Sequim WA is a hotspot for retirees and for many of us who refuse to leave Sequim. Today was a good reason for our loyalty. It was hot and sunny and absolutely beautiful. Hot in Sequim means 77 degrees. That seemed hot to us, but for those of you who are stubborn and still in miserably hot humid places down south, what are you thinking? 

Sequim WA is Heaven on Earth

Sequim WA

This video shows you a typical summer day in Sequim WA. Why do I type “Sequim WA“? Because no one types out or writes out Sequim, Washington anymore. Everyone does their Internet searches with Sequim WA. 

I think you’ll enjoy the audio on this video, because it is high quality audio taken in my yard, and you can hear the birds singing very clearly in what can only be described as nature’s chorus of praise. 

Wherever you are, I hope you’ll come and visit Sequim WA this summer. If you do, let’s have coffee, and I’ll give you a tour of Sequim homes. It’ll be fun. I promise.

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Sequim tree removal is a popular search phrase, and it should be no surprise. There are a lot of trees on the Olympic Peninsula, and we have rich soil, rain, and sometimes wind. So trees fall down, which also means that preventive forestry is a good thing. But we also have such a rich climate, soil, sunshine, and rain that trees grow very rapidly here, so tree trimming and pruning is big, and Sequim tree removal is an important local service.

Sequim Tree Removal Service

Here’s a fun video of a Sequim Arborist, Joshua Dallen, at work. In this video he goes right up a tree like you might take your dog for a walk. He goes up 40 feet and makes it look so easy. The drone he is rescuing is mine, but I don’t want to talk about that. LOL

Sequim Tree Removal Video (Enlarge Video in HD Quality)

Joshua Dallen is the owner of Arbors Edge Tree Service, and he is a Certified Arborist? Did you know there is a big difference between a Certified Arborist and a Licensed Arborist? (more…)

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A private airport for sale is a rare event, and in this case a unique Sequim listing. The Sallee family owned Sequim Valley Airport is for sale after all these years of outstanding service to the North Olympic Peninsula. Here’s an aerial video of the Airport. Be sure to hit HD quality in your settings, and enlarge the video on your monitor to enjoy the views.

Here’s a little local history on what is now a Private Airport for Sale.

The Sequim Valley Airport is Sequim’s pride and joy and has been a magnet for pilots throughout the region for over 30 years. The location was selected for its ideal flying environment, including its large level valley area between the Olympic Mountains to the south and the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the north, just above sea level, and because it is within the famous Sequim Blue Hole (16 inches of precipitation annually which is 1/3rd that of Seattle). The Sequim Valley Airport features a 3,500 foot paved and lighted runway. (more…)

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Sequim Washington is a hot destination for retirees from around the United States, and if you’re far away, like in Florida or Southern California or New Jersey (God forbid), or on the Aleutian Chain in Alaska, I thought you might appreciate a little video and photo tour of Sequim. Voila! Here it is. Be sure to set Youtube settings at HD quality, and enlarge the video for easier viewing.

Sequim Washington Video

Sequim Washington

Sequim Washington is an extraordinary place, and the longer you live here, the more it grows on you. The area does not have hot or cold extremes, and the rainfall is one-third of Seattle (16 inches v. 45 inches).  (more…)

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Coastal is a great store in Sequim, and because it is such a cool store, I wanted to share it here and also to highlight the answer to a question that comes up periodically, “What stores or shopping is available in Sequim?” 

Coastal Farm and Ranch is the official name of the store, but most of us just call it “Costal.”

Coastal Has Cool Stuff

Coastal is a farm and ranch business, but they have clothes, wood stoves, shoes and cowboy boots, hay, farm tools and equipment, household products, animal care products, guns and safes, generators, hardware, automotive, and a lot more. Coastal is new to Sequim having just moved in about a year ago, but they stand out because they are so well organized on their inventory, it’s a pleasure to walk through this store and browse. You can learn more about what they sell at their website, which is Coastal. (more…)

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Where is Sequim? is a question asked by people in California, Texas, Florida, and the east coast. Many people have told me over the years that they were sitting in a coffee shop somewhere thousands of miles from Sequim when they heard someone near them asked, “Where is Sequim?” That always ended up in a conversation about Sequim, because one of the couples either lived in Sequim or was planning to move to Sequim.

Where is Sequim WA?

I have lived in Sequim going back 25 years, and being an avid photographer and videographer, I have thousands of photos and videos. For all those asking Where is Sequim, here is a fun little video I created to show you briefly where we are.

Google Earth is a great tool to view Sequim from above, and you can even travel as though you’re in a plane and see much of the Sequim area with Google Earth. The views are surprisingly good, and you’ll see some of that in this video, but I’ve also included drone video I took showing the Sequim valley from about 400 feet in a couple of panoramic views, one toward the north and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands, and Seattle, and one toward the south and the Olympic Mountains. 

Where is Sequim?

Where is Sequim? Sequim is on the beautiful North Olympic Peninsula west of Seattle a couple of hours drive, and located between the stunning Olympic Mountains where it rains as much as 200 inches a year, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca across from British Columbia and the gorgeous city of Victoria, a pleasant ferry ride from Port Angeles.  (more…)

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Sequim area hospitals are located throughout the county and adjacent counties. Port Angeles is 15 miles from Sequim, and Port Angeles has a large hospital, plus many outpatient facilities. Sequim has many outpatient facilities and emergency medical facilities, too. Port Townsend has a hospital, and you can see a large expansion in this image below for the Silverdale hospital, the Harrison Medical Center. Silverdale is only one hour from Sequim.

Hospitals in the Area

Hospitals and Primary Care

I’ve been impressed with the Sequim facilities. I would imagine that 99% of everything you and I will ever need is in Sequim now, and unless you have major surgery or an overnight hospital stay, you probably won’t be a resident of the Port Angeles hospital, or any of these area hospitals.

It’s just nice to know we have plenty of medical facilities in the area. For military veterans, there is a VA hospital near Tacoma.

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When it comes to Seattle crime, there’s no comparing it to Sequim crime. The crime rate in Sequim is so low, and the Seattle crime rate is so high, it’s not a fair comparison. But if you live in California or Florida or New York, you wouldn’t necessarily know this, and you wouldn’t know how low our crime rate is in Sequim, Washington. The rural countryside, the Olympic Mountains, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the peaceful and safe community are all major reasons so many retirees fall in love with Sequim after doing their online research and visiting.

Seattle Crime is Excessively High

This is a recent Seattle Times Sunday newspaper, and the title openly admits Seattle neighborhoods, like this neighborhood, are suffering from extraordinarily high crime rates. Seattle is suffering now from four serious problems: 1.) high crime, 2.) out of control homeless who are causing serious crime, safety, and health issues (according to the Seattle newspapers, not me), 3.) ridiculous real estate prices, and 4.) some of the county’s worst traffic congestion. Obviously, the last two items are not crime issues, but the first two have been long stewing in Seattle as serious issues and have grown worse and worse over the past 20 years.

Seattle Crime Are Policy Results

As many of my readers probably know, Washington State is very liberal, mostly because Seattle is very liberal and that’s where the population resides. I’m not here to discuss politics. I have little faith in either political party, and discussing politics today with someone is like asking for a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. But the facts are that the Seattle politicians have failed Seattle because crime, the homeless problem, and traffic congestion are among the worst in the nation. Who else is there to blame if not the politicians who have been running Seattle for decades. I’m not advocating for any positions here, but I am saying that one plus one is always two, and what has happened in Seattle was predictable, was in fact predicted, and has actually happened on these three subjects.

Seattle politicians took the idea of helping the homeless, but they got everything upside down. Instead of helping the homeless get help the way they needed it, such as training for a good job, or help getting off drugs, or getting mental health support, Seattle decided the best way to help the homeless was to give them free communities where they could set up tents and makeshift shelters. The crimes began to increase slowly at first. Assaults, rapes, murder, and illegal drug sales. And guess what? It was happening in these free communities adjacent to nice neighborhoods where half million dollar homes are owned by the very people who voted to offer all these free services to the homeless with zero accountability and no guidance to improving one’s life whatsoever. Now the people are disturbed because homeless people are urinating onto their front yards and dealing drugs in their neighborhoods and it’s not safe to go outside when it gets dark. 

Homeless from around the country began to hear about Seattle, and many began traveling to Seattle to settle into their new community where they could get a free place to live, free food, and clothes, too. Wait, because it gets better. Now the talk is to follow California and offer safe zones where homeless people can use drugs, shoot up, and even get clean needles from the ne’er-do-wells. I kid you not. They are talking about safe drug zones. Seattle crime has become a nightmare for residents. I talked with a couple who own a condominium downtown Seattle, and they said they are afraid to go outside at night. 

I realize this article may seem negative about Seattle crime rates, but what I really wanted to contrast was how Sequim crime fares in this world, and we fare very nicely, thank you. Believe it or not, people just don’t talk about getting their house broken into, or having something stolen out of their garage (even when they leave their garage door open), because these crimes are so rare. I’ve lived in Sequim for 24 years, and I have never had anything stolen, nor did my children when they were growing up, nor has anyone I know ever had anything stolen in Sequim, and I know hundreds of families. Cars don’t get broken into or stolen here either, or at least it is rare. We don’t have homeless people roaming the streets, and criminals don’t come to Sequim as a destination like they do in Seattle.

So now you know about Seattle crime, the Seattle homeless problem, and the extraordinary low crime rates in Sequim. Just another reason so many retirees are moving to Sequim.

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We thought you might enjoy the 6 most popular Sequim real estate articles of 2018 on this blog. With over 2,000 real estate articles written specifically for buyers, and with readers for a decade from all over the Unites States and even Europe, this is the largest real estate blog with the largest outreach to buyers in the Sequim, Washington market on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula.. 

These are real estate articles that have been read and enjoyed by many of our new Sequim retirees, and since these articles were so relevant for them, you might also find them relevant for you in 2019. Here they are for your reading pleasure.

Popular Real Estate Articles

Article #1: The Sequim Bell Curve: Sequim Homes Hard to Find. This article has been popular for several years because it paints a clear picture of what you are up against when you buy a home in Sequim.

Article #2: Homeowner Associations have always been an emotionally charged topic, and that’s unquestionably why this article was hot in 2018: Homeowner Associations: Nightmare of Nightmares.

Article #3: Since Sequim is such a popular retirement community for couples in their 50s and 60s from all over the United States, it’s no surprise that real estate articles about retiring in Sequim would be popular. Perhaps the fun video that we created for this article is also part of why it is popular. Why Retire in Sequim?

Article #4: Who doesn’t want to know what the future holds, especially when it comes to buying your retirement home and your retirement account on Wall Street? Last October I wrote an article entitled, Is There Another Real Estate Crash Coming? Maybe it feels better to only focus on positive news, but wisdom does tell us to look at contrary news so we won’t be blinded by false notions of the future. This article is worth reading, even if you find yourself disagreeing with it’s analysis.

[Notice that this real estate blog, which has over 2,000 real estate articles for buyers, is not about selling you all the time, or constantly pushing a positive pitch that always tries to persuade you to buy, buy, buy. This blog is about giving you real and accurate information, including negative information that can better help you make wise decisions for your own retirement planning and purchase in Sequim. I share plenty of positive and happy information about Sequim, but I let you filter and discern for yourself.]

Real Estate Articles for Sequim Buyers

Article #5: I Need a Buyer’s Agent to Draft an Offer. Do you need to draft an offer now on a home that just came on the market? You know there is a sense of urgency in this market with such a low inventory and high demand, but you want to make sure you do everything right, and you need a Realtor who can help draft an offer today.

Article #6: Winning With Competing Offers. Competing offers on a listing do occasionally come in on the same day, and I’ve written about multiple offers, but one of my clients reminded me that sometimes it is about more than just the price.

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Why Are People Leaving California? I think people have been asking this question for several years as the mass exodus of the middle class from California continues. The reasons for leaving California have grown, but the list is getting longer and longer, and this comes not from my little head, but from the mouths of long time California residents moving the Sequim area. They all give the same laundry list of problems that compelled them to be part of the exodus leaving California. John Wayne is one of the original Californians, and who doesn’t love John Wayne? He had some thoughts about California’s issues. I think this short video interview of John Wayne was actually taken on his boat in Sequim Bay at John Wayne Marina.

Leaving California

People Are Leaving California

If you live in California, you know the reasons people are leaving California, although reasons are always weighted based on how they affect us personally. This list of California problems is long, but not necessarily comprehensive, but I just want to emphasize that none of these issues exist in the Sequim area. This is why Sequim, Washington is one of the best places to retire in the U.S. The list is kind of ugly:

apocalyptic forest fires, floods and mudslides, droughts, pollution, infested dying trees by the millions, grossly overpriced real estate, increasing nightmare crime statistics, unending traffic congestion, illegal alien invasions, massive fracking and drilling, never-ending increases in taxes and regulations, unstoppable government spending at all levels, and what has become a form of political insanity

I’ve referred to Sequim as “Paradise” long before I knew there was a Paradise, California, and that goes back at least as far as December 27, 2012 on this blog. It is tragic that Paradise is gone, and there are serious questions about whether it will ever make a comeback. In any event, I hope you will visit Sequim if you are one of the great Californians considering leaving California. My California clients absolutely love Sequim, and never plan to leave.

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Finding your Sequim primary care provider may not be the easiest thing you do. I certainly don’t have to tell my readers, who are in their 50s and 60s and entering the next big phase of their lives–retirement, how challenging it is to navigate health care decisions. You must have a Sequim primary care provider to get general care, and you must have a Sequim primary care provider to get the required referral to a specialist.

Most Sequim primary care providers are not accepting new patients now, and of those who are, some are requiring a monthly payment (like $80) just to be on their list of patients. And then there are high medical insurance premiums and the cost of prescriptions. Who made this gigantic mess of our healthcare system? The answer to that question is well above my pay grade, but what I can do in this article is give you a list of primary care providers.

Sequim Primary Care List

Here’s a list of all the Sequim primary care and Port Angeles primary care providers with their phone numbers and whether they are accepting new patients and what they require. You can click on this image and see the enlarged list. I suggest you either bookmark this article for future reference, or you may prefer to print this list as a hardcopy.

Sequim Primary Care

Some doctors do not accept some insurance companies, so that will necessitate more due diligence on your part when you’re planning for your long term health care. Port Angeles is only 15 miles from Sequim, so I have included the list of all Port Angeles primary care providers on this list, too. If your insurer requires that you see a doctor outside Sequim, you may have to expand your search to Poulsbo, Silverdale, Tacoma, or Seattle. These options are not so bad, since they are anywhere from a half an hour to two hours from Sequim. Unless you see a doctor every week, a short drive for an hour or so is not so bad. If you have lived in a place like Phoenix, every place you need to go is a 45 minute drive.

I hope this list of Sequim primary care providers is helpful as you plan your retirement to Sequim. And if I can help you find a home as your buyer’s agent, that would be great.

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What is the state of Sequim healthcare? This should not be a hard question to answer, but it is. It’s a hard question to answer anywhere in the country now. Are doctors accepting new patients? Will your insurance be accepted? What if you’re a veteran? What is the quality of Sequim healthcare? There are many questions. Since I enjoy writing to help buy Sequim home buyers (I have over 2,000 articles online and over a dozen books), I thought I would write a short eBook about the state of Sequim healthcare, but I could not find the information to write the book. The chaos in the industry overwhelmed me. I called various doctor’s office, and have done a lot of online research, and I’ve been a patient myself a few times over the 24 years here, but as experienced as I am at pulling together data and making sense out of it, I could not on the subject of Sequim healthcare.

This does not mean we don’t have good Sequim healthcare, good clinics, and good doctors. It just means between the medical profession, the pharmaceutical industry, and the Federal regulators, the answer to all your questions is likely to be “caveat emptor,” or “buyer beware.” In other words, you have to do your own research. You may think me cynical, but may I suggest you don’t take for granted everything you’re told by the pharmaceutical industry? “The average elderly patient is taking more than five prescription medications; the average nursing home patient is taking seven medications.” [Source: MD Mag] Unbelievable!

Sequim Healthcare Help Online

I appreciate the many independent medical professionals who do helpful educational videos that we can watch free on Youtube, and this one is very interesting and revealing. Do your own research, but one thing I think we all need to realize is that we are each responsible for our own health and whatever Sequim healthcare we seek out and get. 

Sequim Healthcare is About Personal Research

Retirees have their own checklists for what they want in a community. Having practiced law in Sequim for many years and having working with hundreds of retirees moving to Sequim as a real estate broker, I know what that checklist looks like. Retirees want a mild climate, a peaceful place to live, low crime rates, affordable housing, and good Sequim healthcare. Sequim has all this and more, but with respect to Sequim healthcare, you’ve got to do your own research based on your personal healthcare needs and your insurance coverage. You will need to check with your insurance carrier, and you’ll need to call some medical offices to see who is accepting new patience and under what conditions. One doctor in Sequim charges $80 per month just to be on his list of patients. I understand he is using excessive fees to filter out clients and manage the number of patients he takes, but I do not appreciate the fact that he uses money against many who cannot afford good healthcare while getting very wealthy himself. What happened to the three learned professions (medical, law, and the priesthood) where they actually felt a calling to serve and help others more than their greed for money? Oops, that wiped out at least two of those professions, and I don’t think I’ll touch the third one.

While my clients are buying homes in Sequim, nearly all of them ask about the state of Sequim healthcare, so for the first time in all these years I thought I would address it, at least on a minimal level. I wish I could write a complete book that summaries it all, but I think you’ll need to do your own research on the subject of Sequim healthcare.

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Sequim crime rates are extremely low, and those of us who have lived in Sequim for decades know this. It’s not easy to prove, because the Internet websites that purport to compare Sequim crime rates with other cities do not have accurate data. I went to the Sequim police department and asked if our Sequim crime stats are posted anywhere on the Internet, and the answer was that they are not. Where are the Sequim crime rates? They are on paper files in the police department, and not compiled and posted anywhere on the Internet. Don’t believe the Internet on Sequim crime rates. But there is a place where you can see current crimes committed.

Sequim Crime Stats

What we do have in real time on Sequim crime stats and Port Angeles crime stats is a map that you can view online showing crime locations and specifics about the crimes. When you open up this map, and you can do that by clicking on the image above, you can then put your mouse over a circle and see exactly what happened. This is a great map for this purpose.

Sequim Crime is Low

Low Sequim crime rates is one of the reason so many of us love Sequim. We do have crime, but not nearly as much or as serious as the metropolitan areas or even the bedroom communities outside of Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia. I think you’ll appreciate this Sequim crime map, and you might want to bookmark it. 

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I love Sequim, and I’ll tell you exactly why. I was a JAG in the USAF based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, and my children were young. My oldest boy was graduating from 7th grade, and it was a tough school year. Some of my son’s classmates were beat up, stabbed, and shot. One died. The gangs were moving into Vegas from Los Angeles, and illegal aliens were everywhere. Car and house thefts were high, and personal safety became a serious issue for me and my family. 

In 1994 I found Sequim after doing a lot of research to find a safe place to raise my children. I wanted a rural area with low crime, traditional values, outdoor activities, and a mild climate. Sequim was the winner by a long shot. That was 24 years ago, and I’m still here. I love Sequim.

I Love Sequim and My Dog Loves Sequim

I live on 2.58 acres, but it is owned by my dog. Apparently, he thinks it is his Kingdom, and he watches over his Kingdom like a hawk. He actually catches mice once in a while. I’ve never had a dog that can catch mice, so he’s smart and fast. He’s half doberman and half black lab, so he is intelligent and happy. He also likes to eat an apple a day from my apple trees. I asked him to pose for a blog photo, and he enthusiastically agreed.

I Love Sequim and I’m Never Leaving

Living in Sequim grows on you. Everyone I know who lives here for a long time, says “I love Sequim,” and they also say, “I’m never leaving Sequim.” Why do people talk that way? The thing about living in Sequim is that there aren’t just half a dozen things that make it so great. There’s more like a hundred little things, and the longer you live in Sequim, the more you love Sequim. 

By the way, my three boys and my daughter are all grown up now, and they all went through the Sequim school system. The best decision of my life was to move to Sequim for the sake of my children. They were safe, and the school system is one of the best in the nation. They were not exposed to all kinds of evil as they would have been in most metropolitan areas of the country, and they have grown up with traditional values. I love Sequim.

You might enjoy some of the reasons I love Sequim. Years ago I wrote several articles listing the reasons, and here is the first article with 25 Reasons Why I Love Sequim.

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Here’s John Wayne Marina in Sequim coming into the marina from a very pleasant tour of Sequim Bay on a McGregor owned by Kevin Elders. What an incredible day. The temperature was about 70 degrees, and believe it or not the water temperature in the middle of the Bay was actually 60 degrees. Unbelievable! Don’t tell anyone, but there was hardly anyone else at John Wayne Marina on this day. Here we are in Paradise in one of most temperate even climates in the world where Sequim is known to have the famous Blue Hole or the Rain Shadow because we only get 16 inches of rain each year compared to Seattle’s 45 inches, and hardly any human beings are taking advantage of this. This is incredible. If southern Californians knew about Sequim and about John Wayne Marina, they would get the heck out of crazy land and get to Sequim as soon as possible. But wait, maybe we don’t want the world to know how incredible it is here. Hmm. Well, I’ll share this with you, but don’t tell anyone else.

John Wayne Marina

John Wayne Marina

John Wayne Marina is not only ideally located in protected Sequim Bay, but the facilities are top notch and there are hardly any lines to launch your boat, if you don’t have a slip in the marina already. The restaurant has some amazing sea food, steak, and the coffee is very good, too. I’ve lived in Sequim for 23 years, and John Wayne Marina is one of my favorite hangouts.

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There is a mass exodus of middle class and wealthy people from California, and they have been moving in large numbers to the Northwest after doing their due diligence on where the best places to live in America are. I know this because I am a Realtor in Sequim, Washington, and more people move to Sequim from California than any other state. I’ve been asking Californians for a couple of decades why they are leaving California and why they choose Sequim.

From California to Sequim

I stumbled upon a video that explains in plain language what hundreds of Californians have been telling me for over 20 years. By the way, I don’t consider myself a Republican or a Democrat, so don’t be put off by the title of this video. This video does not express my views, because I don’t live in California, and I have no idea what it would be like since I’m not tuned into the politics of the State. But this video expresses what about 97% of all California buyers in the Sequim area have been telling me. Also, I’m not interested in the politics that are represented by the person who produced this video, but I am interested in the financial statistics he provides, which are the reason people seem to be leaving California.

It’s fascinating, but sad. California seems to be chasing the most extraordinary people away in droves. Having said that, I am very pleased to welcome you to Sequim and to help you find your retirement home. Housing prices here are not low, unless you compare them to California housing prices.

Sequim, Washington: The Best Place to Retire

You can look at homes in the Sequim and Port Angeles area by going to the best Sequim MLS site in the area, and you can always email me or text or call for more information about any homes you see. I hope I’ll see you in Sequim.

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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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Sequim Resources for Buyers is a better way of organizing a tremendous number of valuable tools for buyers. Because this site and the tools created here are always being improved for buyers, it became obvious that there had to be a better way to help buyers find these resources easier. You will now find a tab at the top of the Blog called “Resources for Buyers.” This includes some of the primary resources available with links directly to each of them. And . . .

Sequim Resources Online

You’ll find a new list of “Sequim Buyer Resources” that will always be up-to-date in the right margin of this Blog. These great links have been online for a while, some of them for years, but great tools are only great if you can find them.

Sequim Resources – Maps and Books

You’ll also find a newly created page with all of Chuck Marunde’s Sequim real estate books in this list of Sequim resources. And we have a new tool for buyers added to the list: a new Sequim map designed exclusively for Chuck and only available though Sequim & Port Angeles, LLC.  I strongly urge you to go though each tool in the Sequim Buyers Resources list so you can find the tools that you feel will help you most in your home search. Enjoy these tools, and if they are helpful, please let us know. Chuck Marunde never stops creating valuable Sequim resources for buyers.

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Perhaps we should have a contest called the ugliest house in Sequim. That might create a fun photo album. I’ve seen some homes that could compete for the ugliest house in Sequim, but you could add Port Townsend and Port Angeles as strong competitors.

The Ugliest House

This 3-story home is the brightest yellow and a bright blue two tone wonder. As a real estate professional, I’ll tell you what came to my mind when I first saw this home. First, I wondered who in the world would paint a house such gaudy colors, and second a 3-story home will be almost impossible to sell since retirees want single level homes. Now every time I drive past this home, I try to look the other way, but a bright video plays itself out in my mind and I see it anyway.

The Ugliest House

There’s a purple house in the Sequim area, and I like to tell my buyers when we’re driving past that house that every town has a purple house, and we all laugh. I also have said, “Imagine being a neighbor and see that purple house every day!” But I just learned that one of the neighbor’s mowed his field with the words “A Hole” and an arrow pointing toward the purple house. Here is a photo from Google maps. While this isn’t funny for the players involved, you have to find some humor in all of this.

Do you have any crazy photos of the ugliest house in your area? If you do, send me a photo of your ugliest house.

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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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