South Hill

A View to Remember on Chuckanut Shore

South of Bellingham, down the hill from the beautiful Chuckanut Drive, lies a small, cozy community of about two to three dozen homes perched on the cliffs above Bellingham Bay, overlooking the San Juans and the tiny Dot Island.  The setting is reminiscent of the cliffs of Malibu, California, mixed with the forest greens and cobalt blues of the Pacific Northwest.

Resting quietly at the center of this little community is a wonderfully updated 1960’s-era Cape Cod-style home with a commanding 180-degree SW facing view of the islands and the bay, with 103 feet of saltwater-frontage, complete with private dock.

The home itself contrasts perfectly with the breathtaking views by offering a refreshingly warm, intimate atmosphere, especially given it’s nearly 3200 square feet.  The main floor is comprised of a study, two living areas (one at each end) and dining area, surrounding a central kitchen.  A patio extends along the length of the house looking over the water. The layout is such that just about every room has a view of the islands.  There are a total of four bedrooms and three bathrooms.  Having received a face-lift in 2000, the home features Scandinavian-inspired character, with bright, vibrant colors, excellent natural light, and the best in modern appliances.  The decor is tasteful and inviting, carefully arranged by a loving owner with a true eye for design. Given the evident symmetry of home and decor, the owner’s are willing to include much of it with a sale.

Click on the pictures below for full-sized versions. Click here for a Virtual Tour.

Externally, this home and neighborhood have a lot to offer. In addition to the home’s 103 feet of private waterfront, there is a community boat launch nearby, as well as a  private beach available to owners.  The home itself has a private dock. The water is not deep for large vessels, though there is plenty of room for deep-water moorage out in the bay, with access by dinghy.  There is also a two-car garage, with guest parking available across the street.

View Larger Map

Priced at $1,595,000, this home is a real treasure.  It is quiet, private, and unquestionably special, perfect for anyone looking to live in understated luxury while enjoying the peaceful serenity offered by one of the most incredible natural settings in the World.

Owner financing is available at competitive rates to qualified buyers.

For more information on this luxury Bellingham home, please e-mail Rob LeRoy at rob.leroy@exprealty.com, or call me directly at 206.883.6668.

Please visit my website, www.TheRealEsateNovelist.com

Whatcom County Real Estate Market Report for May, 2009

The following is a quick analysis of the Whatcom County real estate market.

• There are currently 1586 homes for sale.
• Homes are priced from $16,000 – $6,995,000
• Average Asking Price $429,715 Days on Market: 126 days
• Median Asking Price $339,000 Days on Market: 77 days
• Homes sold in May: 152
• Average Listing Price $290,766
• Average Sold Price $281,527 Days on Market 92
• Median Listing Price $267,000
• Median Sold Price $260,320 Days on Market: 47
• Homes Pending this week: 66 Total Homes Pending: 434

• Average Sales Price April 2008: $300,903
• Median Sales Price April 2008: $263150
• Sold in March April : 180

The Average Sales price is down 6.4% compared to May 08 and down 3.6% compared to last month.

The Median Sales prices is down 1.1% compared to May 08 and up 2.3% compared to last month.

The number of sales is down by 28 or 15.6% compared to May 08 and up by 11 or 7.8% compared to last month.

Condo Analysis for Whatcom County

• Currently Active Listings: 503
• Price range of active listings – $24,900 – $1,565,000
• Average List Price $261,734 Days on Market: 192
• Median List Price $199,900 Days on Market: 120
• Sold in May: 18
• Average Listing Price $204,819
• Average Sold Price $194,661 Days on Market: 185
• Median Listing Price $204,750
• Median Sold Price $199,975 Days on Market: 163
• Condos Pending (went under contract) last week: 14 Total Condos Pending: 53

• Average Sales Price May 2008: $206,989
• Median Sales Price May 2008: $196,975
• Sold in May 2008: 52

The Average Sales price is down by 6.0% compared to May 08, and down 17.8% over last month.

The Median Sales prices is up by 1.6% compared to May 08 and down by 11.3% over last month.

The number of sales is down by 34 or 65% compared to May 08 and down by 6 or 25% compared to last month.

Buyers: Interest rates are still low making now is a good time to get in the market. There are still plenty of homes to choose from and lots have been on the market a long time so there are some motivated sellers out there who need to sell their homes.

Sellers: There is still a lot of competition right now and if you don’t want your home to sit on the market without an offer here are a few bits of advise:

• The most important thing you can do is price your home right, have your real estate agent do a CMA and price your home aggressively, that is in the lower range of similar homes if you want a quick sale
• Have a pre-inspection done to your home and fix any problems
• Give your home curb appeal
• Offer a Home Warranty if it is an older home
• Get rid of clutter, start clearing out your things, even if you have to put them in storage.
• Think about staging your home, get advise from a staging professional or at least your agent.

If you would like some info about Whatcom County real estate or living in Whatcom County send me an email or give me a call.

2009 Welding Rodeo Sculpture Competition

Bay View Condos

We’re so fortunate to live in this beautiful place called Bellingham.  One of the things I enjoy so much about being here is being around the waterfront, and having water views all around.  Driving in and out of Fairhaven on the Boulevard and seeing the Bay is always a joy.  Sometimes I’ll drive down 36th Street out of Fairhaven, which is another great place to see the Bay.  I was out taking some pictures and looking at condos in Fairhaven today and thought I’d see how many Bay view condos are available in Bellingham today.

If you looking for a Bay view condo there are 77 of them available in Bellingham as of today.

The least expensive ones is a 1 bedroom 1 bath unit on High Street near Western Washington University selling for $115,500, there are 6 Bay view condos on the market for under $200,000.

The most expensive condo is in the Waldron building, it is a 2 bedroom 2.75 bath unit in the heart of the Historic Fairhaven district and it is selling $1,565,000.

The largest unit is a 2 bedroom 2.25 bath unit that is 3345 square feet and its in the new Park Place Residences above Boulevard Park selling for $895,000.

60 of these Bay view condos are in Fairhaven or on South Hill.

There also three Lake view condos available in the Bellingham market from $164,900 for a 2 bedroom and 1 bath unit to $349,900 for a 2 bedroom 1.5 bath waterfront unit where you can walk out your patio door to your own beach with a dock.

There were 13 Bay view condos sold so far this year ranging in price from $87,700 of to $570,000.

If you’re interested in any view condos  feel free to email me or give me a call at 360-739-6981.

Trash into Art – at Maritime Heritage Park – Saturday, April 25

Saturday, April 25, at Maritime Heritage Park local artist Kuros Zahedi, will turn trash into art with the help of volunteers who show up.

Volunteers  will be provided with gloves and bags to help clean the park. Zahedi will then make a work of art out of the trash.

Zahedi used the trash collected at Maritime Heritage Park last year to create an image of two people dancing in a garden he called “Bellingham Dance.” It was made ofplastic bags, beer cans, broken sunglasses and other trash that was found.

Everything you ever wanted to know about South Hill* but were afraid to ask

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.

A different feel: Waterfront Condos in South Hill/Fairhaven Area

When I see the condominiums in Bellingham, I’m doing so after having seen flats, condos, Brownstones, from Florida, to Boston, to Chicago, as well as Seattle.  I’ve been lucky enough to travel early on, and see a lot of different architecture, interior design, and changing trends and products used to various benefit and demise.  And since moving here, and working on expertise as a relocation and luxury second-homes  (working on, I’ll never be finished), I’m with clients from out-of-the area, from the same areas, and exploring how to help people acclimate to our climate, both the weather and the weather of our Real Estate market.  It’s a harder conversation than you might think. And it’s why I preview as many properties as possible, trying to find the diamonds in the rough.

Because if I have clients from Florida, and they want to see a water-view condominium in Fairhaven, over a certain price range, they’re going to expect a WOW factor, like the one’s you would get from walking through the Park Place condominiums, overlooking Boulevard Park.   Keep your 9 foot ceilings, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances.  Try contemporary glass frontage that takes advantage of the view.  Use cement for the interior walls, and include radiant heat and a twelve foot long gas fireplace so questions about warmth dissipate with the view.

If my clients are from New England, maybe they’ll want something with more traditional accents, like the Pierside Condos on the water side of Eldridge.  These are real cathedral ceilings, with a view out the windows worthy of worship, and accents in the master suite that make the owner really feel like, well, the master of the house.

Can you see the detail in the ceiling here?  Compare this bedroom with your usual flat white ceiling, non-descript lighting fixture, married to the “real estate brown” walls we’ve all seen 1,000 times.   I’ll wager 100% of my clients are more impressed, and will be more excited to see this condo.

And there are those from across the country that want a taste of the Pacific Northwest, the Upper Left Hand Corner, and theCraftsman detail on the inside and outside of the condos on Taylor are a perfect example. Water view, close to Fairhaven, BUT, the inside is a warm lodge atmosphere with exposed beams, wood floors, and accent lighting that shows premeditation that resulted in a killer interior.

The luxury that these condos lend is expensive.  What’s outrageous for some is the cost of comfort for others.  But certain builders are recognizing the value of craftsmanship that should accompany the pricetag.    And to them, I’m saying thank you.

Quote for the day:

“I can’t sell my VW for more, just by parking it in downtown Fairhaven. More people might look at it, but in the end, it’s going to come down to the quality of the interior.”

-Anonymous client

Awesome Bay View Home in Edgemoor – $549,000

Outstanding Bay View from 5 rooms of this awesome Edgemoor home.

3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bath Rooms, 2305 Sq. Ft., .41 Acres

Address: 238 Bayside Drive, Bellingham, WA 98225
MLS #: 29040366

Enjoy your breakfast in the beautiful sun room that opens to the kitchen and looks out at the big park like fenced yard. The living room features large picture windows  looking out at Bellingham Bay, Fairhaven, South Hill, and the Canadian Mountains, it has vaulted ceilings and a beautiful stone faced fireplace.

The large master bedroom has lots of built in storage and access to your private hot tub. The large multi-purpose family room has it’s own fireplace and could be a rec room, a big office or even a 4th bedroom. There is a closet  attached to the family room with it’s own  window, that is big enough to be a hobby room, or maybe a wine cellar. The home was recently painted inside, their is loads of storage. It features beautiful mature landscaping. There is a large double car garage as well as a covered carport big enough for two cars.  The home is in the desirable Edgemoor neighborhood, close to Fairhaven. It has been pre-Inspected and all problems have been corrected.

If you would like any more information about or to schedule a time to see this awesome home give me a call at 360-739-6981.

South Hill Neighborhood

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.

WTA opens new Cordata Bus Station

Yes it’s true, Bellingham has grown into a two bus station town.  With the opening of its new Cordata Bus Station last week the Whatcom Transit Authority (WTA) now has two bus stations.  The new Cordata Station will service the fast-growing Cordata neighborhood.  With the growth of Whatcom Community College and the area in general, it seems like a natural place for the extension of the bus system.  With lots of condos, apartments, and new homes in the area, the Cordata neighborhood is the fastest-growing Bellingham.  The Community Food Co-op has just opened their second store across the street from station, the Bellis Fair Mall is a few blocks away, as are lots of other shopping opportunities along the Guide Meridian.
According to recently released Federal Transit Administration statistics, ridership on Whatcom Transportation Authority buses has grown faster than in any other major U.S. city.
WTA is at the top of the list of the country’s 150 largest transit agencies. Those 150 agencies represent 97 percent of the nation’s transit ridership
Ridership increased 20.7 percent from July 2007 to June 2008, compared to the previous year. The 150 top agencies saw an increase of only 2.6 percent.
Can you say high gas prices. Also Western Washington University students have a new universal bus pass paid through student fees that went into effect nearly a year ago.
Increased service has helped as several new GO lines have buses running every 15 minutes.