The title of this blog post might have you ready to box my ears. You might think that I am going to tell you to quit expressing your honest opinion or, perhaps, that I think you should button your lip. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Actually, the title is more basic than all that. We are talking crawl spaces here. Over and over, and then over again, I see crawl spaces that invite entry based on the open covers. Now, they may not be inviting to you, but they are inviting to some creatures.   The open crawl space above is a good example of what I am talking about. In this case, the cover may have come loose. Sometimes, taking the cover off is a way people try to vent a crawl space. If they are going to try that, it at least needs to be screened. Crawl space venting, do's and don... 05/14/2009

Well, despite the chilly weather we have been having in Bellingham and Whatcom County, the state flower is in bloom. Those rhododendrons do not bloom for long at a time, but when they bloom they are splendid. I decided that, perhaps for the first time ever, I would take this opportunity to make my home maintenance point with a pretty flowering bush instead of some half dead old snag of a shrub. The message is the same, we just have a colorful photo.   The message is this: If there is vegetation growing against your home, that includes the siding and the roof, then you should prune it back. When vegetation grows against the home, it results in a few problems. For one, the siding will not dry after it has rained. For a second problem, pests such as carpenter ants like to use easy paths as... 05/14/2009

Townhouse is probably one of the more misused terms in real estate and the world of rental housing. At least in my area, Bellingham and Whatcom County, people often refer to duplexes and other multi-family dwellings as townhouses. Does the term townhouse sound better, less frumpy, than the term duplex? Maybe. Warning. The photo below is NOT a townhouse. That is a duplex. How do I know that for sure, you may ask. People know about building codes, so let's talk codes. I have, lucky me, been studying the IRC lately. The IRC is the International Residential Code. Codes are great, and helpful, in that all the fancy engineering has been worked out for you. The codes are a "recipe" for building. Follow the guidelines, the minimum standards, and it is cheaper to build than to hire an engineer t... 05/13/2009

Asking lenders in Bellingham, WA Whatcom County this question.  The usual response is that the lender just wants to cut there loses and move on.  Clear off the books is a term frequently used today. Again, talking to local lenders in Bellingham, WA, most distressed mortgage situations, foreclosure is a last resort for all parties involved. The homeowner and the lender usually want to avoid foreclosure at all costs. That is why a short sale is advantageous to foreclosure and lenders are typically very motivated to pursue a short sale prior to foreclosure.  Keep in mind, I did say typically!  And more importantly, these usually are for only 'original purchase contracts'.  Refinancing, taking out a second, etc...probably will hurt or prohibit you from doing a short sale.Doing a short sale ... 05/13/2009

Great news for first-time home buyers. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary Shaun Donovan said that the Federal Housing Administration is going to permit its lenders to allow homeowners to use the $8,000 tax credit as a down payment.Mr. Donovan was speaking at the Mid-year conference of NAR in Washington when he said "We all want to enable FHA consumers to access the home buyer tax credit funds when they close on their home loans so that the cash can be used as a downpayment," he According to Donovan, the FHA's approved lenders will be permitted to use the tax credit through short-term bridge loans which will allow eligible home buyers to access the funds immediately at the closing table. This will basically gives first-time homebuyers $8000 towards a down payment ... 05/13/2009

I was inspired to write this post, because I see this condition frequently while working in Bellingham and Whatcom County. When inspecting a home, certainly an older home, it is not unusual to find a gap between a porch and steps. This home, photo below, is more than 100 years old and, while I do not know what year the porch and steps were put in, a couple things have taken place. The porch has tilted back and the steps have sunk into the ground at the front. They moved away from one another. That has led to that gap between the two surfaces and, also, the steps have a pretty extreme slope to the front. While this is very common with concrete, an inspector will also see wood steps, on some sort of piers, settle from time to time. Sometimes, a homeowner will put thick shims, even 2x4, at... 05/12/2009

When dealing with land use in Bellingham, WA Whatcom County, here are 20 helpful hints for dealing with this issue. A portion of this list was drafted by Jay Irwin of Irwin Land Use Consulting, LLC 1) The question, "what can I do with my land in Bellingham, Wa" is harder than it sounds.  Don't expect a quick or cheap answer (one that is accurate anyway) 2) Find out how the property is zoned!  Make sure you are looking at a currently zoning map.  Most jurisdictions have these on line. 3) Never assume that zoning (or any other land use regulation for that matter) will stay the same.  Don't assume that since the neighbor did it, it is okay! 4) Zoning is a general allowance of prescribed uses and allowable densities in Bellingham, WA.  There are many other development standards like access,... 05/12/2009

With the past bank fall out, finding a 0% down program has been almost impossbile.  But there is still a bank in Bellingham that will lend on condos with no money down.   Of course, there are some restrictions. But pretty easy to swallow.  The area in Bellingham has to be considered moderate to middle, the buyer has to have a credit score of 620 or better, but the really great news is that the buyer isn't charged for Private Mortgage Insurance.  Fabulous opportunity for those who still have good credit and want to move into an affordable home.  Especially if the seller is willing to pay the buyers closing costs.  This creates a total 0% down program for the buyer.  The Maple Glen Condominiums fall into this category.  Go to www.mapleglencondos.com to view the floor plans, specifications... 05/11/2009

There were a few months where the market stood still.  But it is on the move again.  Bellingham has been a very fortunate area in that we haven't seen the real estate lull like other parts of the country. Yes, it is a buyers market and there have been more than average repos and short sales on the market.  But it has linked to making the market more affordable. Sales are up the past few months and are predicted to continue.  Buyers looking to move or invest in the Bellingham Wa area need to purchase while they are able to obtain all time record low mortgage programs, low home prices and cash in on the $8,000.00 first time home buyer program currently available.  This won't be lasting much longer.  Click here for more information on Bellingham homes. 05/11/2009

I am not availalbe 24/7 and this is why!  www.Your2Agents.com we are a blended family.  We have 3 terrific young boys, aged 13 to 10.  All are very active with either their studies, basketball, golf,football, soccer or baseball. And we try to take a vacation every year too.  Last year we went to Ventura County for 2 weeks, the year before we went to Silverwood in Idaho, Disneyland the year before that.  We must be able to live our life.  These 3 precious young men will be out of the house before we know it.  Usually clients respect this.  Not always, so then it is decision time if you want to work this client or not.  And more often than not, I will pass on this 'client'.  If they won't respect my family time, then I will choose not to work with them. Our goal in life is to be better p... 05/11/2009

Bellingham Sales for the week of March24-30, 2009 were 48.  Not surprisingly, this number represents almost half less that the previous week of 80.  Still, people are out looking for homes and the truth be told, there are some really good values in Bellingham, WA right now.  The average home price in Whatcom County is about $260,000.  In Bellingham, you would have over 85 homes to choose from.  In Sudden Valley, 36 and Ferndale 71.  The total number of homes, as defined as single family, available for sale in Whatcom County is a whopping 486. Three years ago in Bellingham you would've probably of had 1/3 of those choices.  I am anxious to see if this trend of homes sales continues in Bellingham, WA. 05/11/2009

I am amazed by the contacts that I receive through Active Rain and my music blogs. And, I do not mean just contacts from other Active Rain members. It is astounding to me the contacts I receive from the general public. Bellingham is located just below the larger city of Vancouver, British Columbia. Because of that, many of us who live in Bellingham have close connections to Canada that are unique when compared to most U.S. cities. This story ties in to that close connection to Canada. I expect a number of visitors to my home inspection information, thanks to the search engines. After all, that is a primary benefit of working in the rain -- raising one's public profile. But what about all those other people? Wow! Some of the most interesting contacts come not from my home inspection pos... 05/10/2009

    Yesterday I had a busy day lined up.. My daughter and I were up in the early morning to help with a race called Haggen 2 Haggen.  She was photographing the event and I was in charge of getting her from point to point.  Of course while I am waiting I am visiting with all the walkers and runners for the event, great conversations and a beautiful day in Bellingham Wa.  The turnout is fantastic and I just can't resist taking a few shots of the runners getting ready and posting on Twitter which feeds into my Facebook and there is up to the minute posting of the race. I notice on my twitterific that someone in the race is posting photos of the race as well. This is just a snippet of what transpires each day whether it be a race, prom, business function, sports match you name it. It is jus... 05/10/2009

As a Bellingham home inspector I see wood to soil contact on almost every home inspection. If I do not call that out as an issue, it is rare. People take wood to soil contact for granted -- but they should not. You might have a whole exterior wall with wood siding that looks good. But down in a corner of it, yep, the soil is in contact with the wood. If this is caught early enough, chances are the soil can be pulled back. But if it is caught too late, often the case, there is rot. To be safe, soil should be 6" to 8" below wood siding and the grade should be sloped away from the house so runoff water drains away from the home, not toward it. Steven L. Smith Bellingham WA Home Inspections 05/09/2009

"It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness." Okay, we have all heard that expression. Generally, it seems like good advice. However, I was on an inspection one day and I realized that this is not always sage advice. The circumstances described here took place in Bellingham but it could have been anywhere. I suppose, with the number of dark days we have, the situation is more likely to occur here than in some other brighter places. I was inside a residence, nobody else at home, and I noticed flickering. Then I saw a candle over on a cabinet -- a candle with a flame.   The idea of an unattended candle is dangerous. It became a worse idea when I went into another part of the house. I discovered that I might have been the only human on premises, but I was not the onl... 05/09/2009

When talking to possible home sellers in Bellingham, WA, I go over a list.  Included are: 1) Changing outdated cabinets knobs on cabinet & drawers.  2) If there is any patch work to be done in your sheetrock, this is a very simple fix.  3) Paint those "fun" colors!  You can do this in a weekend, DO IT!  We recently had some sellers in Bellingham, WA and they probably cost themselves $5,000 by not painting their living room, which was a brite purple.  4) Open a stuck window.  If you have single pane windows, like a lot of older houses in Bellingham, WA do, then grab a pizza cutter and get them open.  5) Paint or clean your front door.  Also, since it rains so much here in Bellingham, WA then pressure wash the exterior, cut the grass and put some planters on the front porch.  There a 5 qu... 05/08/2009

When should I begin the Short Sale process?  Immediately!  Foreclosure and short sale situations tend to be extremely time sensitive and time consuming for negotiations. Our short sale transactions in Bellingham, WA have taken up to 4 fours months to get lender approval.  So the sooner we can begin the negotiations with your lender, the greater the chances of a successful resolution. There is no need to wait until the lender sends you a notice of default or initiates formal foreclosure proceedings against you. Time is of the essence! Lets talk, we will send you our short sale presentation and get the the packet, including some sample hardship letters. Please contact us today 360-319-4894. 05/08/2009

Although all short sale situations are different in Bellingham, WA Whatcom County and have their own time-line, typically a short sale is completed within one to four months from the time we have a complete short sale package including your hardship letter, ready to present to the lender. The timing depends on how fast we can begin negotiating with your lender. So we need to get started immediately.  This involves getting your home on the market. If you are imminently facing foreclosure or even if an auction date has already been set, the process can certainly be expedited and we may even have the lender postpone the auction date. Please contact us today at 360-319-4894.  We are in Bellingham, WA Whatcom County. We will email you our short sale presentation and then follow up to see how... 05/08/2009

Backyard Habitat and Native Flora Fair on the Fairhaven Village Green - Saturday, May 9, 10am-4pm  Want to attract some birds to your yard? Enjoy a day in Fairhaven and learn about native habitat for your homes. Native plants can provides food and shelter for local songbirds and other wildlife, reduces the need for water and chemical pest control, and increases the biodiversity of our town. The Fairhaven Village Green will be the site of this annual free event which will features guided walks and garden tours, a presentations on native plants and backyard habitat gardening, a native plant sale, backyard tours (11am-3pm), information booths, and a chance to build a nesting box with folks from the North Cascades Audubon Society.This event is sponsored by the Bellingham Parks and Recreatio... 05/08/2009

Bellingham, WA currently has turned into a buyer's market. It's the analogy of Supply and demand. There are alot more homes on the market now than a few years ago. Buyer's have more time to make an educated decision when buying a home without jumping to conclusions and going off their emotions. If you are a first time home buyer or havn't owned Real Estate in the last three years you qaulify for a $8,000 dollar Tax Refund being offered by the Federal Government. You need to close on the property between January 1st 2009 through November 30, 2009. You can get paid to buy a home. This is a no brainer. (Win Win Deal) Interest rates are still at an all time low. The last time they were this good was in 1973. History usually repeats itself.  It's just a matter of time before we have another ... 05/08/2009