Mukilteo Musings

Ah, Man!

My town was featured in the Seattle Times Real Estate section over the weekend. Darn! We have been trying to keep this place a secret so that not every single lot is developed. On my walks with Apolo, I love that many of our streets still have no sidewalks or curbs. We have gullies with creeks and trees so thick, you cannot see through. In fact today, as I trudged over a little trail, Apolo was attacked by a blackberry bush which grabbed his tail. Scared him to death---and I'm trying to calm him down as he freaks out and hops all over because he is attached to this gigantic bush. Luckily, the branch let go of him. Parts of Mukilteo still have a vacation cabin/beach house feel but I fear we are losing that.

So the headline was:

"Mukilteo's Spectacular Views No Longer a Secret"

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2002547128_neighborhood09.html

""Mukilteo is one of the most charming undiscovered gems in the region — but not for long," said Lee Gallaher of Gallaher Real Estate, who recently moved from Edmonds to Mukilteo.

The Puget Sound city, 25 miles north of Seattle between Edmonds and Everett, is home to 19,360 residents and has an active real-estate market. ....

In addition to sweeping panoramas, the city is home to an active waterfront, several parks, a strong school system, a historic lighthouse and one of the busiest ferry terminals in the state, serving Clinton on Whidbey Island."

The article goes on to say that the median house price is about $380,000 and going up. Of course, housing prices are all over the place depending upon......views. A house in Mukilteo with no view and worth $400,000 will be worth over a million---the same exact house---a mere block away with a view of Puget Sound. But again, the view must be just the right view with the right objects. The view rating scale according to our county is based on 1 through 8. Eight, of course, is a sweeping unobstructed waterfront view of the water, the mountains, and all of Whidbey Island. I guess our view is between 5 and 6 and as a result, our house is worth $150,000 to $200,000 less than a house with an 8 view.

And here is why we are not an 8: we cannot see the end of Whidbey Island from inside of our house though we can see it from our back yard. But we could never have afforded this house if I could see the scene below from my bathroom. We lucked out because frankly, this is the only thing we cannot see because it is blocked by one house but we see all the way north to Canada and south to Edmonds AND we can see Possession Head from our backyard anytime we want. Plus, we are so close to the water that I can see waves, sea lions, birds and whales with my bare eyes. Proximity doesn't seem to count on the 1-8 scale.

So all of this is kind of stupid and laughable but really really important to people who only worry about money.


Possession Head, Whidbey Island with Olympics as a backdrop taken an hour ago.