We all know the common phrase relating to real estate: Location, location, location. Well, that is even more true when you’re contemplating a pretty vast lifestyle change.
Just about every day, I look on Redfin and Zillow, as well as LandWatch and the occasional other farm-centric site, at this point just to scope out what is available and what kinds of prices I should expect. I currently live in North Seattle, and in Washington there are all kinds of places I could go to find some land, but my instincts are telling me to go north. My search started with an assumption that I would need to commute to my job in Mountlake Terrace, and so my northern-most boundary was about Marysville. Now, with more of a possibility for remote work, I have expanded considerably.
Recently, I went on a socially distant day trip with two friends who are quite familiar with the Skagit Valley and Bellingham areas. The day was revealing — the beauty of this area is unparalleled, and I could SEE and FEEL the kinds of community I want to be involved with. I took some photos throughout the day that simply do not do the area justice, but I wanted to include them here.
The following weekend, I did some solo exploring, seeking out particularly areas where I could do some bird watching. Well holy moly did I find it! I ended up spending most of the day near the rivers and sloughs off the Skagit Bay. In particular, I spent over an hour wandering a couple hundred feet of path in what is either the Wiley Slough or the Fir Island Slough – the signage was unhelpful.
I encountered another bird watcher with binoculars, who looked at me as I passed and said, “It’s an embarrassment of riches.” I laughed, and agreed. Only early October and already a landing place for Snow Geese, this wetland area must have had over a dozen species just hanging out. I got a few photos, including a shot of a Northern Harrier hunting that makes me very happy! Keep your eyes out in the photos for Blue Heron, all kinds of ducks and geese, and something unidentified in the marshes: a Sandpiper? Plover? Wilson’s Snipe? Bird nerds are welcome to help me with that one.
So, while I haven’t dove into real estate in any major way, the Skagit County area is calling to me. I intend to spend a lot more time up there in the coming months to be sure, but it feels to have all the right elements: natural areas abound (although the areas where I was allow hunting, which is madness to me), the small towns are filled with community, tourism, and some diversity (though I’m keeping my eyes on that too), and there are plenty of plots that would be perfect for my dream farm.
It’s a popular area, and we’ll see what happens to the real estate market in the next year, but it’s an exciting start.