I recently had the good fortune to take a trip to the Pacific Northwest. It was my first time in this part of the country. I was overwhelmed by the beauty.
Our first stop was Portland for an incredible sushi meal at Nimblefish, a trip to the Japanese Garden of Portland, and then the Han-Dan wedding at The Society Hotel in Bingen, Washington on the Columbia River Gorge. From the wedding, we took the Amtrak from Bingen to Portland to Seattle. What a restful and scenic way to travel.
What brings me to the subject of this blog is our visit with our friends in Seattle. We all met through my real estate business. They have bought and sold several houses with me. Three of them are natives from the Tacoma, Washington, area. From the time we met they would tell me that the Seattle area was the spot they wanted their life to lead back to.
We stayed with Kathleen and Chris. Kathleen is the only one of the four who is not native to the area. Kathleen and Chris live in Gig Harbor, about an hour outside of Seattle. Many times they take the ferry to get to downtown Seattle. Now that is also a great way to travel.
Kathleen and Chris love their home. Kathleen was given the job of finding it in 2014 when they were able to retire. She is still excited about what she found. Her favorite feature is the backyard. She says that when she drove up and saw the grove of trees in the backyard, she had the checkbook ready. The house itself became secondary. But then she got the added pleasure of loving the house too. This is a view of their backyard with the morning sun.
Our other friends, Tim and Lisa, sacrificed many years pining for the Pacific Northwest while living and working in the midwest. They had their dream home in mind. They now live on Puget Sound and from every window in their home they have a view of the Sound and Mt Rainier. I took this photo while having lunch on their patio.
Both couples are so excited about their homes it made me pause to think about what I love about my home. I decided it is my exposed brick walls and soaring ceilings. But even without a water view, I love my backyard too.
Have you thought lately about your favorite feature and what you love most about your home?
The relationship between your home and overall quality of life has been uppermost in my mind when it comes to helping my friends buy homes. This article on identifying your lifestyle preferences is always good to review before looking to move. Also pertinent to your home choices for optimum quality of life is this article: Defining Housing Needs to Fit Your Lifestyle.
