Have you been getting as much spam lately as I have?  SHEESH. I get at least 40 spam emails a day now. However, not to point the finger too stridently: I must admit my own part in e-spamming! Recently, I decided to email the women in my network an invitation to a party and one registered my email as spam (mea culpa). Upon closer reflection, I realized I had blithely cruised my database for women. How rude to assume my business contacts would want to socialize with me? So that was my comeuppance: business contacts are not always up for social or other causes. And in our business, financial matters being so personal, a lot of people you have been through heck getting them qualified for a loan or purchase contract might not want to squirm next to you on a social sofa. As a southern female ... 06/24/2009

Columbia Neighborhood Market Report for 3/24/09-6/24/09 This overview is a reflection of current properties on the market, pending homes that are on their way to the closing table, and properties that have sold from mid March to present.  This will give you a clear picture of present activity in the Columiba neighborhood, as well as, what has happened over the course of the last 3 months. Columbia Neigbhorhood Sold Properties 3/24/09-6/24/09 Since 3/23/09 - 14 properties have sold at an median price of $297,500 - avg. days on market= 68 Of these properties sold - 1 of them were a short sale, 0 bank owned homes or estate sales. Avg. sales vs. list price was 98.43%   Columbia Neighborhood Pending Sales Currently there are 7 homes pending sale - mutual agreement between buyer and seller Av... 06/24/2009

I went to our company meeting yesterday, and was told Congratulations! I asked what they were talking about! They told me they had done a Google search and I popped up on the first page! Then they told me not only the first page, but number three for Bellingham and Whatcom County, WA! Wow! Thank You Active Rain!!! I have been very consistent in commenting since I started Active Rain in December! I have met many wonderful and supportive people here! I have also gained so much knowledge, that has been helpful in my career. I have only recently started blogging and do not claim to be good at it! It amazes me though, the benefits it has given to my clients with advertising their homes! If you have not been active in the Active Rain Community, Get Serious! The benefit's are endless! Judy Sch... 06/24/2009

Just wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some wonderful places to stay while your on a quest to see if Bellingham Washington could be your next home. I have personally stayed at the Hotels listed at one time or another and this is of course my opinion. Please note many have spa's. This is due to my body needing to recover every now and then.. I also want to be able to recommend properties suited to each clients individual needs.     Chrysalis Inn and Spa       The Chrysalis is a fantastic property nested in the Historic area of Bellingham named Fairhaven. You will not be disappointed when you are gazing out the window of your room and watching the sunset on the bay. The rooms are decorated with newer features of slate, granite and glass. Jacuzzi tub to relax in and window ... 06/23/2009

The Internet  is no longer a fad, much to the chagrin of a good friend of mine who will remain nameless. His stock in Beta tapes, Laser Discs, and Pepsi Clear are hopefully rounding his portfolio out nicely, and it's from this perch that there are  few squatters left. The solution the Internet solved was the lack of Information Now!, a movement that swept across the nation with the such speed that there's not even an 80's Pop reference I can make to draw a close-enough comparison, though jams and break-dancing are close.  It got you real estate information, whatever it was, when you wanted it, and when it didn't get there quick enough, they went to fiber-optics, cell phone towers, and a failed attempted bringing back carrier pigeons. And it solved problems...but questions beget question... 06/23/2009

There are three approved courses, in the state of Washington, that meet the state's requirements for home inspector education. Bellingham Technical College, at this point in time, has the only course that is offered through the state college system. BTC has a four-week "fundamentals" and field training course beginning on July 6, 2009. Students, who take this course, if they work with haste, should be able to meet the state licensing laws that go into effect on September 1, 2009. BTC training includes not only the 120 hours of education but, also, students receive 40 hours of approved field training so, upon successful completion of the class, students are ready to take the state test and seek their Washington State Home Inspector Licenses. Those people interested in the class should co... 06/22/2009

I listed a property in a great location! It was an older home with acreage! The Sellers were realistic in their expectations! Unfortunately the first Buyers were not as realistic. There was an Offer written that the Seller wanted to accept! Before dropping the inspection contingency, the Buyer and his Agent decided he wanted to see how low the Seller would go. The inspection came back great and the seller was prepared to take care of the minimal things that were suggested by the inspector! The Offer was already $35 thousand less than the listing price and the seller was not thrilled but agreed! Then the buyer decided they wanted to come down another 10 thousand. The seller said No WAY! They insisted we come back with a counter offer of the $10 thousand more. The Buyer decided to back ou... 06/20/2009

More Hype Down the Pike: There are more rumors than you can shake a stick at about the proposed HUD 2nd mortgage tax credit loan necassary to achieve the much touted $8000 tax credit as 'just in time' cash to close. The problem lies between two government agencies: HUD and the IRS and their many participating FHA lenders. Firstly, how, may we ask, is an unproven borrower, who has yet to be paid their annual income, to know what their tax burden will be during a year --when they may just as well get a raise or loose their job? OK, the Feds are trying: Read the FHA Letter and then get the latest word from the IRS here. Something tells me these guys are not getting together on this. Or they will come up with a great theory that no lender will touch. Meanwhile, the very folks who should be ... 06/19/2009

A short sale is a transaction that does not produce sufficient funds to cover the existing monetary encumbrances against the property, closing costs, real estate commissions, and other financial requirements of closing. The Seller is walking away with no profit what so ever. You need to be very patient when buying a short sale.   http://www.WhatcomExposure.com 06/18/2009

It seems like we home inspectors spend a lot of time showing photos of, and writing about, dryers and their ducting. For such common appliances, it is amazing how often they are in ill-repair in one way or another. That ranges from the duct on a gas dryer (any dryer for that matter) being vented into the house with a nylon sock over the duct, to inappropriate flex-duct, to ducts that have come loose, to heavy lint. The homeowner should know that this dryer vent hood and duct needs cleaned. However, honestly, they look like this on at least half of the inspections that I perform. I have said it once, and I will say it again -- clean the dryer ducting system occasionally. To do so, you will probably have to take the duct loose at both ends. At my rental properties I have had good luck ta... 06/17/2009

Whatcom County WA real estate for sale Speechless Sunday the beaches Thinking about relocating to Whatcom County,WA? I would be honored to help you find what you are looking for! Give me a call! Judy Schneider eXp Realty 360-224-9047 Whatcom County WA real estate for sale Speechless Sunday the beaches 06/14/2009

One of the first things a home inspector does, upon arriving at a property, is to walk around the house a few times. In that initial pass by, the inspector is likely to notice gutter and downspout problems, siding issues and wood to earth contact among other things. I have found, while working in Bellingham at my firm King of the House Home Inspection, that commonly people have soil pushed too close to the crawl space vents. Soil includes landscaping bark and gravel. But a more serious problem, usually, is when soil is up around windows for a basement. People forget that windows and their trim are not designed to be buried. Even if the windows are not wood, you do not want them underground. The photo below is an example of what happens to a wood window that is buried. The probe goes de... 06/13/2009

One thing that I see, probably at least fifty percent of the time or more, is a furnace that requires service. Often the clues can be subtle -- debris inside the furnace housing, a dirty filter, or a service tag indicating it has been a couple years since an HVAC pro was on-site. Then, there are cases when it is more obvious that a checkup is in order. For example, maybe parts of the furnace are held together with duct tape or electrician's tape. Or how about a furnace vent that is covered with white condensate. Condensate, that looks like salt deposits, virtually always indicates that the furnace requires service but it can also indicate a problem with the venting or it may be a sign of combustion problems. When the HVAC pro services the furnace, he or she should not only clean the un... 06/11/2009

We just purchased our 2nd foreclosed property from the bank this year, done some additional research, and determined banks are really anxious to offload their inventory.  Their anxiety is so high they are willing to offload them for just about anything (within reason) which spells a very profitable investment.To add to this, lending guidelines are still pretty tight.  While they have loosened up a little bit, the economy (for the avg Joe, not the media) continues to worsen.  This means less money in people's bank accounts.  The $8k 1st time homebuyer credit helps confidence, but it doesn't give homebuyers the money *today* to put down on a property.  What's happening?  These banks are desperate to offload inventory, they are accepting offers, but many of the "prequalified" buyers are fa... 06/10/2009

Anyone who has been reading here in the rain knows that we inspectors talk about various situations with the sellers at the homes we inspect. Around here, I serve Whatcom County and Bellingham, some of the sellers -- my favorites -- have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Once I had to walk on special carpets that were put down on the concrete floor of the garage so I could go from the entry door to the water heater. Then there are those sellers who insist on following the inspector all around and want to know every detail of what is being done. That is awkward since the inspector is usually working for the buyer. Every time the inspector takes a photo these people nearly have a coronary as they equate a photo with a defect. That is certainly not the case with my process. I want photos to ... 06/07/2009

  The following is a quick analysis of the Residential Bellingham real estate market. Currently Active Listings: 525 Price range of active listings - $124,900 - $3,450,000 Average List Price $536,937       Days on the Market: 116 Median List Price: $409,000       Days on the Market: 73 Sold in May: 82 Average List Price: $321,191 Average Sales Price: $313,104 Ratio of List to Price: 97.5%      Days on the Market: 81 Median List Price: $288,000 Median Sales Price: $275,500     Days on the Market: 42 Ratio of List to Price: 95.7% Pending Sales Last Week: 40     Total pending sales: 186 Average Sales Price May 2008: $345,248 Median Sales Price May 2008: $304,000 Number Sold in May, 2008: 82 The Average Sales price is down 9.3% compared to May 08 and down 6.9% compared to last month April 0... 06/05/2009

The following is a quick analysis of the Residential Bellingham real estate market in Sudden Valley.   There are currently 117 homes for sale. Homes are priced from $110,000 - $995,000 Average Asking Price is $336,076   Average Days on Market are 114 days Median Asking Price is $299,000    Median Days on Market are 61 days 5 Homes sold in May Average Listing Price $277,540 Average Sold Price $271,091         Average Days on Market 48 Median Listing Price $247,900 Median Sold Price $230,500           Median Days on Market 43 Pending Sales Last Week: 4 Total pending sales: 38 Condo Analysis for Sudden Valley There are currently 8 condos for sale. Condos are priced from $89,500 - $299,900 Average List Price $209,013         Average Days on the Market: 146 Median List Price $209,950       ... 06/04/2009

We at Your2Agents.com are really excited about our new REO team in Bellingham, WA that we are putting together.  We are joining forces with Ben Kinney and Stephanie Johnson to create a division for Home4Investment.  There will be more of that later, but here is some information regarding REO's and BPO's, as we understand them here in our neck-of-the-woods in Bellingham, WA As always, if you have any questions, please contact me at 360-319-4894, THANKS!  WHAT IS A REO? REO is an abbreviation for a REAL ESTATE OWNED property- real estate owned property indicates that the property in question has been foreclosed on and has been taken back by the mortgage lender or trustee. When a lender has taken the property back and a buyer cannot be found for the foreclosures sale it is then taken back ... 06/03/2009

About Whatcom County: Whatcom County is found on a map of Washington in the Northwest corner of the state. Many people remember where Whatcom County is by remembering how close it is to British Columbia, Canada. Most of this county is covered in Mountainous areas where wildlife and trees are found in abundances. Just 50 miles East of Bellingham, WA you can find Mount Baker the highest peak in the North Cascade Mountain Range. Mount Baker's highest elevation ranges in at 10,778 feet. Mount Baker is an ice-clad mountain (an ice-clad mountain is also known as a volcanic mountain that stays iced over or has snow covering it most of the year) and also provides the states longest Ski and Snow-boarding season. If you or someone you know is moving to Whatcom County, Washington remember that yo... 06/03/2009

We, at www.Your2Agents.com have a rule.  When we are doing a net sheet for buyers and sellers, we have a line we call the "A-Line". I trust, that we in Bellingham, WA, aren't the only agents who have problematic buyers and sellers.  The "A-Line" is usually for $500.  This is the amount of money that we tell our clients to have available for the "Agitation", "Annoyance" or "A**hole" (rhymes with Basspole J) factor.  There have been dozens & dozens of times throughout our careers in Bellingham, WA that an issue will come up and we will remind our clients about the "A-Line" fee.  Usually this reminder will come up after the inspection.  The seller won't service the furnace or fix the grouting or caulking.  The buyer is adamant that the porch swing stays...whatever it is.  Sometimes, it wil... 06/03/2009