https://piercecountyhometeam.com/blog/ Plain answers on buying, selling and owning a home in Pierce County, from property taxes and ADUs to Tacoma’s historic districts. en-us Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0700 Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0700 https://piercecountyhometeam.com/blog/aroma-of-tacoma-smell-today https://piercecountyhometeam.com/blog/aroma-of-tacoma-smell-today Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0700 Austin Hellickson Tacoma Mostly no. The smell people called the Aroma of Tacoma has been blamed on several tideflats sources over the years, and the one named most often, the kraft pulp mill, closed in 2023. The tideflats are still a working port with odors of their own now and then, mainly close to the water and when the weather holds air in place, so the way to judge a particular street is to stand on it at a few different times of day. https://piercecountyhometeam.com/blog/property-taxes-after-buying-pierce-county https://piercecountyhometeam.com/blog/property-taxes-after-buying-pierce-county Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0700 Austin Hellickson Taxes Buying a house in Pierce County does not reset its assessed value to the price you paid. The Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer revalues every parcel each year by mass appraisal, and your bill follows that value plus whatever levies voters and taxing districts approve. Your taxes can still rise after you buy, usually because values or levies went up, or because an exemption the seller had ended with the sale. https://piercecountyhometeam.com/blog/tacoma-historic-district-home-rules https://piercecountyhometeam.com/blog/tacoma-historic-district-home-rules Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0700 Austin Hellickson Old houses If the house sits in a local historic district on the Tacoma Register of Historic Places, such as the North Slope or the Wedge, exterior work generally needs city design review before it starts. In the North Slope, review covers new construction, demolition and any exterior change that needs a building permit, which can include windows, siding and porches, but not interior remodeling. A house in a district listed only on the state or National Register usually carries no local design review for a private owner, so find out which list an address is on before you write an offer. https://piercecountyhometeam.com/blog/buy-next-home-before-selling https://piercecountyhometeam.com/blog/buy-next-home-before-selling Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0700 Austin Hellickson Moving up Most people do it one of three ways: make an offer that depends on selling the current house, borrow against the equity in it so they can buy first, or sell first and rent the old house back from its buyer for a short stay. Each route has a price, and which one fits comes down mostly to your equity and to how much competition there is for the house you want. https://piercecountyhometeam.com/blog/adu-rules-pierce-county https://piercecountyhometeam.com/blog/adu-rules-pierce-county Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0700 Austin Hellickson Building Often yes, but the answer belongs to whoever governs that parcel: the City of Tacoma, one of the county’s other cities, or Pierce County itself for unincorporated places like Graham and Spanaway. Inside an urban growth area, a 2023 state law generally requires allowing at least two accessory dwelling units on a lot zoned for a single house, while rural parcels and lots on septic tend to carry tighter limits. Confirm a specific parcel with the city’s permit office or Pierce County Planning and Public Works before you count on it. https://piercecountyhometeam.com/blog/gig-harbor-vs-university-place https://piercecountyhometeam.com/blog/gig-harbor-vs-university-place Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:00:00 -0700 Austin Hellickson Where to live Pick University Place if you want to stay on the Tacoma side of the Narrows, close to I-5, in a mostly residential city of midcentury houses on city lots. Pick Gig Harbor if you want a harbor town with more trees and more room, and you are comfortable paying a bridge toll every time you drive into Tacoma.