The market on South Hill was definitely affected by a season of holidays, snow storms, and the Law of Gravity.

For anyone unfamiliar with the area, the entire hill looks over the shore into Bellingham Bay and Fairhaven, and the streets dress to match the hillside accordingly (steep and unforgiving should you be out during one of the aforementioned storms).

I prefer to think of South Hill owners as resilient;  hardened from the battle with prospective buyers, low offers, and inspection responses that read longer than The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney: An Allegory.  

The existing listings tell the same story , as the average time on the market for these homes is around 222 days. Which puts the homes well back into the summer, and some even the spring. 

Yet these numbers are not new to South Hill.  Looking back in the files for all sales from January to December, only 22 homes sold the entire year, and 14 condos sold.  That's about two homes and a condo a month.

But the sheer number of homes in South Hill has never been that expansive, a fantastic sign for the area/neighborhood in that people don't want to move, and they know what they have, and are pricing their homes according to the value they have for their home.  And the market says homeowners are willing to wait to get their price. 

Advice?  Put your Realtor on alert:  if you want into South Hill and the current properties don't suit you, you'll need to act quickly, and be prepped to offer close to listing price.  Or be prepared to wait.  Someone previewing all of the properties as soon as the hit the market..as most of the public websites have a 3 to 4 day lag time from listing to hitting the web. 

While online, look for numbered streets between 11th and 17th Streets, or cross streets like Knox, Adams,Douglas, Taylor, Highland, or the Forests.  You're getting a view with more altitude as you venture east, but the more Northeast you go, the more college friendly you'll need to be.

STRIKE OR TAKE A HIKE:   18 properties sold after being on the market 120 or more days while 15 sold in less than 60

 

Upcoming months:  South Hillians who've taken their homes off the market for the holidays and/or winter repairs will be eyeing the market for the upcoming upswing of spring and summer buyers, ready to soak in the sun (it's coming) and the bay views.

___________________________________________________________________________

Everyone says buying your

first apartment makes you

feel like an adult. What no

one mentions is that selling it

turns you right back into a

child.

-Anderson Cooper

Labels: South Hill Homes, South Hill Market

by Chris McNamara, Chris@buyertours.com

If you've ever walked the trail from the Farmer's Market right to Wood's Coffee in Boulevard park, no doubt you've past the gold sphere in between two pieces of rock, indicating the mid-space between Whatcom and Fairhaven. And if you drew a line due East, you would bisect an area known as South Hill, which perches overlooking the bay.  Priced between $399,000 for a home built in 1926 to $1.295 Million for a 3,600 square foot award winning home, a prospective  buyer can expect to own a home that is priced higher than your average bear in Whatcom County.  If you care to see for yourself, take a look at our South Hill page.

  New construction in the area has brought more contemporary lines into the traditional landscape of Victorians, Tudors, and Northwest Craftsman, though there's been a lot of interior and exterior work afoot.  Landscaping and contractor trucks are no strangers to the Numbered Streets since the last cycle of home prices swung upwards. 

If there haven't been any updates since the first Roosevelt was in the office, you'll need to keep the following budgets in mind for starters:

• electrical,
• plumbing,
• insulation,
• windows,
• roofing

On average, these homes are spending about 150 days on the market, and owners are realizing a little over 95% of what they've penciled them on the market for.  Interestingly enough, homes that have spent over 60 days on the market?  They're realizing a little over 89% percent... per our NWMLS, so take it with a statistical grain of salt.

If you're looking for a clear view of the ocean with less power lines in the way, head EAST back up the hill, but your financial compass is going to point north, i.e. get more expensive (compass allusions get confusing) as you do.

If a few more photos of a home are of interest, drop me a quick note, and we'll sketch out a few ideas together.

Labels: Fairhaven Homes, Fairhaven Neighborhood

Labels: South Hill Homes, South Hill Real Estate

South Hill is one of Bellingham's affluent neighborhoods and is famous for its sweeping views of Bellingham Bay and large, well kept variety of character homes that range from Tudors to Craftsman and grand castle-styled homes at some corners. Because of its proximity to Fairhaven, WWU, Boulevard Park, and Downtown Bellingham, the location is extremely desirable. The neighborhood is strictly residential, with homes on the hill and condos on the main strip along the water, Boulevard and South State. The condos also boast great views of the bay and some can be purchased at a very reasonable price tag.

Labels: South Hill Homes

Most of the homes in South Hill are well kept but older, though new construction homes are built from time to time. Because the top of South Hill was developed after WWII, the streets are designed slightly differently than the lower end of South Hill; the lots are more secluded with large trees, and the streets are wider.

Labels: South Hill Homes, South Hill Real Estate