The Truth Behind
the “GH Voice” Mailer
Clearing up the misinformation circulating
in the recent “GH Voice” mailer.
What This Mailer Got Wrong
A crumpled, unsigned flyer made several inaccurate and inflammatory claims about Neighborhood Experts Real Estate, individual agents, and the cause of rising home prices and property taxes.
Let’s address each claim with verifiable facts, not fear-based speculation.
CLAIM 1:
“Rising home prices and unaffordable property tax bills are being caused by realtors.”
FACT:
Real estate agents do not influence tax rates, tax levies, or county budgets.
Property taxes are determined by:
County assessors
Taxing district budgets
Voter-approved levies
State-regulated mass appraisal systems
Home sales do not set taxes.
Real estate agents have zero authority over tax policy.
CLAIM 2:
“Neighborhood Expert realtors are changing the landscape of our increasingly unaffordable community.”
FACT:
Market prices are shaped by macro-economic forces, not a single brokerage.
Gig Harbor’s rising home values are driven by:
Low inventory
Migration from higher-priced regions
Strong schools
High demand for waterfront / view properties
National interest-rate cycles
No brokerage can override supply and demand.
CLAIM 3:
“Neighborhood expert realtors run every community Facebook page, trying to get your phone number to hound you.”
FACT:
This is simply false.
Neighborhood Experts does not own or run community Facebook groups like “What’s Good Gig Harbor” or any community group.
CLAIM 4:
“Agents like Paige Schulte, Jennie Wetter and Michelle Koch are running up property taxes and pricing neighbors out of their homes.”
FACT:
Agents do not control:
Assessed values
Millage rates
County budgets
Levy calculations
State tax formulas
Inventory levels
Agents market homes. Buyers determine final sale prices.
Assessors use mass appraisal models—not single transactions—to set values.
This accusation is economically and legally inaccurate.
CLAIM 5:
“Jennie Wetter is part of this and helping run up prices.”
FACT:
Jennie Wetter is not an agent with Neighborhood Experts.
Her inclusion in this mailer is irrelevant and misleading. She is a Realtor but, as mentioned previously, Realtors do not set the market.
CLAIM 6:
“Agents from out of town are coming here to sell off our community.”
FACT:
Neighborhood Experts branch is a locally owned Gig Harbor business deeply invested in schools, nonprofits, and community growth.
Every agent in the office (except for 1) lives in Gig Harbor and invests in Gig Harbor. Neighborhood Experts has donated over $600K back to the local community in the past 9 years.
Nothing about this claim is grounded in reality.
CLAIM 7 (the anecdote):
“I was almost talked into selling my property to a buyer from California…”
FACT:
Anonymous anecdotes are not evidence.
If the story were true, the homeowner made their own decision.
Agents provide information; sellers make choices based on their own goals.
This narrative is designed to manipulate emotion, not inform.
The Real Story
Gig Harbor’s growth, property values, and tax environment are shaped by:
State law
County policy
Voter decisions
National and regional economic trends
Not real estate agents.
Not local business owners.
Not social media posts.
The flyer uses fear to target individual professionals for systemic economic trends they do not control.
You deserve better than anonymous, fact-free accusations that also hurt local business owners who are also your neighbors.
GH Voice — The Real Purpose
Our GH Voice platform exists to correct misinformation and give residents credible, source-backed explanations about home values, assessments, and taxation.
We do not traffic in anonymous accusations.
We provide clarity and transparency.