Welcome to
Eastside Pulse.

01 · The local spotlight

Snohomish General Store.

Snohomish General Store, 922 First Street. Two years ago Jessica Trouillaud opened this shop as Opaline Interiors, a home decor store and, in her words, a lifelong dream. Running it changed what she wanted it to be. She got to know this town, its people and its character, and on May 30 of this year, exactly two years to the day after Opaline opened, she relaunched it as Snohomish General Store. Her announcement said it plainly: a place that celebrates the charm of Snohomish, the creativity of local makers, and the simple joy of finding something special. New name, expanded vision, same heart.

Jessica is an interior designer, and the eye for it shows. But the shelves have changed. The store now carries the work of local makers: fresh sourdough from 360 Sourdough on Tuesday and Friday mornings (on Fridays it lands alongside fresh flowers from Dancing Girls Farm), tallow skincare from Treeline Farms, loose leaf teas, pottery, soaps, granola, and the bowls and tools of JC's Woodshop, made by a young woodturner named Jackson whom Jessica has championed since he was starting out. This spring she put out an open call for more local makers. The store keeps making room.

The parts regulars love most are not for sale. The Gift Nook, new this fall, is a corner stocked with tissue, baskets and tags where you build a gift and wrap it before you leave, or grab one of her premade baskets instead. And The Little General Store is a children's section built around a real cash register, where kids play store while their parents shop. Grandparents bring their grandkids in for it. Jessica understands the pull better than most: at age five she asked her parents for a real cash register and merchandised her bedroom. This spring the store let kids sign up for ten minute shifts as cashiers and greeters, and families filled them.

Ask her what these two years have taught her and she does not talk about retail. She talks about a community full of supporters, and about her goal, which is a place that brings people together. The store's tagline says the same thing in four words: curated goods, connected community. Hours are Tuesday through Friday and Sunday, 11 to 5; Saturday 11 to 6; closed Mondays. Go on a Friday morning, when the bread is in.

02 · Your weekend

First Street turns on the holidays.

The shopping season starts early in Snohomish, and it starts on First Street.

Holiday Open House, Friday and Saturday, Nov 6–7, Historic Downtown Snohomish. The downtown association's holiday kickoff: shops along First Street open the season with the kind of weekend that reminds you why people drive in for this street. Hours per downtown listings: Friday 4–8 PM, Saturday noon–8 PM, with the window display contest starting Nov 6.

Snohomish BrewFest, Saturday, Nov 7. The annual evening of local brews benefits the Snohomish Senior Center, so the ticket does some good while you are at it.

Whiskey and Chocolate Tasting, Friday, Nov 6, 6 p.m. The Muse Whiskey & Coffee pairs up with ChocolateSpiel for five whiskey and chocolate pairings, with a welcome glass of champagne. Tickets through ChocolateSpiel.

Project 33 at The Oxford Saloon, Saturday, Nov 7, 8:30 p.m. Live music at 913 First St to close out the Saturday.

Worth putting on the calendar now: the Snohomish Tree Lighting is Saturday, Nov 28 at the Carnegie Building, with free Santa photos and cocoa from 3 to 4:30 p.m. and the countdown at 4:45.

Get outside first: the Centennial Trail.

The 30 mile paved trail starts right in Snohomish and runs north past Lake Stevens to Skagit County, built on the old Burlington Northern rail line. It is flat, stroller friendly, and good for bikes. Park at Cady Park (51 Maple Ave), the Carnegie Building (105 Cedar Ave), or Averill Field (403 Third St), walk a mile or two out, and be back on First Street in time for the Open House. More than half a million people use this trail every year, and on a clear November morning you will understand why.

03 · A little perspective on real estate

The county picture, and what it means here.

View all 10 city markets →

September 2026 · Snohomish County

Snohomish County's September numbers, from NWMLS: the median sale price was $720,000, down 0.4% from a year earlier. There were 2,967 homes for sale, up 44.2%. Closed sales were 771, down 8.9%, and pending sales were 819, down 17%.

My take: in a flat price, high choice market, the homes that move are the ones priced to the evidence and presented well. The homes that sit are usually asking buyers to pay for a market that has already changed.

Source: NWMLS September 2026 market snapshot (county figures).

04 · A question for homeowners

Selling on septic? There is a new step before closing.

Snohomish County's septic transfer rule started Nov 1.

If your home is on a septic system and you sell it, Snohomish County now requires a Report of Property Transfer, shortened to RPT, before the sale can close. In plain terms, the county wants a current look at your system before the home changes hands, and the seller is the one who lines it up.

What sellers need to have ready:

• A full septic inspection by a certified septic contractor, completed within the last 12 months
• Pumping done if the inspection recommends it
• Your as built record on file with the Health Department, or a site plan drawn by a certified contractor if there is none
• The RPT application and fee submitted to the Health Department before closing. Applications opened Nov 1, the day the rule took effect
• Time for the county to review it. The reviewed report, good for 12 months, goes to the buyer at closing along with your maintenance records and the seller disclosure

If the county finds problems, they get noted on the report, and serious ones like surfacing sewage can bring a site visit and a fix it schedule. Repairs can be made and the report reissued, but none of that is fast, which is the whole point of starting early.

One exemption worth knowing: if your system was installed within the last 12 months, the requirement may not apply. And this is not just a Snohomish County story for long: statewide rules follow on February 1, 2027.

My advice: if a sale is anywhere on your horizon, get the inspection scheduled early. It is a small step now and a closing delay waiting to happen in the week before closing.

Have a septic question about your own place? Let's talk →

This is a Snohomish County overview, not a determination for a particular property.

A note from Cody.

I spent 12 years at Zillow, where the work was understanding what mattered to people about home. Today I am a real estate broker, and I see those decisions up close. People are choosing a home, but they are also choosing how they want to spend their days.

That is why I started this. Each Thursday, one community: a local business worth knowing, what the cities are planning and building, and what the housing data is telling us. This week it is Snohomish, the place we get to call home.

I am glad you are here.
— Cody Fagnant, Real Estate Broker & Publisher