Something I love most about Stanwood and Camano are the connections between people on social media, in the grocery stores, at school, etc. People are extremely passionate about building relationships and share their appreciation toward the quality of life in this small community.

Due to the access and local presence of social media, we are able to spark some wonderful conversations. Recently locals have been speaking out, and have personally asked me to share some strategies to aid some of their concerns.

As an outsider coming in from the hustle and bustle of a lifetime in Bellevue/Kirkland and Seattle, the generosity and awe-inspiring beauty were immediately noticeable and extremely enriching. Over the last three years here, I have fully enjoyed immersing my family into our community and unique environment.

It has become obvious I am not the only one who fills an instinctual need with our outdoor focused living. With so few local gathering locations and so many beaches, wonderful State Parks and wooded surroundings, those who commit as residents appear to be the ones who care most about the scenery.

As more continue to discover Stan/Cam, locals are becoming concerned about losing the very thing we hold dear, our natural beauty.

So many dream of building new homes, starting from scratch on a vacant wooded lot. With prices on the rise, it seems to be a way to get a suitable home at a reasonable price.

With high lumber prices, owners are capitalizing on clearing their lots, yet some are leaving them in disarray.

Unfortunately, with the the clearing of vacuous lots and taking away the pleasure so many find in our surroundings, also come drainage problems. Locals find themselves dipping into their own pocket books to address these newfound issues.

Furthermore, salt water contamination is becoming a growing concern. Drilling new wells will only increase the likelihood of contamination.

As a real estate agent, upon moving here I saw so many opportunities to contact builders. I couldn’t help but remember why I moved here, and regardless of how profitable these options were to me, I could not fathom taking the trees away to build homes. Unfortunately, I was not the only one who noticed them. Currently, there are new homes built or being built on each of these wooded lots I so desperately wanted to hide.

As any of my clients get attest, I’m not one to point out problems without solutions. There are special loans for renovation, where the cost of construction is included in the final loan amount. With only 3.5% down, the FHA 203K Rehab loan is a wonderful option to take an existing home and make it your own without the enormous remodeling costs out-of-pocket.

There are also existing vacant homes that are tear downs, which are eye sores on wonderful lots. They already have wells or water shares and septic systems. I have builder contacts whom, depending on their workload, can purchase these lots, build a semi-custom home on it and sell to you at the time of closing for as little as 0% down.

Although most of these home are not listed, I specialize in finding off market homes.

By not clear cutting, you will make so many locals happy. We welcome change, welcome new residents, but want to be sure to express our concerns and offer help for those who share our warm hearts and love for nature.

Please let me know if I can help you make a effort toward preserving what is left of our natural habitat.