Those of us who live in Whatcom County live right on the border with Canada. By doing inspections in various northern parts of the county -- Lynden and Sumas -- I am often very close to the border. The other day, while inspecting in Point Roberts, I had an interesting inside view of border living. Point Roberts is an enclave, surrounded by Canada and water but it is part of the USA. To get there by car, you have to cross the border twice. When I arrived at the home I was inspecting, I mentioned to the man that he had to be mighty close to Canada. He said, yep, that is Canada right there on the other side of the road. These photos get the point across pretty well. The first one is me driving down the road. I am in the USA. That is Canada to the right.   One thing that I found interestin... 08/27/2009

According to USA-Foreclosure.com, the nation’s premier online source for foreclosure listings, announced recently that sales of foreclosure property at foreclosure auctions remain strong in Washington and Oregon. “Sales at foreclosure auctions are a significant indicator of the health of the real estate market in a community,” said Chad Thornton, technical manager for USA-Foreclosure.com. “These sales reflect a continued confidence in the real estate market, as well as the willingness of investors to purchase.” Typically, at a foreclosure auctions the lending institution takes back the property unless bidders are present and meet or exceed the opening bid. Nationwide, fewer than 5% of foreclosed property is sold to non-bank bidders at auction. The other 95% reverts to the lender. Lender... 08/26/2009

This is another post in a series on home inspection training as is provided by Bellingham Technical College. Bellingham Technical College is now one of the leading technical colleges in the state. Therefore, many students who are in class for various programs -- nursing to commercial truck driving to home inspection -- come to the school from out of town. We see students from the Seattle area and from eastern Washington. Bellingham, not being the small city that it used to be when I was growing up, is harder to get around in than it used to be. Therefore, below, I am supplying a map and driving details for those who are arriving at the school by way of the freeway, coming from the north or the south. Your final destination is 3020 Lindbergh Ave. From the north: Take I-5 exit 258 (.3 mi... 08/26/2009

Hot Summer Day In Bellingham - Whatcom County Real Estate for sale - Judy Schneider It was such a warm and beautiful day in Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington! In fact we have had an unusually warm and dry summer this year. I was passing by these ducks on a lake and just looking at them in the refreshing lake made me feel cooler! The water was so clear and these ducks were just splashing around and staying cool! Wild Life in Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington is plentiful! The wildlife is one of the things I enjoy the most about living in Whatcom County. If you are thinking about relocating to Whatcom County, feel free to contact me. I would be happy to help you with your Real Estate needs! I work with buyers and sellers in Whatcom County, Washington! Your needs are my first pri... 08/24/2009

Regardless of which program students are taking, from commercial truck driving to nursing to home inspection, it is helpful if they know how to find their way around the campus. BTC is one of the largest of the state technical colleges in the state, therefore, the campus consists of many nooks, crannies and buildings. BTC has published the map below to help students find their way around. The home inspection classes are almost always held in the two buildings at the upper right, MC, Morse Center, or DMC, Des McArdle Center. One of the most important buildings, for morning coffee and lunch, is building G which houses the culinary arts school. For a more detailed version of this campus map, click here,       ,     Steven L. Smith Bellingham WA Home Inspections   08/24/2009

New home inspectors, would be home inspectors, and those who are working in the field but are required to acquire 120 hours of fundamentals education prior to their being allowed to test and receive a license, have the opportunity to get that training in the near future. The next fundamentals course, the last one the school will offer prior to the September 1 date when many of the licensing rules become effective, gets underway at BTC on August 31, 2009. That's right, the Bellingham Technical College state approved fundamentals of home inspection course, along with an extra week that provides 40 hours of field training, will begin in Bellingham on August 31, 2009. The program has been in existence for 15 years and many inspectors in Whatcom County and other parts of the state have part... 08/22/2009

I have been writing a series on the home inspection training course at Bellingham Technical College. The course is broken into a three week section, then a final week. That, of course, adds up to the four weeks. In the first three weeks, students receive 120 hours of training in fundamentals of home inspection. This college level course is state approved basic training. In the last week, students receive 40 hours of field training and in that course of study they are required to write five reports. The reports must meet state standards of practice. I am the coordinator for the program. But I enjoy working with the other adjunct faculty who keep this class going for all those weeks. When I say "adjunct" faculty that means that we are all working professionals in real life but we also tea... 08/21/2009

I can only guess how many times I have posted photos like this. I have said it over and over again, yet every time I go out to Sudden Valley, near Lake Louise and a part of Bellingham, I see deer. Today I only saw one. He was so tiny that, at first glance, I thought it was a dog. This guy, maybe a girl, almost looks like a plastic deer. But that is not the case. Active Rain is giving points for various series, this should have been mine. I have plenty of material. Steven L. Smith Bellingham WA Home Inspections 08/20/2009

Planning and Patience WIN: Check out this encouraging local news story about a couple who laid in wait for 18 months and pounced on a great home with 95% financing for the right price. They saved their cash for renovations and bought a fabulous location, a solid older home with good bones and amazing water view. The only real challenge was getting an underwriter in the Midwest to appreciate the value given low sales (pre-spring lull) in a very stable neighborhood (most residents stay put so another reason for low sales). The author just happens to be editor of the Scotsman Guide, our industry publication (contact cultivated via that publication). He was happy to give me a quote or two and interview a Realtor friend who specializes in short sales. Smiles all round! You just can't underes... 08/20/2009

Waterfront properties-Whatcom County Real Estate for Sale- Wordless Wednesday Wait until you see the waterfront homes in Whatcom County, Washington. Call me I would be happy to show you what is for sale! Judy Schneider eXp Realty 360-224-9047 Waterfront properties-Whatcom County Real Estate for Sale- Wordless Wednesday Interested in Waterfront property in Whatcom County, Washington. We have some wonderful Waterfront homes with amazing views! I would be happy to help you find what you are looking for. Call Me! Judy Schneider eXp Realty 360-224-9047   08/19/2009

Summer drives in Whatcom County Real Estate for Sale - Almost Wordless I know I have written about the beautiful drives in Whatcom County, Washington before. There are just so many beautiful places here. Whatcom County still amazes me with it's beauty! If you are thinking about relocating to Whatcom County, Washington, call me! I would be honored to help you! Judy Schneider Exit Realty Associates 360-224-9047 I am located in the Bellingham area!   Summer drives in Whatcom County Real Estate for Sale - Almost Wordless Relocating Call Me I can help you find what you are looking for. I am located in the Bellingham area. Judy Schneider Exit Realty Associates 360-224-9047 08/19/2009

This is the fourth installment in my series on state approved fundamentals of home inspection training offered at Bellingham Technical College.   Previously, we have looked at the 120 hour fundamentals course, the 40 hours of field training and the college itself. Today, I wish to focus on what I believe to be one advantage of taking the course at BTC. We have online study guides and practice quizzes that are interactive and setup to help our students study for their essential licensing exams.  The tests may be taken in the privacy of the student's home and this is typically done about three weeks after they have completed the course and the field training.  The tests present the questions to students and then let them know how they did at the end. Below I randomly pulled out a few que... 08/19/2009

Thinking of making an offer on a Bellingham Bank Owned property?  Well, if you've made offers on distressed properties before, you're probably aware that banks & lenders have their own set of rules.  One of them being the bank's request of your "highest & best offer" on the Bellingham bank owned property.  Usually the "highest & best" phrase comes into play when there are multiple offers.  Instead of the bank countering each offer individually, they will counter all offers verbally by asking for "highest & best" from each bidder.  As a buyer, there's no way of knowing at what price the other offers came in at, not to mention the fact that for all you know there might not even be other offers on the table.  The weight of certain factors can make or break an offer, so the highest doesn't ... 08/18/2009

If you're shopping for Bellingham Real Estate you might have noticed that there is a bit of excitement around the topic of Bellingham Bank Owned Properties & you might be wondering what the fuss is about.  Well, Bellingham Bank owned properties are usually priced at or above fair market value, but occasionally there are some that have a really low listing price.  The low listing price can mean one of two things...it may mean that it's a great deal, priced-right or it could mean that it's a real dump in a bad location.  We've seen it all here in the Bellingham Real Estate market. If, in fact, they are great deals, they may seem to-good-to-be true...& sometimes they are.  Bank owned, low listing prices, is a strategy that some banks use to create bidding wars in order to get buyer emotion... 08/17/2009

This article is part of my series on the Washington State approved fundamentals of home inspector education that is offered by Bellingham Technical College. This time, we will look at the college and it's history. Bellingham Technical College, pictured above, is one of the most respected of all of the technical colleges in the state. Initial planning for a vocational college in Bellingham goes clear back to the year 1952. The 21-acre campus, which is still the home of the college today, was established here in 1957. BTC offers a diverse curriculum: Construction and Engineering Technology Culinary Arts Fisheries and Aquaculture Health Careers and Child & Family Studies Manufacturing and Industrial Technology Management, Business and Computer Technology Transportation and Mechanical Tech... 08/17/2009

A fully restored version of the B-17 Flying Fortress,  will be at the Bellingham International Airport from noon Friday, Aug. 14, to noon Monday, Aug. 17.  Public tours and flights in the Sentimental Journey, a B-17  will be hosted by the The Heritage Flight Museum, located at the airport, The Flying Fortress,restored by the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force is well known for its bombing raids over Germany in World War II,. Admission is free, a $5 donation to tour the plane is requested. Flights on the B-17 are available Saturday and Sunday for $425 per person, Sentimental Journey stops in an average of 60 cities per year and is one of roughly 50 remaining B-17s in existence. It was built in November 1944. The museum will be open to the public from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m... 08/15/2009

In a previous article, I wrote about the home inspection training course at Bellingham Technical College. Click on the logo below to visit the BTC website. This is a state approved course and provides students with the mandatory 120 hours of classroom fundamentals training in the profession of home inspection. The second element of training that is state mandated, for anyone entering the field of home inspection after September 1, 2009, is 40 hours of approved field training. That field training must include a minimum of five home inspections and five reports that meet the state standards. In the past, as the process was being implemented, that field training had to be supervised by an experienced home inspector. Soon that will change to require supervision by a licensed home inspector... 08/15/2009

The following is a quick analysis of the Residential Bellingham real estate market. Currently Active Listings: 569 Price range of active listings - $115,000 - $4,500,000 Average List Price $524,864 Days on the Market: 113 Median List Price: $399,000 Days on the Market: 72 Sold in July: 99 Average List Price: $408,009 Average Sales Price: $387,537 Ratio of List to Price: 95.0% Days on the Market: 102 Median List Price: $314,000 Median Sales Price: $308,000 Days on the Market: 73 Ratio of List to Price: 98.1% Pending Sales Last Week: 37 Total pending sales: 169 Average Sales Price July 2008: $353,063 Median Sales Price July 2008: $310,000 Number Sold in July 2008: 99 The Average Sales price is up 9.7% compared to July 08 and up 17.1% compared to last month June 09. The Median Sales price... 08/14/2009

  The following is a quick analysis of the Residential Bellingham real estate market in Sudden Valley.   There are currently 114 homes for sale. Homes are priced from $99,900 - $995,000 Average Asking Price is $337,056   Average Days on Market are 117 days Median Asking Price is $288,000    Median Days on Market are 75 days Sold in July: 16 Average Listing Price $252,806 Average Sold Price $248,994         Average Days on Market 98 Median Listing Price $242,450 Median Sold Price $235,000          Median Days on Market 93 Pending Sales Last Week: 6       Total pending sales: 34 Average Sales Price July 2008: $267,863 Median Sales Price July 2008: $276,000 Sold in June July: 16    The Average Sales price is down 7% compared to July 08 and up 14.3% compared to last month June 09. The Media... 08/14/2009

  Judy Bracken-Commissaris | Keller Wililams | 360-220-6600 2709 W Maplewood Ave., Bellingham, WA   Bellingham condo   Maple Glen Condos MapleGlen Condos - walk to shopping, bus lines, park 2BR/1.5BA Condo offered at $129,000 Year Built 1994 Sq Footage 768 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms 1 full, 1 partial Floors Unspecified Parking 1 Uncovered spaces Lot Size Unspecified HOA/Maint $125 per month DESCRIPTION Maple Glen Condos in Bellingham are selling fast. Only a few left. All units are freshly decorated and some have been upgraded with granite countertops, stainless steel appliance. One left with mountain view. Zero down programs available, seller will pay 3% of closing costs. see additional photos below PROPERTY FEATURES - Fireplace - Dining room - Dishwasher - Refrigerator - Stove/Oven - Grani... 08/14/2009