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Bellingham, WA Real Estate News

By Steven L. Smith, Bellingham WA Home Inspector
(King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.)
One of the wood destroying insects in Bellingham, Whatcom county and this region is the anobiid beetle. The tiny adult beetle, as small or smaller than a grain of rice, lays an egg. That egg turns to larvae and the larvae crawls into the wood and feeds for five or more years. When the insect pupates and exits, it leaves a small exit hole, shot-sized and a gritty frass remains behind. When this damage is found, people buying homes are hoping for the best and they always ask the inspector if it is possible that maybe the insect is gone so they do not have to worry about it. Sometimes it can be hard to answer that question one way or the other. Other times it is all too obvious that the pest is active. Take the photo below. See all of that fine frass streaking down from the exit holes? Al...
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By Steven L. Smith, Bellingham WA Home Inspector
(King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.)
Washington state law, effective September 1, 2009, mandates that all individuals who are entering the field of home inspection must have completed an approved 120-hour minimum course in the fundamentals of home inspection. That basic course, which must be approved by DOL, has strict guidelines on the curriculum offered and ALL training must be completed in a classroom setting. Videos or online training by correspondence courses is not included in the 120-hours. There are presently three fundamentals courses approved by Washington state. One is offered by Bellingham Technical College -- a part of the state community college system. The other two approved courses are offered by franchises. Click on the BTC logo for specific course information. A bit of history: About 15 years ago, Bellin...
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By Tara Camp
(Keller Williams Western Realty)
If you're currently looking to buy Bellingham bank owned real estate, you might have seen or heard the phrase sold "AS IS".   If so, you're probably curious and maybe concerned about the "AS IS" phrase, as you should be.  After-all, it sounds pretty foreboding and kind of implies that something could be wrong with the place.  Well, while there could be something wrong with this particular bank owned property, "AS IS" just means that the seller (the bank/lender/note holder) is not going to do any repairs before they sell.  How do you protect yourself from this "AS IS" clause, when buying Bellingham bank owned real estate?  Well, a home inspection is always recommended, as it's a good way to find hidden problems that the seller may or may not know about.  This is important because banks d...
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By Tara Camp
(Keller Williams Western Realty)
There is a lot of mystery in the Bellingham foreclosure process surrounding the topic of the deficiency judgment, so I'm going to regurgitate some information regarding this topic. As per the Washington Foreclosure Rules and Regulations unless your foreclosure is a Judicial Foreclosure, your lender cannotsue you for a deficiency judgment.  A deficiency judgment is the difference in the amount you owe and the amount your lender agrees to let you sell for, which is a result of a short sale or a public sale at a Bellingham Foreclosure auction.  Another protective mechanism is "The Mortgage Debt Relief Act of 2007, which generally allows taxpayers to exclude income from the discharge of debt on their principal residence. Debt reduced through mortgage restructuring, as well as mortgage debt ...
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By Tara Camp
(Keller Williams Western Realty)
For the sake of this blog & SEO purposes, I'm going to give the specifics for the Bellingham Foreclosure process, although this process applies to all of Washington State & the Washington State Foreclosure process. The Bellingham area and Washington in general, for the most part is a non-judicial foreclosure state, which means that due to a "power of sale" clause in the deed of trust, your lender has the right to foreclose in order to recoup the defaulted amount that is owed.  If the Deed of Trust contains specifics on the method/terms of foreclosure then those rules/guidelines will trump, but if there are no set guidelines within the Deed the non-judicial power of sale is carried out as follows. 1.  Notice of Sale must be delivered and received via certified mail at the home owners las...
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By Steven L. Smith, Bellingham WA Home Inspector
(King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.)
Anyone who has tried a savory bagel would probably want to try another. There is no comparison between a bagel one gets from a plastic bag and a freshly prepared bagel. We are lucky here in my northwest corner of the state. Because we have great bagels in Bellingham because of the Bagelry at 1319 Railroad Avenue.   I have got to tell you that I cannot believe the way time flies. It was twenty years ago, or more, when my wife and I were downtown one winter. There was so much snow that we had taken the bus to town. Going home, a fellow got on the bus and said "there is this new business and they are giving away, on the street, these great buttered sesame bagels." In the years that I owned a radio station, we had many cooperative promotions with the Bagelry. Ken Ryan, a native New Yorker ...
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By Judy Bracken-Commissaris, Broker/Owner Keller Williams Western Realty
(Keller Williams Western Realty)
  Judy Bracken-Commissaris | Keller Wililams | 360-220-6600 4751 Birch Bay Lynden Rd #25, Blaine, WA    Birch Bay homes   Birch Bay Information Recreation lot in Latitude 49 8,100 sqft Vacant Land offered at $55,000 Lot Size 8,100 sqft DESCRIPTION Exciting and relaxing resort living in the heart of Birch Bay. This lot is ready with a concrete driveway slab on the property. All hookups are available and this community has city water and sewer. This lot has 80' street frontage. Located in a gated community. Beautiful club house, pool, jacuzzi, basketball and tennis courts, fitness center, putting green and loads of community activites. This is a 180 day lot, RV can stay entire year, only live in 180 days. Great for getaways. CC&R's see additional photos below LOCATION FEATURES - Blaine, ...
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By Steven L. Smith, Bellingham WA Home Inspector
(King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.)
It is time to ask realtors in Washington state a couple important questions. Within the home inspection industry there is speculation as to how real estate professionals will handle referrals after the new home inspector licensing laws take effect on September 1, 2009. I would like to receive feedback from Washington state realtors and brokers who are at Active Rain. I have written on this topic, and how the soon to be licensing will be implemented, in a previous post. I have two questions that I would like your feedback on. 1. In your offices, are you aware that the rules regarding home inspectors will change on September 1, 2009 and are your offices formulating new policies on inspector referrals? 2. The law gives some inspectors, depending on when they got into the field, through Ju...
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By Steven L. Smith, Bellingham WA Home Inspector
(King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.)
The Kulshan Kiwanis Club's Bill Bond Memorial Golf Tournament has become a tradition in Bellingham. Golfers from around the Pacific Northwest and Lower British Columbia have participated in this event for several years. Kiwanians, and friends of Kiwanians, should mark Thursday, September 3, 2009 on the calendar. Come to the Kulshan breakfast meeting, 7:15AM at the Bellingham Golf and Country Club, then stay for the putting contest and the 9:30AM shotgun 18 hole tournament. Teams (four players) participating in this year's Bill Bond Memorial Golf Tournament must have at least two Kiwanis family members per team. Early-bird prices are in effect until August 20th or until twelve teams have registered. That early-bird rate is affordable --  only $244.00 per team. The Bellingham Golf and Co...
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By Steven L. Smith, Bellingham WA Home Inspector
(King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.)
In the past I have written about the pair of feral cats that the wife and I adopted. That would be Tigretto and Fratello. They are tabbies and come from this one "mama" cat that we cannot catch. She began as a stray cat that wandered into the yard, Cornwall Park neighborhood, about eight years ago. We have been able to catch her various children and give them to people. We have the two boys right now. They first showed up in October. Well, about a month ago, mama kitty had another litter. A neighbor has one kitten and I captured the other one the other night. He will be given away. To give them away, one has to tame them. So I had this little kitten in by the computer as I worked. Ends up that big brother, Tigretto, decided that he would help babysit. It is quite amusing actually. The ...
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By Steven L. Smith, Bellingham WA Home Inspector
(King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.)
Yes folks, we are getting down to the wire. The new home inspector licensing laws in Washington state kick in on September 1, 2009. Did you know that these laws will impact home inspectors and real estate agents as well. How are realtors impacted you might ask. The law impacting realtors is part of the RCW's that regulate the profession RCW 18.235.130, governs unprofessional conduct and in that law #9 states that unprofessional conduct includes: "Aiding or abetting an unlicensed person to practice or operate a business or profession when a license is required". It looks like agents who refer inspectors, or give out lists, should exercise caution and ascertain that inspectors on the list are "legal." To do otherwise does not comply with the law as written. So, you might be asking, how c...
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By Steven L. Smith, Bellingham WA Home Inspector
(King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.)
Well, after years of haggling among inspectors, legislators and regulators, home inspector licensing is all set to go in Washington state come September 1. As of that date, home inspectors have to be licensed. There might be a few inspectors, in various phases of being "grandfathered" who are able to inspect till June. But, frankly, I think that waiting till after September to test is really risky for business. The rules are complicated enough that, even if those people can inspect for awhile, I doubt anyone will hire them or that they will be referred. I am pleased to say that I was among the first wave to test and I am now listed on the "active" list. I tested two weeks after Charlie Buell, but still early enough to have been the first licensed in the county. I have # 207. Other name...
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By Steven L. Smith, Bellingham WA Home Inspector
(King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.)
I was looking through some photos today and I saw one that is really quite amazing. This photo was taken at a brand new house in Bellingham. This is the view of the deck during a "moderate" rain shower here in the northwest. This is crazy. You might be wondering why the water. After all, there are gaps between those deck boards and those let water through. The answer is simple. The deck is built over a flat roof -- and I do mean flat. There was no drainage on the roof so the water was deep and it pooled at the low spot below. Can you imagine how much weight that was putting on the roof below? This building, of course, had passed every single one of the code inspections with flying colors. As a government inspector I know says: Building to meet minimum codes assures you of having the wo...
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By Christine Farkas, Awesome Customer Service Experience
(Keller Williams Western Realty)
In this market we receive many phone calls from first time home buyers and I thought it appropriate to publish a timeline. I sometimes take for granted that while this may seem common for those of us who have performed this transaction many times, it can be quite daunting for the first time homebuyer. A Home Buyer’s Timeline: What Should Be Done And WhenOne of the most confusing things about the home buying process is what you are supposed to do and when you are supposed to do it.  It can be difficult to pinpoint an exact timeframe since it can vary depending on the market as well as your specific situation.  In general, expect the process to take anywhere from 6 weeks to four months from the time you begin looking to closing. The steps identified below will give you a guideline to use ...
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By Tara Camp
(Keller Williams Western Realty)
This overview is a reflection of current properties on the market in the Cornwall Park Neighborhood of Bellingham, Wa., pending homes that are on their way to the closing table, and properties that have sold from mid May to present.  This will give you a clear picture of present activity in the Cornwall Park neighborhood, as well as, what has happened over the course of the last 4 months. Cornwall Park Neigbhorhood Sold Properties 5/1/09-8/1/09 *(Link will expire in 30 days)* Since 5/1/09 - 8 properties have sold at an median price of $272,500 - avg. days on market= 43 Of these properties sold - none of them were a short sales or bank owned homes & 2 estate sales. Avg. sales vs. list price was 97.45%  *last month 98.06% Prices are down in the Cornwall Park Neighborhood 6% since last mon...
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By Steven L. Smith, Bellingham WA Home Inspector
(King of the House Home Inspection, Inc.)
The headline in the local paper today was a sad note for many people in Bellingham. As we know, when trying to win state or government commitments or contracts, the waters can be rough. For years now, Bellingham -- the city officials working with the port and the university -- has been trying to get NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) to make Bellingham home port for their pacific operations. We have great water and a thriving, and attractive, community. Being in the Kiwanis club and being on a committee at Western Washington University, I have seen many people work very hard on this lobbying effort. However, it obviously was not meant to be this time. NOAA has selected Newport, Oregon. I have to admit, having visited Newport several times, that it too would be a very a...
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Nature and Marketing Contest Whatcom County WA Real Estate for Sale Waterfront Property Are you are looking for Waterfront Property in Whatcom County, Washington! I would be happy to help you find what you are looking for. Whatcom County, Washingtonhas some of the most beautiful shorlines on the West Coast,You deserve a Real Estate Agent that cares! I would be honored to help you with all of your Real Estate needs. Conatct me by Phone or email me. I will make your Real Estate needs my first priority! Judy Schneider eXp Realty 360-224-9047 Nature and Marketing Contest Whatcom County WA Real Estate for Sale Waterfront Property
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Home Ec Class was for sissies: learning to balance a home budget and bake from scratch was beneath me. After all, I was going to college for goodness sakes! Many of these 'vocational' courses including shop class (which I was not allowed to take as a girl) were chopped in favor of academics.   So now we wonder why adults don't know how to balance their own checking accounts? We have become accustomed to believing the readout from our ATM machines as an indication of our monthly net worth! While I know many people have planned thoughtfully and could not forsee their retirement accounts, home values and jobs cut by 40 and 50%, the truth is -- so many folks are in trouble. The rules have changed drastically. As a country and an industry, we do need to take some credit for suggesting ever i...
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By Tara Camp
(Keller Williams Western Realty)
Columbia Neighborhood Market Report for 5/1/09-8/1/09 This overview is a reflection of current properties on the market in the Columbia Neighborhood of Bellingham, Wa., pending homes that are on their way to the closing table, and properties that have sold from mid May to present.  This will give you a clear picture of present activity in the Columbia neighborhood, as well as, what has happened over the course of the last 3 months. Columbia Neigbhorhood Sold Properties 5/1/09-8/1/09 *(Link will expire in 30 days)* Since 5/24/09 - 13 properties have sold at an median price of $280,000 - avg. days on market= 68 Of these properties sold - 1 of them were a short sale, 0 bank owned homes & 1 estate sale. Avg. sales vs. list price was 97.45%  *last month 98.45% Prices are down in the Columbia...
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By Stephanie Johnson, Designated Broker/Branch Manager
(Keller Williams Western Realty)
Tonight is cooling off to be an excellent evening for a night out on the Village Green in Historic Fairhaven for the Outdoor Cinema. The festivities begin at 8pm with the Pennystinkers playing music, while the crowds arrive for the movie.  You can order pizza for delivery to the Village Green from Fairhaven Pizza or enjoy Colophon ice cream or Serena's gelato to cool you off. The movie tonight, Young Frankenstein, is a classic! Be sure to get there early for a good seat.  Bring a blanket to lounge in the grass or a lawn chair for along side the green. Hope to see you there on the Village Green in Historic Fairhaven.    
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