Bellingham Real Estate Blog

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Halloween in Historic Fairhaven

Fairhaven Halloween

Fairhaven is a great place to take the kids for Halloween.

 
All sorts of goblins, princesses, ghosts, wizards, and other creatures--will be walking the streets of the Historic District .

Most of the shops are decorated for the holiday, and there will be treats for the youngsters at most of the merchants. 

Fairhaven Pharmacy will be taking pictures of the costumed visitors, so put them on your list of places to see.

The Bellingham Storytellers Guildwill be busy in Fairhaven on Halloween spinning tales in the Readings Gallery at Village Books from 4-6pm and later at Fairhaven Library starting at 7:30pm, for the 12 and older crowd they'll be telling some seriously spooky stories. 

image courtesy of flickr.com by hanna_horwarth

1 comment • Michael Eisenberg, Bellingham Realtor • October 29 2008 03:18PM

Bellingham Real Estate Market Report Graph - Residential - September 2008

Bellingham Real Estate - Resisential Graph

The The roller coaster ride of sales prices continues this month is heading down after coming off a high price last month.

This months average sales price is down 9.8% compared to last year, while the median price is down 15.7% 

The average price is up 12.4% from last month while the median off 8.2% from this past August.

The number of sales is down by 24 compared to last year or 25%, this sure seems to be continuing the trend so far this year.

Last months high was pushed up by a $3,300,000 home sale in Edgemoore. 

We have been on this roller coaster ride here in Bellingham in terms of prices rising and falling from month to month, what will the next few months bring? What wil the bail out bring, tune in next month.

If you would like any more information about Bellingham Real Estate or Bellingham Real Estate statistics visit my website at BellinghamProperty.com

 

 

0 comments • Michael Eisenberg, Bellingham Realtor • October 18 2008 07:08PM

Bellingham Condo Market Report Graph - September 2008

Bellingham Real Estate Condo Graph

This months average Bellingham Condo sales price is down 6.7% compared to last year, but the median price went down 17.4% compared to September of 2007.

The average price is up 10.8% from last month, while the median is up 11.1% from last month.

The number of sales is down by 15 compared to last year, which is 35% and the days on the market is gone up.

 

If you would like any more information about Bellingham Real Estate or Bellingham Real Estate statistics visit my website at BellinghamProperty.com

1 comment • Michael Eisenberg, Bellingham Realtor • October 17 2008 02:01PM

Unveiling of Bronze Statue for C.X. Larrabee - Saturday, Oct 18

A bronze statue honoring one of Fairhaven's founding father's will be unveiled Saturday, Oct. 18 at 3 pm, between Flats Tapas Bar and the Rustic Coffee Bar on 11th St. at the entrance to McKenzie Alley, followed by a free reception in the Waldron Building.

The same sculptor who created the Dirty Dan Harris statue on the Village Green, Bob McDermott, has created a bronze bust of Fairhaven builder C.X. Larrabee.  Dirty Dan may have started Fairhaven, but it was who Larrabee helped build it. 

He was building Fairhaven from 1889 until 1915.  

Larrabee and his wife, Frances are well know for donating the  land for Larrabee Elementary School, and for Larrabee State Park, Washington's first state park, in 1915.

Other donations that don't carry the family name are the land under Fairhaven Middle School, Fairhaven Library, Fairhaven Park, and the land and building for the Bellingham YWCA.

Larrabee made millions in land development, mining, and other business ventures.

Larrabee's  investments had a profound effect in the area. They included a bank in Fairhaven, a railroad to Sedro-Woolley, and he bought into coal ventures in Skagit County and in Roslyn and invested in oyster beds on Samish Bay and promoted the bulb industry in Whatcom County.

Brian Griffin, who gave us our Village Green is behind this latest project.  Even some of Larrabee's descendants will be there for the ceremony. 

 

0 comments • Michael Eisenberg, Bellingham Realtor • October 17 2008 01:44PM

Want to learn about mushrooms - come to Bellingham's Wild Mushroom Show

mushroomThe Northwest Mushroomers Association will host its annual Wild Mushroom Show at Bloedel Donovan Park, from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19.

The Northwest woods are loaded with mushrooms, more than 1,000 species. Many of them will be on display at this annual event. You can learn to identify commmon mushrooms, see displays of locally collected mushrooms, and a cultivation demonstration.

Come out and learn about what is edible and what's not, and taste mushroom foods from a sample kitchen.  You can even bring mushrooms from your own backyard or nearby woods for identification by local experts.

 

image courtesy flickr.com by KdB1

0 comments • Michael Eisenberg, Bellingham Realtor • October 13 2008 02:29PM

Good Faith Estimates -- Knowing the basics - A must read !!!

Consumers need to know what they are getting into. It is hard to believe but sometimes they don't get all the right information but it does happen. Buyers beware, if your shopping for a loan you need to know what it is going to cost you, and the best way to compare rates is to look at your Good Faith Estimate.

Here is a great explanation why! by Jeff Belonger, a 15 year veteran of the mortgage industry and the FHA Mortgage Expert from Cherry Hill, NJ

Via Jeff Belonger -- The FHA Expert.com -- FHA Loans -- FHA mortgages -- Mortgages :

shopping for mortgages

Good Faith Estimates -- Such an extremely vital part when shopping for a mortgage. Yes, rate is some what important, but seems to be the primary focus so many times. Not to sound rude or out of character, but a monkey can quote a rate. And I am dead serious about this.

For any of you in the process of buying a home or refinancing your current mortgage, this is a must read.

I have been in the mortgage industry for over 16 years and this subject has to be my biggest pet peeve out there. I have written about this a few times, which you can read below.



Basic information to look for when shopping for a good faith estimate.........
  1. Only compare the lenders fees, which are located on lines 800 to 820.
  2. Do not compare good faith estimates and the truth-in-lending disclosure (TIL) that shows the APR. It's very easy to manipulate the APR. Lenders can leave out certain fees.
  3. Beware of what property taxes the loan officer uses for properties that you are looking at. And make sure that they escrow the correct amount on your good faith estimate, which is on lines 1003 & 1004.
  4. Here is my biggest pet peeve !!!!!  You should be given a good faith estimate once your loan officer qualifies you. When your loan officer pulls your credit, takes down your income information, and is able to come back to you with a purchase price, with rate and payment, you are now qualified. If this is the case, they should be able to give you a good faith estimate (GFE) right there and then. Okay, so you called them up. Most of us have e-mail and that loan officer should be able to e-mail you a copy. It doesn't take no longer than 24 hours, no matter how busy they are. Don't allow them to use this as an excuse. And if it takes them 2 days to get you a GFE?  Don't even use their services, no matter what. Not unless they tell you when you will be getting one. Things do happen. But the key thing to remember is if you are qualified to buy a property or to refinance, then you should get one within a half hour. People, your information is already in the system. That is the only way to qualify you. Then next step is just to e-mail it to you. That SIMPLE....
  5. One last major point.....  as Lenn Harley mentioned in a comment, you need to obtain all the good faith estimates on the same day. Just one day could make a huge difference. Especially in taoday's market, with rates changing drastically within 24 to 48 hours at times.  You just don't want to shop yourself out of the market.


2 quick stories.......
  --  I have a client right now that is looking to buy a home in Maryland. They first went to Countrywide and was pre-qualified for a home of $250,000. I asked them what payment that they didn't want to go over and they said $2,000 a month. I also asked them what the taxes were on the properties that they were looking at in that range. They said $3,400 to $4,200, so I bumped it up $100 extra per year.
They found me online from a few of my blogs. I work in New Jersey and don't know their area well, but I know what questions to ask, as you can see above. The other lender?  She is using taxes of $2,400 a year. I was even shown the GFE. OUCH. You know what, these buyers qualify very easily. But in my worst case scenario, the payment difference is going to be by $150 a month. And you know what, most of the taxes are about $4,100/month. And this lender is local....  There are a few points in this story. A very good loan officer doesn't have to be local. And a very good loan officer needs to ask the right questions, besides knowing how to qualify.

  --  2nd story....  I met a couple two days ago who settled on their home a year ago. It was even a referral from a friend. This loan officer had them bring $2,500 more to settlement, the day of settlement. This is a totally different pet peeve and different subject, which I will write about later. But word to the wise, this is called bait and switch. If your loan officer changes your rate and or costs at the very end, typically the day before or the day of, don't sign the papers if there is a huge difference. Don't let anyone force you to sign, even a lawyer. The only thing that you could lose at that moment is your deposit. But let me tell you something, if you have the right documents, you can take them to court and win in most courses. This is if they won't come back down to what was originally offered. Why can I say this? If anything is ever changed prior to settlement, the lender is suppose to get you to sign a new good faith estimate.

Overall.... choose your mortgage professional wisely and not just based on a great good faith estimate.

FYI.......   If a loan officer doesn't volunteer a good faith estimate right when they qualify you for a mortgage... or it takes longer than 24 hours.... then the loan officer in most cases does't wamt you to see their good faith estimate. It's sad to say, but usually so true. Don't let anyone tell you differently. They don't want you to compare apples to apples. And in all honesty, why should you give them the benefit of the doubt or even consideration still... no matter how nice they sound. It could cost you money in the long run.




- FHA Loans  - Conventional Loans - VA Loans -

Experience & Knowledge at its BEST !!!

 

 

____________________________________________________________________________________

For more information on FHA loans, please go to this link. The FHA Expert

For more information on how you can obtain your dream home, please click here : Mortgage Financing Options

For important mortgage insight to watch for, please read : Consumers need to be aware of these Red Flags !!!!!


Copyright © 2008 by Jeff Belonger

0 comments • Michael Eisenberg, Bellingham Realtor • October 13 2008 01:58PM

Whatcom County Real Estate Market Report for September, 2008

Real Estate Market Report/Conditions for Whatcom County,WA for September, 2008

The following is a quick analysis of the Residential Whatcom County real estate market.

  • Currently Active Listings: 1664
  • Homes are priced from $24,900 - $4,799,000
  • Average List Price $453,589  Days on the Market:  119
  • Median List Price: $349,000    Days on the Market:   89
  • Sold in September: 177
  • Average List Price: $321,285 
  • Average Sales Price: $305,670 
  • Ratio of List to Price: 95.1%    Days on the Market: 103
  • Median ListPrice: $269,950
  • Median Sales Price: $269,900    Days on the Market: 63
  • Ratio of List to Price: 100%
  • Pending Sales Last Week: 51

  Condo Analysis for Whatcom County

  • Currently Active Listings: 444
  • Condos are priced from $25,900 - $1,565,000  
  • Average List Price $292,738     Days on the Market:  186
  • Median List Price $222,400        Days on the Market:  141
  • Sold in September: 41
  • Average List Price: $227,422 
  • Average Sales Price: $219,476     Days on the Market: 147
  • Ratio of List to Price: 96.5%
  • Median List Price: $209,000 
  • Median Sales Price: $200,000   Days on the Market: 107
  • Ratio of List to Price: 97.9%
  • Pending Sales Last Week: 3

Buyers: Interest rates are still low making now may be a good time to get in the market, depending on your circumstances. There are still plenty of homes to choose from and many homes have been on the market a long time so there are some motivated sellers out there who need to sell their homes.

Sellers: There is still a lot of competition right now and if you don't want your home to sit on the market without an offer here are a few bits of advise:

  • The most important thing you can do is price your home right, have your real estate agent do a CMA and price your home aggressively, that is in the lower range of similar homes if you want a quick sale
  • Have a pre-inspection done to your home and fix any problems
  • Give your home curb appeal
  • Offer a Home Warranty if it is an older home
  • Get rid of clutter, start clearing out your things, even if you have to put them in storage.
  • Think about staging your home, get advise from a staging professional or at least your agent.

If you would like some info about  Whatcom County or Bellingham real estate or living in Whatcom County or Bellingham visit my website at BellinghamProperty.com or give me a call. 

 

1 comment • Michael Eisenberg, Bellingham Realtor • October 10 2008 06:30PM

Curb Appeal - An unususal way to green up a lawn

Nick Terlouw from Stockton, CA, has launched the Greener Grass Co.,  a service in which he sprays dead lawns with a deep green, water-based dye that makes the lawn look good enough for a golf course or a professional football stadium.

He uses a motor-powered 50-gallon insecticide sprayer designed for treating orchard trees. He says that he got the idea for the new business from football games.

"They paint logos on football fields," he said. "Why can't we do the same for homes?"

Terlouw is marketing his service to real estate agents and property managers. With home foreclosures on the rise he is expecting his business to become a big success.

 

 

0 comments • Michael Eisenberg, Bellingham Realtor • October 09 2008 02:53PM

Bellingham Real Estate Market Report for September, 2008

Real Estate Market Report/Conditions for Bellingham, WA for September, 2008

The following is a quick analysis of the Residential Bellingham real estate market.

  • Currently Active Listings: 594
  • Price range of active listings - $138,900 - $3,575,000
  • Average List Price $535,234  Days on the Market:  111
  • Median List Price: $396,250    Days on the Market:   86
  • Sold in September: 73
  • Average List Price: $372,393
  • Average Sales Price: $355,758
  • Ratio of List to Price: 95.5%    Days on the Market: 96
  • Median ListPrice: $289,000
  • Median Sales Price: $285,000   Days on the Market: 56
  • Ratio of List to Price: 98.6% 
  • Pending Sales Last Week: 35  

                     Condo Analysis for Bellingham 

  • Currently Active Listings: 264
  • Price range of active listings - $99,900 - $1,565,000
  • Average List Price $299,074     Days on the Market:  210
  • Median List Price $222,400        Days on the Market: 154
  • Sold in September: 34
  • Average List Price: $227,237
  • Average Sales Price: $219,677 
  • Ratio of List to Price: 96.7%  Days on the Market: 149
  • Median List Price: $202,400
  • Median Sales Price: $194,750  
  • Ratio of List to Price: 96.2%  Days on the Market: 110
  • Pending Sales Last Week: 4

Buyers: Interest rates are still low making now may be a good time to get in the market, depending on your circumstances. There are still plenty of homes to choose from and many homes have been on the market a long time so there are some motivated sellers out there who need to sell their homes.

Sellers: There is still a lot of competition right now and if you don't want your home to sit on the market without an offer here are a few bits of advise:

  • The most important thing you can do is price your home right, have your real estate agent do a CMA and price your home aggressively, that is in the lower range of similar homes if you want a quick sale
  • Have a pre-inspection done to your home and fix any problems
  • Give your home curb appeal
  • Offer a Home Warranty if it is an older home
  • Get rid of clutter, start clearing out your things, even if you have to put them in storage.
  • Think about staging your home, get advise from a staging professional or at least your agent.

If you would like some info about Bellingham real estate or living in Bellingham visit my website at BellinghamProperty.com or give me a call. 

 

0 comments • Michael Eisenberg, Bellingham Realtor • October 08 2008 03:05PM

Blaine Real Estate Market Report for September 2008

The following is a quick analysis of the Blaine  real estate market for September 2008.

  • There are currently 297 homes for sale.
  • Homes are priced from $94,950 - $3,500,000
  • Average Asking Price is $479,282      Average Days on Market are 146 days
  • Median Asking Price is $339,000        Median Days on Market are 99  days
  • 22 Homes sold in September
  • Average Listing Price $306,294
  • Average Sold Price $272,587       Average Days on the Market 109
  • Median Listing Price $234,950
  • Median Sold Price $223,000         Median Days on Market 55
  • 4 Homes went Pending this week

As you can easily see there is still quite a large discrepancy between the average price for a home presently on the market a $479,282 and the average sold price last month of $306,294. It looks like the $3,500,000 home is still skewing that average price quite a bit.

Buyers: Interest rates are still low making now may be a good time to get in the market, depending on your circumstances. There are still plenty of homes to choose from and many homes have been on the market a long time so there are some motivated sellers out there who need to sell their homes.

Sellers: There is still a lot of competition right now and if you don't want your home to sit on the market without an offer here are a few bits of advise:

  • The most important thing you can do is price your home right, have your real estate agent do a CMA and price your home aggressively, that is in the lower range of similar homes if you want a quick sale
  • Hava a pre-inspection done to your home and fix any problems
  • Give your home curb appeal
  • Offer a Home Warranty if it is an older home
  • Get rid of clutter, start clearing out your things, even if you have to put them in storage.
  • Think about staging your home, get advise from a staging professional or at least your agent.

If you would like some info about Blaine real estate or living in Blaine visit my website at BellinghamProperty.com or give me a call. 

1 comment • Michael Eisenberg, Bellingham Realtor • October 06 2008 05:12PM