Bremerton Housing Authority (BHA) has sold 6 building lots at Bay Vista, the replacement neighborhood of the Westpark public housing project, to Habitat for Humanity of Kitsap County. Pre-development planning is already underway by Habitat to build six homes on the lots, to be configured in two tri-plex buildings. The contiguous lots are near the corner of Oyster Bay Road and Russell Road and are surrounded by recently constructed new rental homes developed by BHA. read more »

The Summit at Bay Vista, Bremerton Housing Authority’s (BHA) new 83-unit affordable apartment building, hosted a grand opening for the community on May 17.

Located on the highest point of the 82-acre Bay Vista site, The Summit offers sweeping views of the Olympic Mountains and nearby Oyster Bay. The completion of The Summit marks the first of what will ultimately be many new developments within Bay Vista, Bremerton’s newest neighborhood. read more »

A ground breaking ceremony was recently held at the Gordon Field site adjacent to the Kitsap Fairgrounds and Event Center location on Fairgrounds Rd. The Gordon Field master plan involves the conversion of a grass soccer and multi-purpose field to two synthetic turf multi-sport, all weather lighted fields. Phase I is for one field to be built over the next four months, and the second field will be completed when additional capital funds are available.

The project is being funded by Kitsap County and the Kitsap Public Facilities District and managed by the Parks & Recreation Department. read more »

Another major milestone for the Bremerton Housing Authority (BHA) in the redevelopment of Westpark will be reached on April 19 when the last original Westpark structure was demolished. The removal of old buildings is part of the master-planned transformation of Westpark into Bay Vista, an 82-acre mixed income, mixed use community replacing the 70-year old former public housing site. Demolition has been conducted in phases over the past two years. read more »

Let’s start by reviewing what took place in the 2010 Puget Sound residential real estate market. Last year experienced a “surge/unsurge” with sales surging in first quarter thanks to historically low-interest rates and the Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit. But when the tax credit expired on April 30th, 2010, home sales took a dramatic drop.

Sales remained sluggish, but as the year progressed, inventory levels began to lower. By the end of 2010 the three-county area of King, Snohomish, and Pierce reported about six months of inventory, which is a positive indicator (based on pending sales). read more »

Poulsbo will be home to the newest Quadrant Homes community of Liberty Hill, the company recently announced. Opened April 15, the community showcases distinctive home plans and designs from Quadrant’s all-new Revolution Collection, and is already attracting strong buyer interest.

The community includes 71 homesites, all featuring new floorplans, with Craftsman exteriors and front porches. The spacious interiors include luxurious master suites, hardwood floors and white painted millwork. In addition, every Quadrant home in this community will be built to Northwest Energy Star® specifications as part of Quadrant Homes’ continued commitment to the environment and reducing energy costs for homeowners. read more »

With technology changing and evolving so rapidly these days, as real estate professionals we’re hard-pressed to keep up to speed and to know what technology tools are worth our time and investment.

Clearly, one of the most obvious tech “toys” that offers tremendous practical value and benefit is the Apple iPad.

With so much of our core business becoming increasingly “mobile,” the iPad empowers you to effectively/efficiently embrace and utilize the growing use of mobile apps and technology. It allows you to quickly connect, communicate, and conduct business tasks with ease. read more »

Frank Wilson has been in the real estate industry for more than two decades. His background includes being a state certified instructor and co-owner of three real estate offices. He is past president of the Kitsap County Association of Realtors as well as the association’s 2005 Realtor of the Year. Currently, he is serving a three-year term on the Northwest Multiple Listing Service’s board of directors.

Known for his straightforwardness, Wilson is also credited with launching the radio show Realtor Radio, which answered questions about the local market. A resident of Kitsap County since 1987, he is currently the branch managing broker of the John L. Scott office in Poulsbo, where he manages about 50 brokers. The Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal sat down with Wilson to get a feel for the “state of the local real estate market.” read more »

A recent video report on the CDPE network interviewing RealtyTrac executive Rick Sharga identified several key factors driving the current foreclosure and distressed property market:

Since 2006, the defaults greater than 90 days have occurred faster than the rate that foreclosures have been initiated, the result being that the number of foreclosures in the pipeline has been building for a long time. It is estimated that more than 7 million properties are in default or foreclosure.

State’s attorneys general, the state courts and federal regulators have pushed to delay foreclosures until documentation problems can be resolved. The number of completed foreclosures has fallen as a result of documentation problems, but this is not a sign that the backlog is clearing. read more »