Boulevard Park

Bellingham’s Newest Waterfront Condos: Edgewater Place

A couple of days ago I had a chance to stop by the Edgewater Place Condominium project, currently under construction near Fairhaven.  Wow.  These places are NICE!!!  I’ve spent quite a bit of time touring condo projects, old and new, throughout the Northwest, from Portland to Seattle to Vancouver, BC, and I am not kidding when I say these compete with the best of them.  That’s no accident.  From what I’ve heard, the developers deliberately set out to emulate the best features of the most popular condo projects in each of those areas. Edgewater Place is a near-perfect hybrid of the best of the Northwest.  Combine that with it’s superb location, perched on a bluff overlooking Boulevard Park  and the beautiful Bellingham Bay.  Perfect as a vacation home or a relaxing, luxurious place to retire, Edgewater has a lengthy list of perks that make it stand out in front of the competition.  Prices range from $950-1.25M.  Spendy, yes. But well worth it.  A few reasons why:

• The view is unparalleled, unobstructed and unbelievable.  Each unit has a 40-foot view of the park, the bay, and the San Juan Islands in the distance.
• Entertainment-sized decks with optional gas fireplace and BBQ
• Top-end appliances from Wolf, Sub-Zero, and Miele
• State of the art acoustical designs that keep the units almost completely soundproof
• Innovative, open floor-plans that maximize the view and make great entertaining spaces
• Two shared guest suites- so your friends and family can visit (and stay out of your face at the end of the day!)
• Shared gym and meeting area
• Secured underground parking with elevator access
• Great investment potential. There are only 16 units, so they will always be in high demand. It is unlikely that another project will ever come close to competing with the class and style of this building.  Owning one of these will make you feel seriously special.
• Click here for a full list of specs (provided by the developer)
• Click here for architectural drawings of the 4 unit types

For more of my pictures, please click here!

The Edgewater Place Condominiums are located at 472 S. State St. in Bellingham. Click here for a map

For more details on Bellingham condos, or to schedule a tour, call me any time at 206.883.6668, or e-mail me at rob.leroy@exprealty.com

Be sure to check out my other articles here!

Thanks for reading!  Please leave your comments below. I appreciate your feedback! If you have any questions about Bellingham, Seattle, or real estate in general, please feel free to email Rob LeRoy directly at rob.leroy@exprealty.com or call me at 206.883.6668

This post simultaneously published by Rob LeRoy at theRealEstateNovelist.com

Boulevard Park

Extensions happen, stay calm!

They say that buying or selling a home can be among the most stressful experiences of a person’s life, and it is easy to get carried away and freak out. However, with a little bit of patience, preparation, and education, potential hurdles can be easily overcome. One common hurdle is what is called an “Extension of Closing”.  If you aren’t properly prepared, it could jump out at you from the shadows and cause all-manner of stress, chaos…possibly even binge-eating!

Here’s what happens: Whether you’re on the buying side or the selling side, chances are that by the week of closing you’ve had just about enough of haggling, packing, paperwork, and change-of-address-ing. You’re ready to just get this thing the Hell over with!  It is at this point, more than ever, that you must remain calm and patient. The proverbial fat lady has yet to belt out that first note. Remember, real estate transactions take a long time, and sometimes they take even longer.

Extensions were relatively common before the current financial predicament, and it seems like they are even more common now. In my personal experience as an agent, I would have to say that at least 50% of the transactions I’ve worked on have had extensions of anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks. Lately, it seems like closer to 60-70%. The problems that arise are myriad- scheduling conflicts for signing appointments, or end-of-month traffic jams at the escrow office, though, in my experience, they are most commonly the result of a delay in the drafting of the Buyer’s loan documents.

These days, mortgage brokers and loan officers are running around like headless chickens trying to get loans approved in the face of constantly changing requirements, rules and regulations.  Many banks, especially the larger ones, are having to constantly tinker with their programs to try to adjust to changing economic conditions, but their operations are so vast and nebulous that the brokers on the ground are never quite sure what the latest changes are. It takes time to get memos and rate sheets out to everyone who needs them. What ends up happening is that the mortgage brokers will think all their ducks are in a row and then, at the last minute, find out the rules now require a row of geese, instead. This might mean they need to request additional records from the Buyer, or maybe even redraft the loan docs completely. This can easily take an extra day or more. Thus, the dreaded extension. I don’t mean to pick on the banks, it’s just that this is  what I’ve been seeing in my recent transactions.  Obviously, the banks and their brokers are doing their best to remedy these issues…it’s just going to take some time.

So…what can you do about it? Well…be patient. Remember to breathe. If you are the Buyer, try to make sure you have all of your loan paperwork submitted quickly, and stay on top of your mortgage broker! These are very busy people, but that doesn’t mean you can’t assert yourself as their top priority.

Understand that real estate transactions are fluid and flexible, and that the 30 or 45 day closing period is really more of a guideline than a concrete expectation. Sure, we’d all like to be able to plan ahead for things like movers, vans, and hotels, but things aren’t necessarily going to happen according to your predetermined schedule, and you need to be ready to make adjustments on the fly. Try to remember how excited you are to get this over with, and stay focused on the future. Don’t let the details bog you down, and please, please, PLEASE remember that it is not your agent’s fault! If you need to vent, vent with your agent, not at them.

Thanks for reading. Comments welcome and encouraged! Click here to read my other Bellingham real estate posts!

By the way, I wrote this from the Woods Coffee at Boulevard Park, in Bellingham,Washington, right on the water. The setting is amazing and the views are the best around.

This post simultaneously published by Rob LeRoy at theRealEstateNovelist.com

Boulevard Park

Java in world class setting: Boulevard Park, Bellingham

Boulevard park has long been a great place to bring a picnic in the afternoon, or take your shoes off while taking a lunch break.  In 2008 the city allowed the small pottery studio to receive a new lease…that of Woods Coffee which has brought a new flavor to the park. 

Before the morning beverages arrived, the mornings at Boulevard were quiet and left to early morning exercisers.  And on the poor weather days left the park pretty much empty.  Now the park is greeted by early morning conversations over warm spiritous drink in all weather conditions.  Woods also offers free Wi-Fi to it’s customers which makes it a perfect place to get a little work done.

On this morning to the right we were greeted by several inches of snow at the park.  It was very pleasant to sit on the warm stone hearth of the fireplace and watch the park get covered in light, frosty crystals. 

This year another attraction will be completed at the Park.  It’s entitled “The Porch” and is designed for small productions of theater and musical attractions.  The workmanship is that of a true craftsman and is built for many generations to enjoy.

Allow me the pleasure of showing you around if you are new to the area, or if you are thinking of buying Real Estate in or around Bellingham.

Cheers,

Dale Kreiser

360-319-6365

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Boulevard Park

Fools Rush in: Taking the time to make the right Choices for Bellingham Waterfront Development

With 137 acres of waterfront to use as a palette for the Bellingham’s new oceanscape, you’d figure that the endless possibilities would excite and ingite the masses. But, just as the camel was the product of a committee, with both the City and the Port of Bellingham working collaboratively, the people on the street should get ready for more deliberation than the Scopes Trial, with a murkier verdict.

Which is brilliant. Venice developed over the course of a lot longer than the time we’re giving ourselves here, and it still floods. Boardwalks like Boulevard Park, that you remember for a lifetime might need almost as long to plan; ocean-side parks like Marine Park, that we pass down to our kids should start with architectural design that was passed through generations of architects.

Have you ever gone on a city tour in Europe where the architecture is more than 400 years old? Those buildings that draw a picture of the city they’re in span over governments toppling, changes in history. To know that the statues, structures, parks, and seascapes weren’t just the product of a few groups of people, but rather a few generations collaborating to elevate the history of Bellingham, sounds like a better destination than a quick cab ride to a marina and waterfront condos.

The existing structures on this acreage we’re to work with were built in a short amount of time, for the short term gain of a few. Maybe we could teach our kids that we learned our lesson, and we’re taking our time.

Boulevard Park

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.