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Honoring the Island Daffodils

It’s that time of year again:  the grass is threatening to grow and need mowing and the snow seems gone for good.  Seed catalogs are coming in the mail and the flowering trees are starting to bud out.  In my yard I can see the daffodils thrusting their long green leaves through the grass.  These hardy and cheerful flowers can often be seen in fields of old farms, next to old homesteads, and in contemporary farms with livestock, a relic of the past.  Nothing seems to like to eat the flowers, one of the first bulbs to give a bright face to the formerly grey days.  Grazing animals and deer just leave it alone.  Maybe they enjoy seeing the fields of flowers bending to the warm spring winds.  It’s a Friday Harbor remembrance of those that came before.  A reminder of older days and a harbinger of the warmth of spring. The botanists have developed bulbs that will yield huge bright yellow daffodils, even fragrant ones.  But what I like best are the pale yellow ones with the smaller flowers that have been around so long.  Look for them in the fields on all the islands soon.

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Expectations of Visitors to San Juan

If you obey these expectations, you will be looked upon as a welcome visitor rather than a confused tourist!

• Do not leave your car alarm on when you board the ferry!
• Do not act as if you are in a hurry, even if you are.
• Do not walk off the ferry and walk up the middle of the road as if it were not a street for cars also.
• Do not come to San Juan dressed in a suit unless you are an attorney or going to a wedding or a funeral.
• Do not apologize for being from California, many islanders come from California.
• There’s elbow room here! Do not tailgate people on the road or with your grocery cart.
• Keep your boats a great distance away from any Orca you are lucky enough to see. Use the telephoto lens on your camera or your binoculars to get close to them without disturbing them, or view them from the shore.
• Leave your jet skis at home!  They are not legal to use in this county.
• Open the door for the next person as you leave the store, it’s what we do.
• It is considered impolite to pass by an island dog without saying hello.
• Watch where you stop you bike, but do pull your bike or moped off the road occasionally to let people in cars pass.
• Sit on a bench in town and watch  small town life go by, it’s relaxing and humorous.

 

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Advice to Sellers

Are you thinking of selling your home in today’s real estate market?  It is more important than ever to pick the Realtor that is right for you in this depressed market.  Here are some ideas about how to approach finding the right Realtor.  It’s one of the biggest decisions in your life, and it deserves some thoughtful consideration.

First, know that most Buyers nowadays go to the internet to search out their properties, not the local classifieds.  Start by typing in the name of your town, the state, and the words real estate or houses for sale.  You can also go to a real estate site like Zillow.com or Trulia.com and check out the listings in your area.  You will want to use a Realtor who shows up on these web pages with listings.  Should you pick the Realtor with the most listings?  That depends upon how much individual attention you want.  Select a few names, at least three, then add any names that may have been recommendations from friends.

The next step is to meet with each of these three Realtors.  Tell them each you are meeting with three Realtors; let’s be fair. Have you ever had an acquaintance that tells you something that you do not comprehend?  People have different ways of communicating and the only way to find out if you “click” with a Realtor’s communication style is to sit down and talk to them face to face.  Ask some questions and see if their answers seem clear to you rather than jibberish.  See if they are actively listening to what you say.  Look at their desk and their office and see if it presents the image you like.

When you visit a Realtor, the expectation will be that you are asking for a comparative market analysis (CMA) to set a price for your property.  This is a service offered for free by most Realtors who want to get a listing.  It is appropriate at the face to face meeting to share information about your property with the three Realtors you choose, but do not tell them the price you want for your property yet.  You do not know which one you will pick and regardless of the choice, you will want independent input from all three.  Ask them to email you their CMA’s and emphasize that you want to set a realistic price in today’s market.  You will probably be asked to show them the house or lot first.

You will likely have a favorite Realtor in mind when you complete this process, even before you see the CMA’s.  You have in the process had the opportunity to deal with the office receptionist, the phone messaging system, and the length of time and work involved on your behalf from each of the agents.  You have been able to see if they are on time for an appointment.  You know how long it takes them to return a phone call. Even if your favorite choice had a price you didn’t like, you can now discuss in detail why you think the price should be different with a person who will listen and respond to your needs.  You will be signing a listing agreement with your favorite but the day that you do that, you should call the other two Realtors and thank them and tell them your price.  They still have an opportunity to sell your property, and it is a nice thank-you for them to be the first to know it is listed so they can contact their buyers.

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The Little White Pony that Went to Stuart Island

We had a precious little Welsh pony for our daughter.  She was a white Welsh Pony with a coarse long mane and tail and we called her “Ladybug.”  Our oldest daughter rode her for several years as a first horse on our farm in Ellensburg.  Then when we moved she came to Friday Harbor in a horse trailer in the middle of the winter of 1977.

Horses by nature do not like to go in a trailer and be pulled by a car down the freeway.  Ladybug was old enough so that her years of experience had taught her to be unafraid of the horse trailer; she would walk right into the big metal box.  Her stable mates would often take a month or so of training to gain the confidence to go into the trailer.  This process involved a lot of encouragement, some hunger, and plenty of grain, hay, or carrots.

At our farm on San Juan Island, our little girl soon outgrew her pony.  She was on her way to six feet of height and becoming familiar with the basketball court.  It was time for Ladybug to be passed on to other young children who wanted a little pony.  We put an ad in the Journal for the San Juans and hoped to get a call.

The phone call came from a woman who lived on Stuart Island!  She said that there was a little black pony on Stuart and a little white pony friend would be perfect for the children who lived there.  She sounded very well informed about horses and she came out that week to look at Ladybug to check her out.  She liked what she saw and agreed to buy her for a modest price.  Here was the problem:  there were no ferries that went to Stuart Island, only boats and planes.  Her idea was for me to drive our horse trailer downtown to Friday Harbor, unload Ladybug, and turn over the lead to her.  She would walk Ladybug in her halter onto a BARGE, stay on the other end of the line all the way out past the end of San Juan Island and on the Stuart.  When the barge reached the shore of Stuart, the pony would then step off.  I was so nervous about this adventure that I tried to talk her out of it. I told her I did not want to be there to see the pony walk onto the barge.  I was certain that the water would freak her out and she would be running home to our pastures along the main road from Friday Harbor, her lead flying out behind her. I had been on many trail rides where my mount decided not to set foot in the two inch creek of moving water in order to reach the other side.  The Buyer assured me that everything would be just fine, not to worry.  She could handle it, etc.

I slunk home in my car, feeling guilty and imagining all sorts of crazy barge-horse problems.  As I unhitched the trailer I saw the other horses staring at it with curiosity.  What had become of Ladybug?  Had she entirely disappeared? Back at home I tried to get calm as I remembered Marguerite Henry’s book about the ponies of Chincoteague which swam from the island to the mainland.  I thought of the island deer that would swim from one island to another.  I anxiously awaited a call from the new owner to tell me that Ladybug had safely reached the yonder shore.  And, of course, she did.  If I had been on the barge, she probably would not have for she would have sensed my fears and acted out upon them.  For the new owner, who expected no such accidents, she behaved perfectly as expected.  Ladybug and the little black pony lived out their lives giving pleasure to the children of Stuart Island.

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Old Time Island Halloween on San Juan Island

My family moved to San Juan Island with a small surge in island population in the late seventies.  We began by renting on San Juan Island to see if we liked the place.  It wasn’t long before we decided it was prudent to buy since we knew we were staying.  We were in our thirties and we had three young children.

We learned that Halloween wasn’t the same here.  For one thing, the owner of many of the stores downtown dressed up in costumes for the business day.  The owner at King’s Market, Vi King, was always a witch in black gown and high pointy hat.  There was a funny attitude all the costumed people seemed to have, like it was perfectly ordinary and nothing was unusual in their dress.  Then, as well as today, the elementary school children would dress in their Halloween costumes and walk from the elementary school with their teachers, parading up and down our main street to a sparse but enthusiastic crowd of business people and shoppers.

Next, because many of us lived on acreage away from each other, it was necessary to go to our treat or treating in a car.  We would carefully plan on when each of us would be home, then work our car visits around that.  The result was that we maybe went to somewhere between three and six places at the most. 

Mostly, on Halloween, I remember taking the kids to Clyde and Ruth Sundstrom’s farm.  When you drove up to the house you would pass the big barn with the sign saying “Barn Marche.”  It was their sense of humor, and appropriate when they would have the occasional garage sale. Clyde was one of the Sundstrom four brothers who had lived on the land since he was a boy.  He married Ruth Guard, daughter from another farm family.  Their turn of the century farmhouse was the scene of much family activity year round.  Clyde was still farming then, and he had some nice horses.  Every now and then he’d hitch up the horse to the cart and drive to the town of Friday Harbor, taking the cart down San Juan Valley Road.  The special thing about Halloween was that Ruth would always make homemade donuts that night in honor of Clyde’s birthday which was on Halloween.  There was no getting around the fact that you’d have to go into their warm kitchen for a spell and then each of your children would get a good teasing from him.  The donuts were the best ever and a far cry from the packaged miniature treats most modern kids receive.  It was a special time to spend Halloween in Friday Harbor, one I’m sure my kids will remember.

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Picking Your Realtor, Advice for the Buyer

TV shows and movies have given us such funny images of Realtors. I recall the dysfunctional Realtor played by  Annette Bening  in American Beauty, frantically washing dishes and repeating to herself a positive mantra about how she was going to sell the house.  You have probably seen TV shows of women Realtors who wear stilletto’s and gold jewelry, graciously pointing out features that are patently obvious as they swish open doors: “And this, is the bathroom.”  (Drum roll.)

There are the fresh out of college guys who sit on their desks and discuss their moves with clients behind closed doors.  It is as if the process is a football game, full of manipulation in order to get to the goal of closing the deal.  Well, those images give us a good laugh, but it is really not like that at all.

Today most Buyers  get the majority of the information they need about a listing or pricing by a click on the internet to one of many sources for free real property information.  When a Realtor gets a phone call from a Buyer, for example, in many cases that Buyer already knows what he wants to see and has learned a lot of facts about it online.  Online is where most people look for property, but where do they look for Realtors, and how do they pick one?  Here are a few places that in my opinion are not the best place to look:

1. The listing agent of the property you want to see. Why might this not be a good idea? Think about it:  the listing agent gets paid a commission from the Sellers and has been hired to have the Seller’s best interests at heart.  As a Buyer, you may want someone to represent your best interests, especially if you are a first-time Buyer.
2. A phone call to a real estate office.  It’s Russian Roulette.  How do you know what you will get?  The new agent that has only lived in town six months?  Someone who talks too fast or drives too slowly?  It is a potluck pick for a pretty important position. 
3. The guy down at the local tavern that hands out advice on everything under the sun.  OK, yes he may have had good or bad experiences with certain Realtors in town, but since you and he are very un-alike, it is only borderline useful.

 

My suggestion on how to choose a Realtor?  Ask yourself what is important to you and call a few Realtors who have good websites on-line.  Ask to meet at least three of them, separately, in their offices for a short interview. Sit face to face with them to see how you communicate with each other.  There is a Realtor for everyone, and this is an avenue to find just the right one for you.

 If I was interviewing a Realtor to be my Buyer’s Agent I would ask how often they would get in touch with me about new listings.  I would want to know if they basically communicated by phone or email.  I would look at the things in their office and ask about them – family pictures, travel momentos, etc.  I would ask them to tell me about their most memorable recent sale.  I would ask them what they thought was the most important thing for me to know about the local market at this time. The answers to these questions would give me a good idea if I had found a person who communicated clearly to me. I would know about their values.  I would know whether or not they were a whiner or someone with a good sense of humor.  I would get a sense of the process they go through for a sale and see if they were detail-oriented.

I would not get into details of talking about certain listings at the first interview.  The time spent on specifics should be saved for the person you select to represent you after the interview process.  It is unfair to the Realtors to go looking at property with more than one of them.  After the meeting, if you get a follow-up phone call (or especially if you don’t) that will be another big hint about your compatibility with the Realtor, as well as their organizational skills.

I know, interviewing a Realtor sounds like a crazy thing.  But think of all the time you put into finding a house.  You need a person who can “read” your needs clearly. You want someone who is “on the same page.”  In today’s market, any Realtor would be happy to give you a few minutes to discuss things.  If they won’t do that, you certainly wouldn’t want to use them anyway.

Next time:  Advice for the Seller

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An Island Wedding

The field had been mowed and the fragrant hay was rolled up into huge circular bales, wrapped in white plastic, and stacked out of the way.  The gate to the field was open with several acres for cars to park.  In one corner there was a barbeque going full force and there were tables laden with food and coolers full of wine and soft drinks and water.  The day was sunny and bright and many guests choose to relax in the white tent that had been rented for the event. 

It was an island wedding, with guests from afar and just down the road.  A home-grown island girl and the guy she met at college were getting the royal send-off.  But first, the energetic band was going to play the music that seemed to suit all the generations present: Rock and Roll.  Little girls in pretty dresses  flounced around in their filmy skirts and boys in cowboy hats jumped up and down to the beat on the wood floor that had been put together for the day.

It felt like the old island, when people came together and knew just about everyone because there were so few people residing here.  The Gigantic Garry Oak trees that the first farmer had left in this field,  stood over it all.   This family farm had been owned by several generations of the same family The beautiful bride in her ivory satin gown had been married there under the trees in the exact same spot as her parents were wed.  I thought how proud her grandparents would have been of her on this day.  Everything seemed to have come full circle.

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The Gift of a Tourist

Roundabout the end of July, the people on San Juan Island can start getting, shall we say, a tad bit irritated with the tourist congestion. At our island, the ferry lets cars and people off in Friday Harbor, our main town.  All the cars unload and drive up the main street past all the businesses.  So, when the ferry unloads, it might be a wait  for island residents at the grocery store or a few times around the block to find a parking spot right adjacent to where you want to go.  The beautiful thing is that we islanders are lucky enough to have it our way for the rest of the time.  Still, Summer seems to try our patience.  I think we have been fortunate for so long that we come to expect it.  It goes without saying that the tourist brings dollars to our economy and therefore we are able to have fine restaurants, good theatre, and many stores that otherwise would not exist here in the outback. 

But those obvious reasons are not what I think is the true gift of the tourist.  The true gift from the tourist is seeing our island in a fresh way through their eyes.  You can catch a glimmer of their excitement as they jump around at the ferry terminal, hardly able to contain themselves at the trip on a ferry.  On the boat they may bring cameras, binoculars, or simply stand on deck for the entire trip.  It takes the boredom right out of you if you are a frequent rider. 

When tourists arrive by walking off the ferry, they appear to be in a state of surprised shock.  They are finally here!  They cannot believe it!  They are looking about deciding where to go first.  They are asking silly questions like “When do the whales go by?”  They want to know where to get the very best hamburger.  They ask you if you live here “full-time” and gasp when you say yes.  Where ever they are from it is not here, and their joy in our island lets us appreciate anew how truly lucky we are to reside here.  Seriously, let’s face it islanders, we were nearly all tourists here before we became residents.  The tourist is a gift to remind us of what brought us here  and what made us decide to stay.

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The Joys of Scaling Down

Scaling Down, Downsizing, Cutting Back, Minimizing, Simplifying:  there are many words we use for sorting through our things and releasing our control of them to others.   Formerly thought of as, well, second-class, currently the handed down item is now a recycled, green, unique and admirable thing.  Websites such as EBay and stores like Value Village have capitalized of the current search for used properties.  What is the appeal?

A used thing takes on a sort of persona. To the second hand buyer, it has a sense of mystery. It often is something from far away or long ago.  In many cases it is not something that you could buy at the mall, even if you wanted to get it new.  But this column is not about buying, it is about releasing.  When you decide to give away, sell at a garage sale or charity event, or go online or classified with your treasures, you will be pleasantly surprised at how happy it makes other people to get your things.  They may hold up your tourist souvenir of a Native American doll which was made in China and purchased 30 years ago at a Canadian tourist trap and reverently say, “Where did you find this?”  They always want to know.  It’s called Provenance, or at least it is called that on PBS’s “Antique Roadshow.”  Stay tuned to that series and you might discover some real treasures you own that you should even insure.    

I scaled down about ten years ago.  We owned a four bedroom farmhouse on twenty acres with plenty of storage spaces and we wanted to move into a much smaller home.  In choosing things for the garage sale I was surprised to see how many items of the same use or purpose I had somehow ended up with.  You know how things accumulate if you are a mother.  Little gifts for many occasions that you don’t really need, an attempt by someone to start you on collecting things you never admired in the first place, and just that weird concept that when people see you they think you probably would like a certain kind of present.  For me, it was ceramic candy dishes and purses.

What a pleasure it was to pick my favorites from many similar things and let the rest of them go to others.  How many candy dishes does a Diabetic need, after all?  Having found and sorted through all my things, I sort of felt like I had passed away and come back again.  But looking at it from that standpoint, I am happy that it was me that did the sorting, not my bereaved children.  The good thing was that I didn’t have to mourn myself!  It was fun to open up the barn to young islanders who were needing feathers for their nests.  Their enthusiasm for my leftovers was making us all happy.

The real prize was when I moved into my scaled down house.  I could put my mind and even my finger on where everything was!  I got to thinking about how much of our lives are spent in searching for things.  Sometimes, things we never find until we decide to scale down.  The final reward, then:  looking less and therefore living lives full of more important things.  And, feeling knowledgeable and in good mental state when someone says to you, “Honey, where is the candy dish?”

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Being Old in Friday Harbor

The San Juan Islands have a 19% population of people over 65.  35.7 percent of the population is between 45-64.  That means that over half of the people that live in the islands are over 45. I am sixty-six.  When I was 21, in the youth-worshipping culture of the sixties, I used to think that 66 was really old.  I studied various cultures and decided that it would probably be a good idea to move to Japan when I got older, a place where people respected the wisdom of age.

But I think I’ll stay on San Juan. I can live here within this more mature population without feeling like I am old as mud.  The things I like to do, learn about, and participate in are likely to be available because other people my age have similar interests.  If I go to join a group of people, it will be easy to relate.  If I’m looking for a certain kind of product or food in the stores, I’m likely to find it. If I feel like taking a break, I’ll watch town life from one of the many benches.

San Juan County topped the Washington state’s 39 counties in health rankings.  It feels healthy to live here, where there are no freeways or industries to pollute the air.  That means that it’s OK to poke around in your car on the two lane roads since the speed limit doesn’t go over 45 anyway.  We don’t worry about crime or safety so much as they do on the mainland.  There are lots of good things about being a small place with little anonominity.  The sheriff will know you, your car, and your kids.  He will wave.

I appreciate some of the things from my generation that I find in this older population.  People here usually open doors for each other; they take time to listen and seem in less of a hurry. They seem non-judgmental and value the differences between people.  And that is what is fine about being old in Friday Harbor.