Bruce Flanagan is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Washington. He is also a licensed Attorney in Washington State. He is the designated Broker (Managing Broker) for Bruce Flanagan Real Estate. Bruce served 4 years on active duty in the United States Marine Corps, from his beginning duty, as a Parris Island Recruit, to having been appointed as an Infantry Captain, prior to his honorable discharge in 1968. His active duty included combat duty as an infantry platoon leader (mortars/machine guns) in Korea) during the closing months of that war, and three additional years in the organized marine reserve as commanding officer of two separate organized units.
Mr. Flanagan received his AB degree from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and his JD Degree from the University of Tulsa School of Law (evening division). He is presently licensed to practice law in Washington State, Cal, and Okla.
He and his wife Joan, now married for over67 years, had five children, and presently have 10 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren; they are presently located in Rubyvale, Central Queensland, Australia; Kaneohe, Hawaii; Littleton, Colorado; and Columbia, Maryland.
After purchasing their lot on W 2nd St., in Anacortes, in 2007, Bruce commenced the construction of his home in February of 2010 and completed its construction in September of that year.
Bruce has many years of experience in corporate and direct sales, including the building and sale of both residential and commercial properties, the handling and directing of subdivisions, as well the driving factor in our business; the listing sales and purchase of individual single-family homes. One of Bruce’s homes, which he built in 1975 in Tiburon, CA, ultimately sold for over twenty-five million dollars to Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.
Bruce has created and managed both publicly listed and private corporations, in connection with his real estate activities. He is happiest when being of service to his neighbors here in Anacortes, and to those from outside the immediate area, who have become aware of the real value of Anacortes Properties, and those in the surrounding San Juan Islands. Having heard for many years about the great living available here in the Pacific Northwest, and now enjoying it himself, Bruce and his wife Joan, are happiest helping others do the same.
As of March of 2023, we were still in the midst of the Covid-19 Virus Pandemic; now the Omnicron and/or RS-V. The wake-up call was the news of its cruel potential in the Seattle Area Nursing Home tragedy….towards the end of February 2020. Fortunately, WA State had the good fortune to possess a Governor who moved quickly to control its insatiable appetite. Our present daily total in Skagit County no longer continues to exceed what we experienced in 2020, over 100 cases per day. Now it appears to be the variants of Covid., Having just recovered from some concerning effects of being infected with RSV, I hope you all will not underestimate its possible effects.
Prior to the appearance of the virus, Skagit County, and particularly the real estate market in Anacortes was robust, with interest rates stable. While sales have slowed
At the moment, the number of listings available in Skagit County is, with pending Sales for this year. Sales prices have increased substantially, perhaps due to the winding down of the Pandemic, and far more importantly because of the of costs of laborand materials used in a home’s construction. Skagit County and Anacortes surrounded by water, remain affordable. People want to move to Anacortes and away from the more expensive and larger cities like Seattle. The quality of life in Anacortes continues to be sought after. Additionally, the sustaining economic factor is the large group of retirees, as well as the availability for employment at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Facility in Oak Harbor, plus the oil refineries at March Point Peninsula, on the outskirts of the northeastern outskirts of the city. By comparison with the San Francisco Area, Seattle, Anacortes, and Skagit County compare favorably. Nationally, home prices have slightly increased over previous years. (According to the S&P CoreLogic CaseSchiller-20-city home price index.) The buyer's market may not last too much longer.
An almost absolute necessity for most towns and cities is a superior hospital. Here in Anacortes, we are blessed to enjoy the existence of our Island Hospital. Owned by the Anacortes Taxpayers, and to a lesser degree, those of Skagit County, we were doubly blessed to have had the Hospital headed by Mr. Oliver, who retired last year. Hopefully, the best of his policies will persevere. Running a close 2nd, and far larger in size is Skagit Regional Health System and its Hospital in Mt Vernon. I owe my longevity to both of those institutions, as well as some gifted individuals.
Some of my wishes for our national government remain unchanged: Term limits for all members of Congress, the Supreme Court (which is not now the case) and certain Federal Elected Officials, and certain Federal Employees. “lobbyist” includes any profession or occupation which seeks to pursue the goal of favorable legislation for their clients; and is applicable to all of our Democratic, Republican, and Independent Political Parties. Additionally, there should exist a ban on all spouses of sitting United States Congressmen/women being employed as lobbyists for the duration of their spouse’s terms of office.
No more non-congressionally declared wars. Meaning no US Troops to be ordered into Combat Operations without a Congressionally Declared state of war to exist between the United States and the specified Nation or the State Sponsoring the Hostilities, the aggressor nation. The present war-powers-act, providing for the sitting President’s ability to engage in limited warfare has not worked well for our nation. It is time to return to the constitutionally required Congressionally Declared State of War, against the aggressor nation-state. An Amendment if required, to the US Constitution to cancel the effect of the Citizen’s United Decision, or alternatively the US Supreme Court reversing itself in that decision. It provided for Corporations and Unions, through Super-Pac’s and some non-profits, to contribute unlimited amounts of money to candidates for public office, thus making Fair and Balanced elections a fact of the past, sadly, not of the future; and making a travesty of the phrase, Of the People, By the People, and for the People.
Revocation of at least Section 1021 of the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) which apparently means that citizens of the United States who are charged by the Government with substantially supporting Al Qaida, the Taliban, or any other associated forces, terrorists, will be lawfully subject to extraordinary rendition. Meaning, citizens, not immigrants, seized by the Military, including within the continental United States may languish in military jails indefinitely, until the end of hostilities…. whatever that may mean…whether or not there exists evidence to convict them or even the least probability of the existence of probative evidence.
This act, therefore, which is present law, authorizes the US Military for the first time in 200 years (excluding the Alien & Sedition Act) of this nation’s existence to carry out domestic policing. Don’t Forget to Vote in our next election, local and national.
When I may be of service, please call!
-Bruce Flanagan 08/09/2023
360 298 4777 – brittcoyne4@comcast.net