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Fast ferry makes Bremerton an easier sell

As Seattle’s hot housing market spills over to Kitsap County, real estate brokers report the upcoming fast foot ferry is an added selling point that’s peaked commuters's interest.

As Seattle’s hot housing market spills over to Kitsap County, real estate brokers report the upcoming fast foot ferry is an added selling point that’s peaked commuters's interest.

Home prices in Kitsap County have gone up 10.28 percent in the past year, according to the Northwest MLS. Still, the median home price in Kitsap County is $297,700. That’s less than half the median home price in King County, which is $625,000.

Joe Simon, a Bremerton real estate broker with John L. Scott Real Estate, said he’s increasingly seeing buyers who work in downtown Seattle who are interested because of Kitsap’s low prices and new transit option.

“The fast ferry, it’s only a half-hour commute. Better than being in traffic,” he said.

The Kitsap fast foot ferry is expected to start service July 10. It’s a 30-minute ride, instead of the typical hour ride that’s currently available.

Two of the buyers in the market who went to check out Simon’s Sunday open house were David and Sonja Kvamme.

“The price, the price is a big draw,” said David, who’s looking to relocate from Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood.

He added the fast ferry helped open his mind to considering Kitsap County.

“That makes it attractive, if you want to get into town quickly,” he said. “It makes something like this possible. A lot more possible than it was a while back.”

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