Orcas Island is a special place like few others in the world. The unique aspects of day-to-day life here impact what one looks for in a property and house. Being unique to island life, these aspects are often overlooked by prospective homebuyers.
We are north of the 48th parallel, which makes south facing exposure of crucial importance. Summers can be warm but are rarely hot, and we often get what locals call "Juneuary", where south-facing exposure provides needed direct sunlight and warmth. In the winter, when the shortest days of the year arrive there are only 7 hours of daylight and properties without southern exposure won't get direct sunlight for weeks at a time.
This property has an open, south facing exposure that gets direct sunshine year round even on the shortest days of the year.
Privacy and quiet can be found here on Orcas if you are away from town and the main roads. There is not generally much traffic, but every time a ferry comes in, long streams of cars drive by creating a drone that can be heard at a distance. This is especially true during the summer when a flood of tourists arrive which doubles the overall population. Any house with privacy and quiet is going to be off the beaten path on a private road. And private roads vary in quality and maintenance expense.
The private road to this house is one of the smoothest, best maintained on the island. It is safe and passable even in the winter. It is not a through road, adjoining roads are gated, and the house is near the end, so there is almost no traffic. Because the traffic is low, the wear and tear is low and the cost to maintain the road is low. The house is far enough away that you won't even know when the ferry comes in or the summer tourists arrive. On top of this, you have 24+ acres surrounding the house, which gives an additional, unmatched level of privacy, peace and quiet. To walk the entire property, you'll need a good set of boots and well over an hour, and the first time you do it you may need a compass or GPS to avoid getting lost.
There are two quarries in the natural saddle between Sunset Mountain and the surrounding mountains. Both quarries are visible and audible from the north side of Sunset Mountain. Because this property is about 250 yards down the south side of Sunset Mountain, on the opposite side from the quarries, neither quarry is visible or audible.
As the San Juan Islands get about half Seattle's rain, water is a vital resource that has only limited availability in some areas. Most houses get their water from wells, whether individual or a community system. During dry summers, some wells go dry so it is important to ensure that your house has a good water supply. Sometimes it is necessary for water to require filtering or softening, as it may have bacteria or mineral levels that exceed EPA safety limits.
This property has an exclusive individual well located next to a pond in a natural valley, which naturally collects water runoff from the surrounding mountains. It produces at a rate of nearly 4,000 gallons per day. It also has a 1,750 gallon concrete storage tank that is underground yet uphill from the house, which provides better water pressure, a flow rate that is not limited by the well's capacity, and ensures that water flows from the house taps even during electrical power loss. We've tested the water with no softening or filtering; it has never had bacteria and all minerals are below EPA limits; it is naturally so pristine you can drink it straight from the well. The system provides enough volume and pressure to run a 4-zone automatic sprinkler system all summer in addition to meeting the needs of the family, and has never run dry or lost pressure.
This house has stunning southwest views of Orcas, San Juan Island, Vancouver Island, and the Strait of San Juan de Fuca. Evenings provide spectacular sunsets and as twilight sets in, the lights of Sidney on Vancouver Island begin to shine. This property has permanent easements on the neighboring properties to fell and top trees in order to maintain the view.