Community Corner

Tehaleh Celebrates New Residents, Spotlights Neighborhood Life in May

Ahead of several events planned at the new Pierce County community this month coinciding with the South Sound Parade of Homes, Tehaleh puts the spotlight on some of its newest and more fascinating new neighbors.

Until Bob and Sherry Heen Custer moved into their new Tehaleh home this past February, they'd been living on a 47-foot sail boat since 2003 and spending their time exploring the Pacific Coast from Mexico up to Alaska.

The couple, originally from Montana, said they were so taken by Puget Sound when they first moved west to Issaquah 23 years ago that they took all the necessary courses covering navigation and boating safety in order to get on the water. The dearth of campsites in Washington also spurred them to the Sound. The Custers camped often in Montana and were somewhat dismayed by the advanced planning you needed to do to secure a campsite in Washington.

"We were used to figuring out on Thursday where we were going camping Friday," Bob said. Boating, then, was great for procrastinators.

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It was a great thing for the Custers as well, particularly as Bob celebrated his 50th birthday. Sherry pointed out that at an age where most people start mulling a mobile home, they went with a sail boat instead.

The couple sold their Issaquah home in 2003 and took to the water full time though Bob was still working in Bellevue. They took trips north through the San Juan Islands, up to Canada and Alaska as well as south to Mexico. In between voyages, they made sure to come back state side to take care of yearly taxes. Bob retired, and in April 2010 they set out on their last nautical journey. From then until they returned in October 2012, they had logged 12,000 nautical miles.

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The allure of the boating life was a given. They fished and crabbed. They enjoyed the quiet on the water. They saw beautiful vistas and met interesting people. And they elevated their husband/wife partnership to a whole new level, operating on an enclosed vessel for long periods of time. "Every single day is different," Bob said. "There is no one day that things are the same. It's always a challenge to figure out how to use the energy available in the most efficient way." (They document their travels online at www.sailblogs.com/member/ponderosavoyages).

As much as they enjoyed that life, they knew in October that it was time to dock the boat and return to land. Boating is all-encompassing work and the mere act of standing is exercise, said Sherry.

The criteria for their new home included being affordable, quiet and not requiring much maintenance. Tehaleh offered that and more, they said.

"We didn't want a big lot and didn't want a lot of land maintenance to deal with," Bob said.

The couple moved into their single-story home in February and are still only one of a few homes occupied on their block. But they look forward to a community clubhouse that is slated for construction beginning this summer.

Cognizant that conditions will change at fuller capacity, Bob said, "One of the things we really like out here is it's dead quiet and really nice. It's quiet enough we can hear the trains in Sumner."

All isn't lost, however, when more neighbors move in. "This community is going to be very similar to the lifestyle you have on a boat when you're living in a marina," he said. "Everyone has a common interest and you say 'hi' to everybody every day. ... It can take you an hour to even get off the dock. We envision this community to be similar. You never go around making enemies."

The Tehaleh community continues to grow since its grand opening last fall. Ruth Winbauer, of Newland Communities, said at least 109 homes have been sold since September 2012, and one-third of them are in the Trilogy neighborhood where the Custers reside.

As the real estate market pickets up in the region, Winbauer said prices have also been going up in Tehaleh. Homes that started around $210,000 last year have increased to $250,000 on the low-end, and up to the low $400,000 range on the upper end.

One in six homes sold in Pierce County are now in Tehaleh, she said. For prospective homebuyers, the message seemed clear: "Get in early," she said.

See For Yourself

Tehaleh is hosting several events in May coinciding with the South Sound Parade of Homes. For full event details for both the May 11-May 12 and May 18-May 19 weekends, visit Tehaleh.com/Parade.


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