John L. Scott Real Estate Chairman and CEO, J. Lennox Scott, announced his company’s purchase of Real Tech LLC, a web-based technology solutions company. With this change in ownership, Real Tech will evolve into John L. Scott’s exclusive in-house technology provider. Scott said that the decision to purchase Real Tech was made in order to support John L. Scott’s aggressive technology needs.

“We have a voracious appetite for technology,” said Scott. “The purchase of Real Tech provides John L. Scott with the ongoing, real time resources that we need to meet our ambitious technology goals.” read more »

“Home away from home” is the only slogan corporate housing uses as a marketing strategy. The $2.5 billion lodging segment has only been around for two decades and is steadily climbing. Like a hotel, corporate housing offers comfortable furnished temporary lodging. Unlike a hotel, it supplies almost everything an actual home would contain including Internet, cable television, long distance, personal washer and dryer, all kitchen utensils, and weekly housekeeping. “The only thing you need is your toothbrush,” said Ron Johnson, owner of Kitsap Hospitality Executive Apartments. read more »

Weaver The City of Port Orchard has made another major change in the reorganization of its planning department. In addition to renaming it the City Development Department, joining the City on May 28, was Mark Dorsey, P.E. — who Mayor Lary Coppola specifically recruited for the position. He joins James Weaver who was recruited as City Development Director, and replaces Mahar Abed, who resigned and accepted a position with West Sound Engineering. read more »

The BJC Group Inc. of Port Orchard recently completed the construction of the newest Puerto Vallarta Restaurant located in Lacey. The firm also did a complete remodel of the Port Orchard restaurant in late 2006.

The newest building is very similar in layout and style to the other Puerto Vallarta Restaurants with high ceilings, stucco exterior finish, authentic Mexican tile floors, and Spanish tile roofs. read more »

Pictured L-R are Don Ursery, Commercial Plans Examiner; Veronica Garcia, Permit Coordinator; and Robert Baglio, of the BJC Group Inc The first over-the-counter, “Subject to Field Inspection” permit was recently issued by Kitsap County to the BJC Group Inc., of Port Orchard. The permit was for tenant improvements to All Star Lanes in Silverdale. read more »

The city of Bremerton approved a commercial site plan review for two multifamily housing buildings in the Highland Avenue area. Plans are to build five-story buildings with a total of 132 units — either condominiums or apartments.

Developer Mike Brown of FPH Construction said construction is about two or three years away, and the immediate plans are to clean up the site. He added that the delay is not connected with the slowdown in the real estate market. “We didn’t intend to develop it immediately, but we thought it was a good site for multifamily housing,” he said. read more »

Downtown Port Orchard has been slow for many years as far as new development goes, but things are starting to kick into high gear. Several new projects are being planned or are in preliminary discussions that will change the aging face of downtown.

Many of the plans are kept under tight wraps for the time being, but some ideas are being publicly discussed. Some buildings are slated for demolition, while others will see an expansion. read more »

At a track meet the two rival high schools had finished first and second. One school newspaper reported that they finished first. The other school newspaper though, reported that they had finished second with the other school finishing next to last. This is a good example of how the local newspapers have reported on the Kitsap Housing Market. The national real estate news has been filled with negative reports on the housing market for approximately three years. read more »

The Bremerton City Council is expected to vote in June on a petition by the Port of Bremerton to annex the South Kitsap Industrial Area into the city. An approval of the petition would set in motion the long process of annexation — a result the city of Port Orchard hopes not to see.

“The first step is to petition the city to annex the property. That’s the only action we’ve taken so far,” says port Commissioner Bill Mahan. In other words, the port is under no obligation to actually pursue annexation, he says. read more »