The Seattle District of the Small Business Administration puts out a PDF about doing business in Washington State.  There is some excellent info on doing business in Washington, start up business checklists and some excellent advice on creating a business plan on pages 10 and 11. Click on link below:http://www.sba.gov/idc/groups/public/documents/wa_seattle/2007seargmar.pdf 06/01/2007

Wow there is a ton of information available online....However finding pertinent and accurate infomation can be all so encompassing!  We recently found this online info from the Small Business Administration to be helpful.Small Business Administration, Business Planning and Management Tools: http://www.sba.gov/tools/resourcelibrary/publications/serv_pub_mplan.html 06/01/2007

Here is a graphical view of May's condo Sales for Bellingham as compared to last year. Looks like we had a sizeable decrease in average sales price this is very interesting as Residential sales prices continue to rise. 4 fewer condo sold this year in May of 2007 as compared to May of 2006 and they took close to the same time to sell. Looks like a 7% decrease in average Bellingham Condo sales prices so far this year as compared to last. So Looks like Berllingham Condos might be a good buy right now. 06/01/2007

Here is a graphical view of Mays residential Real Estate Sales for Bellingham as compared to last year.It seems like there was a slight increases in average price and median price, once again this month the number of units sold is down and days on the market is up. We still seem to be bucking the national trend here in the Northwest with prices creeping up instead of falling as a lot of the rest of the country. Values have increased almost 2.5% for 2007 as compared to 2006 so far this year. 06/01/2007

Thinking About Floors When preparing your home for sale in any market, sellers need to do something for their home that sets it apart from the other homes listed locally. One great way to catch the eye of buyers is with new floors. Floors are one of the major design aspects of a home and every other element of a room has to mesh with the floor of the room just looks plain wrong. For instance checkerboard flooring + polka dot wallpaper = big mistake. Flooring plays a huge role in how a room is presented and has the ability to be a real focal point for a room if chosen properly. The right floors make a room, badly chosen or installed flooring sticks out like a sore thumb. There is a huge and diverse selection of floors to choose from. Everything ranging from stone to wood and everything i... 06/01/2007

Landscaping For Better Curb Appeal One of the most visual elements of any home is the yard and gardens. They may seem to take a backseat to custom interiors and rooms but they play a huge role in a home's appeal. If you are selling your home now is a great time to improve the yard as the weather is fantastic. Keep in mind that the front of your home is ground zero for first impressions. If the home is not attractive at first glance, people may not look any further. Let's break the yard up into a few different areas; gardens, trees & shrubs and the home itself. Taking the time to bring each area up to snuff is a good investment in your home and can help to sell homes quicker and generate lots of buyer interest. Gardens - Gardens are one of the easier things you can focus on to improve th... 06/01/2007

Saving Energy In The Home At a time where there is a growing energy shortage and with the rising costs of the energy that is available home owners are seeking ways to keep their monthly energy bills down. Energy conservation is not nearly as expensive as some people might think. In fact, the process is fairly simple and takes little time and effort. It is simply a matter of knowing where to start. Lighting - This is one of the best ways to reduce your monthly energy bills. Compact fluorescent lights provide the same light as the older standard light bulbs while using significantly less power. Energy Star Appliances - Appliances that meet the "Energy Star" requirements utilize less power through intelligent design and production. Good examples of these appliances include the new style fr... 05/31/2007

bellingham waterfront redevelopmentFor years the Bellingham downtown was seen as an industrial area. With heavy industry dominating much of the waterfront there was little room for development. This, however is a situation that has changed. The revitalization of the Bellingham waterfront is underway! In 2005 the Port of Bellingham purchased a significant package of land along the waterfront with the purpose of converting it into a multi-faceted community incorporating light industry, commercial interests, homes, and parks. This development is progressing with an eye on the environment and the bright future of the Bellingham waterfront. This project has been christened as "New Whatcom," and involves the public of the surrounding area as well as partnerships at local, state and federal le... 05/31/2007

With miles of waterfront along the western end of Lake Whatcom, the Silver Beach Neighborhood has great recreational opportunities and beautiful views. There are lots of incredible lake-front homes along the shore as well as a wide variety in the styles and ages of well cared for and beautifully landscaped homes in the rest of the neighborhood.Bloedel Donavan Park, one of Bellingham most popular is here along the shores of Lake Whatcom. The park has boat access, swimming area, basketball and volley ball courts, playground, and the pavilion which is a multi-purpose building with gymnasium and meeting rooms, a smaller building for meetings and classes, and a pre-school. Big Rock Garden is also one of the neighborhood gems, with its sculpture gardens, in a forested setting with loads of Rh... 05/30/2007

It feels  like summer is here today. I'll bet that the lakefront at Bloedel Donavan Park will see lots of people, maybe not as many as the hot days of August when maybe the water will be a tad bit warmer. If you want to play in the water this is a great place, along with Lake Padden and a bit farther away Lake Samish.  Bloedel Donavan is a great spot for the family, with barbaque pits, some floating docks, basketball, soccer and volleyball courts, gett sweaty and then go for a dip in the western most end of Lake Whatccom,  and it is even dog friendly.  The pavillon is used by many organizations for their community events    05/30/2007

The Big day was Sunday in Bellingham,Ski to Sea the 85 mile relay race took place and the winner is a team called Clippercanoes.com they finished the race in 5 hour 43 minutes  08 seconds. All through overcast ski's wind, a bear sighting caution for the runners. For more info and race results check out The Bellingham HearaldAs for the party, It All Ends in Fairhaven, a good t ime was had by all, 3 stages with live music, food , fun, vendors with all sorts of wares. Here are a few photos of the festival. If you missed it this year, be there next year, it happens every memorial day weekend. 05/29/2007

One of the most daunting, and exciting at the same time, projects on the horizon in Bellingham is the waterfront redevelopment of the Georgia Pacific site, just past the downtown area, on Cornwall Avenue. G-P is vacating in the next few years and their departure will make available a large area of prime waterfront. As one would expect, there are a number of problems that remain: Cleanup costs and what to do with the land. Gloomy projections, by some, include having the port turn it into warehouse space. Optimistic parties want to see parks, clean industries that employ local people, a building for Huxley College, part of Western Washington University that emphasizes environmental studies. A marina that would accommodate pleasure and fishing boats is demanded by others. As the Port of Be... 05/28/2007

In 1989 the Alaska Marine Highway System, known to locals in Bellingham as the Alaska Ferry, made Bellingham the southern-most port for the ferry.  That was a surprise and a triumph to many Bellingham residents who remembered that the city had lost out on the ferry two decades previously. It went like this: In the mid-1960's Alaska was looking to expand the ferry system to Washington State -- the southern terminus. As those of us living in Washington State know, Alaska is inhabited by a great number of people who emigrated from our fair state at one time or another. Bellingham made a bid for the ferry in 1969 but was quashed by the much larger port city of Seattle. In 1980, when I took the Alaska Ferry from Seattle to Juneau, I had no clue that 9 years later the southern terminus of the... 05/27/2007

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 has jurisdiction over the land).Certain criteria must be met before a short plat can be approved1.  There needs to be an adequate source of water for each lot.2.  There must be legal/ safe vehicular access available to each lot.3.  Building sites must be outside of shoreline, streams and wetland buffers. 4.  Zoning:  Lot sizes must be legally permissable5.  Lot of Record Status.6.  Are there critical areas, geological hazards, flood zones?7.  A survey depicting the new lots, their accesses, etc. etc.8.  ... 05/26/2007

On Friday evening July 6 there will be a new free event in Bellingham.  It is called the Bay Street Co-Motion.  This is the evening of the downtown Gallery Walk. The Co-Motion, sponsored by the City of Bellingham and the Bellingham Arts Commission will consist of live music and dancing from 7PM till dusk to the sounds of San Francisco Celtic Rock band TEMPEST.  From dusk on the Pickford Dream Space Outdoor Cinema will present The Princess Bride.  The Gallery Walk, Music and Movie are all free to all ages. 05/26/2007

 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 not endorse any product or program we just appraise residential properties in Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish Counties. 05/24/2007

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 to the earth. http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/pds/planning/gis/index.jsp Skagit County has the same capabilities w/ IMap:http://www.skagitcounty.net/GIS/Applications/iMap/asp/iMap.asp 05/24/2007

                                           The Central Business District Neighborhood is Bellingham's downtown core neighborhood and central waterfront. It is the cultural, civic, financial and service center of the Whatcom County.It is is a collection of smaller "neighborhoods," each having its own distinct flavor. Old Town was was the old center of Bellingham, while the Commercial Core Area has a long-standing tradition of general retail. Railroad Avenue has its own unique identity as well, coming from the very wide street that is the remnants of a rail line earlier in the City's history. The Civic Center is on the northern edge of downtown and adjoins Whatcom Creek. City and County offices as well as a variety of other governmental services. The Post Office and Public Library are als... 05/22/2007

Cornwall Park neighborhood takes its name from the large 70 acre wooded park in its midst. There are many types of recreational opportunities in Cornwall Park. There are many large older homes in the neighborhood including one of Bellingham most famous and beautiful, the Roeder home. This old mansion is managed by the Parks Department and the site of crafts fairs, musical events, recitals and weddings, the house is built in 1903 by Henry Roeder who was a part of one of Bellingham's founding families. The neighborhood also contains a St. Joseph Hospital and many of the medical facilities surrounding it, including a cancer center and health education facility.Parkview Elementary School is another neighborhood asset, along with the Bay to Baker Trail and Greenway that will extend through t... 05/22/2007

I  love Fairhaven so I will be keeping you updated to events here as I can.Aftere Ski ti Sea and it all ends in Fairhaven, that would be June,  organized walks will begin and end in the Historic Fairhaven District. The walks areopen to all, they are meant to be a fun, and a social way to get in some great exercise while exploring the south side of our town. Prizes will be given away that encourage walkers to visit the local merchants throughout Fairhaven, at the end of each walk,  Bellingham Tennis Club & Fairhaven Fitness will provide leaders for each walk.  Themes for the walks: Wednesday "Poker" Walks 5:30pmWalkers will receive a playing card at 5 points throughout the walk.  At the end of the walk, the walker with the best hand will win the prize.Thursday "Spin the Wheel" Walks 11:0... 05/22/2007