to live where we can find reasonable airfares to Hawaii, especially if we still own property there. The Flathead is an airfare black hole, even Spokane is half the fare to any given destination.

 

So, we're looking for a mainland base, not too big, but with shop and/or hangar that we can buy now and rent until we want to start using it.

 

If my daughter buys the subdivision she's looking at, we 'could' buy one of the lots and build, but we really don't want to be THAT close to kids and grandkids.

 

mtnman, we like everything about the area, but need SUN. And yes we sure know about the Whitefish blahs. We lived in a condo about 1/8 mile from our current house and so when we built we knew what to expect, so ... LOTS'A windows, multiple fireplaces, hot tub ... all the ' winter depression survival' needs.

[Scoobywagon]

Port Orchard has an airfield, albeit a small one. Also, there's Bremertons airport. THat opens up some possibilities in Belfair, PO, Bremerton, Maybe Silverdale. Real estate prices here are pretty decent, too.

[Mike W]

Yeah the rain shadow reduces precipitation over a fairly large area (including as far as Anacortes.) But the shadow area moves around depending on the direction that the storm is coming from (plus other tricky factors like convergent winds etc.) The main thing is that the further away from the Olympic mountains... the less dependable the rain shadow effect and the more difficult to predict the weather and winds. Sequim is so close to the mountains that it's nearly always in the rain shadow and it's common for it to be rainy and nasty everywhere except directly over Sequim. If you could find a very detailed precipitation map I bet it would show Sequim as a small dry spot with precip increasing dramatically as you move away. So what I'm getting at is that just because a given location might be "in the shadow," I wouldn't exect actual SUN unless you're in Sequim.

[NorthWet]

Sequim - pronounced squim (rhymes with "swim") for you out of area people.

 

It is also not that far from the Port Ludlow area. If you want more sunny and not so rainy, that is your choice.

[mtsmiths]

Thanks, NorthWet, every time I look at your avatar, and think of actuall moving to the area I get, well ... depressed. Daughter is heading up to Seattle as we speak, for a contractural conference, and to relook at property she found in Port Ludlow.

 

Will know more by Monday. What will I do with my handle if we move wasmiths just doesn't have the ring ... meanwhile, in Whitefish

 

http://www.bigmtn.com/summer/livecams.aspx .

[mtsmiths]

Well, it looks like we will be spending some time on the peninsula in the future. My daughter has gotten a major contract with a Seattle firm, and will be commuting from L.A. to Seattle on a regular basis, then moving north full time next year. She has found property she wants, so it looks Like I'm placing an offer on ten acres with two houses in Pt. Ludlow next week. I reckon The Pretty One and I wil be making a lot of Empire Builder trips in the next few years, and maybe moving there in 2009.

[mtsmiths]

Did the Pt. Ludlow house inspection and got the financing approved over the work week. Jus' gotta make an offer now.Looks like we will be at least part time Peninsulites.

[Turbone]

Looks like a welcoming party is in order

[mtsmiths]

Well, le's see, my daughter DID say it would need to be re-roofed shortly ...

 

Saaaaaayyyyyy! I've got a *great* idea.

[NorthWet]

Well, le's see, my daughter DID say it would need to be re-roofed shortly ...

 

Saaaaaayyyyyy! I've got a *great* idea.

I didn't think that anything in Pt. Ludlow was allowed to be old enough to need a new roof. Everything that I have seen there was new construction, mostly California-style rabbit hutches (condos/townhouses costing way too much).

 

BTW, my avatar is meant to be a reflection of me, not where I live. The rain follows me. I used to work for a company in Silicon Valley, and every time I would visit Corporate HQ it would dry up here and rain there. Thought of changing "Eeyore" to "Thor"...

[Capri]

mtsmiths, don't get into bidding wars, walk away! Some realestate people will have you bid on a house with so many other bids and get you all excited about the house so you bid higher against other bidders, then end up with an overpriced house.

 

Yes, Sequim is nice and sunny. It has great snow-capped mountain views and water all around.

 

It really doesn't rain that much. NY gets about the same amount of rain, but theirs is fast and heavy where we tend to get more of a drizzle. For a wet state, no one uses umbrellas, get yourself a baseball cap or jacket with a hood. If you had an apt. with a view, you never tire of mountain and water views and the cloud formations are different that anything you've seen before and quite interesting. You'll love it here, trust me:) I moved from NY 8 years ago.

 

Know that the weather forcasters are mostly wrong. When they say rain, it doesn't, and when they say no, it is, and days where it's scattered rain which means it can rain someplace in the state but not necessarily where you are or where you are going, but it still counts as a rainy day even if you didn't get rained upon. We do have an east side of the mountains area where they get more drastic temps. It tends to be dry there on wet Seattle days and very, very hot and then turns to cold at night, but it is a place to retreat to on rainy days.

 

We have so many micro climates that one area is so different from another and it they don't have to be far from each other. Renting is good. It will give you a chance to see where you would like to settle permanetly. Travel....travel... and do some more traveling to different areas and speak to people. They will give you good info and the people are friendly here.

 

Welcome to WA state!!!!

 

Bye, Capri

[mtsmiths]

Capri,

 

We're not getting into any bidding wars as buyers ... we're setting one up as sellers on our LA house.

 

We will be coming out for a property inspection on the Columbus Day (day of mourning :-) ... I'm a registered tribal member) weekend ... looking forward to introducing ourselves to the area on the peninsula. One day to drive out, one day to inspect Pt. Ludlow property, one day to visit family on Orcas I. (both sides), one day to drive back to Montana ... via Hwy 2.

 

1st day back at work to wish we'd stayed home!

[Capri]

mts, some people are not too happy with CA people selling their expensive CA homes to come here and buy nicer ones or the same kind and then pocket leftover money. As for me, I don't care. That's what it's all about for most people. Make your money and then go where it's less expensive to spend it, but that only applies to houses here. The food and other things are as expensive as New York.

 

You should look into what tribal member rights are. I'm not positive, but they have more rights to fish year round, they have private beaches just for Indian people and there are areas only Indian people can go to unless they are accompanied by a Indian person or get the okay from the tribe.

 

The Indian people own most of the casinos out here. They are great seafood buffets, but some casino restaurants are better than others. The Indian people also have ceremonies for various reasons. Recently, they, meaning different tribes all got together to go on a canoeing venture together. It's all very interesting. The Makah Indians try to hunt whales every year lately and it causes quite a stir with Green Peace and other animal organizations that don't want them killing whales. One year the gov't let them, but with restrictions, mostly like they did in the old days. They had to use canoes, and I don't know what else was involved.

 

You're going to love it here!

 

Bye, Capri

[mtsmiths]

Capri, this isn't a CA cut-n-run. My daughter's fiance is from Seattle, and his folks still live there. We actually have family for three generations in the area, Orcas, Bainbridge, and some other island. Hell, my mother-in-law even contracted Parkinson's from living downstream of a paper mill!

 

My daughter is a producer in the video business and her company is in Hollywierd; but she has accounts all over, and flys around the country, so now that her client base is big enough they no longer have to actually BE in LA.

 

By picking up a major account in Seattle it gives her family the opportunity to relocate, and since we are the title holders on the LA house we're the buyers, on a 1031 Exchange. 'Sides the property is big enough we can build a house for The Pretty One and myself to use as a base on the mainland.

 

Plus, our son (who married a Spokane girl) will move his family from Honolulu to the sound when his daughter enters high school (Hawaii secondary schools suck), so all the grandkids will be in one easy-to-visit place. We'll live in Hawaii (our origins) or Mexico, or someplace else warm, and have a residence close to a major airline hub and our kids families. Air fares out of Glacier Park Intl. (FCA) are roughly twice what the same fare is out of SEA.

 

And if you think cash-rich immigrants are Californicating the sound, you oughtta see what's happening in NW Montana ... McMansions springing up all over the county!

 

We'll be here another four years, then sell out of Montana and spread ourselves around, and just come back here to ski ...

[mtsmiths]

Signed the purchase agreement yesterday, accepted today. Looks like we'll be NPWers someday.

 

Driving out for an inspection on the seventh. 1-90, then gonna hook up thru Wenatchee and taker Hwy 2 over the Cascades. First overnight in Port Townsend, then look at the house on Sat., and goof around on the Peninsula the rest of the day.

 

Sunday gonna try and visit long-lost family on Shaw and Orcas, then drive home I-90 on Monday, go back to work and die on Tues.

 

Prolly gonna drive the '95. Wish I could find a killer deal on a Forester to bring home.

[Capri]

mtsmiths, Port Townsend is a quaint little town. I've taken my motorcycle there a few times just for a day trip from Seattle. There's a park, I forget the name since I'm not a native of the state that is worth a look as you pass through. You go down the main street until you reach the end or one block before, make a left and it's down on your right. I has beautiful water views and you can see Mt. Baker on a good day. Is it Fort Warden?

 

Geez, your mother-in-law got Parkinson's from the papermill? Yikes!!!! They have one in Tacoma which is affectionately called the Aroma of Tacoma if that's the one you mean. The smell from the mill is pretty offensive if you live anywhere near it.

 

Shaw Island? I thought only the nuns lived there.

 

My husband and I have been talking about relocating abroad. I read an article on Mexico about how 350 people lost their property. The gov't claimed they did not buy it from the rightful owner. Then I think they only let you lease property that you buy if I understand it right, so when your lease is up, you can lose your property. You really have to know what you're doing when you buy land or a home in another country. Panama is boasting a great economy and says a lot of people are relocating there. There is nothing like the good old U.S.A., but we all want that bang for our buck when we retire and not everyone wants to go to Florida since they don't take taxes from your retirement check, or atleast that's what I believe to be true.

 

I would love to relocate to Hawaii, but it would be too expensive for us. I do like the British Virgin Islands which would also be expensive but you can do all that island hopping with their ferry services. I love Virgin Gorda in the BVI and I love Cozumel which you probably know is the island off of Cancun, Mexico.

 

If you move to Mexico, let me know. I'd be willing to do a house swap with you if you wanted to come visit WA:)

 

Bye, Capri

[Mykeys Toy]

That will just make it convenient for the sube shows during the summer.

[mtsmiths]

My husband and I have been talking about relocating abroad. I read an article on Mexico about how 350 people lost their property. The gov't claimed they did not buy it from the rightful owner. Then I think they only let you lease property that you buy if I understand it right, so when your lease is up, you can lose your property. You really have to know what you're doing when you buy land or a home in another country. Panama is boasting a great economy and says a lot of people are relocating there. There is nothing like the good old U.S.A., but we all want that bang for our buck when we retire and not everyone wants to go to Florida since they don't take taxes from your retirement check, or atleast that's what I believe to be true.

 

I would love to relocate to Hawaii, but it would be too expensive for us. I do like the British Virgin Islands which would also be expensive but you can do all that island hopping with their ferry services. I love Virgin Gorda in the BVI and I love Cozumel which you probably know is the island off of Cancun, Mexico.

 

If you move to Mexico, let me know. I'd be willing to do a house swap with you if you wanted to come visit WA:)

 

Bye, Capri

 

Capri, there have been a number of scams run on clueless gringos attempting to buy land in Mexico. There are two forms of title, one is as you state, a lease. The other is fee title, held by an accredited bank in permanent trust in your name. For this escrow service you pay an annual fee. The land can be sold or inherited, and is as if you actually held a deed. That said one must be even more carreful about buying land in a foriegn country than at home ... and I'm damned careful here.

 

Costa Rica and Panama allow fee purchase free and clear by Americans.

 

We may yet head south, but not for five or so years.