Continue reading »]]> Are you an Artist? Do you love to draw, take pictures, or sculpt but don’t have a studio space to call your own? Well then you need to check out Tacoma Art Place. TAP is a non profit locating in Downtown Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood that is dedicated to providing artists like you access to equipment and training that will make it easier for you to affordably explore your creativity and artistic ability.

In addition to a space to work, they have easels, classes, art supplies, sewing machines, a kiln, and even a black and white photo lab. For a complete list of all of the art supplies available, (including SLR Cameras you can check out) click here.

Tacoma Art Place is open Wednesdays and Thursdays 1:00pm to 8:00pm, Fridays from 1:00pm to 5:30 pm, Saturdays 10:00am to 6:00pm and Sundays Noon to 5:00pm, they’re located at 1116 South 11th Street in Tacoma, about 20 minutes from Base. The drop in rate is $10.  The cost for an annual membership for Military is $38 for an individual, $75 for a couple, and $100 for a family.

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Cormorant Passage is a neighborhood nestled in Steilacoom, a historic town (Washington State’s first!) located less than 20 minutes from JBLM.  Because Cormorant is a mere 5 minutes to North Fort Lewis and within easy commuting distance to JBLM, Madigan, and I-5- it is a popular post for those who spend a lot of time on base.

Cormorant Passage was named for the Paddle Sloop HMS Cormorant, which was at Fort Nisqually between 1844 and 1850. It was the first naval steam vessel on Puget Sound. Cormorant Passage has 122 single family homes as well as a gated condominium complex. The neighborhood’s centrally located park and sidewalks make it popular with buyers. “People like living in Cormorant,” says local Realtor Mark Bergman. “It’s a neighborhood  with larger, more private lots than most neighborhoods.   I personally like the size of the lots, the neighbors, and the proximity to JBLM and Madigan. A neighborhood like this one is rare in the south sound.”

605 Kautz Ct , Currently for Sale

Cormorant Passage has a great community spirit with many great traditions. “There are so many local events,” says Realtor Mark Bergman. “They have a great 4th of July celebration with fireworks, there’s the  Apple squeeze, a salmon bake and Elves and Bells Around Town. For Elves and Bells city officials dress as Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves and ride through the streets on a mechanical sleigh with fire trucks and police cars bringing toys to the community kids! It is a really fun tradition.”

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Continue reading »]]> One of the most challenging parts of buying a home when you’re moving off post is researching neighborhoods. It’s one thing if you grew up somewhere, but for many who have recently PCSed to JBLM it can be difficult to get a feel for what neighborhood is right for them to live in.  Hiring a Realtor who is a local expert is a good start, but in the end you need to be able to do your own research on a community to find out if it’s right for you!

Here at Joint Base Living, we’ve compiled a list of resources to help make the process of researching a neighborhoods schools, crime, and other information faster and easier for you.

Trulia Heat Map-  The Trulia Heat map is a really great tool that helps you visually track how much crime is happening in a particular neighborhood anywhere in the country, down to the block the house is on.  This is incredibly valuable for people new to a city or town, because as we know sometimes high crime areas are located mere blocks away from low crime areas.

Tacoma Police Neighborhood Crime Data- Another way to research crime is to go right to the source. The city of Tacoma publishes it’s crime data on it’s website for your researching pleasure.

Pierce County Neighborhood Crime Data- Pierce County also tracks crime on their website.  Thurston County Sherriff also has a map based system for tracking crime, which can be found here.

Of course, crime is not the only factor in choosing a great neighborhood. To research walkability check out the neighborhoods WalkScore here.  If you’re interested in checking out the area schools, Washington State publishes a report card for each school in each school district. You can see that report card here.

With all the tools available, there’s really no substitute for having a Realtor on your side who is experienced working in neighborhoods around JBLM.  If you’re looking for a Realtor to help you find a great house off post, contact us!

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Continue reading »]]> For many, base housing is a temporary situation. While it can be convenient when you’re first moving to an area, the urge to find a nice place to call your own is strong. Since the median home price in Pierce County is currently about $169,000 finding a home off post is surprisingly easy for soldiers at almost all ranks.

We spoke with local Realtor Cyrus Bonnett about what you can get for your BAH (Base Allowance for Housing) here in Pierce County. ”E-1 to E-4 receive about $1,293/month for BAH with dependents, ” says Cyrus. “If soldiers have  decent credit and not too much debt they usually can use their housing allowance and VA Certificate to buy a home 0 Down.  At today’s rates (3.76%) around a $150,000 home!”

With experts across the country agreeing that the housing market is bottoming, and larger posts like JBLM giving their soldiers longer dwell times, this might be a golden moment for military families in the Pacific Northwest. “Many homes are very affordable for soldiers but they get into the mind set of living on post is better because they don’t have to worry about selling if they PCS, ” says Cyrus. “The truth is by they are more than likely going to be staying at Ft Lewis for quite some time.” More and more soldiers are realizing that if they choose not to sell when they PCS they can rent out their place and have someone else paying for their mortgage, turning them into investors.

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Crossroads in Puyallup offers New Homes

In the end, Matt and Tamera found a home in the new construction community of Crossroads, on Puyallup’s South Hill. Located at the intersection of 128th St E & 115th Ave Ct E, it’s an easy commute to JBLM and close to the mall and all of the restaurants and parks that make South Hill a great place to live. “I am proud to have been a part of their process to home ownership,” says Jim. “And will call them friends for a very long time I hope.”

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Continue reading »]]> Here at Joint Base Living we are constantly striving to provide useful information on the communities around JBLM to folks who are relocating.  There is such a variety of communities and neighborhoods surrounding the base, it can be overwhelming. If you’re just getting started looking into neighborhoods here are some links to information on different neighborhoods around JBLM:

Steilacoom- One of Washington States oldest communities, Steilacoom’s appeal rests with it’s small town feel and spectacular views. Check out these posts on Steilacoom Condos and Steilacoom view homes.

Puyallup/South Hill-  About 20-30 minutes from base, Puyallup is famous for great schools.   While Downtown Puyallup has lots of charming older neighborhoods, there is plenty of new construction in South Hill and Puyallup.

Tacoma – Tacoma has almost too many neighborhoods to count. Check out this post on Tacoma’s Theater District for info about downtown living. Tacoma’s Old Town offers a winning combination of history and incredible views. If you’re looking for affordability, check out this post on the affordable yet hoppin’ Central Tacoma.

Lakewood- Due to it’s proximity to base, many people relocating to JBLM end up in Lakewood or it’s neighbor University Place. Fircrest, a small town squeezed between UP and Tacoma is also an excellent choice. Check out this post on a family that relocated to Fircrest from Korea.

Graham/Spanaway- As this military couple who relocated to Spanaway found, there are many opportunities for affordable new construction in Spanaway. Graham has many large property and equestrian properties.

For a more complete list of neighborhoods near JBLM, check out our neighborhoods page.

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Continue reading »]]> Sometimes in the process of moving to a new place and finding a home, you find new friends, too!  Tacoma Realtor Jim Swanson remembers the day Art & Francesca Campos walked into his office at Windermere in Tacoma. “It was destiny,” said Jim. “I was just the guy who happened to be in the office that day, and now we are very good friends.”

Art and Francesca had just PCSed from Chicago to JBLM.  They were looking to purchase a home, but had some very specific requirements.  Since Art is a Jump Master with the Army Rangers he regularly went on long deployments. Having a safe, secure place for Francesca to live when he was gone was important to him.

“We looked at a lot of homes in the beginning,” says Jim. “Art had to deploy soon after we started looking but Francesca and I shopped for homes and offered on a short sale which did not work out.”  In the end, the couple had a home built in the gated Spanaway new construction neighborhood of Wyndham Ranch.   The community features two children’s play areas and a system of trails for walking and hiking. Located in Spanaway, Wyndham Ranch is an easy commute to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and only 10 minutes to Puyallup.

Art and Francesca are settled into their new place, but they still see plenty of their Realtor, Jim. “We did look at a lot of homes in the beginning and I really enjoyed them, and even today, we all hang out on occasion or go out for dinner and to enjoy being around each other.”

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Continue reading »]]> Located about 15 minutes from JBLM, Steilacoom is home to some of the best view homes on Puget Sound.  Home to some of Washington State’s oldest historical sites, it became the first incorporated town in Washington in 1854. Steilacoom has homes with views of Puget Sound, Fox Island, Ketron Island, and Anderson Island.  Condo is called Spyglass in Madrona Park

Built in 1985, Spyglass in Madrona Park Condos offer sweeping views of the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains.  Because of it’s proximity to JBLM the community is popular with active and retired military.

Units in Spyglass at Madrona Park are large. For example, this 2 bedroom 2 bath unit recently listed by Realtors Diane Thomas and  Janet Armitage is 2,270 square feet.  ”This is a wonderful community,” says Janet. “You can watch the ferries go by and see incredible sunsets from all of the main living areas.”

Like all Condominums, Spyglass at Madrona Park condos have HOA Dues. The dues include cable, earthquake insurance, water, garbage, and sewer.

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Continue reading »]]> Looking for an alternative to the usual dinner and drinks for Valentine’s Day this year? Downtown Tacoma’s Broadway Center for the Performing Arts has just the ticket. This year on February 14th they are hosting “Sweet & Spicey: A Valentines Day Burlesque” at Downtown Tacoma’s Pantages Theater.

Tickets are $40 and include a decadent dessert buffet and a glass of wine or other beverage to enjoy with the show.  Tickets can be purchased here. The show begins at 8:30pm and will feature performances by Tacoma’s own Gritty City Sirens and Tush! Burlesque.  Doors open at 7:30pm with a lobby performance by singer and guitarist Stephanie Johnson.

The show is a benefit for YWCA of Pierce County and the Broadway Center.

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Continue reading »]]> One a month the Museum of Glass in Downtown Tacoma offers free activities for families.  They offer a variety of activities for children and adults throughout the Museum.  In addition to hands on art projects, you can explore the concepts and themes behind the artwork in the galleries and Hot Shop, catch a dance performance, and join an interactive story circle.

Each Family Day is different. Every month the museum plans a unique event that is creative and fun for the whole family.  The next Family Day is this Saturday, January 14th from 1pm-4pm.  They’re calling it “New Years Resolutions” 

Bring the family for an afternoon of creativity.  Make your 2012 resoltions count by keeping keep track of them in your own journal. Artist Jennifer Adams will help you fashion a book using recyclable materials.

For more information about the Museum of Glass Education programs and special events, click here!

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