The Bellingham Real Estate Blog

Bellingham Real Estate Update – How Many Homes Are Pending?

Fawn — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:07:57 +0000

Every week we track the number of homes on the market that have offers on them and those that do not and create a ratio we call Pending Ratios. This weeks numbers were great with all areas either remaining stable or up in pendings.

As of Saturday, February 4th, the pending ratio in Bellingham was 21% . Pending is the time frame between when an offer has been mutual accepted between the buyer’s and the seller’s of the home and when the title actually transfers hands. This give the buyer’s time to get the financing, do inspection, review the title reports and more.

Birch Bay had a pending ratio of 18%

The Lynden area in East Whatcom County has a pending ratio of 22%

The Sudden Valley pending ratio was 23%

The Ferndale pending ratio was 25%

If you would like to search for Real Estate in Bellingham and Whatcom County that is currently for sale visit The Johnson Team Real Estate’s Property Search Page to search.

To view a complete history of Whatcom County Pending Ratios or for other real estate statistics don’t hesitate to contact The Johnson Team at (360) 303-2734 or by email at Info@JohnsonTeamRealEstate.com

For more information on Bellingham Real Estate or to search for homes in the Bellingham and Whatcom County area visit www.JohnsonTeamRealEstate.com, your one stop Bellingham real estate and community information resource!

Whatcom 2012 Economic Forecast with Bill Conerly

Fawn — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:06:25 +0000

Bellingham / Whatcom County Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Sponsors the
Whatcom 2012 Economic Forecast

The keynote speaker is national economist Bill Conerly. Hopefully Mr Conerly can help us connect the dots between government, business, market conditions and our pocket books so that when it’s all said & done we’ll have a better understanding of

“What Condition My Condition is In”

Seriously, this will be a good opportunity to connect with an authority on economic forecasting. In the words of The Bellingham Chamber of Commerce “In these times of uncertainty, businesses benefit from insightful forecasting leading to careful planning”. We can all benefit from the message – hope to see you there.

Seating is limited so be sure to reserve your seat as the meeting will fill up quickly.

Bellingham Home Loan and Mortgage Rate Update

Fawn — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:01:41 +0000

Bellingham Real Estate Home Loan Rates

It’s that time again, time to update you on the latest in home loan and mortagage rates. If you are in the market for a home loan below are the mortgage rates as of today Feb. 1st 2012, courtesy of Sidney Stonecypher at People’s Bank Barkley Branch here in Bellingham.

	Down Payment	Interest Rate	APR	Credit Score	Points
Conventional 30 yr fixed	20%	3.750	3.872	740	1
Conventional 15 yr fixed	20%	2.875	3.122	740	1
Jumbo 30 yr fixed	20%	4.500	4.602	740	1
FHA 30 yr fixed	3.5%	3.500	3.933	660*	1
VA 30 yr fixed	0%	3.500	3.859	640	1
*Score requirement will vary by lender

To view homes or property for sale visit our Bellingham Real Estate Search Page. For more details, or a custom home loan quote, contact Sidney Stonecypher at People’s Bank, 360-676-4597 or sidney.stonecypher@peoplesbank-wa.com. Remember that many variables come into play in determining the rate a lender will give a borrower. If you are getting a rate quote from a lender who does not have all your information, that rate may not be real. What with the low rates, it is still a great time to buy a house!

BP Cherry Point Refinery- Whatcom County Employer Spotlight

Fawn — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:13:04 +0000

BP (British Petroleum) Cherry Point is located between Ferndale and Blaine, Washington, on the waters of the Puget Sound on over 3,300 acres of land.

BP Cherry Point employs approximately 850 employees including welders, machinists, human resource support and many positions in between. The refinery also brings in many local contractors to work new projects and facility maintenance as well as providing an influential resource for employment in Bellingham and around Whatcom County.

Built in 1971, BP Cherry Point is one of the newer fuel refining facilities in the United States and includes a new 90,000 square foot maintenance building built in 2010. It is in the process of building a new state of the art diesel refining unit. BP Cherry Point refines crude oil into several different forms, including gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, propane, butane, calcined coke and sulphur. British Petroleum Cherry Point supplies 20% of Washington State’s gasoline needs and is the largest supplier of jet fuels to Sea Tac International Airport, Vancouver International Airport and the US Military.

Bp Cherry Point Refinery

Employees of BP Cherry Point are offered competitive industry wages and generous benefit packages, and are provided with a safe and secure workplace. If you would like to see a list of current positions open at BP visit their career openings page.

If you are seeking employment at the BP Cherry Point Facility or are looking to transfer positions to the Cherry Point facility, we would be happy to provide you with an information and relocation package on the communities around BP Cherry Point.

Request your FREE Personalized Bellingham and Whatcom County Relocation Package
Courtesy of The Johnson Team Real Estate.

In your personalized relocation package you will learn about the cities of Ferndale and Bellingham, statistics on area schools, art and cultural events, and local community and neighborhood information. If while waiting for you package to arrive you would like to further explore Whatcom County, feel free to visit the community virtual tours we offer on our website that give you a front seat tour around the sites and events of Bellingham and Whatcom County.

The cities and neighborhoods near BP Cherry Point provide a variety of real estate options from luxury and waterfront real estate, to more modest subdivisions: there is something for everyone in the area. The closest major city to BP Cherry Point is Ferndale, followed by Birch Bay and the gated communities of Semiahmoo and Birch Bay Village. To get an idea of real estate available in the are,a visit the Bellingham and Whatcom County Real Estate search to look for homes or property specific to your needs.

Bellingham Real Estate Market Update. How Many Home For Sale Have Pending Offers On Them?

Fawn — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:55:03 +0000

As of Saturday, January 28th, the pending ratio in Bellingham was 22% . Pending is the time frame between when an offer has been mutual accepted between the buyer’s and the seller’s of the home and when the title actually transfers hands. This give the buyer’s time to get the financing, do inspection, review the title reports and more.

Birch Bay had a pending ratio of 18%

The Lynden area in East Whatcom County has a pending ratio of 20%

The Sudden Valley pending ratio was 24%

The Ferndale pending ratio was 25%

If you would like to search for Real Estate in Bellingham and Whatcom County that is currently for sale visit The Johnson Team Real Estate’s Property Search Page to search.

Bellingham Real Estate Home Loan and Mortgage Rates

Fawn — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:46:10 +0000

Bellingham Real Estate Home Loan Rates

It’s that time again, time to update you on the latest in home loan and mortagage rates. If you are in the market for a home loan below are the mortgage rates as of today January 25th 2011, courtesy of Sidney Stonecypher at People’s Bank.

	Down Payment	Interest Rate	APR	Credit Score	Points
Conventional 30 yr fixed	20%	3.750	3.872	740	1
Conventional 15 yr fixed	20%	2.875	3.122	740	1
Jumbo 30 yr fixed	20%	4.500	4.602	740	1
FHA 30 yr fixed	3.5%	3.500	3.933	660*	1
VA 30 yr fixed	0%	3.500	3.859	640	1
*Score requirement will vary by lender

Johnson Team Moving Truck Helps Spark Museum in Bellingham

Fawn — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:26:56 +0000

Had to share this photo and message from client Pat Goff. The van he references is The Johnson Team moving truck.

Lylene,
The van was just the right size to haul the scrap metal to the recyclers in
one trip.
I raised $5600.00 for the Spark Museum from the scrap I collected from my
radio antenna replacement project at work.

The “Spark Museum”, in case you didn’t know, is the new name for the former American Museum of Radio and Electricity, located at 1312 Bay St. If you haven’t ever visited them, you have missed a real treat. It is full of fascinating, interactive displays – great for kids as well as adults – and even houses a radio station.

Remember The Johnson Team Moving Truck is available FREE to local community non profit organizations and our clients. To schedule the truck call (360) 303-2734

Preparing Your Home For A Windstorm

Fawn — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:06:42 +0000

The wind is really picking up outside and it looks like there might be even more wind in the forecast later in the week. Below are some tips to help keep you and your home safe in a windstorm.

- Go out in your yard and collect any loose items that may blow away in a storm. Lawn chairs, lawn ornaments and even trampolines are example of items that tend to take flight in storms.

-Check out your fencing around your home that might need repair to assure the wind does not further damage it and potentially let your pets out of the yard.

- Be sure to check for loose or missing shingles on your roof or chimney flue caps which may have become loose. Damaged or loose flues can allow deadly carbon monoxide to enter a home.

-Be sure to have trees and branches trimmed back from your home to prevent damage when wind may batter them around.

-Have at least a 72 hour supply of food, water, flashlights, batteries, medicine & etc in case of power outages & the potential inability to leave your home due to blocked roads or other issues.

-Check your windows for cracks that may leave your windows vulnerable during a storm. If a window has a small crack it can sometimes spread in extreme winds causing it to shatter.

- After a storm be sure and remove debris from yard as this can attract insects and lead to problems in and around your home.

Hope everyone stays safe and warm in tonight’s windstorm!

Bellingham Real Estate Market Update, Whatcom County Pending Ratios.

Fawn — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:09:38 +0000

As of Saturday, January 21st, the pending ratio in Bellingham was 23% . Pending is the time frame between when an offer has been mutual accepted between the buyer’s and the seller’s of the home and when the title actually transfers hands. This give the buyer’s time to get the financing, do inspection, review the title reports and more.

Birch Bay had a pending ratio of 20%

The Lynden area in East Whatcom County has a pending ratio of 19%

The Sudden Valley pending ratio was 24%

The Ferndale pending ratio was 25%

If you would like to search for Real Estate in Bellingham and Whatcom County that is currently for sale visit The Johnson Team Real Estate’s Property Search Page to search.

Sledding at Mt. Baker a Fun Winter Activity!

Fawn — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:39:26 +0000

Just in case you or your children did not get enough of the snow last week and are looking for some more sledding and play time you might want to check out sledding up by the Mt. Baker Ski Area. There is no specific area in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest has been set aside for sledding, and it’s banned inside the Mt. Baker Ski Area. You will see signs within the ski area advising you not to sled as it can pose a danger to skiers and snowboarders.

Unofficially, you can go just outside the ski area’s boundaries to sled down the hills around the frozen lakes of Highwood Lake and Picture Lake. The area around Bagley Lake also is great area to check out. That being said be sure and pay attention on warm days or years when there is little snow fall to be sure the lakes are frozen solid and ready for sledding. We were up this weekend and the conditions were PERFECT for family friendly sledding.

Directions:Go east on state route 542 until you reach the Mt. Baker Ski Area. Park in the upper parking lot. Look for people carrying sleds or big tire tubes. You will find the lakes on your right hand side over the large snow banks. Little trails will be built in the snow bank to allow children and families to get up and over the banks and into the sledding area.