Northwest Living | Bellingham Real Estate Market

  November 2006 has landed Western Washington a brand new all time record of percipitation.  The new total of 15.63 inches beats the old record of 15.33 inches recorded during the month of December 1933.  With all the rain, the month started out with most rivers in Western Washington experiencing flooding and the month ended with as much as two feet of snow in the Bellingham, WA area.  Did I forget to mention the wind…we peaked out at around 85 miles per hour with sustained winds of 5o+ for several days.  The last two nights the temperatures dipped to 10 degrees Fahrenheit and -15 degrees with the wind chill….brrrrrrr.

I was born and raised in Western Washington and by now conditioned and prepared for what November usually brings; generally a fair amount of rain, wind and dismal cold. But with this the last day of the soggiest month ever I’m singing a new tune and waving this stretch of bad weather into the past with a hearty “Thank goodness it’s over!”  The weather has been so severe and wet around here that even with my web feet, I’ve been telling my wife we should get out of here and go somewhere warm like Hawaii (we call this condition Hawaii-itis).  Just as I was starting to feel sorry for myself an RSS feed came in from the Seattle Times.  Here’s a little bit from the lead story…  

On Wednesday, November 2006 became the wettest month on record in Seattle’s rain-sodden history. Still, when it comes to really wet, it’s hard to beat the old record, set in December 1933.

By the month’s end, the Pacific Northwest faced catastrophic floods. Fifteen people died, and dozens of families had to be rescued from attics or rooftops of flooded homes. Towns from Kent to Aberdeen could be traversed by rowboat. Rail traffic ceased when embankments collapsed. And then it snowed.  Sound familiar?

All of a sudden I’m feeling much better after reading what those guys had to go thru during that month back in 1933! With Friday bringing a new month I’m hoping to awaken in the morning and that pile of snow I’ve been shoveling all week will only be a faint memory. Thankfullly we didn’t have to row ourselves out of this one! Looking at the local weather report they are calling for cloudy with partial sun and a few sprinkles here and there over the next couple of weeks…maybe I can put that trip to Hawaii off till next fall after all….that is of coarse if the weather cooperates. 

 The South Hill of Bellingham boasts some of the most spectacular views and historic elegant homes in the entire city.  When traveling thru the South Hill Neighborhood, your thoughts and attention are constantly drawn to the splendor of Bellingham Bay and the islands.  The full time residents here truly enjoy one of the most sought after addresses in all of Bellingham.

The South Hill Neighborhood is located just north of the Fairhaven District, west of Happy Valley and Western Washington University Neighborhoods, south of Sehome and Downtown Bellingham Neighborhoods and of course fronts Bellingham Bay.  Most of the neighborhood is truly part of a hill, as in South Hill.  Visit the South Hill Neighborhood Association web site page for meetings and agendas.

The neighborhood yards tend to slope or terrace toward Bellingham bay.  The yards are well kept with beautiful landscaping, some larger evergreen trees mixed in and even a few gardens worked into landscaping.  The streets are lined with sidewalks and great for getting out for a nice walk or exercise.  If I were going to tour the South Hill I would start near the top around 17^th st and slowly drive along the numbered streets. When you get to the end of one, then drive down to the next street below and enjoy the long stretch of homes. You can really discover the flavor of this neighborhood and enjoy the views this way.

If your really wanting some serious exercise, try the 100+ Taylor street stairway on the back side of South Hill. When I attended near by Western Washington University, I shared a condo at the bottom of Taylor street.  One of the hardest workouts, yet enjoyable was to work myself up the steps on Taylor and then a slow jog down the other side into South Hill and down to Taylor Dock below.  Take a quick rest to enjoy the waterfront views and then back up Taylor Street to the Stairs.  Try that a couple times a day and say good bye to the exercise gyms.

The homes on South Hill are predominantly built in an era of historic heritage.  You’ll find larger elegant style homes, four square Victorians, as well as smaller character cottages and architecture of home styles mixed in over the years. A newer mix of more recent built homes and styles can be found at the top of South Hill on Highland Drive and the surrounding off streets.  It seems the more expensive homes are located near the top of the hill and the lesser expensive ones scattered around the edges and bottom of the hill and this neighborhood.

Besides the single family homes, there is also a mixture of older condos and newer high end condominiums, mostly concentrated along the waterfront and the Boulevard.  The Boulevard offers a well traveled road thru the area going from the Fairhaven District to the Downtown Bellingham area.

The most noteworthy park would be Boulevard Park along the water.  It tends to be busy in the warmer months and offers trails for walking.  You can also enjoy a little fishing here, sun bathing, summer music concerts, picnics or beautiful sunsets. During the 4^th of July one could enjoy the fireworks over Bellingham Bay.  The Ski to Sea festival at the end of May is a short walk away.

The shopping for South Hill residents can be found in neighboring districts like Fairhaven, Sehome Village and the near by Downtown Business Core.
Fairhaven offers Haggen Fairhaven Market, a variety of restaurants, clothing boutiques, specialty shops, book stores and cafes.  There are also a couple nice upscale Hotels & Spas near.  Visit this Fairhaven Guide site for more on shopping in the Fairhaven District.

The Schools for South Hill Neighborhood are close in proximity. Elementary age kids attend Lowell Elementary School located in the neighborhood.  Older students on the South Hill attend Fairhaven Middle School and Sehome High School.

If you’re looking for a well kept historic home with character, in a well manicured neighborhood with a “postcard” view, then South Hill Neighborhood might be home for you.

Jerry Campbell - The Muljat Group - Bellingham, WA - Bellingham Homes For Sale

  Bellingham, Washington is considered by many to be one of the best places to live in the country. In the past ten years alone, Bellingham and Whatcom County have received a ton of attention from national writers on the quality of life here.  Those that already call Bellingham home, are well aware of the natural beauty and outdoor activities we enjoy every day.

For our readers I put together this list of articles about Bellingham and why it’s one of the top ten Dream Towns in America.  The list cover’s the past 6 years and by no means is complete.  But I think the list and links will provide a good start to finding out about  our Northwest corner.  Enjoy the following list about Bellingham, WA:

1. Outside Magazine’s August 2006: issue ranks Bellingham Best Paddling town in the USA.  Bellingham offers back-door access for kayaking to the San Juan Islands and Puget Sound, and it’s a launching pad to Canada’s Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.
2. May 2006: Inc magazine rates Bellingham as fifth hotest boomtown under 150,000 in population, based on recent job growth.  “With the San Juan Islands to the west and Mount Baker looming to the east, Bellingham attracts urban refugees, who have launched hundreds of small service firms, manufacturers, and consultancies.”
3. May 2006: Bellingham was among 11 cities with the cleanest air nationwide in a study by the American Lung Association (sixth year in a row). Forbes.com ranked Bellingham number 2 on its list of the Greenest Cities in the U.S. released in April, 2006. The ALA based their ranking on statistics for ozone and small particle pollution in each area of the study.
4. February 2006: Where to Retire magazine did a story on Bellingham as a place for active seniors to live.
5. November 2005: Dog Fancy lists Bellingham as one of the top ten dog-friendly cities in the USA.
6. September 2004: National Geographic Adventure magazine names Bellingham in the top ten “Adventure Towns” in the nation. 
7. CNN and Money magazine rates Bellingham among the eight best places to retire. The online article says Bellingham offers “the great outdoors and a sophisticated community all at your doorstep,” and has “metropolitan ambitions without big-city hassles.”  The article lauds the city’s trails and natural beauty, Western Washington University’s drama department, Fairhaven district and the city’s close access to snow skiing.
8. Spring 2003: AARP The Magazine lists Bellingham second among 15 “Dream towns” for boomers looking to settle down in a new locale. Citing the city’s “natural charm, affordable neighborhoods and recreational opportunities,” the May/ June issue rated Bellingham second only to the Fort Collins/Loveland area of Colorado.
9. May 2003: Men’s Journal calls Bellingham one of the 50 best small cities in which to live. 
10. Bellingham ranked 33rd among the “hippest, healthiest, and most adventure packed” small cities in America.
11. September 2001: Outside magazine calls Bellingham one of its 10 “Dream Towns,” noting its close access to shorelines, rivers, the San Juan Islands, Mt Baker and the Cascade Mountains. “Don wool socks and sandals for a night on the town; plant rhododendrons in your yard; shoot your own indie film,” advised the magazine.
12. Bellingham is also home of two time Oscar winner Hillary Swank and TV’s “Whose Line is it Anyway?” comedian Ryan Stiles. Additionally Billy Burke the actor, Doug Pederson - Former NFL quarterback — attended Ferndale High School and Jake Locker, Freshman sensation quarterback for University of Washington.

With a list like that, it’s no wonder Bellingham, Washington residents would like to keep this area a secret for as long as they can. That might be hard to do with the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics just around the corner though.  The Winter Olympics will be held in nearby Vancouver, British Columbia from February 12 to 28, 2010.  This will surely put the spotlight on Whatcom County even more, since we share the border with the province of British Columbia.

In 1986 the Worlds fair was held in Vancouver, BC which brought a lot of attention to the Whatcom County area. Expo 86 brought an influx of visitors, and a few of them ended up moving to our Northwest corner for good. It will definitely be an exciting time to live in Whatcom County when the Olympic spirit comes visiting. Travel thru Washington State and especially over the border in Canada will no doubt be busy. 

Jerry Campbell - The Muljat Group - Bellingham, WA - Bellingham Real Estate

Mortgage rates haven’t been this low since January 25 of this year, when the average rate was at the current low on a 30-year fixed rate of 6.24 percent. With the fears that possible inflation pressures easing and news that the Federal Reserve is downplaying any likelihood of interest rate hikes in the near term, this has helped push mortgage rates down.

The latest reading on the Producer Price Index (PPI) showed a decline in prices, an antidote to the inflation concerns of the Fed. In addition, remarks by several Fed governors in recent days were notably softer than the anti-inflation rhetoric that had prevailed of late. With worries about any additional interest rate hikes put on the back-burner, investors purchased government and mortgage-backed bonds. This pushed bond prices higher and bond yields lower. Mortgage rates are closely related to the yields on long-term government and mortgage-backed bonds.

Fixed mortgage rates are sharply lower than five months ago, when rates were flirting with 7 percent. At that time, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate peaked at 6.93 percent, meaning that the monthly payment on a loan of $165,000 was $1,090. With the average 30-year fixed rate now 6.24 percent, the same loan originated today would carry a monthly payment of $1,014.86. Fixed mortgage rates are a compelling refinancing alternative for adjustable rate borrowers facing sharp payment adjustments.  Via rismedia.

Iv’e been saying for a long time that this actually might be one of the best buying times over the next couple of years.  Especially in my market here in the Bellingham, WA and Whatcom County area, with all the recent good ecomnomic news.  Recent articles in the Bellingham Herald, Seattle Times and elswhere has shown the job market has been on a rise, retail sales are at an all time high, Interest rates are coming down, Inventory of homes are up and the home prices are soft.  We could very well be at a bottom or close to a bottom in the housing market locally.  As a buyer in any market, you need to know when to reconize these trends and put some trust in an experienced real estate agent.

 As Thanksgiving approaches families are preparing to scatter throughout the Northwest to their favorite destinations for the holiday of Thanks.  The fall festival is the highlight of the autumn season and prelude to the biggest holiday of the year - Christmas.

Up here in Bellingham, WA the first sign the Northwest is bringing fall is the splendor of colors in the leaves like a beautifully designed quilt and the cool crisp air moving in from the Pacific.  When November comes, so do the winds and the rains this year in particular with the record rainfall by Mid-November.  It can only mean one thing, Thanksgiving is just about here.

Thinking of Thanksgiving conjures up happy thoughts of being in the kitchen while Mom and my sisters worked on dinner for the day.  The smell of turkey was everywhere, pumpkin and apple pie sitting on the counter, mashed potatoes, sweet yams and biscuits blended into the aurora of smells…mmmm…Thanksgiving dinner!

While the gals of the house were cooking up the annual feast, dad and we boys were in the family room watching Thanksgiving Day parades on TV and the afternoon football games. My wife says to add with a wink that of coarse this isn’t how things are now…that was circa1970 and these days us men are more involved (then my wife, with another wink adds that if she let me in the kitchen we’d probably be eating Chinese food for T-day). Hey, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeves…why one year I made a very well received dish of toasted pecan sweet potatoes! 

Well anyway as we got closer to dinner a few relatives and friends would show up and join in.  By now everyone was getting anxious to enjoy all the fixings of the day!
When it was finally time to sit down and eat, everyone would grab their place at the table with dad saying grace and then on to the star of the show….the turkey!  This year unlike any other…Dad was passing the baton on carving the turkey.  He reached over, gave me the big fork and knife and said “here you go son”.  Of course after watching the old man for 12 years I thought “no problem” and dove right in like an old pro, even though my hands were shaking and my brow was sweating.  But somehow, I slowly made that first cut …

Well it didn’t quite turn out like dad’s handy work (ahem) actually far from it but as I looked around the table, there were all smiles looking back at me and we dug in and enjoyed another thanksgiving.  Afterwards, we felt as stuffed as the turkey we just ate!

In our youth we all learned in school and books the story of the first Thanksgiving.  Whether the truth or just a myth it’s a celebration that has been shared for hundreds of years.  No matter what the real story is with Thanksgiving, to me personally it’s always the time of year I reflect back on things I’m thankful for.  It’s the time of year to realize all that we have to be thankful of.  The time to extend out to those in need and try to give them a boost up when everything around them seems to be caving in.  The time of year we give thanks to all those we love and help the ones who need our support.

That’s the true meaning of thanksgiving…a time to say thank you.  So when you’re heading out this year to your destinations think about the things, people or places that you’re thankful for.  Let that special person in your life know how much you care about them…let them know the heart felt greeting of “Thank you…I care about you.” And remember that it’s doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone

While driving around the South Neighborhood, you start to see that most of the homes, condos and services are concentrated in the north.  Most of the well traveled roads are on the outer edge of the neighborhood except for Old Samish Rd, which cuts across from Chuckanut Drive to 1-5.

With exception to portions of the northern part of this neighborhood, the majority of it is full of beautiful evergreen forests, parks, trail systems, streams, and Chuckanut Mountain.  The Interurban Trail cuts right thru the neighborhood starting in the north at Old Fairhaven Parkway and heads south to Chuckanut.

In describing the boundaries of the South Neighborhood, we start at I-5 and head west along Old Fairhaven Parkway. The neighborhood is on the South side of Old Fairhaven Parkway, and follows the road along to 12^th St. in Fairhaven.  Heading South on 12^th St. crossing the bridge into the Edemoor area and then veers to the left along Chuckanut Drive.  Take Chuckanut south past historic Fairhaven Park, past Old Samish Rd, until you reach the city limits on Chuckanut Drive.  You’re now at the big bend in the road with a view of Clark Point across Chuckanut Bay.  The South Neighborhood boundary cuts thru The North Chuckanut Mountain Trailhead area until it meets up with I-5. Then the neighborhood rides along the border of I-5 back up to Old Fairhaven Parkway.
The surrounding neighborhoods include Samish to the east across I-5, Happy Valley to the north, Fairhaven to the northwest, Edgemoor to the west and Scenic Chuckanut areas to the south.

Housing in the South Neighborhood, for the most part, is concentrated along the main roads of Chuckanut Drive, Old Samish Rd and Old Fairhaven Parkway.  The homes along 32^nd St and 30^th St are mostly on large lots, with some a half acre or more in size.  The homes in the area have the feel of rural living and the homes range from small older homes to lager custom homes.  There are some very expensive homes on the Chuckanut side of the neighborhood.

Along Fairhaven Parkway you’ll find a few apartments, condo’s, the Parkway Village mobile home park and three assisted care and retirement facilities including Fairhaven Estates, Parkway Chateau, and Mt Baker Assisted Care. 

School age kids in the South Neighborhood either attend Lowell Elementary School or Larrabee Elementary School. The middle school kids goto Fairhaven Middle School and high school students attend Sehome High School.

Jerry Campbell - The Muljat Group - Bellingham, WA - Bellingham WA Real Estate

 Whatcom County’s unemployment rate plunged with the help of 500 high-wage manufacturing jobs. This is exactly what our local economy needed to keep thing’s rolling around Whatcom County.  Couple this news along with the recent good news with the big increases in local retail sales should be a big plus for the local housing sector as well.  Interest rates seem to have settled in an area of about 6.10% to 6.40% range, with predictions that they should remain stable thru-out all of 2007.

It’s expected that even more jobs are to be added in the coming months.  For instance Alcoa’s Intalco located in Ferndale, WA is in the process of hiring 170 people while opening its second pot line early next year. So far the company has hired about 70 people.  The challenge appears to be finding available tradespeople such as millrights.  BP Cherry Point is expecting to hire 20 new employees soon and another 20 in January.  

My father-in law, who’s a pipe fitter, has been up here for months working at the Ferndale WA BP plant.  He says that both BP and Conoca are both gearing up for production, which means more hiring coming down the road.  Even the paper is saying here that on a typical day there are 600 construction tradesman working at the refinery.  Even if these tradesman are from out of the area…they are adding to retail sales for sure.

The Sunnyland Neighborhood is centrally located and is one of Bellingham’s older more established neighborhoods.  The neighborhood has a lot of character and rich history thru-out.  The mixture includes residential, parks, light commercial and shopping as well. 

Sunnyland Neighborhood is bounded by Interstate 5 on the east, Sunset Drive on the north, Cornwall Avenue and Ellis Street on the west, and Whatcom Creek as its southern boundary. Some of the main roads traveled thru this area are the busy James Street, going north and south and Alabama east and west. Ohio is also used a lot as well as Cornwall Ave and Sunset Drive on the outskirts.  The residential streets are pretty typical of what you would see in the old plats of this area in that they running due north/ south and east/west like a nicely laid out grid.  I-5 being on the East side of the neighborhood makes easy access to many areas of Bellingham from here.

Parks in the Sunnyland Neighborhood include the Memorial Park next to Sunnyland Elementary School, and the Sunnyland Park off of Alabama Street.  The later was a group effort by citizens to have it build for the local children. Just outside the neighborhood is Cornwall Park within walking distance.  This park offers a ton of activities to residents in the area.

Elementary kids in the Sunnyland area attend Sunnyland, Lowell or Parkview Elementary Schools.  For Middle age children they attend either Whatom or Kulshan Middle schools and  High school students attend either Belllingham high or Sehome High School.

Jerry Campbell - The Muljat Group - Bellingham, WA - Bellingham WA Real Estate

  Western Washington University, rated as one of the best universities on the west coast, is a vital part of Bellingham, Washington’s fabric.  The University campus and the adjoining Sehome Hill Arboretum, a popular urban hiking spot, make up the Western Washington University Neighborhood.  The main campus covers 195 acres, including 38 acres in the Sehome Hill Arboretum. The entire Arboretum covers 180 acres.

Although there are no privately owned property within the Neighborhood, it does provide on-campus housing for about 4,000 college students.  The total enrollment at WWU is about 12,700 students.  The surrounding neighborhoods of Sehome, Happy Valley & York house a majority of the off-campus students.

Western Washington University (also known as WWU or just Western) is one of six state funded four year universities or higher education in the state of Washington.  Western offers Bachelor’s and master degrees.  Western has consistently ranked among the top schools in its category and according to US News and World Report’s ranking, as the # 2 pulic master’s granting schools in the entire western region, while placing 18th overall (public and private combined).

The university is noted for its orientation to teaching and the liberal arts, Vehicle Research Institute (once noted by Automobile Magazine as “very possibly the best school in the country for total car design”), and outdoor sculpture collection. Also, the Philosophical Gourmet Report mentions Western as having one of the best philosophy departments among colleges and universities that only offer a B.A. in the discipline.  Also Western has one of the best wired universities for internet use.

Western has placed consistently high in annual rankings of excellence and affordability by magazines such as U.S. News and World Report and Consumer Digest. Yahoo! has named Western among the 100 “most wired” universities in the U.S. for its technological capabilities. 

The university is one of Whatcom County’s leading employers, with nearly 1,500 workers, and has an acclaimed outdoor sculpture collection, art galleries, performing arts center and sports facilities. The campus has undergone a building boom in recent years, adding a Campus Services Facility and the Wade King Recreation Center since 2002. New this year is the Communications Building, which houses the physics, computer science, communications and journalism programs. 

Public schools in the area are Happy Valley Elementary, Fairhaven Middle School, Sehome High School.  Shopping in the area include Viking Bookstore on campus; Sehome Village to the west. Major grocers are Bellingham Food Co-Op on Forest Street, Haggen at Sehome Village or Fred Meyer and Cost Cutter on Lakeway.

Jerry Campbell - The Muljat Group - Bellingham, WA - Bellingham WA Real Estate

The Baby boomers have been one of the strongest generations to affect the real estate market over the last 30 years.  Right on the heal of the “Boomers” are the new kids on the block, The Generation X group born between 1965 and 1979.

The housing market may be in a slump, but the industry’s long-term trends look promising as younger generations begin to buy and trade up. That was the consensus among a group of consultants, analysts and developers speaking at the recent annual meeting of the Urban Land Institute in Denver.

Rising affordability concerns in some home and rental markets remain a challenge, but the generations coming up behind the baby boomers are giving home builders a run for their money, experts said. With more immigration and people living alone, demographic shifts are pressing developers to reconsider what’s worked in the past. Via Real Estate Journal.

The Generation X’s make up a little more than 50 percent of the home buyers for newly constructed homes. They seem to be in the heart of their entry-level home buying years and are just now entering their peak trade-up years. This generation of buyers tend to buy smaller homes, with less frills and not as prestige addresses as their older counterparts did.  They carry 70% more debt than the baby boomers did at that point in their lives because of the cost of housing…. Almost all of that is housing debt.

In recent open houses I’ve seen a lot of Generation X’s coming thru my open houses in new subdivisions like Liberty Park in Ferndale, WA.  I’ve found them to be great buyers, with good jobs and most with families.  With this recent run-up in the prices of real estate, most are having to settle by giving up one thing or another in the home they finally purchase.  Builders are paying close attention to Generation X buyers and their needs as Baby Boomers get older and start moving out of the market and into retirement.

Jerry Campbell - The Muljat Group - Bellingham, WA - Bellingham WA Real Estate