This recent article from the Bellingham Herald shares how the local market, particularly Bellingham, is edging toward a neutral market. You can click the image below to read the entire article.

While Bellingham has been moving toward a neutral market, Gragg Miller points out in this article that some Whatcom County communities are doing the opposite. Some areas, including Lynden, the Mount Baker area, Ferndale and others are moving more toward a buyer’s market, thanks to a surge in housing inventory.

From this April 19 article:

“Some of these areas are having more difficulty absorbing this new inventory,” Miller said. “Places like Ferndale and Blaine are seeing greater increases in housing units sold, but it’s not enough to keep up with the number of homes coming on the market.”

Overall the demand ratio in Whatcom County was 6.9 to 1 for March. A ratio of 7 to 1 is considered a buyer’s market, while a ratio of 5 to 1 is considered a neutral market. Lynden and the Mount Baker areas had a demand ratio of 10 to 1 or higher, followed by Ferndale (9.1 to 1), Blaine/Birch Bay (8.1 to 1), Nooksack (7.5 to 1), Sudden Valley (6.2 to 1) and Bellingham (5.3 to 1).

Read more here.

The following article on the local condo market here in Bellingham and Whatcom County ran in the Bellingham Herald on Nov. 30, 2009.  To view the complete article, please click here.

I recently had the opportunity to talk with Business Editor Dave Gallagher at the Bellingham Herald about our local home buying season.

To view the complete article, please click here.

I recently had the chance to talk with Business Editor Dave Gallagher at the Bellingham Herald about the importance of pricing homes right the first time, and what tends to happen when sellers start off asking too much (the home ends up staying on the market for much longer; sellers see greater price reductions when the home finally does sell).

You can read Dave’s article here.

Moral of the story: make sure you price your home right the first time. If you don’t, it could cost you.