Community Exploring Bellingham: Volunteer Opportunities Bellingham offers a diverse range of volunteer opportunities. From assisting at local food banks and shelters to participating in environmental conservation efforts, there are numerous ways for individuals to contribute and make a positive impact. Parks Volunteer Program Help make the parks better for everyone. This program will help you learn new skills, meet new […]
Community June Real Local Feature Welcome to a new series where each month I will feature a friend or client’s local business or service AND a friend’s Vacation Rental! These will be mostly “stay-cation” locations, but sometimes we might venture outside of a LOCAL location and feature a LOCAL person’s vacation rental somewhere else! If you have a business, service […]
Market Updates Matthew Gardner Mid-Year Update One of the reasons why we are fortunate to have Matthew Gardener as our Chief Economist at Windermere is his transparency. Every year, Matthew makes predictions for the coming year based on his monumental research and years of experience. Just this week, he reviewed his 2023 predictions and recorded the video below. Most of his […]
Community Exploring Bellingham – Parks Guide Bellingham features a collection of parks that truly embody the essence of the Pacific Northwest. These parks serve as havens for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.  They offer a variety of spaces for family, friends, and neighbors to come together and share experiences and time together. There are full sport courts, miles of hiking […]
Buying a Home 10 State Bills Affecting Housing On April 23rd the Washington State Legislature adjourned after passing 10 new bills that will affect housing. Some of the bills are geared toward creating more transparency around brokerage transactions, some are intended to institute more opportunities for building density to provide more affordable housing, and some are more regulatory to help guide and ease […]
Community 2023 Windermere Community Service Day Every year – every Windermere office closes for a Friday and descends on an organization in their local community to make a big impact. Windermere North has about 50 brokers and I’m always SHOCKED at how much 50 hardworking people can accomplish in 3 hours! This year, we had the pleasure of helping The Snohomish […]
Community Exploring Bellingham – Activities & Events Summertime in Bellingham is an absolute delight, filled with a vibrant array of events that bring the community together in the most joyful and festive ways. From the moment the sun graces the city, Bellingham becomes a hub of excitement, and residents and visitors alike can’t help but be swept up in the contagious enthusiasm […]
Buying a Home Secret Tips for Buyers When writing an offer, it is important to understand how to structure your offer when competing with others and I am here to help! Here are 3 important numbers to understand for an ESCALATION ADDENDUM. 1) Starting Price: I always advice my clients to start over asking price. Even if it’s just throwing the seller […]
Don't Miss Our Next Post
Subscribe Now
Buying a Home Understanding Interest Rates It is very important that consumers understand the difference between long-term interest rates and short-term interest rates. Long-term rates involve home mortgages such a conventional 30-year fixed, Jumbo, FHA, and VA loans. Short-term rates involve car loans, credit cards, and Home Equity Lines of Credit (HELOCs). While both types of rates have gone up over […]
Home Ownership Millennials and the Housing Market Did you know that 53% of Millennials are still renting because they’re waiting for home prices to come down.  This figure is about the same percentage of renter households in Bellingham! But here’s the thing: the most recent data shows that home prices appear to have bottomed out and are now on the rise again. […]
Community Bellingham Farmers Market One of my favorite markets is back for the season! Established in 1992, the  Bellingham Farmers Saturday Market is more than just a place to buy fresh produce and hand-crafted products. It fosters a sense of community and acts as a gathering place for friends and family. The 100 stall market is a favorite among […]
Home Ownership Which is Better, Renting or Buying? The financial benefits of owning real estate significantly outweigh the option of renting. Renting is certainly a must for some, and is what one may have to do while they build up to becoming a homeowner. Becoming a homeowner requires solid employment, good credit, and some type of down payment. Savings can all be built over time and […]
Home Ownership 2023 Economic & Housing Forecast Thank you to all my guests that were able to join me at my Annual Economic and Housing Forecast event with Matthew Gardner, Windermere Chief Economist sponsored by Evergreen Home Loans. In case you missed it, below are my top 10 takeaways, with all of the slide information linked HERE. BELLINGHAM METRO AREA LABOR MARKET […]
Market Updates Holy Shift, Again! Markets change fast! We experienced a substantial shift in 2022 with the first half of the year feeling like a completely different market than the second half of the year. A 3-point increase in interest rate was the main culprit along with inflation and affordability for the 2022 market correction we experienced. A market correction is defined by […]
Community New Park Along Bellingham Waterfront Plans that began in 2014 are finally moving quickly for this new Bellingham park. Salish Landing is the name chosen for the 17 acres at the south end of Cornwall Ave along Bellingham Bay toward Boulevard Park.  Permit application for cleanup and work is now pending as the city focuses on cleaning up the decades of […]
Community Why We Love Living In Whatcom County I recently asked some of my clients why they love living in Whatcom County.  There are some strong similar storylines no matter whom you ask!  Here are a few of the answers… The Lifetime Resident Q. What makes Whatcom County a great place to work and live? A. “Even though our city keeps growing, it […]
Market Updates National Market Summary Across the nation, we saw a real estate market correction in 2022 as interest rates doubled. Interest rates started the year at just over 3%, peaked in November at just over 7%, and ended at just under 6.5%. Since the first of the year, we are closer to 6% and anticipate rates to continue to improve towards […]
Community Home Fresh 2022 Update 6 years ago I made a commitment to serve my community with a donation of 1,000 pounds of fresh produce for every purchase or sale. This year, you helped me donate 31,000 lbs.  This means that over the past 6 years you have helped donate over 202,000 lbs! Every time you send a friend or family my name […]
Market Updates 2022 Recap 2022 can’t be summarized with just a slideshow of properties sold- it was SOOO MUCH more than that. So much more than any other year because it was the year business finally felt genuine. Yes, I helped 40 families achieve their goals in real estate. We celebrated with joy and cried tears of frustration and […]
Buying a Home Key Factors to Note as the Market Recalibrates in the New Year 2022 has been an eventful year in the real estate market and the economy. After 2 years of pandemic-fueled demand and historically low interest rates, we experienced a shift. The Fed quickly raised rates (by 2 points) from April to October to combat inflation, curbing buyer demand as affordability took a hit. The overall economy is starting […]