http://www.king5.com/on-tv/evening-magazine/Local-artist-keeping-Anacortes-alive-100078214.html

To search for homes for sale in Anacortes, La Conner, or Oak Harbor, please call us @ (360)-293-4511.  We would love to help you with your real estate  needs whether you are looking to buy or sell your home.

Anacortes offers a lot of moorage for boats to lease by the month or year, transient overnight moorage, and also condo moorage which you can purchase.  These are also often called dockominiums.

In years past there have been long waiting lists for boat slips to purchase but we currently have several for sale.

Fidalgo Marina is considered to be one of the best marinas on the west coast and has excellent covered moorage, a full time harbormaster, a large fully equipped club house with a kitchen, sauna, hot tub, and library, laundry facilities, storage lockers, gated parking area, concrete docks, and large cash reserves.  We currently have a 50′ slip for sale which you can view by clicking here.

Anacortes Marina has covered and uncovered slips.  It has ample parking, laundry facilities, full time management staff, easy access to town, and we have a rare 80′, uncovered slip available for sale.  To learn more about this moorage for sale please click here.

Skyline Marina is located the closest to the Islands.  Skyline is a large marina with several divisions.  It has laundry facilities, lots of parking, and the marina area has a nice restaurant, store, fuel, and boat launch.  It is also home to several yacht charter companies.  Click here to see the 30′ uncovered slip for sale listed by Jack Dixon.

We also have several homes listed for sale with docks!  To see the Skyline home for sale with a dock listed by Cheryl Frazier, please click here.  To see the Shelter Bay home with a dock listed for sale by Karen Everett, please click here.

No matter what your real estate needs are, we have a real estate professional that can help you find the right property.  We are the waterfront experts in Anacortes, La Conner, Shelter Bay, and throughout Western Washington.   If you do not know which island you want to live on, we can help! 

If you are interested in more information you can contact any of the agents listed about at 360.293.4511.

The First Church of Christ, Scientist has closed it’s doors as the final member, Phyllis Pitts, has become unable to travel from Seattle to Anacortes for her weekly private service.  The church, located on the corner of 8th & K Ave, was donated by Phyllis Pitt’s grandparents and Phyllis Pitts grew up right across the street from it.

While each congregation & church is independently owned, there is a home church located in Boston. The home church has officially dissolved the Anacortes branch and has listed the historic church, to be sold, with Coldwell Banker Island Living in Anacortes. Phyllis Pitts has deeded it back to the home church and hopes whomever buys the church, will keep it’s exterior integrity intact.

The church was designed by noted architect & Christen Scientist, Norman Archiblad Torbitt, AIA and then locally supervised by I.E. Cahill, contractor. Ground was broken in July 1929 and the cornerstone was laid. The congregation held it’s first service in Nov of that same year and was debt free when dedicated in Sept 1930.

The building has been listed on the Washington State Historic Property Inventory and is eligible for both the Anacortes Register of Historic Places and the National Register. The neighbors hope that whoever buys the church will respect the character of the building and restore the facade. For more historical information on this wonderful historic church or to see the church in person, contact any of our Coldwell Banker agents or e-mail us at  IslandLiving@ColdwellBanker.com

The boating enthusiasts of Anacortes, gateway to the San Juan Islands, will soon have a new small boat hoist at the Cap Sante Marina.  A ribbon cutting ceremony on the P/Q dock is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, April 9. 

The old pier has been replaced with a new 14-ft. wide concrete surface, a 2-ton crane and hoist system, and a hand railing along with piling and new staging floats.

 To learn more about the Anacortes marinas and boating facilities, or perhaps, a home with a dock, contact one of the experienced REALTORS at COLDWELL BANKER ISLAND LIVING in Anacortes.

You can reach us at  360-293-4511 or visit us at  3110 Commercial Ave.  Our real estate agents are available to help you  7 days a week.

If you plan to visit the San Juan Islands, make sure you spend time in Anacortes.  Some Anacortes visitors don’t realize that Anacortes is on an Island – Fidalgo Island, which is the easternmost of the San Juan Islands.  Plan to spend some time visiting our downtown area, Washington Park, Rosario Beach, Cap Sante Marina, Tugboat Park, or just hang out and enjoy the best scenery in the Northwest.!

If you would like to learn more about living in Anacortes, stop by our Coldwell Banker office.  You pass it on the way to the ferry.  We are on the left (west) immediately after you enter town on 32nd and Commercial.

What are you looking for when choosing a place to retire? It is affordable housing? Extensive leisure and cultural interests? Opportunities for growth?  Sun? Sandy beaches? Clean air and environment? Tempting gourmet paradise? Fast & hassle-free access to health care?

All of the above is what you should be looking for.

If you are considering a would be place to retire, I say go for a place with a prosperous economy and include all or nearly all of the above “Goodies” in order to make your lifestyle a carefree retirement. Quite a few places that have such “goodies” here are just a few that make up the 10 best places to retire.…..

Anacortes, Washington

A paradise for lovers of water. Anacortes is the crown jewel of the San Juan Archipelago of Islands. A leap, and a short ferry ride away from Victoria, British Columbia. It offers plenty of water travel and leisure activities such as sailing, kayaking and motor boats. You can beach comb and other things, like hike the many trails, playing golf, camping, bird watching and the beach. The downtown area offers specialty shops, antique shops and art galleries, bed and breakfasts and gourmet restaurants.

Sarasota, Florida

A famous Gulf Coast city. And ‘the home of some of architecture more beautiful than you can imagine. It is also famous for its more than 30 kilometers of beautiful beaches and a climate that is ideal for boating, water skiing, tennis and golf. Nature lovers will be spoiled by the beautiful atmosphere of pure white sand, exotic animals and plants. Culture-loving people would be the opera, ballet and theater are here in love. It’s not a big city, but also has an urban feel safe, thanks to the fun of first class.

Ames, Iowa

Offers a real American Midwest life. It is also home to acts of great music and touring theater companies name. It attracts visitors with affordable housing, and the low crime area. Life is calm and quiet here, as you might like.

San Diego, California

If you treasure sunny weather and clear air of the sea, San Diego is the place with beautiful weather and white sandy beaches and fresh air. Want) an active lifestyle (filled with the seas and beaches? Beautiful beaches and the famous Balboa Park are just some of the places you can go to games and entertainment. Reigns this city as one of the most competitive in electronics, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. You need a little spending on housing too, though. San Diego is not cheap.

Lawrence, Kansas

Lush surroundings and attractions, including shows at the Lied Center, an active community arts center and theater, are a vibrant downtown and the market for a long-time farmer, this city is a sign of temptation. Enough places to go and participate in the work for you, if you have time for a brisk pace.

Hot Springs, Arkansas

As a spa, but what you also consider the low cost of living. And it’s a good deal in terms of housing costs – for example, on average, a single family house (1,600 to 2,100 square feet) $ 135,000 to $ 225,000.

Charleston, South Carolina

The South is one of the best places to retire. Charleston in the south, is a beautiful City, where you can enjoy many activities in a thriving economy. It ‘been called a historic city, romantic and beautiful. But one catch – you insert with the summer heat.

Hanover, New Hamsphire

A colonial enclave famous for its cross-country can better see the man. The city is also known for the life of Ivy League.

Walla Walla, Washington

If you want a quiet life, where people know each other, then this is the place for you. Allow competitionSearch for peace and tranquility with its offer of libraries and art galleries. The local universities offer numerous activities such as conferences and courses for retirees. And if you’re used to big city prices, so you get Nice cheap bargain here by surprise.

Charlottesville, Virginia

This city is blessed with the rugged and picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains serve as a fine mix of colonial and 18th century ideals. It would also look at a relaxed lifestyle retirement: Playing golf in a quiet environment, or participation in water cooling, browsing through bookstores and antique shops …..

Or do you have in other places in mind? The most important thing – it is a place of love and to enjoy life there.

While I was raving yesterday about the deals at the Meat Department at the Anacortes Safeway, (just after I had finished stuffing myself with a delicious spinach & strawberry salad, I realized I needed to rave about the produce department, too!

I swear they are trained to be super-friendly! They always look up and say hi to me. (Maybe it’s because they know I’m there like clockwork every day!) 

Mark Mitchell, our resident Anacortes Produce expert for more than 28 years, is always there with a ready smile. If you ask “How juicy are these grapefruits?”

he’ll just go ahead and slice one open.   Actually, over the years he’s sliced open just about everything I’ve ever wanted to taste… which is everything in

the produce department ( And I usually buy it.)   Or, if you don’t want

a giant

cabbage for that cole slaw, he or his staff will cut it in half for you… 

They pretty much bend over backwards to make sure you like the fresh produce. Grocers to the core. The greater Anacortes, Fidaglo Island and outer islands know his face and it’s great to see. 

Karen Everett,

Coldwell Banker Island Living

Accredited e-Pro (Internet-Savvy REALTOR) Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR) National Association of REALTORS www.KarenEverett.com

360.202.7373 

By Mark Johnson

I saw a line in an article summing up the past week’s market activity that said “…but it was the first week in a while without any major new government initiative to roil the markets.”.  It seems that EVERYONE missed the significance of what happened last Thursday.

I don’t think many people understand the extent to which the Federal Accounting Standards Board (FASB) decision last Thursday, to allow an alternative cash-flow model for evaluating the value of Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) and other Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) will enhance bank’s ability to lend and start pulling us out of this recession.  The accounting rule is FASB 157 commonly referred to as the Fair Market Accounting Rule or Mark to Market.  The restrictive nature of the rule meant that when there is NO market for a particular asset class (Like MBS and CDO’s) banks and other institutions holding these assets in their portfolio, are forced to mark down the value according to the market.  It is a great rule to avoid businesses from “Cooking the Books” because they cannot just state the value of their marketable securities.  This transparency is needed to avoid another ENRON.  But, when the market for a security is not trading, meaning there really is no market, institutions must estimate what the market will pay.  Eventually, when a bank or other institution is forced to raise capital to improve their Loan to Asset ratio, the only way to raise their capital position is to sell these illiquid assets at fire-sale prices.  These distressed sales then have the effect of devaluing the assets further because, according to Fair Market Accounting, all other institutions must Mark to Market their similar assets.  That has dragged all of the banks and large financial firms into a huge spiral of loss.

These assets are not “Value-less”.  The majority of loans secured inside these issues are performing and the cash-flows of those payments are going through to the investors who own them.  Using a measure of the cash-flow performance of each issue is a much more reasonable valuation when there is no real trade in buying and selling the securities.  Banks will not have to mark down their assets to zero and that will allow them to start lending more because they will be able to maintain a healthy loan to asset ratio.

I really believe this is THE MOST SIGNIFICANT event in all of the efforts to turn the recession around.  I expect that we will all be surprised by the speed with which the situation will improve.  It won’t be instant, but this is like a large Tug pushing on the bow of a huge tanker.  The ship is starting to turn!

Mark Johnson

Real Estate Lending

The Bank of the Pacific

801 Commercial Ave.

Anacortes, WA 98221

Direct:  360-202-1777

Phn: 360-588-9383 Ext. 3115

Fax:  360-588-9385

mjohnson@thebankofpacific.com

Local Anacortes resident Rich Bergner has just been named 2008 NATIONAL COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR by the National Wildlife Federation.  Rich is Fidalgo Island’s Certified Backyard habitat specialist inspiring and helping over 500 local homowners plant and develop suitable habitat for wildlife in their own yards.

For more information on the wonderful program Rich introduced to Anacortes and Fidalgo Island, see our March 27 blog article “Anacortes Encourages Wildlife“, or the front-page feature in the April 2nd SKAGIT HERALD newspaper.

This type of community involvement is just one of the many benefits to living in beautiful Anacortes!

Coldwell Banker Island Living

Certified Residential Specialist
Certified Negotiation Expert

Fax:  (360) 293-6172

www.AnacortesHomesBlog.com

Congratualtion to Island Hospital Emergency Dept. for maintianing a Level III trauma designation!

            A recent survey shows the Island Hospital Emergency-Department (ED) received unconditional designation by the Washington Dept. of Health (DOH), who not only stated that ED met the standards for Level III Trauma designation, but the DOH listed 13 strengths of our Anacortes hospital deserving of special mention. 

            Trauma designation rules require that the ED re-apply for designation every three years.  The site review began with an opening conference, where an overview of the Island Hospital trauma service is given.  The survey team then toured the Island Hospital facility and performed a medical record and quality improvement review.  The procedure also involves the DOH to meet individually with the Trauma Coordinator and Trauma Medical Director to provide education and determine the needs of the trauma service.

            In its report, the team noted that Island Hospital clearly studied Anacortes and the communitythat island Hospital serves, Island hospital is familiar with the needs of Anacortes, and has prepared to meet the needs of the area.  “Public injury prevention education is effective,” the report stated.  “Again, Island Hospital knows the community’s needs and how to best meet them.  Innovative community education using newsletter, brochures, posters, community agencies and hospital staff is accomplished and targeted to the most common mechanism of injury.” 

            “The Site Review Team was incredibly complimentary during the closing conference,” said Chris Storm RN, Island Hospital Emergency Department Trauma Coordinator, “commenting that our new facility (in anacortes) is well equipped and optimal for patient flow, and that all should be commended on their efforts.”