Posts Tagged ‘Bellingham Real Estate’

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Winter Gardening Tips for the Bellingham Area

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Garden

Even though we have had an incredibly mild winter, it’s still just  that WINTER, and it’s only half over. February may well be the toughest gardening month with not knowing what weather will come next. But that doesn’t stop the true gardener from working on the garden. February is for planning and for seeing the first signs that spring is around the corner. Don’t forget this is also an ideal time to do some pruning and get ready for spring time growth.

Here are some regional tips for February. However since February weather is so unpredictable, you’ll have to use some judgement

  • Prune trees and shrubs, both ornamentals and fruit
  • Check flower beds for plants that may have heaved
  • Replace mulch as needed
  • Check outside plants and trees for animal damage
  • Cut some branches for forcing indoors
  • Rejuvenate holly bushes with a hard pruning

    • By Fawn of the Johnnson’s Real Estate Team Blog

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    Posted in Buyers, Seasonal, Sellers | No Comments »

    Small House? Simple tips for making your home and rooms seem larger!

    Thursday, February 4th, 2010

    HomeStaging

    There are so many television shows out there featuring ways to change your home to make it seem larger, but no matter how much I try I never seem to get the same effect.  Below are some simple tips from Pillar to Post Inspection Services of great ways to maximize the your space and make your home and room seem larger.

    1. Lightening up your furniture

    Going neutral isn’t just good for walls – its good for sofas, too. Beiges and ivories reflect light instead of absorbing it as darker colors do. The result: a sense of airiness and peace that makes people want to stay.

    2. Enlarging a cramped bedroom

    How? A small lamp and a large mirror can do it. Just hang the mirror on one wall and plug in the lamp directly across from it. The light will bounce off the mirror and reflect back, immediately making the room appear larger.

    3. Expanding shelf space

    Store half of all personal items and prized possessions in the basement or garage. Too many knick-knacks can make a room look crowded; plus they make it harder for a buyer to imagine what his or her items will look like in the space!

    By Fawn of the Johnson Real Estate Team Blog

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    Posted in Buyers, Johnson Team Blog, Sellers | No Comments »

    Bob Hunter: Should you buy a “Short Sale”?

    Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

    Should you buy a ‘Short Sale’?

    1. If you want to buy a short sale, have a big pocket full of patience.

    2. Make sure you realize this is not the same as a regular real estate transaction; all the standard timelines and processes are turned upside down

    After you have made your offer:

    1. The file may end up on the bottom of the Special Asset Manager’s desk

    2. The seller might become whole again and bring their mortgage up to date (Not likely)

    3. The bank may take it back in foreclosure and put it back on the market, in which case you may get another shot at it as a bank owned property.

    If you have the time and patience, short sales can offer the opportunity to buy properties under market price. Not for everyone, but still tempting.

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    Muljat Group Agents: Steve Church on Closing Costs

    Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

    The Muljat Group Agents video series features different agents talking about interesting and specific aspects of their job

    Here is Steve Church on Closing Costs:

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    Muljat Group Agents: Eric Larson on Open Houses

    Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

    The Muljat Group Agents video series features different agents talking about interesting and specific aspects of their job.

    Here is Eric Larson on Open Houses:

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    Muljat Group Agents: Emily Cross on Selling in a Bad Economy

    Monday, November 2nd, 2009

    The Muljat Group Agents video series features different agents talking about interesting and specific aspects of their job.

    Here is Emily Cross on Selling in a Bad Economy:

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    Posted in Sellers | No Comments »

    Muljat Group Agents: Lylene Johnson on Short Sale

    Monday, October 26th, 2009

    The Muljat Group Agents video series features different agents talking about interesting and specific aspects of their job.

    Here is Lylene Johnson on Short Sale:

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    Muljat Group Agents: Frank Muljat the Broker Offers Help

    Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

    The Muljat Group Agents video series features different agents talking about interesting and specific aspects of their job.

    Here is Frank Muljat the Broker Offering Help:

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    Posted in Buyers, Local Real Estate Information, Sellers | No Comments »

    August Real Estate Statistics for Bellingham’s Cornwall Park Neighborhood

    Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

    Cornwall Park Bungalow

    Cornwall Park Bungalow

    Cornwall Park is a neighborhood of classic homes within walking distance of downtown Bellingham and Cornwall Park. The median sale price in August was $312,650.

    August saw 14 homes for sale in Bellingham’s Cornwall Park Neighborhood, with just 2 sales (there were 4 last year) and 2 under contract at the end of the month. This bucked the trend of Bellingham as a whole, where inventory was down, pending sales were up and sales were down about 7% from last year’s August. The number of days it took those two houses to sell was also up substantially over last year. The neighborhood currently has about a 7 month supply of inventory at these inventory and sale numbers.

    Historic Active Listings Compared to # of Homes Sold in the Cornwall Park Neighborhood

    Historic Active Listings Compared to # of Homes Sold in the Cornwall Park Neighborhood

    Historic Median Price of Sold and Active Inventory in the Cornwall Park Neighborhood

    Historic Median Price of Sold and Active Inventory in the Cornwall Park Neighborhood

    Most of the homes in the Cornwall Park neighborhood are still at a relatively affordable price point, as is demonstrated by the median sale prices, which were within 99.39% of the list prices.

    If you would like more specific information on homes in the Cornwall Park neighborhood, don’t hesitate to contact us. If you would like to know how your home anywhere in Whatcom County fits into the market, request a free online estimate of value.

    If your neighborhood association would like a presentation on real estate activity in the neighborhood, we would be happy to make arrangements to meet with you.

    Post written by The Johnson Team

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    Posted in Local Real Estate Information | No Comments »

    Tips to Improve Your Credit Score

    Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

    creditscoreAre you looking for ways to improve your credit score? Remember, improving your credit score takes time so it’s a good idea to start thinking about it right away if you may have an score that you are not happy with.

    One of my personal favorite ways to monitor my credit score is through a credit report and identity theft tracking website, there was many available that will alert you of any changes in your credit score. My personal favorite is www.IdentityGuard.com . The website will alert me if an inquiry has been made using my social security number, a late bill payment has been recorded, or an accounts have been opened or closed. Below are other credit tips.

    • Keep your credit card balances low. Even though you have a high balance doesn’t mean you have to use it. A high balance on your card will have a negative impact on your score.
    • Use the credit cards you have. It’s often suggested that you charge one or two small items on your card a month and them pay them at months end. This will show you are actively using your card and that you are a valued credit customer perhaps keeping them from closing your account or lowering your credit balances.
    • Limit the number of credit cards which you have. With credit cards it’s not the more the merrier. Be sure and only have cards and accounts which you actively use.

    By Fawn of the Johnson Real Estate Team Blog

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    Posted in Buyers, Sellers | No Comments »

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