Land Division: What is a Short Plat? - 05/26/07 05:52 PM
Sometimes dividing a property in Whatcom County WA can be tricky.A Short Plat is a division of land into 4 or fewer lots and by state law anyone wanting to divide a property for purpose of tranfer, sale or lease must obtain approval from Whatcom county or the City of Bellingham (whoever … (0 comments)
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Reverse Mortgages: They Are Becoming Popular-- Read Up On The Facts.... - 05/24/07 06:06 PM
There are some excellent resources out there to become familiar with the reverse mortgage process.
The Federal Trade Commission puts out this publication:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/homes/rms.shtm
AARP puts out this online publication:
http://www.aarp.org/money/revmort/
HUD's publication online:
http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hecm/rmtopten.cfm
For Reverse Mortgage Appraisals in Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish Counties call:
Bennett Appraisal (FHA Qualified) 360-746-0224 www.bennett4appraisals.com
*Disclosure* Bennett Appraisals does … (0 comments)
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Whatcom County Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - 05/24/07 05:52 PM
Wondering what the zoning, etc. etc. is on a specific property? Whatcom County has excellent GIS capabilitites online
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a system of hardware, software, and procedures set up to support the capture, management, manipulation, analysis, modeling and display of spatially-referenced data for solving complex planning and management problems that involve data which is spatially referenced … (0 comments)
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Computer Says What? The Limitations of Automated Valuation Models - 05/21/07 03:08 PM
Lenders and brokers using Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) and homeowners using "free online home values" to determine the value of a property need to know some of the major limitations of those models AVMs have three principal limitations: First, they are dependent upon the accuracy, comprehensiveness, and timeliness of the data they use. Data … (1 comments)
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Real Property's Life Cycle; Growth, Equilibrium, Decline and Revitalization. - 05/16/07 04:09 PM
In terms of the effects of change on real property, ordinary physical deterioration and market demand have indicated 4 stages through which an improved property will pass:Growth- When improvements are made and property demand expandsEqulibrium or Stability- When the property undergoes little changeDecline- When the property requires an increasing amount of upkeep to … (0 comments)
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Ferndale's "Centennial Riverwalk" - 05/16/07 03:36 PM
According to the latest E- Newsletter put out by the City of Ferndale (Spring 2007):The "Riverview Plaza and Trail Plan", has been re-titled the "Centennial Riverwalk" and has moved from the planning stage to the building stage with the securing of funding to carry out the project. The project is anticipated to … (0 comments)
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Excellent Resource: Online/ Interactive Home Loan Education For The Public - 05/16/07 03:10 PM
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) announced the launch of its updated Home Loan Learning Center (http://www.homeloanlearningcenter.com/), an interactive online resource that provides consumers with critical information on mortgages and the home-buying process. MBA created the Home Loan Learning Center to inform consumers about options that best fit their life circumstances when … (2 comments)
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Blaine Washington: There Could Be Some Substantial Growth in the Future. - 05/16/07 02:56 PM
According to a published article in the Bellingham Herald there could be some substantial growth in Blaine: Developers, Ken Hertz and Ken Schorr submitted application materials/plans for a new housing project called Grandis Pond in Blaine WA with more than 1,000 homes, 48,000 square feet of commercial space and 11 miles … (0 comments)
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Port of Bellingham: Fairhaven's Comprehensive Waterfront Improvement Plan - 05/14/07 03:48 PM
On January 31st 2007 the Community Alternatives Meeting hosted by the Waterfront Advisory Group (WAG) held a meeting to solicit public comments on the Alternatives formulated for the Port's Fairhaven Comprehensive Improvement Plan Update. Click here to view a brief presentation and the Waterfront Industrial Lands Analysis Final Report. For upcoming events, check CalendarFor PDF presentation … (0 comments)
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New Development Possible for the Meridian Neighborhood. - 05/14/07 03:33 PM
According to a front page article published by the Bellingham Business Journal: A group of developers are planning to build a 60 unit, townhouse style live and work type developement on the almost 5.0 acre parcel of land located at 195 Bellis Fair Parkway. If this project is completed it will … (0 comments)
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Mount Vernon's (WA) 20 Year Plan for Re-development and Flood Protection - 05/14/07 02:54 PM
Last year the city of Mount Vernon started a comprehensive redevelopment plan for its historic downtown area. The goal of that planning effort is to guide the business investment of public and private resources in the downtown area over a period of the next 20 years.
A key issue of this plan is to provide the … (0 comments)
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The Homeownership Summit Held in Washington DC Today. - 05/14/07 02:37 PM
In Washington DC today - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today hosted a Homeownership Summit with leading stakeholders in the housing community to discuss the impact of risky, high-priced loans, and actions against predatory lending and how modernizing the Federal Housing Administration During the summit, seven areas of agreement were determined for protecting … (1 comments)
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Another Coastal City's Plans For Renovation: Big Plans For Everett WA Waterfront - 05/14/07 02:15 PM
Wow, Bellingham is not the only city working to improve its waterfront; there are big changes in store for Everett's waterfront: From a new waterfront neighborhood to a new transportation hub slated for Mukilteo. According to the Port of Everett; it plans on spending approximately $200 million to redevelop the Everett waterfront.
Click on the … (0 comments)
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Whatcom County Property Tax Appeals.... July 1st Deadline - 05/14/07 02:00 PM
Most localities determine your property tax burden based on an ad valorem assessment of the property's value. Sometimes, as a property owner, you get an unwanted surprise in the mail telling you your taxes are going up, and sometimes it may seem as though your assessment is too high.
Often, matters like … (0 comments)
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What are (EEMs) Energy Efficient Mortgages? - 05/09/07 12:27 PM
In a time of escalating fuel and energy costs and an increase in energy efficient building practices, materials and appliances-- we wonder if this type of loan program may gain popularity? Here is some infomation we gathered on this interesting and rarely mentioned program:
What is an EEM?
When you are buying, selling, refinancing, or remodeling … (0 comments)
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Bellingham Neighborhoods; Keeping Up With All of The Changes - 05/07/07 05:46 PM
We are so fortunate to live in such a wonderful and beautiful place. Bellingham is constantly changing and as a Real Estate Professional it is imperative to keep up on all of the changes.
One of the best places to start is the City Of Bellingham's website. There is a ton of information … (0 comments)
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Good News For FHA, Reform Bill Passes in House Financial Services Committee - 05/07/07 01:10 PM
FHA Reform Bill Passes in House Financial Services Committee
On May 3, 2007, the U.S. House Financial Services Committee ("HFSC") approved H.R. 1852, the Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007. The bill was introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and co-sponsored by HFSC Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA). Next, the bill will move … (0 comments)
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It Isn't Easy Being Green?..... It Is Becoming Easier For Builders To Go Green. - 05/06/07 06:55 PM
Based on a survey of National Association of Home Builders conducted last year by between 40% and 50% of the homes built in 2010 are expected to be green, containing at least three of five green building elements. That represents a major upsurge of activity in the green market.
Last year, according to McGraw-Hill estimates, … (1 comments)
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What to Expect during A Real Estate Appraisal Inspection ....Relax! - 05/04/07 02:53 PM
For homeowners, a real estate appraisal is the linchpin to buying or selling their home. It allows the property transactions to occur among the buyer, seller, real estate agent and mortgage lender.
Before an Appraiser arrives, there are a few things you should know. By law, an appraiser must be state licensed … (0 comments)
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Vacation Home Sales on the Increase. - 05/04/07 02:36 PM
Wow the housing market is defineltly fluctuating within it's different sectors! The National Association of Realtors (NAR) just released its annual report on the sales of what we will call "additional homes," that is vacation residences and residential investment properties.According to NAR's Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, the sale of vacation … (0 comments)
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