Real Estate

Imagine driving 375 miles, about halfway from New York to Chicago, and getting $1,000 - $4,000 for every foot you traveled. The San Juan Islands are ringed by that much shoreline, with buyers willing to pay that much -- on average -- for their nugget of water-side property.

While ridge lines and inland parcels have gained popularity in recent years, shoreline lots have been and continue to be the jewels of the property market in San Juan County.

According to the 1950 U.S. Census, there were three pages of San Juan Island phone numbers in the phone book, compared with six pages of real estate related businesses in the 1999-2000 phone book.

The history of real estate in the San Juans is closely tied to land-use regulations designed to protect the land. Land-use regulations drove up the cost of property because of permits and development standards. The passage of the county Comprehensive Plan in 1979 signaled the change. Property values increased around 1980 and 1981, leveled off until a 1989 to 1991 increase, then leveled off again. The value of land in the county skyrocketed in the 1980s, more than doubling between 1984 and 1994. The value of property in 1983 for 1984 taxes was $897 million. In 1994, the value was $2.08 billion.

For more island real estate information, check with Chamber members who are ready to help you with your real estate needs.