Category Archives: Market Info

NW Way of Lifer Alex Z. wrote in to suggest a blog about the historical low, low, low interest rates. Thanks for the tip, Alex. Here we go, then…. Mortgage rates last week hit the lowest level we’ve seen since the … Continue reading →

When Heather and I first moved to Bellingham in August of 2003, you could still find the occasional sweet deal of a house in Bellingham for under $100K. By 2004, as the bubble-to-be started ramping up, those below a C-note … Continue reading →

Everything’s for sale. Every home you pass on your way to work can be bought, for a price, whether it’s listed or not. But that doesn’t mean every seller will actually work with you to achieve a sale… even when … Continue reading →

How do REOs affect the overall real estate market? Well, more and more, in my experience, they can steal the thunder from non-distressed, “regular” listings by either coming on the market markedly below market value, or if they’re not selling … Continue reading →

A couple weeks ago I was in San Francisco visiting family, and I picked up a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle. Inside was an interesting insert called, simply, “Real Estate”. On the 3rd page was a column that explores … Continue reading →

Every month, First American Title in Bellingham sends us the statistics below, showing all sales activity in Bellingham and the County areas. It compares December and year-to-date totals from ’08 and ’09. December of ’08 was grim, with the global markets … Continue reading →

Last summer, a buyer client of mine chose for his first house a beautiful 2-story home in the Whatcom Falls neighborhood. The price was right on, it had been cleaned up and upgraded, and the buyer was pre-approved, ready to go, … Continue reading →

This graph shows one of the primary metrics of Bellingham’s real estate market: the number of months of inventory. It dates back to October 2008, and it doesn’t take a Harvard educated economist to tell it’s been on a steady … Continue reading →

I wrote last week about the difference between REO and Short Sales. I guess focusing attention on that category of homes had a “law of attraction” effect, because the last 3 offers I’ve written for buyers have been on Bellingham REO properties.   … Continue reading →