Bellingham Real Estate

Bellingham WA City Planning Growth Proposals

Jerry Campbell — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 11:41:00 GMT

Bellingham, WA - Planning a residential-commercial village along Samish Way and a new mixed-use development in Fairhaven are two of the priorities this year, the city’s planning director said.

City staff also wants to plan for developments in the Samish and Sunnyland neighborhoods.

The decision, by Mayor Dan Pike and Planning and Community Development Director Tim Stewart, may mean only a handful of growth proposals by neighbors or commercial landowners get city attention this year.

“While many other plan amendments have been proposed, our staff resources are simply not available to adequately support these efforts,” Stewart wrote in a Feb. 14 memo.

Nearly two years ago Stewart gave $2,500 in city money and five hours of a staff member’s time to each neighborhood to help update neighborhood plans, which are policy documents spelling out how growth should occur. It wasn’t enough, he wrote.

For example, the city’s effort to develop a plan for Old Town took more than four years, more than 1.5 years of a fulltime employee’s work and exceeded $100,000 in outside consulting costs.

The City Council and Planning Commission also will review which proposals should move forward this year. But according to a staff report “because of the limited staff resources available to work on neighborhood plans, any proposals approved for initiation by the Commission or Council may not get completed this year.”

City staff proposes focusing on the following projects:

Fairhaven: Changing zoning from industrial to allow commercial and residential development on eight acres south of Harris Avenue on both sides of 6th Street. City staff wants to host a design meeting with neighbors and require developers to include that design.

Happy Valley: Changing rules to allow a wider range of commercial uses (not just eating establishments) along the 700 block of 32nd Street, north of Bennett Drive. The proposal would allow retail stores, gyms, barbershops and laundry facilities. The city will automatically consider it.

Roosevelt: Changing rules to allow a second vehicle access to Orleans Street for a proposed commercial development at the southwest corner of Barkley Boulevard and Orleans. The city will automatically consider the proposal.

Samish: Updating the zoning and infrastructure plans for the entire neighborhood. The city also wants to study a proposal to allow hundreds of homes on 85 acres east of Wildwood Drive, a proposal to allow commercial and residential development on 2.5 acres on the northwest corner of Samish Way and Elwood Avenue, and a proposal to rezone 20 acres south of Adams Avenue, just off 40th Street, to allow houses on 3,600-square-foot lots instead of 20,000-square-foot ones.

Sehome: Updating the neighborhood plan, which includes planning a high-density mixeduse urban village along Samish Way. The plan should be done in 2008, but accompanying development regulations may not be ready until next year.

Sunnyland: Creating a plan for developing four acres along Sunset Drive, just east of St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church. The proposal would allow development of nearly 50 homes. Neighbors largely support the proposal but mostly want fewer homes. City staff wants to see a design meeting involving neighbors in the project. The city must automatically consider it, per city rules, because Sunnyland has an updated plan.

Rejected: Pike and Stewart’s plan would reject many proposals, which range from the Fairhaven Neighbors’ proposed plan update to the South Neighborhood Association’s effort to halt development of Fairhaven Highlands.

Bellingham WA Real Estate News

Jerry Campbell — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:08:00 GMT

The Bellingham WA real estate news blog will discuss topics related to real estate, housing, and related issues about home ownership in the Bellingham, Washington area. We hope this blog will help buyers and sellers navigate through many of the issues home buyers and home sellers will have to deal with.

We hope to bring you a new story or topic a couple times a week, so you might want to save our Bellingham WA real estate blog to your favorites and check back once a week.

Bellingham WA Real Estate Search - Updated on Site

Jerry Campbell — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:07:00 GMT

Our Bellingham WA real estate search pages at www.BellinghamWAHomes.com have all been updated with state of the art property search features. Were very excited to provide this first class service to our current clients and actually anyone searching for real estate in Bellingham WA.

By going to our Bellingham real estate site, buyers can now search for properties utilizing our property mapping system to find Bellingham homes for sale in areas that interest the buyer. Bellingham home buyers can use the property search maps to zoom into an area, zoom out, do radius searches from a particular place, even draw a box around an area and results are quickly displayed.

We have also developed individual pages to search Bellingham homes for sale by mls number, address, zip code, near schools, just new listings, or search all bellingham listings. The new Bellingham WA real estate search can be used for any location in Whatcom County or any other location in the entire Puget Sound region.

In the Bellingham Area, buyers can even search for homes by choosing one of the 23 unique Bellingham neighborhoods and find homes only in one of those neighborhoods. If your also looking for information on Bellingham WA neighborhoods we have plenty of information on them, with each of the 23 Bellingham neighborhoods having their own full information pages.

Buyers can also set up a free account and save your favorites inside your account. Then when your ready to see some properties, just give us a call and we will schedule appointments to view your favorite Bellingham homes for sale.

Call Jerry Campbell at 360-739-7779 or visit my web site at Bellingham WA real estate.

New Home Building Rebounded Slightly in October

Jerry Campbell — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:18:00 GMT

The Commerce Department is reporting that the construction of new homes and apartments rebounded in October by the largest amount in eight months but the unexpected increase was not viewed as a signal of a housing turnaround.

The agency reported Tuesday that housing construction rose by 3 percent in October, the first increase after three months of declines and the biggest advance since a 6 percent rise last February.

However, all of the strength came in the volatile apartment sector, which jumped by 44.4 percent. Construction of single-family homes fell for a seventh straight month, declining by 7.3 percent in October compared to September.

The overall increase left construction in October at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.23 million units, down 16.5 percent from activity a year ago during 2006.

Applications for building permits, seen as a good sign of future activity, fell for the fifth straight month in October, dropping by 6.6 percent to an annual rate of 1.178 million units. That is down a sharp 24.5 percent from a year ago.

I think it's pretty clear that until we can clear out the over supply of new homes that are still on the market, we won't start to see a turn around until then. Id say by sometime during the summer of 2008 we will start to see the supply of new homes on the market start to go down as builders continue to offer incentives to buyers and interest rates work down to very attractive levels.

Whatcom County Home Sales Steady

Jerry Campbell — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:32:00 GMT

Whatcom County’s home sales continue to plug along around last year’s pace, according to the latest numbers from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

In Whatcom County, 275 NWMLS homes and condominiums sold during October, down from 289 for the same period last year, according to the listing service’s report released Tuesday. The median price for the homes sold in October was $279,000, up from $262,500 in October 2006.

The NWMLS tracks home sales by real estate agents in several counties in Washington state, including Whatcom.

Through the first 10 months of the year, 5,562 homes and condominiums sold in Whatcom County, compared to 5,588 for the same period in 2006. Whatcom County had 285 pending sales for homes and condominiums in October, down from 328 in October 2006.

Across Western Washington, overall sales have been down, according to the report. Of the 19 counties the NWMLS covers, 5,959 homes and condos sold in October, down from 8,036 for the same month last year. The median price for those homes was $314,400, down from $315,000 for October 2006. Of the 19 counties studied, only Okanogan County had more homes and condos sold in October 2007 than October 2006.

King County has seen a significant slowdown in home and condominium sales for October. For the month, there were 2,359 units sold, down 25 percent from the same period last year. Via Bellingham Herald

Blaine - Birch Bay Trails and Parks Vote Nears

Jerry Campbell — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 23:30:00 GMT

This coming Tuesday voters in the Blaine and Birch Bay, WA areas will be voting for a small increase in property taxes to help fund the much needed work on local Trails and Parks. This is the Parks and Recreation District Two area. The tax would fund the district, which has been inactive for several years, with the aim of maintaining parks and creating bicycle and walking trails in the area. said Kathy Berg, Birch Bay Steering Committee chairwoman.

The district’s board of directors wants to create a master plan for the area, which is in need of trails connecting, Birch Bay to Blaine. Outside of Birch Bay State Park, the area has very few parks. Among the existing ones are Semiahmoo Park in Blaine and Bay Horizon Park in Birch Bay. Adding some connecting trail systems would be really nice for the area and enhance the outdoors experience.

Creating links to the Coast Millennium Trail is also a goal. Completing those links could benefit the area economically, attracting locals and outsiders alike. With the Winter Olympics in Vancouver 2010 coming, it would be nice to do some of these nice upgrades to also add value to the expected throngs that will visit these border areas.

Five Acres With Large Shop In Ferndale WA

Jerry Campbell — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 23:11:00 GMT

2987 Iverson Rd; Ferndale, WA - Great 5.03 acre parcel just one mile north of Birch Bay Lynden Rd off the Custer School Rd. Property has a 1500 gallon existing cistern. Property is at the very end of proposed area. Park-like forested area. This property is for sale at $219,500.

A beautiful 5.03 acre parcel situated at the very end of Iverson Lane off of the Custer School Road, with the last 200 feet of driveway being serpentine for privacy. The property is located with easy access to I-5 freeway, yet far enough off the road to a peaceful and quiet setting. Wild ducks and geese are a common sight here with the wooded park-like setting of the property. A Wetland delineation report has already been completed for the property, allowing plenty of room to build your dream home. The soil on the property is mostly sandy loam soil which gives excellent drainage and provides lots of potential for both flower gardens and vegetable gardens as well. The property also includes a 30 x 48 metal-frame shop building with a partial concrete work pad floor. This shop would be a great staging ground when it comes time to build your home. Additionally the land is classified as a true five acre parcel with 5.03 acres (rural 5A zoning), which would permit the construction of the main house and an accessory dwelling as well.

When you consider that the property has a large 30 x 48 shop and compare that to other 5 acre parcels on the market with out any buildings, this is a great buy!

Search Lake Whatcom Homes For Sale

Jerry Campbell — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 01:00:00 GMT

Searching Lake Whatcom real estate can now be performed on the Lake Whatcom page of our webiste. Lake Whatcom buyers can search for homes, condos, and lots by simply going to our Lake Whatcom homes for sale page and adding their search parameters. The new pages will concentrate on providing the public real estate information for the entire Lake Whatcom area, including the Geneva neighborhood, Silver Beach neighborhood, Sudden Valley real estate, and all the unincorporated areas as well.

The search engine that provides all the searches for Lake Whatcom homes for sale and the rest of our Bellingham and Whatcom County searches is provided by our sister site at Whatcom Home Search. Our search engine was developed utilizing state of the art web page designs through Graphical Data, that allows the site to take advantage of map searching techniques, search by mls number, searching by address, by schools, and so many other great features. Go to our Bellingham real estate search page and try out some of the many ways to search real estate in the Bellingham and Whatcom County housing markets.

We are very excited about developing the tools and resources for potential buyers and sellers to utilize in their Lake Whatcom real estate decisions. I have owned a home in the Geneva Lake Whatcom area for the last 15 years, which I feel adds to the value of understanding the Lake Whatcom real estate market.

This part of our web site will also provide useful information about area schools, parks, recreation, events, shopping, and topics related to the Lake Whatcom homes market. Give us a call if you have any questions about Lake Whatcom and all the surrounding areas.

Bellingham WA Geneva Neighborhood Information

Jerry Campbell — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:47:00 GMT

The Geneva Neighborhood page on our Bellingham WA Homes web site was completed today. We're very excited to provide the Geneva area with this useful information about the Geneva Neighborhood that's situated along the shores of Lake Whatcom. The Geneva Community is just outside the city limits of Bellingham, Washington but is very important to the city because of it's unique location.

The Geneva Neighborhood page will provide information on Geneva area schools, shopping, parks, recreation, housing information, and so much more. Home buyers looking to relocate to the Geneva area will soon be able to search for homes and property on the market in the Geneva Neighborhood and surrounding areas with our brand new mapping system.

Additionally, Geneva area home buyers can also utilize our Geneva property alert system to find homes for sale with our new automated system. Once the free account is set up, Geneva area buyers can select the search parameters that suits them, and when a new listing hits the market, the buyer will be alerted instantly. This awesome tool is FREE and its an Automated system. Buyers will receive an email once that perfect home hits the Geneva homes market.

Columbia and Sunnyland Elementary Schools Honored

Jerry Campbell — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 01:10:00 GMT

Columbia and Sunnyland elementary schools were recognized Wednesday for their students’ marked improvement on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning.

The two schools were named Schools of Distinction and given the new State Superintendent’s Learning Improvement Award.

They are joined by 84 other schools around the state, which together represent the top 5 percent of schools that improved on the test.

“Our staff and parents have worked diligently to provide the best education for our students,” said Columbia Principal Missy Ferguson in a joint statement with Sunnyland Principal Mary Anne Stuckart. “We have aligned our practices with the state standards while keeping the whole child in mind.”

To be considered for the award, schools needed to meet the federal benchmarks in reading and writing for all students. Officials then looked at the schools’ gains on the state Learning Improvement Index, which is a measure of a school’s performance in each subject.

To determine the gains, officials averaged the math and reading Index scores from 2001 and 2002 and compared them to the 2007 scores.

“We truly care about our students and believe in their abilities as learners,” Ferguson and Stuckart said Wednesday afternoon on their way back from the statewide recognition ceremony in Des Moines.

The new award comes only months after many schools and districts around the state missed federal benchmarks required by the “No Child Left Behind” law because of a change in the way progress was calculated. Critics of the federal legislation have argued for a number of years that schools should be recognized for their improvements year after year, not on whether they can get a high enough percentage of students passing the test in multiple demographic groups. Via partially bellingham herald.

Vancouver 2010 tickets on sale in one year

Jerry Campbell — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:50:00 GMT

Tickets for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia will go on sale in October 2008. The date will be on the minds of many Olympic enthusiast as the excitement builds towards the Games. One year from today marks the start of the initial round of Canadian ticket sales for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The games run from February 12-28, 2010 in Vancouver, BC and Whistler. The Paralympic Winter Games will follow and be held March 12-21, 2010.

Approximately 1.6 million tickets will be made available. Of those, 100,000 will be sold at $25 and half of all tickets will be $100 or less. Tickets for the Opening and Closing Cermonies will range from $175 to $1,100. For events that have high demand, a lottery will be used to determine who gets first shot at them.

More information about the Olympic events schedule and buying tickets can be found at Vancouver 2010 ticket information. Winter Olympic fans worldwide can sign up for ticket updates on the official Olympic website.

As with all Olympics, nearly one-third of tickets will go to active participants including athletes and their families, international sporting groups, media and sponsors. Organizers said they are planning to ensure those seats are full if ticket-holders do not use them.

“The ‘lure of the Olympic ticket’ is something that’s difficult to explain unless you’ve had a chance to get a ticket,” said John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “We’re thrilled to provide a ticket program that follows through on our commitment to make tickets and the Olympic experience available to anyone who wants to go.”

A Well Dressed Home Sells Quicker!

Jerry Campbell — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:12:00 GMT

Selling your home in today's Bellingham real estate market would be enhanced if your home shines above your competition to begin with. With so many homes on the market currently in Bellingham, home owners should really make sure their home shows well before buyers in this market see it for the first time.

I remember reading a book many years ago called "Dress for Success". Those words hold true for a home as much as they do for your personal appearance in business, life and first impressions.

I've always believed in staging a home before it goes on the market, but in today's buyers market it is very important to prepare your home for the sale. Home owners can hire a professional home stager or they can also do it themselves.

If your going to do it yourself...I think one should start from the outside. Take a bunch of photos from the street and then work your way around the home. Once you complete that, take a bunch more of the inside and then you'll have your before and once completed, your after photos as well.

The most important area to work on, is the street appeal. Spend some time with the lawn and landscaping to get it in the best shape possible. If your house needs some touch up on the painting, grab your paint and brushes and do those touch ups. What ever it is that needs to be done, spend the time and complete those projects...it will pay dividends in the end. I think most of these things can be done by the homeowner. If you have to hire a professional, prioritize the work and concentrate on the items that will bring you the highest return.

The next most important area would be the room buyers first enter when they come inside your home. Dress this room up and make it warm and inviting to potential home buyers. Study some Feng Shui home ideas on line to assist you as well.

Some of the things you might want to do on the interior of your Bellingham home might include the following:

Clear any and all clutter from each room. Buyers need to imagine what your home will be like once they buy it, but its very difficult to imagine that if the home is full of clutter. For instance...in the kitchen, take all that stuff off the refrigerator and clear off the counters to the bare necessities. Maybe add instead a nice flower arrangement, candles, etc.
If a room needs repainting, I would go ahead and do it. It's so inexpensive for a home owner to repaint a couple rooms and the return is usually pretty good. Try to stay to the neutral colors to market to higher percentage of the buyers.
Either higher a professional carpet cleaning service or go rent a machine from your nearby Equipment Rental company. I've had good luck with Service Master locally. For Rental company's try Master Rentals, Hardware Sales Rental dept. and Bay City Supply.
Check for odors in your house. If you smoke in your home, have a cat box or any other possible odors, I would definitely remedy this situation. These are tough things to talk to a typical seller about...but they need to be addressed right away. Have a friend, neighbor, or your Realtor come into your home and see what they can detect. If they can smell the odor...trust me buyers will to and try to find the exit door as fast as they can.
After you've cleared the clutter and boxed up and stored unnecessary items, It's time to do the final staging of whats left and possibly even bring in some items to finish. If your going to put your home on the market, your eventually going to have to remove everything and box things up. I'm not suggesting removing everything...just box up whats not necessary and store it in the garage or even a small storage unit. Once you've done that...stage whats left so it's warm, cozy and comfortable. You want buyers to feel like they want to sit on your furniture or at the kitchen table and be comfortable. Make your home inviting so they will write you an offer and your Realtor can put a SOLD sign in your yard.

Well good luck on preparing your home for sale and remember I'm also a full time Realtor here in the Bellingham WA real estate market and work the entire Whatcom County area. Feel free to call me anytime for some advice on buying or selling real estate or if your interviewing Realtors currently. Good luck, hope some of this advice helps.

CH2M Hill doubling work force

Jerry Campbell — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 22:52:00 GMT

The local Bellingham work force for CH2M Hill will double over the next two years according to a company spoksman from the former VECO company. This is more good news for the local Whatcom County jobs report and local economy which is already experiencing historic low unemplyment numbers around 4%. CH2M Hill plans to add as many as 230 new workers for its Bellingham engineering office in the next two years.

CH2M Hill bought VECO in September. The Bellingham office of the firm currently has 250 employees, mostly working on projects at local refineries. But local officials say CH2M Hill has bigger plans for the office. First, there are 30 current openings to fill; plans call for hiring 100 people in each of the next two years.

Most of those jobs will be in the engineering and technical side of the business, where people can earn $80,000 a year. Some of the new CH2M workers will be relocating to Bellingham and will be home buyers and adding new dollars to Whatcom County retail sales.

The announcement is great news for our community. We need more highpaying, professional jobs to help support the economy. Too much of our economy now is dependent on lowerpaying retail and service sector jobs.

We welcome CH2M Hill to the community and wish them well in their expansion plans. We hope that they are a successful part of our local economy for many years to come.

For any CH2M Hill employees relocating to the Bellingham, WA area and need relocation assistance and help in locating housing or buying a home, feel free to contact me. Bellingham WA real estate.

Go Green at Home Inexpensively

Jerry Campbell — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 19:27:00 GMT

Going the green way today doesn't have to be as expensive as the prevailing thought on the popular movement thats sweeping the country. There are a lot of things homeowners can do in your current home to lower your monthly utility expenses and contribute to helping the environment by following a few quick tips.

A recent poll by the American Institure of Architects showed that over 90% of homeowners would be willing to pay $5,000 more for home that's easier on the environment. I think one just has to first follow some simple energy saving advice at home and start from there on the savings.

The fact is making your home more energy efficient can save you money over the course of a year, accomplishing two goals. Try some of the following suggestions from Jane Bennett Clark, an editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. She suggest these 10 simple ways to go green without going broke:

Insulate your water heater for one. If it was built before 2004, you can save as much as 10% on your annual water-heating bill by wrapping the tank in an insulating fireproof blanket.
Pad those pipes. You can cut heating costs just by insulating exposed hot water pipes in your home.
Weatherstrip your doors. Putting weather-stripping around your front and back doors will net you around $30 a year in energy savings.
Wash your clothes in cold. That uses 50 % less energy than washing them in hot water.
Don’t use permanent press. Employing the regular setting instead of the permanent press setting on you washing machine will conserve five gallons of water per load.
Watch your water flow. Save a gallon of water per minute when you’re doing the dishes by restricting the water flow to a stream the width of a straw. Save another two gallons by turning off the water when you brush your teeth for two minutes.
Tune up your furnace. Getting your furnace serviced every two years not only reduces the amount of carbon dioxide it emits, it also cuts your heating bills by up to 10%.
Lower the temperature. The Alliance to Save Energy estimates that you can take 5% off your heating bill for every degree you lower your home’s temperature during the cold season.
Fix that leaking faucet. That constant drip, drip, drip isn’t just grating, it’s also wasting water — 2,700 gallons a year to be exact.
Check your toilet tank. If you put a drop of food coloring into your toilet bowl and it doesn’t disappear, your tank is leaking, says Clark. Get it fixed and you can salvage 200 gallons of water a day.

Once you start thinking about ways to save energy costs at home ideas will really start to flow. Making your home green will contribute to energy savings, help the environment and save you a little money along the way.

Whatcom County Parks Growth Potential

Jerry Campbell — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 17:02:00 GMT

Whatcom County is looking at creating low-impact parks, with trails and camping, for thousands of acres of state-managed land that may be transferred to county control, Parks & Recreation Director Michael McFarlane said Tuesday.

The Whatcom County Executive and state Department of Natural Resources announced Friday they agreed to work together on a plan to transfer lands in the Lake Whatcom watershed. The plan should be ready for public review by the end of the year.

At issue are more than 8,000 acres of state-managed forestland, which could be used to develop parks and trails to connect the 641 acres of parkland the county owns in the watershed.

“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, a lot of questions that need to be answered on this,” said McFarlane, who provided an update to the County Council Tuesday night. “At this particular point in time, we don’t even know what that would look like out there.”

The county could benefit because a deal could help protect Lake Whatcom’s water quality and provide recreational opportunities for residents, McFarlane said. Meanwhile, the DNR could benefit by combining lands under its control, making them easier to manage, he said.

How much it would cost the county to manage the land isn’t yet known, officials said. The county would also lose revenue generated by timber harvesting on those lands.

Lake Whatcom, the drinking water source for about 91,000 Bellingham-area residents, is seeing deteriorating water quality, and stormwater runoff from development is at least partly to blame.

McFarlane said the county executive had to get the DNR to the table to see if it was interested in negotiations.

“Both parties need to come into this willing to negotiate and give and take,” he said.

Most council members said they supported the idea but hoped the county would study early on how it planned to manage the land. One felt it would be an exciting legacy to have this potential park area in the watershed be created.

Some residents told the council they supported the idea, which David Wallin, an environmental science professor at Western Washington University, said has been considered for more than a decade. Park land is better for the lake than land that’s logged, he said.

Subprime Mess Could be Masking a Great Buying Opportunity!

Jerry Campbell — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:52:00 GMT

Lately when reading a paper, internet news services, or watching the nightly news, one might think getting a mortgage today is out of the question. That's the irony of this whole sub-prime mess. If you have good or decent credit its actually a great time to secure long term financing on your dream home.

The media is concentrating way to much on past loans and all the foreclosures that the market is experiencing and forgetting to mention that it's actually not a bad time to buy a home. It's so hard to see thru all the negative chatter to realize the next couple years might just very well be one of the best buying opportunities for the next decade.

Take my area of the country for instance: we have very low unemployment, retail sales are still relatively high historically, Interest rates on a 30 year fixed loan are in the low 6 percent range, we live in a very desireable area of the country and you have a buyers market. Forget about that mortgage mess, what does that have to do with buying today and into the future.

I for one am glad that mess is getting cleaned up. I was never a fan of interest only loans or mortgages that had those 1-3 years fixed that turned into adjustable loans. I can see if someone secured a 5 or even 10 year fixed that turned into an adjustable after that period, but certainly not the shorter term ones. To make things worse, buyers were putting down anywhere from 0-10% in many cases, thats not good coupled with those short term fixed loans.

Most qualified home buyers have nothing to fear, except the confusion they have from all this negative chatter. If you have good to decent credit, a decent down payment and plan to stay in your home for at least 5 years or more, today is a great time to buy a home.

The term "mortgage meltdown" has become so commonplace — on TV, in headlines and even casual conversations — that you might assume that this is a tough time to get a mortgage.
But the reality is starkly different: Mortgage money is plentiful, most mortgage products remain relatively unaffected by troubles in the subprime segment and interest rates for 30-year fixed-rate loans remain in the low 6 percent range for people with reasonably good — not necessarily perfect — credit backgrounds. via Kenneth R. Harney, Syndicated Columnist

Consumers are hearing so much negative talk about the mortgage business that most think it's a terrible time in the mortgage market, which leads them to believe that won't qualify for a loan. The good news is that the products and underwriting that allowed people to buy houses they couldn't afford have disappeared. Were finally getting back to a more normal mortgage market when it comes to lending for the real estate market.

Whatcom County Hires New Planning Director

Jerry Campbell — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 01:14:00 GMT

Whatcom County has hired David Stalheim as their new Director of Planning and Development Services. Stalheim most recently was the Community Development Director for Ashland, Oregon. He also has previous experience by working for nine years as the community development director for Wenatchee and also served as the planning director for Clallam County for over five years.

Former Whatcom Planning Director Hal Hart resigned the position earlier this year. Stalheim will start in early November at a salary of $101,364.

Stalheim was scheduled to be present at Tuesday's Whatcom County Council meeting for his confirmation and to meet the council and community members.

Pete Kremen, Whatcom County Executive, said "Mr. Stalheim is a collaborator, he is knowledgeable, very experienced and has the skill set for moving this community forward".

Stalheim said family considerations figured into taking the Whatcom County position. “I am eager to return to Washington State where I have developed deep roots. Our family looks forward to becoming part of the community," he said.

While in Wenatchee, Stalheim is credited with bringing the city into compliance with the Growth Management Act and implementing the Geographic Information and permit tracking system. He also managed $5 million in grant funds for community centers, housing rehabilitation, parks and planning.

Kremen said it was a deliberate and focused search. “We wanted to make sure we got the right person and I believe we have. I am very excited about David taking over in planning." Sam Ryan had been acting as the planning director during the interim period.

For all your Bellingham real estate needs visit Bellingham WA Homes.

Bellingham Historic Home Tour

Jerry Campbell — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:41:00 GMT

This past weekend the Eldridge neighborhood in Bellingham held their annual Historical Home Tour with six Victorican era homes held open to the public. Three of the homes this year were new for the tour and brought some added excitement.

The homes on display were built between 1889 and 1929 with an array of architecture representing historic times in Bellingham's history. Some of the homes included a 1924 Craftsman style home, a Victorian on Cherry Street, a Henry Street Victorian cottage, to a grand American Foursquare-style home, as well as a historical background of Elizabeth Park and its gazebo.

The proceeds of the historical tour goes towards the neighborhoods annual summer music concert series. It was reported that the tour had about 250 people attend the event this past weekend.

The City of Bellingham has a nice resource for any one looking for more information on exploring Bellingham's historic properties through its buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Readers interested in more information on neighborhoods in Bellingham WA might try visting our Bellingham WA Homes site for more local information.

Downtown Bellingham Vistor Info Station Opens!

Jerry Campbell — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 20:32:00 GMT

The Downtown Renaissance Network opened the Downtown Bellingham Visitor Information Station, located at 1304 Cornwall Avenue, on April 6, 2007. Since opening, over 1,700 visitors have utilized their services. Since the beginning of August they've noticed a significant increase in the number of people looking to move to Bellingham. From August 1 through today, nearly 600 people have been to the Information Station, 75% of whom are interested in moving to the area.

According to their website since 2000, the Downtown Renaissance Network has been the only organization that unites the diverse interests that defines Bellingham's city center. Through their network of members, they present a powerful voice for Downtown Bellingham.

While in the Downtown Bellingham area utilize this map of Downtown Bellingham.

The Network is a strong voice for Downtown and an effective liaison between downtown stakeholders and local decision-makers. As a central clearinghouse for Downtown, the Network is the best source of information on upcoming events, public policies, and opportunities.

The photo to the right is the Downtown Bellingham Visitors Center. When your there, tell them Jerry told you about them....

Visit our Bellingham Homes site for all your Bellingham real estate needs!

Bellingham Developer Proposing 15-story building at Bakerview and I-5

Jerry Campbell — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 03:43:00 GMT

The developer of the Bakerview Square shopping center wants to build a 15-story building with a hotel and convention center along Bakerview Road.

Morgan Bartlett Jr. is still exploring the feasibility of building the project on 1 acre across the street from Fred Meyer, near Interstate 5 and along Pacific Highway, said Keith Turley, a consultant working for Bartlett.

“I like the general area of north Bellingham, Bakerview,” Bartlett said. “I think there’s a lot of growth happening, and I think there’s a lot more potential for growth out there.”

The project, called Olympic Tower, could include several stories of parking below a hotel, restaurant, offices and condominiums, all totaling 144,000 square feet of space, Turley said. The hotel and convention center space would benefit from the proximity to Bellingham International Airport.

Bartlett said he’s explored the project for about a year, and he’s been looking at the current site, 4033 Pacific Highway, for three months. In about two weeks, he expects to close on the purchase of the land, now owned by Leo Aguilera of Sherwood, Ore.

The project is still in its early stages, and no applications have been filed with the city.

Bartlett’s company, Madrona Bay Real Estate Investments in Bellingham, is developing the Bakerview Square shopping center, which already holds nearly a dozen businesses, including the IHOP Restaurant at the corner of Eliza Avenue and Bakerview Road. When the second phase of Bakerview Square is complete, the development will total more than 115,000 square feet of retail space.

Other developers have proposed high-rise buildings in downtown Bellingham, Fairhaven and the Guide Meridian neighborhood. They have yet to start building. Experts say it’s because Bellingham is an untested market for these types of structures and banks are wary about providing financing.

“There’s been many mid- to high-rise projects in Bellingham that have not come to fruition,” Bartlett said. “I think the biggest challenge here is creating a building that’s financially viable.”

To overcome that, he plans to be creative in how he packages the project and sells it to lenders, he said. The project, he estimates, will cost $20 million to $25 million.

Currently he’s studying the housing market, potential costs and the feasibility of building on that site. He’ll need another three to six months of study before he decides whether to move forward.

“I’m confident that I can make the concept work financially,” he said. “I do think that if it’s not this site, it’s another site.”

For all your Whatcom County real estate needs call Jerry Campbell today at 360-739-7779.

Fairhaven's Waldron and Young Buildings nearing completion!

Jerry Campbell — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 18:53:00 GMT

One of Fairhaven’s biggest remodeling projects is nearing completion, and tenants are starting to sign up for the Waldron and Young buildings.

The Waldron Building was built in the 1890s but only the first two floors were ever used. To learn more about the history of the Waldron Building and the Fairhaven Historic District try the City of Bellingham's Historic Tours site.

Ebenal General Construction Inc. took on the enormous task of gutting and remodeling the building, which has taken more than a year. Now both the residential and commercial units are getting finishing touches and are expected to be ready for occupancy in October, said Ginger Pennington, vice president of marketing and sales for the company.

Pennington said they have room for two to four retail tenants in the building. At the sidewalk level, Ebenal is looking for a restaurant business to fill the spot.

An additional feature includes stairs installed at the 12th Street sidewalk to go down to the basement level, which has a walkway for other retail spaces.

The Young Building, a newly constructed mixed-use structure that sits right next to the Waldron, will have six retail spaces facing an alley that connects to nearby Finnegan’s Alley.

To date, there are two signed tenants — Nostalgia, a retro clothing and accessories store, and Aisling Eyewear, which will have a variety of eyeglasses and sunglasses.

Pennington said they hope to get the retail spaces signed and filled this fall and winter but are also mindful about being a landlord in Fairhaven.

“We know these buildings are a big addition to Fairhaven, so we want to be picky about who we sign,” Pennington said. “We want to make sure the retail stores flow with the rest of Fairhaven.”

More information about the buildings can be found at www.thewaldron.com.

Trader Joe's Opening in Bellingham, WA Soon!

Jerry Campbell — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:03:00 GMT

The countdown can now begin for Trader Joe’s. The specialty grocery store announced Friday that Sept. 28 will be the first day of business at the Sunnyland Square shopping center on James Street. The store will soon be mailing out postcard-size fliers around the area with details, said Brian Casey, “commander” of the Bellingham store. The store will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Since the company announced last year that it was coming to Bellingham, Trader Joe’s fans locally have been eagerly awaiting the opening. Casey said a steady stream of people have been dropping by the center lately for a peek at the progress.

“It’s been nice being a part of something that people have been so excited about,” said Casey, who has worked at Trader Joe’s for 14 years, most recently at the Everett store. “The excitement creates a fun situation every day I go to work. I feel like it’s a vacation at work.”

At the store Friday afternoon, workers were busy stocking shelves, and there was a line of people dropping off job applications. To date, more than 300 people have applied for 65 positions, and the company is still accepting applications. “So far, it’s been a smooth process. We’re training the people we have hired and getting everything in place,” Casey said.

The store is the anchor tenant of Sunnyland Square, which has been going through a $2 million remodel in the past year. At this point, other tenants include Papa Murphy’s pizza, Cruisin’ Coffee and Butterfly Life, a women’s fitness and nutrition studio. Trader Joe’s will be taking the space of the former James Street Red Apple supermarket.

At more than 12,000 square feet, the store will be larger than the Everett store but have the same array of products. Murals of local scenery are being painted on the walls to give the space a neighborhood feeling, Casey said.

Excitement over a Trader Joe’s opening is something Casey has seen and heard about before. He said petition campaigns, like the one Bellingham-area Trader Joe’s fans did to help bring a store here, are common. The chain looks for locations that have excitement about the stores.

“The Everett store had a fair amount of people drive there from Bellingham, as well as British Columbia,” Casey said. Currently the company has more than 280 stores in 23 states. Via BellinghamHerald.

Paying for a Home Inspection Now Could Avoid Headaches Later

Jerry Campbell — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 04:15:00 GMT

Despite the downturn in the housing market, millions of homes will still be bought and sold. At a time when price negotiations have become more vigorous, many buyers and sellers neglect one important element that could cost them thousands of dollars: the home inspection.

Mike Kuhn, co-author of “The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Home Inspections” has spent nearly two decades trying to change a mindset.

“Approximately one quarter of home buyers do not get a professional home inspection for their prospective home,” says Kuhn. “An even smaller percentage of home sellers acquire a pre-listing inspection to help them better present their home in a competitive way.”

Years of witnessing costly and avoidable errors prompted Kuhn to help develop a guide to home inspections. He believed that if people knew more about the home inspection process, they’d understand what it includes, why it is necessary, and how to make the most of it.

A professional home inspection can help buyers avoid buying someone else’s problems, and for sellers the home inspection can help them eliminate potential defects that could turn off a prospective buyer.

A professional home inspector will review the major, visible and accessible components of the home and provide a detailed written report rating each element. The report should objectively include information in a detailed manner that allows the client to make informed decisions.

A professional home inspector also educates and provides tips on proper home maintenance. Buyers or sellers are encouraged to attend the inspection. Kuhn adds, “HouseMaster inspectors are specifically trained to communicate throughout the inspection, demonstrating how to operate many of the home’s systems and discussing maintenance needs.”

More than ever, buyers need to know what they are buying to reduce the possibility of making a very costly mistake. Sellers need to do what they can do to make their home standout from the others on the market. The average home inspection costs between $350-$550, but in almost any kind of real estate market, a home inspection is a wise investment.

Visit our Bellingham WA real estate site for more information on the Whatcom County homes market.

New Whidbey Island WA Real Estate Web Site!

Jerry Campbell — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 01:28:00 GMT

Freeland, Washington now has a real estate web site dedicated to the South Whidbey Island area homes market. The new Whidbey Island real estate site is located on the web at WhidbeyIslandRealEstate.us. The site provides Freeland area residents with links to searching Whidbey Island area homes for sale, Whidbey Island home search alert, free market analysis, and much more Whidbey Island area links and information.

The new Whidbey Island area web site was designed to serve the needs of home sellers and home buyers in the South Whidbey Island area of Island County. The site also has information on local schools, shopping, parks, recreation, local events and so much more. Because it is so close to Clinton, Langley and Coupeville, WA the site will also cover these areas as well. Home buyers can also search the Oak Harbor, WA area as well.

Paulette Hill, a local Realtor at Coldwell Banker Tara Properties is the owner of the WhidbeyIslandRealEstate.us site. She is very excited to provide such a great product for all her current and future clients in the real estate market. Paulette also happens to be my mother-in-law and as a fellow Realtor I'm very excited that she decided to use Point2 Homes as her web site provider. Good luck Mom!

Birch Bay adding 650 High End Homes Soon!

Jerry Campbell — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:35:00 GMT

In Birch Bay, WA developers have invested about $30 million buying land, installing infrastructure and building a sales house, but not one of the 650 high-end homes planned for the Horizon at Semiahmoo development has been constructed. That’s about to change.

“We’ve got the first phase essentially completed with about 74 single-family lots ready to go to market,” developer Fred Bovenkamp said.

Bovenkamp is one of three partners working to build Horizon at Semiahmoo, a commercial- residential project on 200 acres between Semiahmoo Parkway and Birch Point Road and west of Shintaffer Road. The project, which will be constructed in phases, is expected to add 1,500 to 2,000 new residents to the fast-growing area.

As part of the project, developers paid $5 million to build a road with a median, bike lanes and sidewalks connecting Birch Point Road to Semiahmoo Parkway, just west of the intersection with Shintaffer Road, Bovenkamp said. The stretch, which will be more than a mile long when completed, will be given to Whatcom County, he said. It’s expected to open by the end of 2008.

Developers will also spend about $500,000 to build a roundabout where the new road intersects with Semiahmoo Parkway.

The project, which has been three years in the making, will focus heavily on sustainability: Everything from site designs to housing designs to construction materials is intended to reduce its impact on the environment, Bovenkamp said.

“We’ve got elements of reduced development impact already from the day we designed it,” he said. “It was really a different philosophy than you typically see in a residential development.”

Internationally known Seattlebased Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects designed the project, and it was because of the efforts to build a sustainable project that they came on board, Bovenkamp said.

“They’re a very large firm,” he said. “They really don’t need a project like this.”

For example, architects want to design the homes, which will cost up to $2 million, to stay cool without having to have an air conditioning system, which is unusual for higher-end homes, he said.

The goal is to have all structures meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, nationally accepted standards for environmentally friendly construction.

The project won’t be fully built until 2009, Bovenkamp said. The commercial component will be built in the last phase, including 100,000 square feet of commercial- retail space. Via BellinghamHerald.

Visit our Bellingham WA real estate site for more information on the Whatcom County homes market.