Skagit Valley Tulip Festival....

Ready, Set, ...Better to wait a week... then Go....

The Daffodil Fields are all in and looking Great....

However, there are only 2 Tulip fields that are showing their colors, but even they aren't to full color yet.

The best suggestion I have at this point for coming up to see the Tulip Fields is to wait a week, then come on up.

Check out The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival's Official Bloom Update and Map for a complete update.

There is good news... The Tulips should be in Full Bloom during the Downtown Mount Vernon Street Fair (Friday April 20th, 2007 through Sunday April 22nd, 2007 from 10:00am - 6:00pm each day)

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Real Estate Photography Class...

I took a fairly advanced class in Real Estate Photography today. It was interesting hearing some of the tricks of the trade in getting that perfect picture of a building or a feature of a building as well as some of the things done in food photography.... Lets just say that the burgers you see on TV will NOT be consumed by anything other than a trash can....

I found the class to be very educational and it got me thinking about the pictures I've taken for my listings and how they can be improved.... This last sentence is the reason I took the class! I would have preferred it to be more hands-on, but it was still a good class and 7 1/2 clock-hours to boot... Not bad for $97

If you'd be interested in taking a class in Real Estate / Architectual photography and you're in Western Washington, I'd suggest calling Dennis Huckaby at (360) 332-1570 or Send an E-Mail to huckaby1@comcast.net

I've been an avid hobby-photographer for years and know a good amount about photography... I'm not a professional photographer by any means, but I'd say that I'm a good semi-pro....

As a result of a phone call with Dennis as well as some nice home-staging from the Seller, I had a listing photo go from this:

to this:

Nice improvement, eh...?

Hansell Mitzel Homes New North Hill Townhomes....

I went to the Grand Opening of the Hansell Mitzel Homes new development of Townhomes within their North Hill development in Mount Vernon.

Townhomes don't mean just a one bedroom place... Instead, these are luxurious three and four bedroom homes ranging from 1,723 sqft through 2,437 sqft.. These are truly luxury townhomes that include features like "Tiger Wood" Hardwood Flooring (among others) which have absolutely striking and spectacular colors, Ceramic Tile Showers, Multiple Gas-Fireplaces per home, Marble Countertops, Nice Open Floorplans, Great Kitchens, quality landscaping from Lefeber Turf Farm, nice Big Decks and Beautiful Views over the Skagit Valley and much much more.

This development will only have a total of 26 of these homes built and some have already been sold. A good sampling of the homes are available for touring to help choose between floorplans, features, etc..

The quality and pride put into each of these fine homes needs to be seen to truly be appreciated! I was very impressed by these homes.

I would be happy to arrange a showing of these fine homes, just give me a call at (360) 708-2929.

Great New Listing! Beautiful Lake View Home!

Large Scenic Lake View Lot! Nice 3 Bed, 1.75 Bath One Story Home w/ a 1 Car Garage & Nice Open Floorplan. Beautiful Hardwood Floors Throughout. Master w/ 3/4 Bath, Large Closets & a Lake View. All Appliances Stay. Very Nice Fireplace w/ Natural Blower. Many Upgrades incl. Electrical, Vinyl Windows, Alarm Sys, Newer Insulation, Newer Gas Furnace & Water Heater. Large Basement Space. Large Laundry / Hobby / Mud Room. Plenty of RV Parking in the Huge Yard Overlooking the Lake! Country Living Near Town!

$264,995

Visit http://www.Sauneuf.com/ for more information, pictures, flyer, etc...

North Hill Town Homes - Grand Opening!

On Friday March 23rd from 4:00-7:00pm and on Saturday March 24th from Noon to 5:00pm, Hansell Mitzel Homes is having their Grand Opening for their newest project called "North Hill Town Homes".

These homes are luxury condominiums and have fantastic Valley Views. These homes feature high quality finish work including granite countertops, hardwood floors, accent moldings, walk-in closets, etc...

At present, the prices range from $349,950 to $429,950. The homes range from 1,742 sqft through 2,437 sqft.


I would be happy to assist you with the purchase of one of these fine homes. I am a big fan of Hansell Mitzel Homes. They build great homes. As a real estate agent I see a lot of homes, built by a large variety of builders. When my wife Maggie and I were looking for our home, we chose one that was going to be built by Hansell Mitzel Homes. We were thrilled with the home, the construction, and the service throughout the process. If we ever decide to sell our home (not very likely anytime soon) we wouldn't hesitate to get another Hansell Mitzel Homes built home.

Search Burlington Homes by Neighborhood

Search for Homes for sale by Neighborhood

Washington >> Skagit County >> Burlington

Neighborhoods:

Alger Bayview

Burlington Burlington Hill

Country Club Samish River

You can learn more about the fine City of Burlington on the City's Official Web-Site.
The URL is: http://www.ci.burlington.wa.us/

Don't Miss the "Berry Dairy Days Festival" that will run 6/22/07 through 6/24/07. 2007 marks the 70th year of this great festival. It should be extra special this year!
To find out more, click here: http://www.ci.burlington.wa.us/page.asp_Q_navigationid_E_223

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Start Thinking about the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

The fields are starting to bloom! Daddodils are blooming in several fields. The official Tulip Festival will begin on April 1st, but Mother Nature works on her own schedule! This year, it looks like the festival and the tulips may actually arrive together.

Click here to see the Official BLOOM UPDATE and MAP

Its beautiful in Skagit County all year long, but in Spring it looks simply spectacular!
Hope to see you here!-Bill

Open Sunday 1:00-4:00 in Mount Vernon

Beautiful Move-In Ready New Construction at Big Lake! 4 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath Home + Den/Office + Another Bonus Room. 3 Car Attached Garage. Beautiful Kitchen w/ Oak Cabinets, Hardwood Floors, an Island & Pantry. Large Family Room w/ Gas Fireplace. Huge Master Suite w/ Vaulted Ceiling, Large Walk-In Closet, Jetted Tub, Large Shower & Double-Sink Vanity. Peekaboo View of Big Lake. Heat Pump & Gas Furnace = Dual Heat + Air Conditioning. Dual Stage Water Heaters. Great Location!

$419,800

Visit http://www.sauneuf.com/ for more information, pictures, flyer, etc...

The Address is:

23085 Sagers Lane

Mount Vernon, WA 98274

To Get There, Exit I-5 at College Way, go East (toward and past the college), go Right (South) on Highway 9, turn Right on West Big Lake Blvd, Turn Right at the new construction homes on Sagers Lane. It is the 2nd house on the right.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Search for Mount Vernon Homes By Neighborhood

Search for Homes for sale by Neighborhood

Washington >> Skagit County >> Mount Vernon ............................Neighborhoods

Big Lake
Blackburn Ridge
Cascade Ridge
Cedar Ridge
Clear Lake
College
Conway
Eaglemont
Hillcrest Park
Hilltop Haven
Lake Cavanaugh
Lake McMurray
Little Mountain
Maddox
Meadows
Monte Vista Terr.
Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon Hill
Nookachamp Hills
Parkridge
Skyridge
Thunderbird
West Mount Vernon

Hillcrest Park in Mount Vernon… “Jester” Approved

This is a great place to play ball. I know they have a lot other cool stuff there like a softball field, lighted tennis courts, lighted basketball courts, a picnic area, a playground with lots of equipment, and several walking trails. However, even with all that being said, what Jester and I like to do is go to the big soccer field and play ball. He loves to run and the open space on that soccer field is huge! We drop in as often as we can, throw the ball for 20-30 minutes and then head out…. Sometimes we even get an audience – Jester’s a real ham and loves to show off… We even got our picture in the Skagit Valley Herald in July of 2005 while playing ball there. Life is good when you’ve got a good field to chase a ball on… Hillcrest Park… Jester Approved.

New Listing in Mount Vernon - A Great Rambler

Well Maintained 3 Bedroom, 1 Bath Rambler with a 1 Car Garage (Partially Converted to living space, but could easily go back to garage) Nicely remodeled/updated Beautiful Kitchen with an Amana Stove/Range and Microwave/Vent Hood. Large Bedrooms including a Master Bedroom with 2 closets. This home has an updated Bathroom as well.

The large backyard is fully-fenced and has both a large deck and a patio. There is also a great 8'x12' Storage Shed in the Backyard.

The location is excellent too! It is on the hill, so no flood insurance, and it is close to schools, shopping and hospital - all on a nice quiet street!

Asking $235,995

For More Information, Visit:

http://www.sauneuf.com/Featured/1016/Core.html

SICBA Annual Home Show in Mount Vernon

Next weekend (March 16, 17, & 18, 2007) the Annual Home Show hosted by the Skagit / Island County Builders Association will be held at the Skagit County Fairgrounds in downtown Mount Vernon.

I went to the show last year, and it was well worth the time! There were a lot of booths (over 100) with great products to learn about.

If you have a chance, stop by. If you need directions, feel free to give me a call at (360) 708-2929.

Great New Restaurant in Mt. Vernon - Reverie BBQ

I just had my first of what will be many meals at a new restaurant in Mount Vernon. It is called Reverie BBQ and I thouroughly enjoyed it! For only $6.99 (+tax) I had a "Pulled Pork Sandwich Meal" that came with 2 sides. I had the Shrimp Gumbo and Cornbread for my Side Items, but they had Homemade Potato Salad - German Style, "Hot" Slaw, Smoky Beans, Cornbread, Cup of Soup, and Green Salad to choose from.

They also have BBQ Ribs.... Think I'll have to try those next time!!



Here is their contact info...

Reverie BBQ
1300 South 2nd Street (several blocks South of Kincaid)
Mount Vernon, WA 98273

(360) 419-8BBQ (Thats 360-419-8227)



They're open 11:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday.



Go give'em a try!! You'll be glad you did...

Another Great Year!!

Last weeks’ snow not withstanding, Spring is on its way! We are looking forward to another great year, but before we look forward, here is a quick look back…

You may have seen the CNN Money article last Spring, predicting the Mount Vernon (greater Skagit County area) to have a 14.5% increase in home prices. (If you missed it, you can go to my website, and there is a link to the original article.) We are happy to report that so far their prediction has been very accurate, with the actual increase to date being 14.87%. (Pretty dang close.) Their prediction was for June 2006 to June 2007 and the most current NWMLS data on Sold Housed is January 2006 to January 2007.

What does this mean for all of us living in Skagit County? If you are a homeowner, your house should have increased in value very nicely! If you’re interested in moving, you might be surprised how much your current home is worth. We can help sell your current home, and find your next one – be it larger, smaller, better or in a different area. However, if you have not purchased a home yet, we can help with that, too! With the current area growth, there are lots to choose from, both from other folks selling and lots of new homes being built.

So, here comes another great year. Our team is ready to help with all of your Real Estate Needs

– Bill, Maggie and Jester!