North Tacoma Living

Carnival of Project Blogger Week 2 results

Carnival of Project Blogger week #2 Review

This past week, I hosted the Carnival of Project Blogger.   Unlike week #1 host (Justin from the CREN Blog), my criteria was that the articles didn't necessarily have to be about real estate. I asked the Apprentices to submit their favorite articles. Period. Ones that they felt were the best. My only stipulation was that the articles met the submission guidelines as outlined at The Carnival of Project Blogger. I waited with anticipation... 

As it turned out, I only received eight articles of the 12 I expected. Of the eight, two missed the deadline. One by eight minutes. One by eight hours. Which was too bad because both were really interesting! And one submission was a 3 part article that didn't meet the one article guideline.

On Sunday afternoon, I sat down to read the submitted articles.  To me, blogs are all about connecting with the consumer. So that is how I decided to judge my week.  I would read all the articles, and the one that grabbed me the most (connected with me on a personal level) is the one that I would announce as the winner of the Carnival this week. Since I am new to blogging, it was not for me to judge based on formatting and other technical stuff.

So without further adieu...

The top 5 articles this past week were-

#5- Julie Ferenzi

Julie's article is about the Plainfield Spring Fest. She mixes in area information with her personal memories. I like to read about what's happening in other towns, and Julie's post gave me lots of information about what was happening this past weekend!

#4- Kelly Kilpatrick

Kelly's article was about "Bike to Work Week" in the Orange County area. Kelly's article mixed data with personal commentary. I could sense her intelligence, humor, and frustration with the traffic situation in Orange County.

#3- Mary Pope-Handy

Mary wrote an article about Real Estate Hazards. Like most of us she has experienced some pretty strange things in her real estate career. The naked homeowner is one I have come across myself. They sure never warn you about stuff like this in Real Estate School! 

#2- Ines Hegedus-Garcia

Ines wrote about being a Perfectionist in her article entitled Perfectionist - to be or not to be .The reader got to go into the mind of Ines and see her thought process on a daily basis. It was very enlightening. As a fellow perfectionist, I can completely relate and my vote for her was that she was/is normal. :)

#1- Tisza Major-Posner

Tisza's article grabbed me in practically the first sentence. It is a very personal story and I think that is why it deserved to win the Carnival. Since we just celebrated Mother's Day, Tisza's article "Stepping" Into Parenthood... A Mother's Day Gift" was on her personal story about her experiences with motherhood. As someone who has been trying to have a child for over 5 years, her story hit very close to home. I shared her dreams, her heartbreak, and her laughs. I could very easily put myself in her shoes.

Thank you all for submitting your articles. It was a great honor to be the host this week.

Best of luck to all of you with the remaining weeks of Project Blogger!

Historic Homes of Tacoma Tour 2007 Review

Historic Homes of Tacoma Tour 2007

This weekend I went on the Tacoma Historical Society's tour. The eight homes (and 1 church!) chosen were great examples of the wonderful craftsmanship of historic homes and buildings that are typical to the Tacoma real estate landscape.

In order of the tour there was

1) Epworth LeSourd United Methodist Church.

Built in 1926 with a modified Gothic style and a pretty steeple. This lovely church was a whopping $90,000 to build and was dedicated on May 23, 1926. It holds about 600 people in the auditorium and up to 400 at tables in the social hall. The Epworth congregation was organized in 1889 by Reverend George Wilding. The actual building of the church was started by the Reverend David G. LeSourd. In 1972, Epworth united with LeSourd Methodist.

2) Wilson House

Built in 1906 the home cost $6,000 to build and was built for Thomas Wilson. George Gove designed the home and it was constructed by the Delmont-Miller Company.  This home has more than 4,000 square feet of living space.  Former residents include the Frank Ladenburg family (check out Sports Illustrated from the 1980's) , Percy Creath Smith and Dora Burge Smith.

3) Brix House

Built in 1907. This home was designed by John J. Evans and built by Berry & Spaulding Construction. The home was built for Anton H. and Minna Brix, founders of A.H. Brix Lumber Company. The Brix's belonged to Epworth Methodist Church. This home has 4,975 square feet of living space. Former residents include Herman Brix (aka Bruce Bennett - Olympic athlete and Hollywood movie star known for playing Tarzan), Victor N & Iva E. Sandstedt and Mrs. Era B. Gill.

4) Tweeden House

Built in 1904 and completed right before Christmas. The 5,774 square foot home was built for A.W. Tweeden and his wife and three girls. Mr. Tweeden was Vice President & Treasurer for the Northwest Bridge Company, Dredgers and General Contractors. There is a hitching post out front next to the street. Former residents include jewelery store owner Solomon J. Farber (who also owned the O.K. Loan Office in downtown Tacoma) ad Jay R. & Irene A. Merrick owners of Jay Merrick Jewelery.

5) Shroeder House

Built in 1890 for $2,000. The 3,551 square foot home was one of 11 homes in the first wave of construction on the North Slope. Sherman Shroeder applied for the building permit. In the 1920's a bakery was opperated out of the front of the house while a sheet metal shop was opperated out of the back of the house. Over the course of it's 117 year history due to the fact that it has been apartment several times, there have been numerous former residents.

6) Nichols House

Built in 1907 for $9,000. This 3,200 square foot home was built for William & Elzora Nichols. The home was designed by architect Ambrose J. Russell.  William Nichols was the general manager of the Pacific Coast Gypsum Company. In 1949, Dr. Philip & Dorothy Grenley purchased the home. Dr. Grenley was a noted urologist, medical researcher and teacher. He graduated from medical school at 18 and opened a practice in Tacoma in 1946.

7) Albertson House

Built in 1892 for Arthur Freeman Alberson. This home has 3,590 square feet. Many prominent Tacoma families have called this house home. Former residents include Edwin Miller (warden of McNeil Island Penitentiary & elder for Immanuel Presbyterian Church), George Hunt Walker (Pierce County Prosecutor), Dan Pratt, Thomas G. Hathaway, and Curt Hawkins (President of Pierce County Restaruant Association) and many more.

8) Lord House

Built between 1905 & 1906 by Sherman L. Blair for Dr. Lord, a Tacoma dentist. Mr. Blair built houses designed by architect George W. Bullard. Many of Bullard's homes can be found in the North Slope Historic District. This home has approximately 2,700 square feet of living space. Former residents include prominent young widow Mrs. May Heuston, and Weyerhaeuser official Richard Londgren (and his wife Anita). The current resident(s) are featured in the March 2007 edition of Sunset Magazine.

9) Proctor House

Built in 1890 by and for John G. Proctor. This home has 2,382 square feet of living space. Proctor Street in Tacoma was named after John G. Proctor. Mr. Proctor, his wife Zellah, and their three daughters called this home. They also were a prominent family at Epworth Methodist Episcopal Church. Former residents include County Commissioner John J. McDonald, and Brian Ebersole who served in the Washington State Legislature, was Speaker of the House, and also Mayor of Tacoma from 1996 to 2001.

"The Great Streetcar Wreck of 1900"

The Tacoma Historical Society is sponsoring the following event Monday, June 11th, 2007 at the Tacoma Public Library. The event begins at 7pm.

"The Great Streetcar Wreck of 1900"

Russell Holter

Researcher, co-author of Rails to Paradise

For more information, call their information line at (253) 472-3738 or visit them online at www.tacomahistory.org

April 2007 North Tacoma Real Estate Sales Stats

April 2007 Real Estate Sales Stats for North Tacoma

From April 1st to April 31st, 2007, 23 homes sold in the North Tacoma from Proctor to Commencement Bay and Sixth Avenue north to Commencement Bay.  In 2006, there were 24 sales in the same period. 2007 averages are as follows:

Average Sales Price- $379,685

Average Days on Market- 94 days

Average $ per Sq Ft- $184.61

Average Sq Ft- 2063

Low Sales Price- $210,000

High Sales Price- $775,000 

The biggest change this past year was the Days on Market. Last year's average for the same period was 68 days as compared to this year's 94 days. That tells us that is it still a very strong buyer's market in North Tacoma. Homes sold for 99.01percent of their original asking price which means there were price concessions.

April 2007 Real Estate Sales Stats for Tacoma's North Slope Historic District

April 2007 Real Estate Sales Stats for Tacoma's North Slope Historic District

From April 1st to April 31st, 2007, five homes sold in the North Slope Historic District in Tacoma. In 2006, there were six sales in the same period. 2007 averages are as follows:

Average Sales Price- $383,210

Average Days on Market- 125 days

Average $ per Sq Ft- $206.46

Average Sq Ft- 1933

Low Sales Price- $210,600

High Sales Price- $557,500

Average Sales Ratio (assessed value vs. sales price)- 1.23358

The biggest change this past month was the Days on Market. Last month's average was 84 as compared to this month's 125 days. That tells us that is it still a very strong buyer's market in North Tacoma. Homes sold for 97.62 percent of their original asking price which means there were price concessions. Demand for homes has been on average only 6% of the homes currently listed for sale.   Under 45% indicates a buyer's market.

This Week's Church

This Week's Church is...

St. Patrick's Church in Tacoma is located at 1112 North G Street, Tacoma, WA 98403. The current Father is Seamus Laverty. In June of this year the church will be 100 years old! 

Per their website-

In 1891 there were three Catholic churches in Tacoma; St. Leo, Holy Rosary and St. Mary.

Because of the close proximity of the three churches, and the recognized need of a church in Old Town, Bishop Junger gave permission to dissolve St. Mary's and to establish St. Patrick Church in the Old Town section of Tacoma.

Early in the spring of 1892, a small 30' x 40' frame church was built on the corner of Tacoma Avenue and Starr. The modest wooden church building also served as the Parish school.

On August 15, 1905 the original wooden church building was destroyed by fire.

Construction of the current church building at No. 12th & "J" was begun in 1906 and the church was dedicated by Bishop O'Dea on June 30, 1907.

For more information on their fascinating history visit http://www.stpats-tacoma.org/AboutUs.html.

You can learn about the church through the last 120 years!

St. Patrick's also offers school programs.

They have pre-school Montessori, All day Montessori and kindergarten through eighth grade and an after school program.

All of these photos are of the current church as it stands today.

      

      

Historic Homes of Tacoma Tour

The Tacoma Historical Society presents it's 14th annual Historic Homes of Tacoma Tour.

This year's tour features eight homes and one church in Tacoma's "Historic West End."

The tour will be May 5th and May 6th, 2007

Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm.

Tickets are $20 each for non society members and $15 each for society members. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Tacoma Historical Society Exhibit Center, 747 Broadway; the Pacific Northwest Shop; Stadium Thriftway; Union Avenue, Fircrest,  and Westgate branches of Columbia Bank.

Proceeds from the Historic Homes of Tacoma Tour tickets benefit the Tacoma Historical Society Museum Fund. THS is a 501(c) organization.

Visit them online at www.tacomahistory.org

Pierce County Landscaper Exceed Expectations

Today I had the pleasure of meeting Victor from Precious Landscaping. To read about today's experience click here.  Thank you Victor!

If you are in Pierce County or South King, based on this one experience, I'd highly recommend him. He is a handy man that just started his own landscaping business. He seems honest, straightforward, his prices are fair, he did a good job landscaping, and so clearly goes above and beyond the call of duty. And he gives free estimates too.

If you are looking for a landscaper, you might want to give him a try. His number is 253-229-1878.

Tell him Debi sent / referred you. :)

I'm facinated by Old Houses (Part 2)

I'm fascinated by Old Houses (Part 2) - The Victorian Period-

The Victorian period encompasses several styles. 

Early-Victorian, Mid-Victorian, and Late-Victorian.Early-Victorian homes were built in several styles such as Gothic, Italian, or Norman. They are very distinct and somewhat rigid in their design.

The Mid-Victorian house, built from about 1860 to the late 1870s, is a bit more loose in design and generally combined several different styles all in the same house. It is not unusual to find Italian style windows and columns with Elizabethan Ironwork.  Sometimes they are viewed as an eye-sore because they are so eccentric looking.

The Late-Victorian period, from about 1880 through the early 1900's, saw cleaner and asymmetrical lines. The Elizabethan Ironwork was gone.  So was the frilly wood ornamentation. The houses are larger and quite frankly more graceful in appearance. The interiors of the Late-Victorian are less rigid and the living spaces generally flow into one another.  Houses built in this period are not flashy but they were the staple for the average middle class American at the turn of the century.  A person can go to any city across America, large or small, and find examples of the Late-Victorian. In Tacoma there are multiple examples of the Victorian period. Variants include the Shingle and the Queen Anne.

Here are a few examples of Victorian houses in Tacoma-

Early Victorian Home

Historic Tacoma Lecture Series

HISTORIC TACOMA ANNOUNCES LECTURE SERIES FOR PRESERVATION MONTH

May is National Preservation Month and to celebrate Historic Tacoma is offering an informative series of lectures covering architectural identification, window repair, historic landscaping, and lighting. A community forum will close the series featuring a moderated panel discussion on rehabilitation and adaptive re-use of neighborhood landmarks.

You won't want to miss this series which takes place in the majestic setting of the historic Pythian Hall in downtown Tacoma. Call or email today to order your tickets. Lectures are free to Historic Tacoma members and $8 per ticket for general public, or $25 for the series. Join Historic Tacoma today and save!

Series details:
May 3:
ID Required: Residential Architectural Styles from 1880-1930 -
Caroline T. Swope, Ph.D., a Historic Tacoma board member and architectural historian at Seattle Central Community College, will guide you through a maze of house styles. Bring photos of your house!

May 10:
Vinyl is for Records: True Window Repair, Restoration and Replacement -
Learn how to fix simple window challenges and how to appropriately replace old windows. Presented by Troy Axe from Legacy Renovation and Lisa Distefano of Bear Wood Windows, Inc.

May 17:
Get the Dirt: Landscaping for Historic Properties -
Susan Black, of Susan Black & Associates, Landscape Architects will guide you through the various options for period appropriate foundation plantings, trees, and garden designs.

May 24:
See the Light: Period Appropriate Lighting -
Renee Peru and Kristine Kyle of the Antique Lighting Company join forces with John and Amber Bray of Tacoma’s Maiden Faire. Learn the various styles and challenges associated with period inspired lighting.

May 31:
Community Forum Dessert Potluck -
A moderated panel discussion on the rehabilitation and adaptive re-use of neighborhood landmarks. Discuss public policy issues with city policy makers, developers and neighborhood activists. Come at 7pm with a dessert to share and we’ll chat informally before the 7:30pm program.
This event is free for members and general public.

Tickets are $8 per lecture for the general public ($25 for series) and free for Historic Tacoma members (join online now!). Non-members may order series tickets via Brown Paper Ticket or pay at the door

The series will be held at the Knights of Pythias Hall, 926 ½ Broadway Street in downtown Tacoma. Lectures start at 7pm and a question and answer period will be held following each lecture. ADA access is available via the "Court C" entrance located behind the building.

For more information, call 253-591-2026, or email info@historictacoma.net. Or you can visit Historic Tacoma online at www.HistoricTacoma.org.

Event sponsored by Historic Tacoma and Artifacts Consulting