I wish your Wednesday story about leases on Tulalip land had described the whole picture (“Tulalip homes for cheap – with a view and a catch”). I recently sold a house on the reservation which sits on the Fryberg estate leasehold property. These leases are across the bay from Mission Beach and completely separate from the Tulalip tribal leases. Fryberg leases are controlled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and federal leasing guidelines. They run for 50 years, and the annual lease payments are re-figured every five years under a set formula.
I still live on the reservation in another Fryberg estate property; my lease expires in 2056. As we eat breakfast in the morning we watch the seals eat their breakfast and the eagles often fly by. In the evenings we sit on the bluff and watch the sailboats glide through Port Susan. Occasionally whales show up and then the sun sets in a display that takes one’s breath away. As your article states, it is a million-dollar lifestyle that we certainly couldn’t afford otherwise.
Thank goodness I sold my house before your article was published. Incomplete reporting such as this will mislead some buyers into staying away from a great value on the Tulalip reservation. You’ve done a disservice to those who have houses on the market on Fryberg property.
Fred Wade
Tulalip
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