Vashon Realtors

So  I don't know how people usually choose a realtor.  Maybe they read reviews and such, but we received a recommendation from a friend and it worked well for us.  We have only purchased a house- never sold- and when we bought our house there was so little on the market that I just feel like we cannot know if our realtor was good or not- Her job was easy when it came to our house purchase...

But here is one of the best things about realtors on Vashon- a lot of them let you use moving trucks for free! As if moving isn't expensive and a pain enough it's great to save a couple of hundred bucks and have a truck at your disposal. We did all of our move in just one day but I know a couple of people who have borrowed it for a couple of weekends in a row.

6 Reasons NOT to move to Vashon.

I love Vashon. Seriously I  do. I am thrilled we live here, but a lot of people I know have pondered moving to Vashon and more than a couple people we know are really considering a move.  The thing is, this place is not for everyone.  So even though I am all about you moving here there are some reasons to NOT move to Vashon.

1. I think the nature of Vashon is introverted.  Sure there are extroverts here- but communities have personalities and I think this community is an introverted one (PNW in general probably is). This is a place where people stay at home, do there own thing, enjoy families, leave parties early, linger in deep conversations etc.  The social scene here is also legit, don't get me wrong.  But the scene here is NOT socialite.

2.   If you are going to work off Island (and your partner is too), you need to be comfortable with your kids being on an island without you.  For us that means we have an emergency plan and such but for some people having Puget sound between them and their kids is too much.

3.  Ferry Life and Boat life are not everyone's cup of tea. You will spend some time missing ferries, changing last minute plans, reading books on the boat, and excercising while walking laps on the boat.  For Islanders, we learn to love this time- to read, clean our cars, sleep etc.  But this style is not for everyone.

4.  If you crave diversity of choices then the island is a bad place to live.  A handful of resturants, 2 hardware stores, 1 shoe store, 1 bookstore, is quaint and charming for vacation. But, if you are a consumer reports reading comparison shopper. You shouldn't come here.  Sure you COULD live here and comparison shop Seattle, Tacoma or Bremerton- but why?

5. If the rain already gets you down then stay away!  It isn't rainy-er here per se but it feels wetter somehow.  Because it is grassy and mossy and tree covered the Island feels wet even when it ISN'T raining.  When you are in an urban environment the asphalt and concrete dries faster.  So if the rain makes you enjoy being at home and get all cozy and warm then go for it- otherwise stick to your drier environment.

6. Just straight up, there are a lot more 50+ and young families on the island than in most other places.  So if you are 20 years old and looking for a vibrant hook up scene or clubbing culture or even partnership, I would not recommend Vashon as the best location to do that hunting.

7. The ethnic diversity here is...um...lacking. You will have to go off island for that (or import it).

Should you move to Vashon...

I have become facebook connected through a mutual friend to a family that is moving to Seattle.  They are considering a move to Vashon.  He asked me a general "thoughts on moving to Vashon..." question. Here's my answer...

"So should you live here or not? That I cannot say. Here's the advice I usually give people- Come and stay here for a week or two and then decide. Last year after my youngest daughter was born my Sister came and stayed with us- we were living in Seattle at the time- anyway we stayed on Vashon for 7 days. Sean commuted, and through that we decided we could do it- I also grew up in a small town and though I love Seattle I was overwhelmed with how to raise a child in a city. We were living in a great albeit rough neighborhood and I simply was overwhelmed by negotiating relationships between race, class, drug dealers, neighbors etc. It didn't feel good. That, and we were entering the land of preschools and schools and the chaos of that- and we wanted the simply life- we didn't want to buy into the BS that goes with that and the copious amounts of decisions that await us at every turn...so quite frankly we chose something simpler. Fewer schools, 1 option to get off the Island, 2 grocery stores, etc. We just chose the simple life.  At times the "waiting for the ferry life" or the "slightly more expensive groceries life" or the "people know your business life." but that is also "simple".

The commute?  I love it. It is hard in the winter- don't get me wrong. And, we live on the north end so once we get to the ferry we are pretty much home. Phew. But my partner and  I also commute together some days which I love. For me, the morning time is my prayer, reflection, quiet time. Being on the water every day is such a gift. I seriously love love love it. My 3 year old is a beach comber- hunting for sea anemones and starfish, the is into barnacles, and seaweed---she knows many different types. That is awesome. She is also a shy kid- an introvert like both of us- and we feel like her withdrawn nature is not as strong as it is in Seattle with all the people and buildings- on Vashon she knows where she is!

So those are my thoughts= all jumbled together. But here I what I offer- when you get here- if you don't land on Vashon we are ready to have you over! Please hop the ferry we would love to welcome you, talk about the Island.  .  .