Blog - Whidbey Island

Q1 Gardner Report 2022
Rising Mortgage Rates

Whether you are thinking about buying or planning to sell, it is critical for you to understand the role mortgage rates play on buyers purchasing power, and sellers listing prices. But first, some definitions… Mortgage rates: the rate of interest charged on a mortgage loan. Buyers purchasing power: the amount of home you can afford […]
Lagoon Point

Lagoon Point is one of just three canal communities on Whidbey Island where you can dock your boat right in front of your home. This rare style of a planned community used to be a large salt marsh before developers pushed earth around, dredged, and carved out a canal from Puget Sound down to finger […]
The Ferry House

When overlooking Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve in Coupeville, it is easy to spot the most iconic building in the reserve. The Ferry House. The house was built by Isaac Ebey’s family shortly after he was killed to help support Isaac’s sons. From the early 1860s to around 1900 the inn operated as a tavern, […]

Q1 Gardner Report 2022

Rising Mortgage Rates Whether you are thinking about buying or planning to sell, it is critical for you to understand the role mortgage rates play on buyers purchasing power, and sellers listing prices. But first, some definitions… Mortgage rates: the rate of interest charged on a mortgage loan. Buyers purchasing power: the amount of home you can afford […]

Lagoon Point Lagoon Point is one of just three canal communities on Whidbey Island where you can dock your boat right in front of your home. This rare style of a planned community used to be a large salt marsh before developers pushed earth around, dredged, and carved out a canal from Puget Sound down to finger […]

The Ferry House When overlooking Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve in Coupeville, it is easy to spot the most iconic building in the reserve. The Ferry House. The house was built by Isaac Ebey’s family shortly after he was killed to help support Isaac’s sons. From the early 1860s to around 1900 the inn operated as a tavern, […]

Your Guide to Celebrating MOM on Whidbey Island Mothers Day is just around the corner. Are you ready to celebrate mom the way she should be? Keep reading for our guide to celebrating mom on Whidbey Island so you can create a day filled with memories that will last mom a lifetime. Sunday Morning: What better way to celebrate mom than by waking […]

Lake Hancock A major storm in the early 1900s destroyed a sand dune that separated the fresh water in Lake Hancock located in Greenbank from the saltwater of the Puget Sound. The destruction of the sand dune resulted in a tidal flow that sometimes creates the illusion of a flooded lake and other times leaves a stretch […]

Spruce up your Space this Spring With spring upon us and gardening on the top of our minds lets discuss 5 simple landscaping ideas to spruce up your space this spring before you rush out and use your 20% off plants at Mailliards Landing Nursery coupon during the month of April. Don’t have one but want one? Request yours here! Do […]

The Whidbey Island Guide and Neighborhood Deep Dive! When you are preparing to move to a new location or to buy a home for the first time, you are likely eager to learn literally EVERYTHING from the home buying process to everything about the area and what it has to offer when you arrive. Whether from pure excitement or overwhelming nerves you are […]

Avoid These 9 Tax Filing Errors There are people that stay organized all year long and file their taxes as early as humanly possible while others will wait till the very last minute. Some people tackle the task themselves while others hire out to relieve them of the stressor. Regardless of which side of the spectrum you are on, the deadline […]

Best ways to increase curb appeal for under $100 this spring Even in the hottest seller’s market Whidbey Island has ever seen, it’s obvious that curb appeal is still fetching top dollar. In fact, now more than ever a phenomenal home that is attractively presented is able to create such a stir that buyers are battling over who will get it. If you are selling soon […]

Coupeville Waterfront Long before European Explorers discovered Whidbey Island, Penn Cove hosted one of the largest native populations in the region. The Coast Salish People used the well-protected cove with easy access to the rest of Puget Sound for ample trading opportunities while the nearby prairie produced bountiful crops. As settlers came, Coupeville remained the central trading […]

Buying a Home When You Are Self-Employed If you are self-employed or thinking about becoming self-employed you are not alone. Did you know that roughly one-third of the American workforce is comprised of people who are self-employed and the number continues to rise? Self-employment allows people the flexibility to bring in an income when their life might otherwise not allow them to […]

We are NOT in a Housing Bubble: Here’s Why! Home buyers are beginning to believe we are heading into a housing bubble. It is easy to acknowledge this premonition, as year-after-year home price appreciation has continued to remain in the double digits. However, we are here to put your mind at ease as this market is very different than it was during the housing […]

Penn Cove Mussel Rafts Gracing the waters of Penn Cove floats a particularly unique & quite famous feature of our island. Wood & rope intertwine to create seemingly countless rafts bobbing on the waves above and creating magic below… You may not know this, but Island county is home to the oldest & largest mussel farm in the United […]

Annual Report 2021

Racial Discrimination in Real Estate This room might seem simple to you, but to me, it marks the saddest day in my career. 💔 This picture was taken shortly after I had finished staging one of my client’s homes. I wanted to show the owners all I had done – admittedly looking for a pat on the back. Although I […]

The Gardner Report: Q4 2021

Penn Cove Mussels Every city or county has that one thing they are famous for. Their claim to fame that puts them on the world map. For some it is a world-famous sports team, others it is a historical location, still some gain fame from the presence of rare exotic animals. For Island County, it is our mussels. […]

7 Tips for New Horse Owners Horses have been a prominent animal throughout history, dedicated to their human’s side. Many would go as far as to suggest that horses, just as dogs, cats, and other pets can be man’s best friend. Like other pets, horses can contribute to the health, wellbeing, and happiness of their humans so much so that there […]

Maylor Point In this amazing shot by Willie Shaw at Team Shaw Photography, you can see the actual harbor of Oak Harbor, the marina, Maylor Point with its iconic white radar dome, the spit to Polnell Point, and the snow-covered Cascade Mountains. Phenomenal views like this one can be seen while driving all over Whidbey Island. Winter […]