Concrete Counter Tops

December 20, 2010

 

For the ultimate custom look in counter tops, consider the fantastic artistry and designs made possible with concrete, and Artisan, Laurie Smith.  Color and texture spoken here!  Acid stains, inlays made from wood, geodes, shells, you name it, practically anything is possible. Laurie Smith, of Advanced Concrete Artisans, is a true master of her craft. Next time you are in Poulsbo, stop by Blue Heron Jewelry and 

Kitsap Kitchen & Bath Co. to see her stunning counter top creations.  

 

Visit her website and photo gallery, including floors, fire-place surrounds, fountains and more,     www.advancedconcreteartisans.com

 

Cheers!

 

Tracy

 

Tracy M. Corriveau, CGP

Design Options -Interior Design

360-860-1052

www.tcdesignoptions.com

 

Quartz Counters for the Kitchen

Did you know that Quartz counters do not have to be sealed, (like their granite cousin)
making them very anti-microbial, very healthy in the Kitchen! They come in such a wide variety of colors and patterns; solids and small flecks to larger granite and stone-like textures. Polished or honed (matte) finishes are available. Quartz is also very heat and scratch resistant, and many quartz products are made from recycled materials. Makes this choice of counter-top material high on my list!

How to Have a Comfortable Kitchen

Here is an interesting articles about cozy and comfortable kitchens.  Click here to read the article.

Kitchen Remodeling Seminar

Join me for this fun and informative session where we will be looking at the latest Kitchen Design Trends and new products for floors, countertops, backsplashes, cabinetry, tile, and more. This seminar will also include a discussion on:

- Getting Started: A Good Roadmap = Good Design
- Working Within a Budget
- Re-Sale in this Economy
- Low Maintenance and Accessibility.

Friends, Family and Clients are all welcome.

Date and Time 
Saturday, October 23, 2010 · 3:00pm - 4:00pm

Location
Kitsap Kitchen and Bath Co.
1016 NE Forest Rock Lane
Poulsbo, WA

Tracy Corriveau is an Interior Designer and Realtor. She has over 20 years of experience in residential and commercial interiors, and 18 years with Real Estate on the Kitsap Peninsula. Tracy completed her B.A.in Interior Design at Michigan State University. She is a Certified Green Professional (CGP) and a member of The National Kitchen and Bath Association.

Real Estate Market SnapShot - April, 2010

Curious what’s happening in your Real Estate market? Here is my recap of the First Quarter:

One of the components of the housing market is vacant land sales and construction of new homes. According to the Kitsap County Homebuilders Association there have been 60 new building permits issues for single family homes this year. In comparison last year there were a total of 301 for all of 2009. In looking back, building permits peaked in 1992 at approximately 1800.

Traffic at the recent Kitsap Home and Garden Expo was up along with consumer confidence, according to the participating vendors. This is a great sign going forward. We surveyed various local lenders regarding land/construction loan activity and were pleasantly surprised at how many loans have closed.

Resale homes in the First Quarter have seen a significant increase over last year. Pending sales for March that include King, Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap are up to 6821 in 2010 verses 4262 in 2009. More specifically in Kitsap County for March there were 394 pending sales out of 1836 active listings, with an average price of $284,798. In North Kitsap there are 489 active listings and 113 went pending as of March 31st with an average price of $270,850. A good share of this is attributed to the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit. We can only hope this trend continues!
Members of the military and certain other federal employees serving outside the U.S. have an extra year to buy a principal residence in the U.S. and qualify for the credit. Thus, an eligible taxpayer must buy, or enter into a binding contract to buy, a principal residence on or before April 30, 2011. If a binding contract is entered into by that date, the taxpayer has until June 30, 2011, to close on the purchase. Members of the uniformed services, members of the Foreign Service and employees of the intelligence community are eligible for this special rule. It applies to any individual (and, if married, the individual’s spouse) who serves on qualified official extended duty service outside of the United States for at least 90 days during the period beginning after Dec. 31, 2008, and ending before May 1, 2010.
On the Investor Front, more than three times as many potential homebuyers were interested in buying a home as an investment in March compared to the same month last year, according to a survey by Realtor.com operator Move Inc. This goes to show that prices are now at a level attractive to investors. In March, 17.2 percent of consumers planned to purchase a home as an investment in the near future. One year ago, only 5.6 percent did. This again demonstrates the increase in consumer confidence.
With prices continuing to be soft and interest rates still very attractive this is an opportune time to buy!

Kingston Passenger Ferry Coming this Fall

KINGSTON — Port of Kingston commissioners voted Wednesday to buy a used 149-seat ferry to begin a passenger service to Seattle this fall.
The port is buying the 72-foot ferry Spirit from Four Seasons Marine Services of Silverdale for $2.5 million. The sale will be finalized after the Spirit is surveyed in Port Townsend this week.
"This is a pretty exciting time for the Port of Kingston," Commissioner Pete DeBoer said.
The purchase agreement was approved by DeBoer and Tom Coultas. Commissioner Marc Bissonnette was absent.
The port will use money from a $3.5 million Federal Transit Administration grant to buy the boat. DeBoer said port staff looked at about 12 vessels before deciding on Spirit. The port decided not to pursue building a new boat in December because construction would take longer than the grant guidelines would allow.
Spirit is a catamaran built by All American Marine of Bellingham in 2004. The boat is powered by four, 740 horsepower diesel engines and a water jet drive. It burns about 80 gallons of fuel per hour, said Loren Gerhard, Four Seasons vice president of marine operations.
Four Seasons has used Spirit as a tour boat in Alaska and will use it again this summer, before it is delivered to Kingston. That will save the port operating money, DeBoer said.
The port hopes to launch the passenger service in October. Before then it will be adding to its roster of prospective riders, finishing work on the landing dock in Kingston and seeking federal grants to help with operating costs.
Planning is being overseen by Eric Osnes, who was recently hired to manage the passenger ferry project.
Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce President Dan Martin said the ferry purchase will bring Kingston closer to a long-sought goal. A passenger service from Kingston to Seattle faltered and folded after a brief run in 2005.
"I think this is a historic event for Kingston," Martin said. "This is going to be a big, dramatic change that the town of Kingston has been looking for for 15 years

Real Estate Today

Housing Trends & Updates

Recently some Real Estate guru’s have begun to forecast a housing shortage in 2011. We know this thought can be hard to consider with the amount of foreclosures and short sales we are anticipating again this spring. But due to the lack of construction starts and financing issues it does start to make sense. It takes about 3+ years from the development stage to an actual finished product i.e. a home you can move in to.

In the mean time, we have around 77 million Baby Boomers (ages 55+), who make up 28% of the total U.S. population and continue to affect the housing market as they retire.

Some top trends and desires in housing for this group are: overall less maintenance inside, low to zero maintenance outside, universal access meaning no steps, wide hall ways etc. Energy-Star rated homes, smaller kitchens with more convenient applications and design, larger bathrooms allowing for roll-in or walk in showers along with more safety features.

Another group, the Echo Boomers (ages 18-31), are around 80 million strong and will have their impact on society as well. Maintenance responsibilities are also low on their list. Cluster or single-family homes with zero lot lines and located near public transportation, will be a strong trend for this group.

Successful cluster “villages” have been popping up all over the Northwest, a recent example is Matthei Place in Bellingham, and it’s a part of a Community Land Trust. Its LEED certified, and incorporates a rain garden on site so it doesn’t burden the surrounding public storm water system. Some of the features include a high-efficiency water and space heating system, Energy-Star lighting and a re-use of salvaged building materials, setting the bar high for this type of housing! Green homes and communities help protect and restore: healthy salmon habitat, healthy forests, adequate and clean water supplies, and fresh outdoor air. Kitsap County is the leader in the state when it comes to the Built-Green program. We are hoping this trend continues.

According to Puget Sound Energy, it’s cheaper to conserve than to create or generate energy. The list for appliances and fixtures offering rebates and incentives continues to grow each year. Currently there is a $12 rebate with Energy-Star compact fluorescent light fixtures from our larger local home improvement stores. There may be a rebate for Energy-Star refrigerators and converting an existing incandescent fixture to a compact fluorescent one, very soon, stay tuned!