So Much View. So Much Home.
A friend once had a rustic little ‘cabin’ just ten feet from the water in West Seattle. The place was tiny at under 500 square feet (2 bedroom!), moldy, and had just one electrical outlet, but it also had a huge window that looked out over the water. 
I could sit in his living room and watch the ferry go back and forth all day long. “Work? Why? There’s the ferry again!”. Then he moved to Ballard. I digress.
If you’ve been looking for an unobstructed view of the water, the Olympics, and the Cascades, this just listed house on North Adams could be your future home. Those new condos are selling for more than $400 / square foot. This classic brick home is well under $300. A bargain. At 4500 square feet there’s room for your family to grow. The pictures seem to suggest that there’s still plenty of fixing up that could be done, but it isn’t necessary now. The roof is low maintenance. The basement is a relatively clean slate… nevermind the house. Look out the windows!
I believe this is one of the better views in Tacoma. Who wants in?
Listed with Re/Max, but no listing available so far. So here’s Windermere
3 comments
R Richard May 17, 2012
“The best government is that which governs least.” – Thoreau
I can’t believe the 99% see the EDD as anything other than a handmaiden to the 1%.
R Random Economist May 17, 2012
I have worked in finance for government for a number of years, including positions as Finance Director and CFO of large jurisdictions. My caveat is that I am not and never have been an employee of the City of Tacoma.
Government isn’t very good at “economic development” for a number of reasons, which I will try to summarize here.
1. Government as a whole is a Political construct, not an economic one. The purpose of government is not economic development, but the orderly setting and enforcement of the rules that guide the interaction between citizens, businesses, and other governments. Because of this, none of the business edicts of “profit first” or “time is money” actually makes sense. In fact, in our style of government in the US, slow government action is preferred over fast action because it allows citizens more time to contemplate and interact with the policy decisions.
2. In order to be fair, Government has rules that prevent it from doing any real economic development. Theoretically government should not show favoritism to any one company or to any one person. THis prevents the government from doing the things that line the pockets of one particular group. Now, we all know that there are always ways to target a specific company or group if there are enough lawyers in the room (The recent attempt to not attract Wal-Mart is an example.)
3. Speaking of Wal-Mart, the fact that the City of Tacoma went out of its way to prevent the entrance of Wal-Mart shows that decisions for the government is not about economic development but about public policy instead. Economic Development would never say no to a business that would add jobs and income to the to the jurisdiction. Public Policy would say no if the jobs and businesses weren’t “the right kind.”
4. The tax structure of the State of Washington encourages urban sprawl for local governments to get additional revenue. Because the only real area that a local government can turn to for additional tax dollars rapidly is sales tax, retail sales are the engine for most of them in their quest for “economic development.” Which gets you big-box retail and the sprawl associated with that.
These are just a few things that point to the fact that local governments really can’t do much in terms of economic development. However, that doesn’t prevent politicians from using the term “economic development” to cloak their public policy decisions.
P Published Author RR Anderson May 17, 2012
walmart walmart. let’s all cry for walmart. Where is my Walmart bribe?