Cap Sante · Buying a Home
Buying a Home in Cap Sante: Access Decides as Much as View
A real consultation before the first showing, a search tuned to what you actually want, and a steady hand from offer to keys.
The hill has two halves, and they cost different money
Buying a home in Cap Sante means choosing between two versions of the same hill. The streets climb the headland on the east edge of downtown Anacortes from about 4th Street up. Down low you are in the original Map of the City of Anacortes plat, on small lots, some of them eight hundredths of an acre, with older houses and a short walk to Cap Sante Marina and Commercial Avenue. Higher up you are paying for the view over the marina and Fidalgo Bay.
Both halves are genuinely good. They are not interchangeable, and a buyer who tours both without naming which one they want ends up frustrated. I ask that question at the start so the touring actually narrows something.
The constant on both halves is rock. This is a stone headland, so stairs, retaining walls, driveways, and how you get from the car to the door decide as much as the floor plan does. Some homes here handle that gracefully and some do not, and the difference is not visible in a listing photograph.
Talk with DiAnn about Cap Sante
Why buyers looking at Cap Sante work with DiAnn Sager
I am DiAnn Sager, a broker with RE/MAX Gateway in Anacortes. I have been licensed since 2018, closed 125 homes, and grew up here, which is why I can tell you what a specific street on this headland is actually like before you spend a Saturday finding out.
On the lower streets, the questions are about the houses themselves. An original-plat home built in 1912, like the one I sold on 4th Street in 2023, comes with history, small dimensions, and an inspection list that a newer house does not have. Knowing which of those findings are normal for a house of that age and which ones are a real problem is the difference between a good purchase and an expensive one.
Higher on the slope, the questions are about the view line and the access. Which rooms actually see the marina. What happens to the view if the trees below you grow, and whether those trees are on your lot. How the driveway behaves in freezing weather. Those answers come from standing on the property with someone who has been up and down this hill for years. Start with buying a home, or with relocation if you are moving into the area.
How I work a Cap Sante purchase
First we get your criteria and your financing settled with a local lender, before we tour. Older homes on small original-plat lots can raise appraisal and insurance questions, and finding that out in week one saves the deal in week five.
Then we walk the hill, not just the houses. I want you to see how far the walk to the marina and to Commercial Avenue really is from a given street, how steep the last block is, and what the parking situation looks like on an ordinary weekday.
At each property, we read the access and the structure with clear eyes: the stairs, the retaining walls, the drainage on a rock slope, and the condition of an older roof or foundation. I bring in the inspector who suits the house rather than the one who is fastest.
When you find the right one, I write the offer to protect you on inspection and timeline, and I negotiate calmly. If the report comes back with something serious, I will say so even when you have already fallen for the house, because that is what you are paying me for. What I currently have available is on the listings page.
Local context and proof for Cap Sante
Cap Sante Marina anchors the bottom of the hill, run by the Port of Anacortes with uncovered permanent slips from 26 to 66 feet assigned first come first served, guest and liveaboard moorage, a fuel dock, and a trailer launch. As of August 2026, the waitlist ran from two to three weeks for a 26-foot slip out to four or five years for the largest, so a boat is worth planning for early.
At the top, Cap Sante Park at 1000 W Avenue covers 37 acres with a viewpoint over the marina, the city, Fidalgo Bay, and the Cascades, reached by V Avenue and W Avenue up to Cap Sante Lookout. Rotary Park at 701 T Avenue adds 1.5 acres, a paved trail to the breakwater, and a disc golf course, and the Tommy Thompson Parkway runs from 11th Street. Commercial Avenue sits at the base of the hill and becomes the SR 20 Spur south to Highway 20, the Guemes Island ferry leaves from 500 I Avenue, and the Washington State Ferries terminal is across town by 12th Street and Oakes Avenue. The Anacortes School District serves the area, and Cap Sante High School at 1600 20th Street carries the headland's name.
Start your search on the headland
Buying a home in Cap Sante works best when you know which half of the hill you want before you tour. Tell me whether the walk or the view is the thing you would miss, and I will show you the streets that deliver it.
Read the Cap Sante neighborhood page, compare the headland with Old Town west of Commercial Avenue or with South Anacortes for a different price point, and when you are ready, tell me what you are looking for. Let's get you home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I walk to the marina and downtown from Cap Sante?
From the lower streets, yes. Cap Sante Marina sits at the base of the hill and Commercial Avenue is a few blocks away, which is the main reason people buy on the original-plat streets from about 4th Street up. From higher on the slope it is a steeper walk, and many people drive it.
Do all Cap Sante homes have a view?
No. View homes sit higher on the rocky slope, while the lower original-plat streets are about the walk rather than the outlook. Which one a specific address is changes the price substantially, so we sort that out before touring rather than after.
What should I watch for on an older home here?
Lot size, access, and the systems. Original-plat lots run small, some at eight hundredths of an acre, and a house from the early 1900s carries an inspection list a newer home does not. I tell you which findings are normal for the age and which ones are a reason to renegotiate or walk.
How hard is it to get moorage at Cap Sante Marina?
It depends on the size of the boat. The Port of Anacortes waitlist ran two to three weeks for a 26-foot slip out to four or five years for the largest as of August 2026, and permanent slips run from 26 to 66 feet on a first come first served basis. Plan the moorage question alongside the house.
Cap Sante
What buying a home looks like in Cap Sante
The Cap Sante headland above the marina, east of Old Town on the east side of downtown Anacortes.
The full picture of the place, the homes, and the trade-offs is in the Cap Sante area guide.
Buying a Home: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with DiAnn Sager?