The Sequim area is extremely popular for retirees from around the U.S. from Florida to Alaska, and from New York to California (and Hawaii). I have represented buyers from over 35 states who have bought their dream homes in the Sequim area. Thank God for the Internet, because you can do so much online research on Sequim and the entire Sequim area. The purpose of this article is to share more about the Sequim area and to help you focus on exactly where you want to live.

The Larger Sequim Area

Is the Sequim area where you want to live? This is a key question, because before you decide to look at homes, you should already have decided on where you want to live. Okay, there’s nothing wrong with looking at some homes in an area you might like so you can get a feel for the homes available in that area, but the priority is choosing your retirement area first, and then shopping for homes in that area. The perfect home in the wrong area would not be good.

The larger Sequim area consists of Sequim, Carlsborg, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Port Ludlow, Port Hadlock, and further south Quilcene and Brinnon, and a little to the southeast, Chimicum, Nordlund and neighboring towns. Sequim is the center of what I am calling the Sequim area. That’s because Sequim is where you find the major shopping and medical facilities (including the hospital in Port Angeles 15 minutes away), and Sequim is the dream retirement area because of the “Blue Hole” or the “Rain Shadow” and the perfect climate. Many find the Sequim area to be the ideal location for the ultimate quality lifestyle.

Sequim Area Extended

Port Angeles is a larger population, but it also struggles economically with no apparent vision or long term purpose. The leaders of Port Angeles have not defined a vision in half a century, and the good people of Port Angeles are paying a dear price for such a dreadful lack of leadership. The real estate market is substantially weaker than the Sequim real estate market as a result.

Port Townsend is a great town, and there are some beautiful homes there. But there are also some very odd homes there. While Port Townsend is a fun town with some of the best little family owned restaurants on the entire Olympic Peninsula, it is also well known as one of the most liberal towns in the Northwest. Locals joke that the 60s hippies from Berkley moved to Port Townsend. Political views, dress and lifestyle preferences would tend to affirm the liberal bent. If you’re liberal, this is all positive news, but if you’re a strong conservative, this may not be such great news.

Port Ludlow and Port Hadlock are quaint little communities, but like Nordlund, Quilcene, and Brinnon, most retirees consider these areas to be a bit remote and far removed from shopping and medical facilities. But if those issues do not concern you, you might find your piece of Heaven on a gorgeous little bay where the fishing and boating are great.

Here are three great free online resources for you. The first is Sequim Listings online. Don’t bother with Zillow, because it is not nearly as accurate as this Sequim Listings site. The second great site has over 2,000 articles written specifically for buyers looking at the Sequim area, and you’ll find that site at Sequim Real Estate Blog. And the third MLS site is for all the listings outside Sequim, including all the little towns I mention as well as all the islands from the Olympic Peninsula to Seattle’s shoreline. That site is Island Homes for Sale. 

If you need help narrowing down your choice in the Sequim area, you’re welcome to ask me questions on almost anything. I moved to the Sequim area 22 years ago, and I spend all my time looking at homes and exploring all of these areas I’ve mentioned. Now you know more about the larger Sequim area.

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It’s another day in Sequim, and I am loving it. This morning I awoke early and enjoyed a cup of coffee and some fresh air on my Sequim property as I walked around my two and a half acres with my dog, Titus. It was a chilly but invigorating morning, and as I always do, I deeply inhaled the pristine air that gently blows across my property directly from the ocean (or the Strait of Juan de Fuca which becomes the Pacific Ocean).

The sun was rising and I felt like I was looking at a painting as I looked south to the panoramic view I have of the Olympic Mountains. Bright rays of sun glistened through the trees across my property, and the fields and trees in the distance were beautiful with autumn colors. The sun was still rising, and the bright snow capped mountains really did look like a gorgeous painting. But it’s just another day in Sequim.

Another Day in Sequim

The lower water level in the irrigation pond on the southern end of my land is showing signs that winter is coming. As I sipped on my hot cup of gourmet coffee, leaning on the white fence built by the prior owners to keep horses, a flock of geese flew over my head singing that winter is coming in their own cacophonous way. Another day in Sequim.

By mid-morning it was already 47 degrees. Winters are mostly in the high 40s and 50s, and summers are mostly in the 60s and 70s. I jumped in my car and checked on a brand new condominium unit I recently sold to some clients, and after that I stopped at Starbucks for a double short latte extra hot and a blueberry scone. Savoring my scone and coffee, I couldn’t resist writing this article expressing my delight with living in Sequim. I love it here, and I have for 22 years. But then again, I count my blessings every day. Sequim is a happy place to live.

Another Day in Sequim

I could go on and on about Sequim and what an incredible climate we have, what it’s like to live in one of nature’s most beautiful places on the face of the earth, or I could talk about how safe it is to live here, how there is very little traffic . . . ever . . ., and I could go on an on about the delightful and interesting people who live here. But I won’t. I’ll let you search out articles on these subjects on this real estate blog, and there are over 2,000 such articles. 

For now, I just want to say, “It’s another day in Sequim,” or as I often say to myself, “Another day in Paradise.” Same thing.

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“Sequim WA” is a hot search phrase for thousands of Californians who are exiting California in massive numbers of late. Why are so many people leaving beautiful California, and why are they buying homes in Sequim WA? 

Photo by Chuck Marunde taken between Santa Barbara and L.A.

Sequim WA From California in Droves

“Californians are being taxed to death, traffic in the major cities is absolutely horrific, violent crime and gang activity are on the rise, millions of illegal immigrants are putting an incredible strain on social support systems, and the ultra-liberal government in Sacramento seems to have gone completely insane. In addition, the state faces constant threats from earthquakes, wildfires, droughts and mudslides, so it is quite understandable why so many people feel motivated to leave and never come back.” [Source: The Exodus From California] For Californians who have had enough, Sequim WA is like the Garden of Eden.

Sequim WA Land of the Free

According to the IRS, over 250,000 California residents moved out of the state between 2013 and 2014. This is a massive exodus, and the implications for California are much bigger than the politicians who are guiding California down the path of self destruction seem to realize.

I will be showing clients homes in Sequim WA today and tomorrow, and they are part of the mass exodus from California. They told me they purchased a lot in southern California and applied for a building permit. The application has been in processing for six months already, but they are told it will be at least another three months before the application will be approved with a lengthy list of complex and expensive conditions. California has more detailed regulations on every aspect of building than a normal person can even imagine, and the cost of compliance makes building a home in California way more than any place on the west coast, and far far more than Sequim WA. The same lot and home in Sequim WA might be 25% of its California counterpart.

Once their building permit is approved eventually, it will then take 10 months to have their home built, maybe longer. These clients told me that the bureaucrats are in control in California and they are driving hundreds of thousands of people out of the state to places like Sequim WA. Maybe this process of getting a home built in California would be worth it, but not when you add all the crime, traffic, drought, immigration, and high taxes and regulations to the scale.

No wonder thousands of Californians are moving to Sequim WA. My California clients call Sequim WA the land of the free.

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Sequim Lavender weekend was a big success as the Lavender Festival is every year. It is amazing how many people come from all over the country to enjoy Sequim Lavender. The truth is many people love to spend time in Sequim, and this time of year it is beautiful. So perhaps coming to tour Sequim Lavender farms is just a great excuse to see the area. But many who come are close to retirement, so they are checking Sequim out. I’ve talked to many people who have been planning to retire in Sequim for a decade before they actually did.

Sequim Lavender Weekend

I spent some time at the George Washington Inn & Estate, which includes the Washington Lavender Farm, and I was not alone. Hundreds of people gathered to get some of their own Sequim Lavender and Lavender products. The George Washington Inn sits on a high bluff with a stunning panoramic water view of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, British Columbia, and the San Juan Islands. To the south are the majestic Olympic Mountains. No wonder people fall in love with with the area when they come to see our Sequim Lavender.

Sequim Lavender

A great way to see Sequim is to stay at a Bed & Breakfast, and I highly recommend the George Washington Inn & Estate. This is an exact duplicate of the original architectural plans of George Washington’s home, and the grounds are beautiful, but the rooms are absolutely delightful. You will not be disappointed. You may also fall in love with the Sequim and Port Angeles area, too. And that wouldn’t be so bad, would it?

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Sequim demographics have created a very stable Sequim economy and stable Sequim real estate market. First let’s talk about some of the general Sequim demographics, and then I’ll explain how they create a strong local economy.

Sequim Demographics

The Sequim population in 2013 was 6,669 (97% urban, 3% rural). The population changed since 2000 by a plus 53.9%. This does not include the much larger surrounding population not inside the city limits.

The entire county population in 2012 was 71,863 (65% urban, 35% rural), and it was 64,525 in 2000. The estimated median household income in Sequim in 2013 was $41,432 It was $27,880 in 2000.

Mean prices in 2013: All housing units: $239,920; Detached houses: $268,314; Townhouses or other attached units: $233,711; In 2-unit structures: $190,471; In 3-to-4-unit structures: $140,337; In 5-or-more-unit structures: $115,321; Mobile homes: $97,467; Occupied boats, RVs, vans, etc.: $112,594. [Source: City-Data]

Sequim Demographics

Some of these stats are not especially easy to interpolate, so I want to add two important conclusions that add substantially to an understanding of the stability created by the Sequim demographics.

The big box stores have been building aggressively in Sequim for over a decade, but they have not been building in nearby cities as far away as 50 miles. Silverdale is the next growing city, and that’s about an hour’s drive. Costco, Home Depot, Office Depot, Wallmart, Starbucks, Petco, Ross Dress for Less, and restaurant chains have been building in Sequim for over a decade, because their corporate demographic studies, which are extensive and expensive, prove to them that Sequim is the strongest area economy with the best long term growth potential. That conclusion comes from the Sequim demographics that identify retirees with steady retirement checks as strong and stable consumers, no matter what the economy is doing. 

There’s another important less about Sequim demographics. Retirees moving to Sequim buy a home rather than rent. Homeowners are more stable than tenants, earn more money, spend more money, and stay longer with a vested interest in the local economy. 

There’s no question that the Sequim demographics are part of what makes our local economy so stable. And that’s a good thing.

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Sequim crime rates are low compared to other cities around the country. There are two major reasons for that in my opinion. First, Sequim is two hours from the I-5 corridor, which means burglars are not inclined to drive this far to commit a crime. Rural areas like Sequim do have lower crime rates.

Second, the Sequim population is largely a retired population of people who have worked hard their whole lives and are some of the most incredible people you will ever meet.

Sequim Crime Rates

My chart is focused on robberies, because robberies are one the highest areas of crime in any city. My source is a website called Areavibes.com. I wanted to include more small towns, but statistics are not available for many of them. There are many crime websites, and much of the data is not accurate, inconsistent, and scrapped from the Internet by automatic software. It is hard to find a source of reliable data that is complete in all cities used for comparison, but this data and chart show a pattern that makes the point. Sequim crime rates are very low, which also means that Sequim is a safe place to live by comparison.

Sequim Crime

The data on the Internet doesn’t do justice to the reality of how low crime rates in Sequim, not only in the city, but the surrounding area within Clallam County. I’ve lived here for 20 years, and I’ve never had anything stolen, nor do I know anyone who ever had anything stolen. Clearly robberies happen in the Sequim area, but thank God they only happen in small numbers, and typically in cases where someone left a car door unlocked, or got careless in some other way.

What you’ll find in Sequim is that the retired population consists of very friendly neighbors who watch out for each other, even when someone leaves town. They are kind, generous and friendly, and they are protective of their friends and neighborhors. Not only do we have few burglars (mostly teenage delinquents), but our population is like one big neighborhood watch 24/7. 

No wonder people love living in Sequim even after decades. The Sequim crime rate is so low.

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Why Sequim? According to retirees moving to Sequim from all over America, there are some very substantial reasons they have fallen in love with the Sequim area. The obvious reasons include the famous Sequim Blue Hole or Rain Shadow, and this is a nearly perfect climate without temperature extremes. But there are many reasons.

Articles on Why Sequim?

You’ll find hundreds of articles on this real estate blog that explain “Why Sequim?”, but today I want to share something a little unique that helps understand the retiree moves to the Sequim area. America is changing dramatically, and those changes are impacting where retirees chose to live. What is changing?

The draughts in California, Nevada, Arizona and other southern states have caused many people to question where they live, and the serious unresolved questions about water are literally pushing people to drive north to Sequim on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula.

Reasons Why Sequim

There are many reasons retirees are asking “Why Sequim?” Weather is changing around America, water availability is a crisis in some states, state budgets are in crisis, crime is increasing, traffic congestion is a nightmare (especially in L.A.), and regardless of where you stand on the issue of immigration, that has become a driving force pushing populations in and out of southern states. Unemployment and economic problems are increasing, and who wants to even talk about the threat of terrorism and shootings in the cities?

Sequim is immune from all of these nightmare scenarios, and while Sequim is far from perfect, it is . . . wait, I take that back. I think it is perfect! We have so much of what retirees dream of having in their retirement years and very few of the things they want to get away from. The Huffington Post conducted a national survey asking what it the best place to grow old and retire, and guess what little town won? Sequim.

Talk to anyone who has lived in Sequim for a period of years, and you’ll find out the longer they live here, the more they love it. You can’t say that about every town in America. For more reasons “Why Sequim?”, browse some of the hundreds of articles on this Sequim real estate blog.

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Thanksgiving in Sequim is a wonderful time. All the way through the Christmas holiday is wonderful in Sequim, although it can get cold, even below freezing. Believe it or not, I’m showing houses and land throughout the holidays. I’ve been busy coordinating transactions that are closing before and after Thanksgiving day, and I’m showing land on Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Every Day

Thanksgiving in Sequim is more than a once-a-year celebration. Many of us in Sequim give thanks every single day we live here, and there are many reasons to do so. Here are 75 reasons Sequim is so wonderful: Why Sequim is So Wonderful. You’ll notice the article says “100 Reasons,” but there are only 75. That’s because I’m still  working on the other 25. You can submit your suggestions to me for the other 25 by email at chuckmarunde@gmail.com.

Thanksgiving in Sequim

I’m not kidding when I suggest we have reasons to give thanks every day. I do, and I’m a very happy person. There’s no question that having a positive mental attitude and focusing on the good things in life brings psychological, emotional, and spiritual health to a person’s life, business, and relationships.

I hope your Thanksgiving is full of joy, whether you spend the holiday with a huge family and a table full of food, or spend it entirely alone eating a simple but healthy meal. May you be blessed this Thanksgiving holiday and every day.

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Sipping on gourmet Sequim coffee while looking at real estate is perfectly normal, especially since the northwest is the coffee capital of the country with Seattle being the birth place of Starbucks, which revolutionized the coffee industry and spawned dozens of major coffee companies around the world. There is a secret to making gourmet coffee, and for the first time I share it here.

Incredible Sequim Coffee

Incredibly delicious Sequim coffee can be bought at four Sequim coffee shops: Starbucks, Hurricane Coffee, Adagio Bean & Leaf, and Rainshadow Coffee Roasting Company. But what do you do if you want to make the best cup of Sequim coffee at home, and consistently make unbelievably delicious cups of coffee every time? I discovered it, and although it took me many years, you will see how simple it is.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. You must have the best coffee beans, and they must be fresh. I love Starbucks French Roast. You may have developed a taste for another brand or a different kind. Whatever your favorite brand, make sure the beans are the freshest by watching the dates.

Keep the beans sealed so they will stay fresh. Each time you are in the mood for that gourmet cup of Sequim coffee, grind it fresh for each cup. Heat your water for each cup, too, and preferably do not use a microwave unless you must.

The Perfect Sequim Coffee

Now here’s the key I want to share. A cheap coffee grinder is inconsistent, and your coffee will taste different from cup to cup. You must grind your beans to precisely the right size every single time, based on your own taste, and you must use exactly the same amount for each cup. How can you do that? Here’s the answer–a grinder like the one in this photo. It allows you to control precisely the grind and the number of seconds the grinder will run. It will grind from the finest espresso to a drip to something very course and everything in between. I prefer to pour hot water through the ground coffee in a filter directly into a cup.

If you want the best Sequim coffee you can possibly make at home, you will need this kind of high quality grinder, and this will be the most expensive piece of coffee making equipment you will own. My Breville coffee grinder is $179, and it was well worth it. Every day I enjoy a delicious hot cup of gourmet Sequim coffee. And then I go to work for my real estate clients.

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Craigslist scams are rampant, and even after all the news and widely publicized Craigslist scams, people are still falling to these scams. The major scam that many Sequim residents are seeing involves Sequim homes that are for sale being fraudulently offered as rentals by con artists. Today I’ll share how this scam works so you won’t get caught by it.

Craigslist Scams for Rentals

Con artists using this scam have been using it for about a decade now, and it continues even today. They have a few scripts that they use over and over again. One Craigslist ad will promote a local Sequim home that is for sale in the MLS as a rental home at a substantially reduced rental rate. They even steal a photo from the MLS to advertise it. You have to email them through an undisclosed Craigslist email, and there is no other contact information. These con artists are often in Ethiopia, India, or some other remote location. When you email them, they will email back that they are out of the country (sometimes on a “Christian missionary trip”) and that if you send the deposit of $1,250 (or a similar amount), they will arrange to have the keys delivered. Of course, they never deliver the keys.

Beware Craigslist Scams

By the way, you might wonder why Craigslist doesn’t stop these common Craigslist scams that have been going on for years and continue to this day. Craigslist does not have a customer support phone number or a direct email, and they never respond to support complaints reporting these scams. My suggestion is to simply avoid Craigslist altogether. If you want to look at 100% of all the local Sequim real estate listings for sale in the MLS with 100% accuracy and no scams, you can so that at Sequim-Homes.com.

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Immigration is a hot topic today, especially in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Immigration is huge in Sequim, too. About 99% of Sequim residents are immigrants from one of 38 states in the U.S. Sequim is an eclectic mix of extraordinary retirees with a variety of life experiences and careers and geographically from all four corners of the country.

Immigration in Sequim?

I was in line at Starbucks getting my favorite drink, a double short latte extra hot, when an older person behind me struck up a conversation. He commented on how Sequim has grown since he retired to Sequim in the late 80s. That’s when he joked about closing the gate at the edge of town. I asked him where he immigrated from, and he said southern California. I looked at him, and we laughed. I think most of my new friends and clients are from California. While California is being invaded by illegal aliens, Californians are escaping to Sequim. They tell me the entire culture of California is changing, that traffic is getting worse (if that’s possible), and that taxes, regulations, and crime rates are all soaring. No wonder Californians are moving to Sequim. 

Immigration is Good

Sequim is only 100 years old. That means we all came from somewhere. I’ve sold property in Sequim to buyers from as many as 38 states. We aren’t a melting pot for the whole world, but we are a melting pot for these United States. I find it fascinating that buyers come from all over the U.S., but not from 12 states. For reasons I do not know, we never see buyers from these states: Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, South Carolina, Delaware, Connecticut, and Vermont. I would welcome more immigration from those states.

Immigration is a good thing for Sequim. It’s good for our economy, but it’s also the reason Sequim is such a wonderful place to live. It has attracted some of the most interesting and some of the kindest people you will ever meet.

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Let’s compare the San Juan Islands with Sequim.  If you’re planning to retire to the great Northwest from California or Arizona or Texas, you’re undoubtedly looking for a milder climate, but what else are you looking for?  Your online search may lead you to the beautiful islands of the Northwest outside the Seattle metropolis, the San Juan Islands.  So how do we compare the San Juan Islands with Sequim?

Compare the San Juan Islands Weather

Sequim has annual rainfall of 16.2 inches while Friday Harbor on San Juan Island has annual rainfall of 28.2.  That means the San Juan Islands get 12 more inches of rain annually.  Sequim is famous for its Blue Hole or Rain Shadow getting one-third the rainfall of Seattle.  The San Juan Islands are just a little beyond the Blue Hole.  The temperatures in the summer and winter are similar. Sequim recorded the warmest temperature of 94°F in 2007, and Friday Harbor recorded the lowest temperature of -8°F in 1950. In both places most of the time summer temperatures are in the 60s and 70s, and the winter temperatures in the 40s and 50s.

Compare the San Juan Islands Accessibility.

Living on San Juan Island means access to the mainland is by ferry only.  The ferry trip is one hour and five minutes one way. That takes you from Friday Harbor on San Juan Island to Anacortes.  From Anacortes to Seattle is one hour and 30 minutes, if you’re not driving in rush hour traffic.  You may want to plan additional time for potential ferry or driving delays. Sequim is a two hour drive from Sea-Tac or a two and a half hour drive from Seattle, or you can take the Bainbridge ferry, which is one hour from Sequim and a 30 minute ferry ride to downtown Seattle.  Sequim has Highway 101 access in all directions.  Depending on your personal preferences for travel, this is an important consideration when you compare the San Juan Islands and Sequim.

Compare the San Juan Islands Shopping.

The islands are fairly remote when it comes to shopping. Residents who want to shop will need to go to the mainland for most shopping.  Sequim is fortunate to have a number of major stores, including Safeway, QFC, J.C. Penney’s, Home Depot, Petco, Costco, and of course Starbucks.  Both San Juan Island and Sequim have boutique shops.  Sequim is a 50 minute drive from Silverdale, which has a large mall and lots of shopping. When you compare the San Juan Islands and Sequim on shopping, most women will clearly prefer Sequim.

Compare the San Juan Islands Recreation.

Both the San Juan Islands and Sequim boast extraordinary recreational opportunities on the water, and on that level they are probably equal.  Sequim is blessed with the Olympic National Forest to the south and hundreds of miles of hiking trails in old growth forests.  From Sequim around the Olympic Peninsula are plenty of inland fishing and hunting opportunities.

Compare the Sailing and Boating

The San Juan Islands have plenty of sailing and boating opportunities, but Sequim and Port Angeles have plenty of surface water and sheltered bays, too.  This may be a wash in terms of comparison, but Port Angeles does have substantially more maintenance facilities and equipment repair facilities along the Port Angeles Marina than the San Juan Islands by an order of magnitude.

Compare the San Juan Islands Real Estate Prices.

San Juan Island real estate prices are much higher than Sequim’s.  A home that is $1.6 million in the Islands may be half that price in Sequim. Here are the search results for a 3 bedroom+, 2 bathroom+, 1,600 minimum square foot home in both locations, listed from the most expensive to the least expensive:

San Juan Island Homes for Sale
Sequim Homes for Sale
Port Angeles Homes for Sale
The Best Sequim MLS Site
Luxury Waterview Homes On the Islands

There is no doubt the northwest is one of the most beautiful destination retirement areas in the entire country.  If you have questions about any of the homes on these lists, email me at ChuckMarunde@gmail.com or simply call me on my cell at 360-775-5424.  Of course, one of the best things anyone could do to compare the San Juan Islands and Sequim is to spend a little time in both locations. 

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How shall I live the rest of my life? This is one of the most important questions anyone can ask themselves at any age, and this is a relevant question for anyone who is in their 50s or 60s and planning to retire. Retiring from a life long career, selling one’s home, moving to a new community, like Sequim, Washington, leaving all things familiar in your community (friends, doctors, stores), buying a new home, getting re-established in a new community, making new friends, and finding a new church is perhaps the largest calculated transition of your life, and one which allows you to seriously consider the question, “How shall I live the rest of my life?”

How Shall I Live?

There are several other major life transitions or phases in life, including the obvious, graduating from school and going to work, getting married, having children, divorcing, and suffering the loss of a spouse. Some of these are not planned and force a transition, but most of these earlier transitions happen in the hustle and bustle of life, and we are so busy working, raising children, and paying bills, that we hardly have time or energy to think about a question like, “How Shall I Live The Rest of My Life?”

How Shall I Live Now in Retirement?

But when you retire, this question has both relevance and opportunity. It has always been relevant, but for the first time in your life, you now have the opportunity to design your life and answer the question, “How Shall I Live The Rest of My Life?” without the major distractions you’ve had in all the earlier phases of your life. Your children are grown up, your day-to-day challenges just surviving and fighting the common battles of life are all behind you.

Life will still be full of challenges, of course, but growing older presents different kinds of challenges. As you consider moving to Sequim to retire, buy a home, and get settled into a new community of friends and activities, I want to exhort you to re-visit the all important question, “How Shall I Live The Rest of My Life?”

Just reflecting on this question, and discussing it with your beloved, your life will be enriched. A retirement lived chaotically is a formula for failure. A retirement you design in a way that meets your personal needs and passions will bring you satisfaction and a deep sense of joy.

Sequim has become the delight of many retirees, and I hope it is for you, too. If your retirement is to be the next and best phase of your life, you must live your life intentionally. Know what you believe and how you will live the rest of your life. Reflecting on these things could enrich your life immeasurably. I would challenge you to post this question on your refrigerator or on your mirror, “How shall I live the rest of my life?”

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Moving to Sequim is not a walk in the park. Moving is hard work, full of stress, and not something anyone looks forward to doing. I certainly did not look forward to moving to Sequim recently, and I already lived in Sequim. I only moved a few miles. It went as well as can be expected, although I am exhausted. I bought a gorgeous home on some peaceful acreage about 6 miles from downtown Sequim. Unfortunately, I made one bad mistake. This photo probably tells you the story well enough.

Moving to Sequim Full of Challenges

Moving to Sequim from anywhere in the country requires planning and perseverance. Apart from the schedule and trucks or trailers, there is the question of how much will you do yourself and how much help will you hire. When we are in our twenties, we can do anything and we are invincible, or so we think. But there’s a little surprise waiting for us when we reach our 50s or 60s. It translates into aches and pains in the back, or in the hip or the knees. We discover we have limitations we didn’t used to have, and so we can’t do it all any more.

And there are a hundred little details to attend to when moving to Sequim. There is shutting off power, water, and other services. There is connecting utilities at your new home. There’s a public electric company, a water company and sewer connection, and there’s the telephone company and refuse service. Little items, like getting your Internet connected can become time consuming issues. Which Internet service gives you the fastest speeds for the best price? And what about your cell phone service? Will you get cell phone service at the location of your new home?

When the seller moves out, did they take everything, or did they leave a lot of items, like my sellers did. I’m still cleaning out shelves. I’ll have a full trailer load to take to the dump. It’s not a big deal, but the sellers surely should have taken everything and cleaned the house thoroughly. Most Sequim sellers are diligent and do a great job cleaning, but a few do not.

After the sellers moved out, I realized the walls and ceiling needed fresh paint, so that delayed my move as I hired a busy painter, who needed a week to completely paint the interior with two coats of paint. If you’re moving to Sequim from another state, you won’t necessarily have the option of delaying a week to paint when you’re paying the moving company by the day.

What was my big mistake? I secured everything on every trip, except the last trip. It was late, and I was tired after a week of moving and coordinating. I was by myself, and finished loading the trailer using a dolly to put a large dresser into the trailer. I used bungee cords to secure a headboard, but forgot to secure the dresser to the wall of the trailer. Miraculously, no marks were left on the wood anywhere, but I lost the glass in one large photo of my son playing college basketball. The photo was slightly damaged, but it’s okay. Close call.

Advice for Moving to Sequim

Moving to Sequim is challenging, but once the move is over, like me, you will be so darn happy to be settled. One of the big benefits of moving for me was getting rid of a lot of clothes and junk I did not use or need anymore. And I only lost one item. I can’t find the charger to my laptop, and I’ve searched every box. Hmm.

I love Sequim and have for over 20 years. I think you will too. My only advice is to double check all your bungee cords or tie downs before moving to Sequim.

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Sequim is a two hour drive from the I-5 corridor. If you want to know why Sequim is such a peaceful, low crime community, read on, because our distance from the I-5 corridor explains a lot about Sequim. If you are comparing Sequim with areas north of Seattle, or anywhere within the I-5 corridor, you may want to consider the implications of living within the corridor.

I-5 Corridor

The I-5 corridor is carved out by Interstate 5, the major North-South freeway on the west coast running from California through Washington to the Canadian border. This is the primary commercial and non-commercial arterial for millions of trucks and cars 24/7 all year long. Apart from the Seattle and Tacoma waterfront docs, the I-5 corridor feeds the entire Seattle-Tacoma metropolis. Along with these benefits of the I-5 corridor comes something not so beneficial for residential communities.

I-5 Corridor Influence

Sequim is outside the I-5 corridor, and that means Sequim does not get all the drive through traffic of the casual or the curious, including criminals and would-be criminals. No wonder Sequim’s crime rate is so unbelievably low. People who live in Sequim are either retired or they are working. Sequim does not attract street people in large numbers, unemployed beggars, or illegal aliens who wander the streets. This is not a political statement, nor is it a comment about those who are less fortunate. It is a factual statement about the demographics of Sequim. 

The I-5 corridor extends on either side of I-5 by a distance of perhaps a one hour drive, but when you get two or three hours from the I-5 corridor, you are getting beyond the reach of it’s influence. For quiet residential communities, being outside the I-5 corridor is a very good thing.

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Sequim Storage facilities are in short supply right now, and this is creating some difficulties for retirees moving to Sequim and needing temporary storage. It’s a highly unusual situation, because there are quite a few Sequim storage facilities, but clients keep telling me they cannot get any storage. There are some small rooms, like 5×5, but most people are looking for something large.

Sequim Storage

If you cannot coordinate your move from the home you are selling to your new home in Sequim directly from house to house, you may need to call the local Sequim storage facilities, so here is a list of those companies and their phone numbers.

Sequim Storage Facilities

1. Anchor Self Storage, 258313 US-101 Sequim, WA 98382, (360) 681-7867
2. ALL SAFE Mini Storage, 101 Grant Rd., Sequim, WA 98382, (360) 683-6646
3. Sequim Sunnyside Mini Storage, 511 E Washington, Sequim, WA, (360) 683-7660
4. Sequim Stow Places, 741 N Sequim Ave, Sequim, WA, (360) 683-4628
5. U-Haul All About Storage, 132 S Hooker Rd, Sequim, WA 98382
6. Carlsborg Self Storage, 292 Business Park Loop, Carlsborg, WA, 360-681-3536
7. Affordable Storage, 111 Fat Cat Ln, Sequim, WA 98382, (360) 683-4059
8. A Cost-less Mini Storage, 258373 Highway 101, Sequim, WA 98382
9. Sequim Port Angeles Storage Solutions, 258313 Highway 101 , Sequim, WA 98382, (360( 681-7867

If you’re unable to find a Sequim storage facility, you may have to try to coordinate a direct move of all your household goods from house to house, which most retirees do, but it isn’t easy to coordinate with the seller in Sequim who is also trying to get moved on on closing day.

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Life in Sequim is good. For retirees, lifestyle becomes more important than it ever was in the earlier years. In our youth we often think about material success, money, and fast cars. I think as we grow older, and hopefully wiser, we begin to realize that life is all about relationships, not things.

Life in Sequim

Retirees in Sequim seem to get it. They have reached a point in their lives when they know what life is about, and they live life richly. They enjoy their beautiful homes in Sequim or Port Angeles or Port Townsend, and they appreciate the beauty of the Olympic Peninsula, the bays, the mountains, the rivers and lakes. But I don’t think that’s the major reason Sequim is such a happy place to live. I think retirees who choose Sequim are mature and wise, and they know how to live life to the fullest, and they know how to be content and happy. No wonder people boast about their friendly neighbors.

Life in Sequim is Rich

Enjoying relationships is what I did at my son’s wedding. I’m very proud of my sons and my daughter in this photo. Life in Sequim is rich and fulfilling later in life, primarily because we quit chasing the rainbow and enjoy life. And there’s no better place than Sequim. You can drive to SeaTac in two and a half hours, and you can fly to three quarters of the country to visit children and grandchildren, and when you’re done, you can come back to home to the peaceful life you’ve created for yourself on the Olympic Peninsula. How sweet it is, life in Sequim.

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Sequim Utility Rates are very reasonable compared to many other areas of the U.S. Here’s a quick breakdown that will give you an idea of the Sequim utility rates.

Sequim Utility Rates Compared

Many California clients have shared that their utility rates are very high. For example, clients from the Santa Barbara area and around L.A. have shared that their monthly water bills are from $500 to $700 per month, and these are not expensive luxury homes with lots of landscaping. Some California clients have said their monthly electric bills are also over $500. Then add sewer bills, gas and other heating bills, and the total cost of utilities in many areas of California can easily be $1,000 to $2,000 every month, and that does not include property taxes.

Sequim Utility Rates

Now let’s compare Sequim utility rates. If you’re on a private well, you won’t have any water expense other than the minimal electricity used by the water pump. That might amount to $10 a month. If you’re on a public water system, you might pay $30 a month. A 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with 2,000 square feet with all electric appliances and forced air electric with a heat pump will generate a monthly electric bill of about $235.  Garbage collection is about the same as elsewhere in the country. Internet, telephone, and satellite TV are also based on national rats.

When you get done comparing, Sequim utility rates are substantially less than most of California and many other areas of the country. By an order of magnitude.

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Sequim may be the best retirement community in the county. Sequim received a number of retirement awards already (read several articles at Best Places to Retire). I talk to retirees several times a week, and I’ve listed some of the reasons they tell me why their retirement in Sequim is so great.

Retirement in Sequim

Ask a retiree in Sequim what their occupation is now, and they are likely to say something like, “Enjoying Life.” Isn’t that one of the primary goals of retirement? So what would it take to classify a town as one of the best retirement communities? If you could put together a checklist of items that you would want, what would be on that checklist?

Sequim Retirement Checklist

This short list is just the tip of the iceberg. Want to have some fun conversations about retirement in the Sequim area? Next time you’ve visiting Sequim, take a walk through Carrie Blake Park, or walk along Port Williams Bay on the beach, or walk around town, and strike up a conversation with a retired couple. Tell them you are thinking about retiring in Sequim, and ask them how they like living in Sequim. You’ll find out how friendly people are, and you’ll hear why retirement in Sequim is about enjoying life!

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Living in Sequim is the goal of many retirees from around the country. Sequim has been written about in magazines for three decades, and it is on a list called the Top 10 Best Places to Retire in America. The Huffington Post took a nationwide survey and named Sequim the “Number One Place to Grow Old and Be Happy.” So why has living in Sequim received so much notoriety? What makes living in Sequim so great?

Living in Sequim – The Physical

There are some obvious reasons retirees come to Sequim, such as the famous Sequim Blue Hole, aka the Sequim Rain Shadow. Sequim really does get 1/3rd the rainfall of Seattle. There is the incredible climate with mild temperatures without the hot and cold extremes of other parts of the country. There are old growth forests and lakes and rivers. There is hiking, biking, sightseeing, fishing, sailing, and wildlife that delights the soul. But Sequim also has the latest and best stores, like Home Depot and Costco, plus family owned organic farms. Sequim is clearly a healthy place to live for all these reasons, but there is a deeper reason we ought to recognize, too.

Living in Sequim – The Mystical

When you reach retirement age, whether you are in your 50s or 60s, you’ve come through some of life’s greatest challenges. You’ve seen some of the best of times and the worst of times. Some have experienced the loss of a child or a spouse, an experience that changes you forever. Many people don’t realize it, but in some cases, divorce is as painful as the death of a loved one. Some have also experienced major financial loss. Losing a career can be another devastating life experience. I’ve learned that life does not go according to plan, and that’s not the exception but the rule. In any of these life challenges it takes time for the heart to heal, doesn’t it?

I believe that one of the reasons living in Sequim is so good is because it is also a time of maturity and living with peace and contentment for so many retirees who have been through both good and bad times, and now they know what it is to live. They are mature emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually, and all the pieces to the puzzle of their lives seem to fit together so nicely in Sequim. They have found balance in their lives, and they know what they want and need, and they no longer are striving to find happiness somewhere on the horizon. They have found it in themselves, and living in Sequim is just the frosting on the cake, a place that is nearly perfect in every other way.

Among the vast majority of retirees living in Sequim, there is a deep sense of contentment and a feeling that they really have found home. That’s how I feel. That’s how so many others living in Sequim feel, too. It’s probably a cliche, but on many days I still love saying, “Another day in Paradise.”

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