about me
bainbridge island specialist
experience has taught me that no agent can be all things to all clients in all geographic areas. hence, i limit my practice exclusively to bainbridge 
island, washington usa planet earth (bi). bainbridge island is accessible by vehicle and passenger ferries from the downtown seattle waterfront or by bridge via the scenic kitsap peninsula. i specialize in residential properties ranging from family neighborhood residences and secluded cabin retreats to harborside town homes and elegant waterfront estates. i have lived on bi for over 25 years with my wife and two children and have practiced real estate on the island for over 20 years. having raised two children on the island i have a first hand knowledge of and involvement in area schools, youth sports programs, arts and cultural activities, and regional recreational opportunities. i am honest, enthusiastic, congenial, conscientious, and realistic and thoroughly enjoy the bainbridge island community, my family, and my work.
philosophy
simple and fun! i apply these same tenets in my real estate practice as i do in my life. as we all strive to be more, do more, and have more, we find ourselves vainly trying to cram more and more activities and events into our already busy lives. this "overbooking" frequently manifests as stress. purchasing or selling real estate, especially one's primary residence, often occurs at a hectic time accompanied by changing jobs, leaving old friends, making new friends, finding new schools, packing, unpacking, traveling, etc. and, while the process of buying or selling a home isn't brain surgery (or is it rocket science? ... i can never decide which is the more appropriate hyperbole), real estate transactions in a rural area such as bainbridge island do tend to be somewhat more complicated than is generally the case in more urban environments. on bainbridge island it is not uncommon to be dealing with issues regarding properties that have not been surveyed; individual or shared wells; on-site sewerage treatment systems (septic systems); setback requirements from streams, ponds, wetlands, and water frontage; view easements; road and well maintenance agreements; and salmon or bald eagle management programs to name a few. how can i help? well, i can try to reduce the stress, keep the process simple, offer perspective, and generally help make the selling/buying/moving process fun. ok, ok, maybe not a walk in the park or a month on a greek island, but better than a trip to the dentist.
professional skills and services
i would characterize my negotiating style as win-win. i make every effort to negotiate agreements that benefit and satisfy all parties. a buyer or seller who feels that he or she has "lost" at the bargaining table is often resentful and subsequently less likely to be willing to work through the problems that invariably arise between entering into an agreement and consummating a transaction. as recently as twenty five years ago, real estate transactions on the island were routinely consummated with a hand shake. just ask one of the island old timers. today it is not uncommon for a real estate agent's paper transaction file to be three or four inches thick. do we really need all that paperwork, legalese, real estate jargon, timelines, contingencies, etc.? only if a conflict should arise. beyond that, it doesn't hurt employment in the legal community. as my assoicate, j, always says ... keith likes to cross all the "i's" and dot all the "t's". i guess i do tend to be more analytical and attentive to contract terms and details, ... just in case.
client relationships
my success in real estate is a direct result of the fact that the majority of my business comes from repeat business and referrals from past clients and other agents. i do very little self-promotion. i do not make unsolicited telephone calls or engage in mass mailings. because past clients regularly refer new clients to me i am free to spend my time working with clients, aggressively marketing their properties and helping them find new properties, rather than prospecting for new client leads. if you are considering buying or selling property on bainbridge island i invite you to give me a call to find out what i can do for you. contact me.
