Paradise found in the San Juans - San Juan Islands, Washington - includes related articles on islanders and their homes

Sunset, August, 1996 by Bill Crosby, Steven R. Lorton

* Cost: Real estate prices vary greatly, depending on how high the shore bank is and the site's exposure (south- and west-facing lots are the most popular). A 1/2-acre lot with 100 to 150 feet of accessible waterfront typically costs between $150,000 and $250,000. A new development called Eagle Lake has 53 circular 100-foot sites set among 297 acres; lot prices range from $105,000 to $180,000.

* Amenities: The town of Eastsound is well stocked with grocery and home supply stores. Restaurants and inns dot the island. At Moran State Park, there's camping and a road to the summit of 2,409-foot Mount Constitution, the highest point in the San Juans.

RELATED ARTICLE: What price paradise? THE LOWDOWN ON THE SAN JUANS

As you might expect, the accessibility of an island generally determines the density of settlement and, to a certain extent, the cost of real estate.

* Most people live on the four islands served by public ferries: Lopez, Orcas, San Juan, and Shaw (Shaw makes no provision for tourists - there are only houses and a monastery). More sparsely settled are the "outer islands," as residents refer to those not served by ferries. Waldron Island, the most populous, has 87 residents living on 4.6 square miles; Blakely Island has only 36 residents on 6.9 square miles.

* What does land cost? As Gary Harper of Orcas Island Realty puts it, "Pricing real estate on the islands is like pricing art. Each piece is different." For example, a 1/2-acre lot with no water or electricity on Center Island, just west of Decatur, was recently listed at $11,000. A nifty estate on San Juan was listed at $5.3 million. Though the price range is vast, there are a few rules of thumb in gauging the value of island property.

* Acreage isn't as important a factor as a waterfront location or a water view.

* Lots on the four islands with public ferry service are usually more expensive and easier to buy than those on the outer islands (some banks won't finance sites on certain islands because they have nonstandard or no utilities).

* A purchase should be contingent on the availability of sewage treatment and water (don't buy until a well is drilled and shows adequate flow). The four main islands and some of the outer islands have all utilities, but on some islands residents depend solely on electric generators and cellular phones.

If you want to live near neighbors, restaurants, and public open space, some islands will suit you better than others.

For year-round living. It can get pretty lonely on the islands during the winter; if you want company, stick to Orcas and San Juan.

For dining. Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan all have restaurants as well as bed-and-breakfast inns.

For roaming. Orcas and San Juan have country roads for biking, and parks with hiking trails.

Call the San Juan Islands Visitor Information Service at (360) 468-3663, or browse the islands electronically at http://www.sanjuan.com. - B.C.