The Northwest Washington Fair is coming to Lynden soon, and Whatcom County locals know it’s not something you should miss!

From the Lynden Rodeo to a Demolition Derby, from open-air concerts to all the rides your stomach can handle — there is something for everyone this year at the Northwest Washington Fair.

Oh . . . and did we mention the food?

Here is a short list of events so you can plan your perfect family evening at The Fair:

Demolition Derby — Monday, Aug. 16, 1 p.m. & 7 p.m.

Weird Al Yancovik in concert — Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 8 p.m.

Kenny Rogers — Wednesday, Aug. 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Casting Crowns – Thursday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Rick Springfield – Friday, Aug. 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Metal Mulisha Motocross – Saturday, August 21, 6 p.m.

For more information, including ticket info, please visit www.nwwafair.com. Please visit my informative site at www.realestatepacificnorthwest.com to learn more about what makes Lynden a great Pacific Northwest community in which to live, work and play.

Once again, Allied Arts of Whatcom County is putting on a fantastic show in Downtown Bellingham this year!

For two days this coming weekend, the 1200, 1300 and 1400 blocks of Cornwall Avenue will be alive with color, as over 60 of The Pacific Northwest’s finest artists display their paintings, pottery, fiber art and more! Local Whatcom County bands will perform music on the Main Stage, and the ArtBar will feature local wines and brews for your tasting pleasure.

Also taking place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. is the 18th Annual Chalk ArtFest, an event open to families, children, adults & community groups. There will be prizes awarded and professional photography of the chalk creations. This community event attracts thousands of visitors to Downtown Bellingham to see people of all ages and backgrounds celebrating creativity through the simple act of drawing with chalk on a sidewalk. Wagon rides will allow visitors to tour the chalk creations. Don’t miss this fun community event — if you’d like to participate, adults can buy a square for $25, and children’s squares are $12. For more information call 360-676-8548 ext 5 or email katy@alliedarts.org.

The vibrant arts community in Bellingham and Whatcom County is just one of the reasons that living in Bellingham is a wonderful experience. To find a work of art that you can come home to each day, please take a look at our FREE Pacific Northwest MLS Search!

Start Planning Early

We all know that if we want the live in the home of your dreams at retirement, it’s essential to start retirement planning early.  But in many cases retirement goals and plans have changed since earlier generations, and so it’s important to think through what kind of retirement you’re actually planning for.

Former Retirement Trends

It used to be that, as soon as the kids were gone and the nest was empty, our parents traded in the larger family home for a smaller, cheaper condo in a warm-weather location like Florida or Arizona.  They would then use the difference to see them through their retirement years.  Some baby-boomers are clearly following that trend, but many are not.

Other Retirement Choices and What They Mean for You

There has been a marked increase in boomers who are planning to buy a nicer home, invest in a second home, or renovate their current home with some luxury comforts.

What does this mean?  Well, for starters, it may mean that you’ll need to plan for home expenses to take up a bigger chunk of your retirement income each month.  This requires greater savings than our parents often required.  It requires more intentional planning. And the earlier you start your retirement planning, the greater your choices for how you’d like to live when you retire.

One smart way to plan is to first consider the daily retirement lifestyle you’d like to have before deciding on what kind of home you’d like. A pros and cons list of your current living situation can also help clarify your goals. It’s important here to make sure you’re not just considering financial considerations, but personal lifestyle goals as well, since a healthy balance between both can ensure a happy, peaceful retirement.

Here is just a brief list of questions you (and your spouse or partner) should consider when it comes to lifestyle choices at retirement:

• What kind of climate would you prefer to retire in?
• What kind of environment would you like — the city, the suburbs, the country, a retirement community?
• How important is your proximity to children, grandchildren, friends, and other loved ones?
• Is it important to have room for overnight guests or long-term stays (i.e. aging parents)?
• What kind of amenities do you want to have close-by?
• How close do you need to live to medical facilities and community facilities, such as the library?
• Do you need access to buses, airports, etc?
• What kind of recreational activities would you like to have close-by?

For your finances, it’s important to consider:

• Mortgage or rent payments, and how much you’re willing to pay in retirement
• How much equity you have in your current home
• Potential association, condominium, or other community related fees
• Keeping up your intended property, from housekeeping to mowing the lawn to shoveling snow to replacing the roof
• Utilities
• Home improvements to accommodate your future physical needs and limitations
• Property taxes

If you’re currently looking to retire in the Pacific Northwest, Susan Stecher and her team of real estate professionals are ready and waiting to answer any questions you have, as well as provide helpful tools for planning the Pacific Northwest retirement of your dreams. Call (360) 319-4939 or toll-free (888) 319-4939 to talk to Susan today!

For a day of fun you won’t soon forget, bring the family out to Hovander Homestead Park in Ferndale, WA!

This 350-acre park, well loved by Whatcom County residents, preserves the rich history of pioneer farming in The Pacific Northwest. It’s filled with recreational activities for children, adults and seniors alike.

On your visit, you can tour the historic farmhouse and big red barn. Children will love visiting and even feeding the animals in the farmyard — cows, chickens, rabbits, pigs, goats and horses. Gardening aficionados will enjoy perusing the Master Gardeners Demonstration Garden or the award-winning Fragrance Garden.

View a video about Hovander Park and all that it offers Ferndale residents here:

Good home staging is one of the most important things you can do to help sell your Pacific Northwest home — in many ways it helps the home sell itself, without a word needing to be said.  It allows potential homebuyers to picture themselves living in your home, which is often that first step to buyers really falling in love with a property.

Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to properly stage a home for sale.  The following home staging blunders are common . . . are you unknowingly driving good buyers away because your home isn’t looking its best?

Here are seven common Home Staging Blunders:

1. Your home isn’t spotless/deep-cleaned (especially rugs, floors, kitchen & bathrooms).

A spotless home communicates that the house has been well taken-care-of. A dirty home communicates the opposite and can often cause a potential buyer to walk right back out the door. All sinks, counters, and cabinets should be in absolutely pristine condition. Rugs and carpets should be either steam-cleaned or replaced.

2. Your home is cluttered.

Clutter is like kryptonite when it comes to selling your home. A disorganized home full of junk makes it hard for buyers to picture themselves living in your home. They will be so distracted by all the “stuff” lying around, they’ll miss the home’s best features. In addition, clutter makes your home appear much smaller than it is. Not good!

3. Your home is full of personal knick-knacks and photos.

This is a very common mistake. People think they should make the home appear lived-in and cozy, but personal memorabilia often has a negative impact on buyers visiting the home, because they get so distracted by your life in the home that they can’t imagine their own life in the home. You don’t want the home to appear lived-in — you want it to look “ready to move in.”

4. You haven’t re-painted using neutral colors.

People’s tastes vary when it comes to color and style, so your best bet is to go with neutral shades (on both the interior and exterior) when preparing to sell. You may love a pink kitchen, for example, but it may be so distracting and unattractive to a potential buyer that they can’t picture anything else. Same goes for that wallpaper pattern you loved. Neutral is the way to go!

5. Your windows are dirty.

Dirty windows are very distracting to people who are visiting your home! Just like with carpets, it’s best to pay professionals to take care of this for you. You’ll be amazed at what a difference it makes — both in the look of your home, and in potential buyers’ reactions.

6. Your pets — and their belongings — are in sight.

Make sure your pets aren’t around when buyers stop by the house. In addition, hide their crates, their food, their toys, everything. And whatever you do, don’t have a litter box out. In general, the presence of your beloved pet is a turn-off for potential buyers. Even if they happen to be animal lovers, you’re still distracting them from objective #1 — falling in love with your home.

7. Your landscaping isn’t neat and well-maintained.

Just think — before they ever see the inside of your home, buyers see your yard. Does it make the first impression you want? Pretty flowerbeds and a healthy, trimmed lawn do more than you might think. If you don’t have time to do this yourself, enlist the help of a professional landscaper or gardener. It will pay off when buyers instantly warm to your home before they’ve even set foot in the door!

I am an Accredited Home-Staging Specialist, and I can suggest the best (and most affordable) ways to get your home ready to sell. If you’re looking to sell a Pacific Northwest home in Whatcom, Skagit, Island or San Juan County, get an expert Realtor on your side! Call (360) 319-4939 or toll-free (888) 319-4939 today!

Photo Credit: REAL ESTAGING

One of the amazing perks of living in Bellingham, WA, is the opportunity to take advantage of all the great live music throughout the summer season! The recreational activities throughout Whatcom County are endless.

From Celtic music to Salsa, Classic Rock to Jazz, music enthusiasts of every kind will find live local concerts to enjoy throughout the summer. Every concert is free and fun for the whole family!

Here’s a list of park venues and times:

At Elizabeth Park in the Columbia Neighborhood:

Thursdays June 24-August 26, 6-8 p.m.

At Boulevard Park in the South Hill Neighborhood:

Saturdays June 19-August 14, 7-9 p.m.

At Big Rock Garden Park in the Alabama Hill Neighborhood:

Selected Sundays June 20-August 15, 3:30-5 p.m.

Children’s Concert Series at the Bellingham Library Lawn in Downtown Bellingham:

Fridays July 16-August 13, noon-1 p.m.

To get more specific details on each concert date, please visit the City of Bellingham.

Important news for Pacific Northwest homebuyers currently in the closing process — it looks like you may have an additional three months to finish closing the deal and still be eligible to claim the federal homebuyer tax credit.

As you’ll remember from past posts, the original deadlines were as follows: you had to be under contract to buy by April 30th, and you had to finish closing by June 30th. An amendment to HR 4213, the “American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes of 2010,” extends the closing deadline to September 30th to allow lenders to clear a large backlog of thousands of homebuyers nationwide.

The National Association of Realtors supports the amendment to the bill, as they have had widespread reports that one-third of qualified applicants have been told their loans won’t close before June 30th because there are so many loans in the pipeline. This gives homebuyers an added opportunity to take advantage of the valuable tax credits.

The amendment was approved, but a Senate vote still remains on the amended bill itself. So far it looks likely to pass. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more!

If you’re looking to buy a Pacific Northwest home, my team and I can walk you through each step of the process. In times like these, it’s vital to have knowledgeable experts on your side! Call the Susan Stecher team of Real Estate professionals today at (360) 319-4939 or toll-free at (888) 319-4939!

Photo Credit: BAR Photography

We found this beautiful video and song about Bellingham, Washington, complete with many gorgeous photos of Bellingham’s gorgeous Pacific Northwest scenery.  Couldn’t wait to share it with you!

Click here to enjoy this fantastic slice of life in Bellingham!

Award-winning Bellingham, Washington has long been recognized as a great place to live — from Outdoor Magazine’s “Top 10 Dream Towns” to CNN/Money.com’s “27th Best Place to Live,” many have recognized what people who live in Bellingham have known for a long time: this community is definitely something special.

What you may not know is that retiring in Bellingham is also becoming nationally known! AARP Magazine has listed Bellingham in it’s Best-Of retirement rankings several times, with Bellingham coming in 2nd on its list of “10 Best Dream Towns” for boomers looking to retire. Bellingham also came in on the list of “15 Best Places to Reinvent Your Life.”

And for you golfers out there — Bellingham also came in 7th in the US for golf, according to Golf Digest.

Why all the recognition? For starters, Whatcom County is home to diverse natural beauty, from Bellingham Bay, to rolling dairy farmland, to Mount Baker  . . . and all those evergreen trees in between. This close proximity to nature means that Northwest active adults and seniors can get out and enjoy the great outdoors with ease.

But Bellingham also offers the convenience of a medium-size city. You’re never far from modern conveniences, and if you really desire big-city fun, you’re located halfway between Vancouver BC and Seattle. From live music to museums to visual arts and the theater, Bellingham also offers a wide array of cultural delights!

To find your own dream retirement home in Whatcom County, or to get more information on retiring in Bellingham, give me a call at (360) 319-4939 or toll-free at (888) 319-4939!

Good news for Whatcom County real estate — property sales were up all across the county. Though some of the boost was due to homeowners trying to get in on the federal tax credit for homebuyers (which expired at the end of April), categories other than used single-family homes were up, too.

Here’s a quick glance of the numbers according to The Bellingham Herald:

Bellingham Property Sales

—158 property sales in April (10.5% increase from March and a 19.7% increase from April 2009). These include residential, commercial, industrial and undeveloped land.

—473 property sales January-April 2010, a 9.2% increase over the same period last year.

—New home sales are way down in 2010. Only 2 new homes were sold in Bellingham in April, and there have been only 16 new home sales this year.

Ferndale, Lynden & Blaine Property Sales

—Combined, these communities sold 154 properties, a slight increase from March, but up 51% compared to April of last year.

—New home sales have fared slightly better here, where 38 new homes have sold in the first 4 months of 2010 (39 new homes were sold in the same period in 2009).

My team and I are keeping a close eye on these numbers, and continuing to assist families with finding the best values in local Pacific Northwest properties. To get more information, take a look at our free MLS Search or call my office at (360) 319-4939 or toll-free at (888) 319-4939.