Bellingham Real Estate Blog

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

• There are currently 221  homes for sale.
• Homes are priced from $77,5000 - $2,950,000
• Average Asking Price $445,449 Days on Market: 165 days
• Median Asking Price $325,000 Days on Market: 129 days
• Homes sold in October: 22
• Average Listing Price $283,94
• Average Sold Price $268,983 Days on Market 72
• Median Listing Price $227,000
• Median Sold Price $217,00 Days on Market: 55
• Homes Pending this week: 7 Total Homes Pending: 55

• Average Sales Price October 2008: $295,709
  
• Median Sales Price October 2008: $259,950
  
• Sold in October 2008: 20

The Average Sales price is down 9.0% compared to October 08 and up 9,5% compared to the previous month September 09.

The Median Sales prices is down 20.0% compared to October 08 and down 3.7% compared to the previous month September 09.

The number of sales is down by 2 to October 08 and is down by 12 compared to the previous month September 09.

Condo Analysis for Blaine/Birch Bay

• Currently Active Listings: 84
• Price range of active listings - $22,000 - $1,149,000
• Average List Price $365,168 Days on Market: 210
• Median List Price $264,925 Days on Market: 172
• Sold in October: 7
• Average Listing Price $252,479
• Average Sold Price $243,714 Days on Market: 149
• Median Listing Price $220,000
• Median Sold Price $212,000 Days on Market: 118
• Condos Pending this week: 1 Total Condos Pending: 14

• Average Sales Price October 2008: $511,500
• Median Sales Price October 2008: $511,500
• Sold in Oct 2008: 2

Great news the  First Time Home Buyer's Tax Credit of $8,000 available to anyone who hasn't owned a home in the past 3 years has been extended until April 2010.  The new program will also expand the tax credit to include existing home owners who have owned a home for at least five of the last 8 years will be able to apply for tax credits of up to $6,500 when they purchase their next home.

You might want to talk to your banker to see what you can afford. Meanwhile interest rates are still extremely low and there are some great values in the Bellingham market right now. You might want to take a look at what it would cost you to purchase one of these homes at today's rates. You might be surprised at what your monthly payments would be, maybe less than your paying for rent right now if you are renting a comparable sized house.

If you have any questions or want to see any Bellingham Property feel free to email me at or give me a call at 360-739-6981

There are currently 212 homes for sale.

• Homes are priced from $100,000 - $1,500,000
• Average Asking Price is $380,597 Days on Market are 140 days
• Median Asking Price is $314,350 Days on Market are 108 days
• Homes sold in October: 24
• Average Listing Price $265,483
• Average Sold Price $259,558 Days on the Market 87
• Median Listing Price $246,750
• Median Sold Price $250,194 Days on Market 67
• Homes Pending this week: 5 Total Homes Pending: 49

• Average Sales Price October 2008: $342,675
• Median Sales Price October 2008: $319,950
• Sold in October 2008: 14

The Average Sales price is down 24.3% compared to October 08 and down 2.8% compared to last month, September 09.

The Median Sales prices is down 21.8% compared to October 08 and down 6.9% compared to last month, September 09.

The number of sales is down up by 10 compared to October 08 and is equal to last month, September 09.

Great news the  First Time Home Buyer's Tax Credit of $8,000 available to anyone who hasn't owned a home in the past 3 years has been extended until April 2010.  The new program will also expand the tax credit to include existing home owners who have owned a home for at least five of the last 8 years will be able to apply for tax credits of up to $6,500 when they purchase their next home.

You might want to talk to your banker to see what you can afford. Meanwhile interest rates are still extremely low and there are some great values in the Bellingham market right now. You might want to take a look at what it would cost you to purchase one of these homes at today's rates. You might be surprised at what your monthly payments would be, maybe less than your paying for rent right now if you are renting a comparable sized house.

If you have any questions or want to see any Bellingham Property feel free to email me at or give me a call at 360-739-6981

There are currently 148 homes for sale.

• Homes are priced from $112,900 - $987,000
• Average Asking Price; $370,170 Days on Market are 151 days
• Median Asking Price: $338,400 Days on Market are 115 days
• Homes sold in October: 14
• Average Listing Price $322,606
• Average Sold Price $312,307 Days on the Market 69
• Median Listing Price $312,450
• Median Sold Price $300,000 Days on Market 43
• Homes Pending last week: 5 Total Homes Pending: 29

• Average Sales Price October 2008: $357,118
• Median Sales Price October 2008: $343,500
• Sold in October 2008: 14

The Average Sales price is down 12.5% compared to October 08 and up 16.2% compared to September 09.The Median Sales prices is down 13.7% compared to October 08 and up 14% compared to September 09.

The number of sales is equal to October 08 and is down by 1 compared to last month September 09.

Condo Analysis for Lynden

• There are currently 31 condos for sale.
• Condos are priced from $139,900 - $379,500
• Average List Price $222,529 Days on the Market: 194
• Median List Price $219,900 Days on the Market: 149
• Condos Sold in October: 2
• Average List Price: $209,000
• Average Sales Price: $200,000 Days on the Market: 135
• Median List Price: $209,000
• Median Sales Price: $200,000 Days on the Market: 135
• Pending Sales Last Week: 0 Total Condos Pending  3

• Average Sales Price October 2008: $122,600
  
• Median Sales Price October 2008: $122,600
  
• Sold in October 2008: 1

Great news the  First Time Home Buyer's Tax Credit of $8,000 available to anyone who hasn't owned a home in the past 3 years has been extended until April 2010.  The new program will also expand the tax credit to include existing home owners who have owned a home for at least five of the last 8 years will be able to apply for tax credits of up to $6,500 when they purchase their next home.

You might want to talk to your banker to see what you can afford. Meanwhile interest rates are still extremely low and there are some great values in the Bellingham market right now. You might want to take a look at what it would cost you to purchase one of these homes at today's rates. You might be surprised at what your monthly payments would be, maybe less than your paying for rent right now if you are renting a comparable sized house.

If you have any questions or want to see any Bellingham Property feel free to email me at or give me a call at 360-739-6981

There are currently 87 homes for sale. Homes are priced from $139,900 - $995,000

• Average Asking Price is $312,401 Average Days on Market are 107 days
• Median Asking Price is $274,900 Median Days on Market are 72 days
• Sold in October: 16
• Average Listing Price $279,772
• Average Sold Price $272,772 Average Days on Market 89
• Median Listing Price $239,450
• Median Sold Price $227,450 Median Days on Market 35
• Pending Sales Last Week: 3 Total pending sales: 34

• Average Sales Price October 2008: $255,850
• Median Sales Price October 2008: $229,250
• Sold in October 2008: 10

The Average Sales price is up 6.6% compared to October 08 and up 14.9% compared to September 09.

The Median Sales prices is down 0.1% compared to October 08 and down just $50  compared to September 09.87

The number of sales up by10 compared to  October 08 and is down by 1units compared to September 09.

Condo Analysis for Sudden Valley

There are currently 10 condos for sale. Condos are priced from $69,900 - $350,000

• Average List Price $198,220 Average Days on the Market: 118
• Median List Price $186,950 Median Days on the Market: 53
• Sold in September: 0

Great news the  First Time Home Buyer's Tax Credit of $8,000 available to anyone who hasn't owned a home in the past 3 years has been extended until April 2010.  The new program will also expand the tax credit to include existing home owners who have owned a home for at least five of the last 8 years will be able to apply for tax credits of up to $6,500 when they purchase their next home.

You might want to talk to your banker to see what you can afford. Meanwhile interest rates are still extremely low and there are some great values in the Bellingham market right now. You might want to take a look at what it would cost you to purchase one of these homes at today's rates. You might be surprised at what your monthly payments would be, maybe less than your paying for rent right now if you are renting a comparable sized house.

If you have any questions or want to see any Bellingham Property feel free to email me at or give me a call at 360-739-6981

For the 37^th year, Bellingham's Old Town Cafe served a free Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, this year to 434 people. It took 29 turkeys and lots of mashed potatoes, casseroles, salads and pies and the help of about 50 volunteers. Lots of the food was donated, and it was definitely homemade and all made from scratch

Owner Diane Brainard said the volunteers start calling in August. Some of the volunteer started cooking Tuesday and Wednesday night, while others worked two shifts Thursday to provide the free feast from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

While the restaurant has run out of food in the past, this year's feast fed all who showed up.

Local musicians showed up throughout the day to provide holiday spirit as diners they ate their turkey dinner.

The diners were a mix of homeless people, college students and families. "It's a real community event," Brainard said. "We get people from all walks of life. A lot of these people I see once a year. I see them at this event."

The Bellingham community showed the true spirit of generosity this holiday season by responding to a request by the Bellingham Food Bank who put a call out for turkeys for this Thanksgiving.

Over 1,500 turkeys were donated to the food bank so that every food bank client that wanted a turkey could get one. Visits to the food bank had up considerably this year and jumped 40% over 2007.
Among those helping out with Turkey donations were the employees and contractors at the BP Cherry Point refinery who contributed over 800 turkeys.

It is great to know that we live in such a generous community.

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

• There are currently 1387 homes for sale
• Homes are priced from $12,000 - $4,500,000
• Average Asking Price $409,010 Days on Market: 139 days
• Median Asking Price $320,000 Days on Market: 102 days
• Homes sold in October: 183
• Average Listing Price $299,098
• Average Sold Price $289,807 Days on Market 94
• Median Listing Price $262,900
• Median Sold Price $258,000 Days on Market: 52
• Homes Pending this week: 91 Total Homes Pending: 431

• Average Sales Price October 2008: $301,847
• Median Sales Price October 2008: $275,395
• Sold in October 2008: 146

The Average Sales price is down 4.0% compared to October 08 and up 9.2% compared to last month.

The Median Sales prices is down 6.2% compared to October 08 and up 6.2% compared to last month.

The number of sales is up by 37 compared to October 08 and down by 16 compared to last month.

Condo Analysis for Whatcom County

• Currently Active Listings: 429
• Price range of active listings - $22,000 - $1,565,000
• Average List Price $248,926 Days on Market: 170
• Median List Price $194,566 Days on Market: 119
• Sold in October: 47
• Average Listing Price $210,852
• Average Sold Price $204,557 Days on Market: 147
• Median Listing Price $193,000
• Median Sold Price $190,000 Days on Market: 97
• Condos Pending (went under contract) last week: 12 Total Condos Pending: 79

• Average Sales Price October 2008: $247,208
• Median Sales Price October 2008: $177,000
• Sold in October 2008: 22

The Average Sales price is down 17.3% compared to October 08, and down by 1.0% compared to last month.

The Median Sales prices is up by 7.3% compared to October 08 and up by 8.5% compared to last month.

The number of sales is up by 25 compared to October 08 and up by 14 compared to last month.

Great news the  First Time Home Buyer's Tax Credit of $8,000 available to anyone who hasn't owned a home in the past 3 years has been extended until April 2010.  The new program will also expand the tax credit to include existing home owners who have owned a home for at least five of the last 8 years will be able to apply for tax credits of up to $6,500 when they purchase their next home.

You might want to talk to your banker to see what you can afford. Meanwhile interest rates are still extremely low and there are some great values in the Bellingham market right now. You might want to take a look at what it would cost you to purchase one of these homes at today's rates. You might be surprised at what your monthly payments would be, maybe less than your paying for rent right now if you are renting a comparable sized house.

If you have any questions or want to see any Bellingham Property feel free to email me at or give me a call at 360-739-6981

Whatcom Museum's latest addition The Lightcatcher has just opened this week.With the buildings architectural design and it's exhibits, the museum will be bridging the gap between art and nature, showing the beautiful simplicity of nature's form and function.

The building's name comes from the Lightcatcher wall. Designed in an arc, the 37-foot-high and 180-foot translucent wall surrounds the courtyard capturing, filtering and translating the light of the sun. The building has an interesting shape but I find it's dull sand color exterior a little boring, some vibrant color or a mural would make it a lot more interesting.

The Lightcatcher is the first museum in Washington State built to LEED Silver standards and it includes a green roof and rainwater harvesting strategies that will be used for public education.The roof manages stormwater, their is a natural ventilation systems in the Lightcatcher wall, and a cistern for harvesting rainwater, as well as a rain garden in the courtyard,

One of the premier exhibits is  John Grade's architectural installation of sculptures that he calls "Bloom:  The Elephant Bed," 10 bell-shaped sculptures hanging from the 26-foot high ceiling. A type of organism called coccolithophores that forms algal blooms, was Grade's inspiration for the sculpture. After millions of years of decay and deposit, their calciferous skeletons have became the basis of England's chalky white cliffs of Dover. The "elephant bed" is a layer in the chalk deposit that holds the fossilized bones of ox, deer and even mammoth.  The sculptures are made of water-soluble materials and over the course of the exhibit, a few will be lowered into a pool of inky-black water where they will slowly dissolve.  On Saturday, April 10, 2010 the remaining pieces will be cast into Bellingham Bay after a public procession where they will dissolve and spend eternity.

Grade's exhibit honors the natural world's state of impermanence, death and renewal; the cycle of birth and decay is nature's way of creating a sustainable habitat.

The museum's art gallery, has works that explore political, social and gender issues and show how ordinary materials and ideas can be transformed into art. The Lightcatcher building's inaugural exhibition "Out of Bounds" features more than 80 compelling works in all media - painting, sculpture, drawing, Out of Bounds is the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky.

The Family Interactive Gallery (FIG), formerly the Children's Museum is the Pacific Northwest's newest family attraction. Art-based activities in a dramatic setting connect visitors to our region's history and environment, the FIG promises to be a fun and engaging experience for the whole family.

The Whatcom Museum Lightcatcher is a welcome addition to the city of Bellingham.

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

• Currently Active Listings: 468
• Price range of active listings - $124,900 - $4,500,000
• Average List Price $506,950 Days on the Market: 118
• Median List Price: $379,450 Days on the Market: 85
• Sold in October: 76
• Average List Price: $339,339
• Average Sales Price: $329,072 Days on the Market: 98
• Ratio of List to Price: 97.0%
• Median List Price: $273,450
• Median Sales Price: $273,750 Days on the Market: 50
• Ratio of List to Price: 100%
• Pending Sales Last Week: 19 Total pending sales: 169

• Average Sales Price October 2008: $305,045
• Median Sales Price October 2008: $292,000
• Number Sold in October 2008: 66

The Average Sales price is up 7.9% compared to October 08 and up 8.2% compared to the previous month September 09.

The Median Sales prices is down by 6.3% compared October 08 and up 5.3% compared to the previous  September 09.

The number of sales is up by 10 compared to October 2008 and down by 6 compared to the previous month September 09.

Condo Analysis for Bellingham

• Currently Active Listings: 262
• Price range of active listings - $103,738 - $1,565,000
• Average List Price $228,986 Days on the Market: 143
• Median List Price $184,900 Days on the Market: 102
• Sold in October: 35
  
• Average List Price: $207,320
• Average Sales Price: $201,597 Days on the Market: 148
• Ratio of List to Price: 97.2%
• Median List Price: $185,000
• Median Sales Price: $179,300 Days on the Market: 93
• Ratio of List to Price: 96.9%
• Pending Sales Last Week: 3Total pending sales: 27

• Average Sales Price October, 2008: $237,257
• Median Sales Price October, 2008: $179,000
• Sold in October, 2008: 17

Average Condo sale price is down 15.0% from October 2008 and down 5.9% from the previous month - September 2009

Median Sales Price is $300 or .2 %up from October 2008 and down 6.8% from the previous month - September 2009.

The number of sales is up by 18 compared to October 2008 and up by 9 compared to the previous month September 09.

If you look at the graph you can see that prices the  residential market has taken a bit of a rise.  Where will the graph go next month is anybody's guess. Will the roller coaster ride of prices continue?........Tune in next month

Great news the  First Time Home Buyer's Tax Credit of $8,000 available to anyone who hasn't owned a home in the past 3 years has been extended until April 2010.  The new program will also expand the tax credit to include existing home owners who have owned a home for at least five of the last 8 years will be able to apply for tax credits of up to $6,500 when they purchase their next home.You might want to talk to your banker to see what you can afford.Meanwhile interest rates are still extremely low and there are some great values in the Bellingham market right now. You might want to take a look at what it would cost you to purchase one of these homes at today's rates. You might be surprised at what your monthly payments would be, maybe less than your paying for rent right now if you are renting a comparable sized house.

If you have any questions or want to see any Bellingham Property feel free to email me at or give me a call at 360-739-6981

The home buyer tax credit ,which is part of a larger bill that also extends unemployment benefits. has been approved by both houses of Congress and signed by President Obama.

First-time home buyers are still eligible for tax credits of up to $8,000. Buyers will now have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30, 2010 and close by June 30.

The new program will also expand the tax credit to include existing home owners who have owned a home for at least five of the last 8 years will be able to apply for tax credits of up to $6,500 when they purchase their next home.

The maximum price on a home will be $800,000 and vacation homes are not eligible.

The National Association of Realtors says that so far, about 1.4 million first-time homebuyers have qualified for the program and they estimated that 350,000 of these buyers would not have otherwise purchased.

The tax credit will also be extended for another year for military personnel serving outside of the United States until June 30, 2011.

Senator Johnny Isakson, who heavily pushed for the extension, along with his own version that would have increased the credit to $15,000 stated, "this bill will help us boost what is the real problem in the U.S housing market today and that is what is called the move-up market."

Today we got something to help the move up buyers that should help jump start that segemet of the market as well as the first time buyer market.