Editor’s Note: Are you a landlord with tenants who are handy do-it-yourselfers and could upgrade your property? Or, are you renting (and hoping to buy your first home with RE/MAX)? Read about these fun ideas, to make a rental homey and bright, in this coming springtime season!

By guest writer, Maria Cannon, maria@hobbyjr.org

Decorating your rental property is a great way to add value to your living space, create a more luxurious feel, and make it easier to relax. Your landlord may be willing to work with you to allow some changes. Here are nine simple things you can do to freshen up your rented space to make you feel more at home.

Use soothing neutrals, pops of color, and plants to make your rental homey.

1. Pay Attention to Color

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by Tara Gilligan Reimer

In the middle of an unusually bountiful Pacific Northwest winter, Nina Denson is looking out her kitchen window, not at the layers of snow covering her five-acre country expanse in Custer, but at a flowering tree in brilliant bloom, in January.

“My witch hazel doesn’t have the lemon-yellow flowers or the fiery-red ones,” she explains of the tree’s explosion of delicate fireworks in the made-for seasonal backdrop of our Big Cold Dark. “Mine throws off apricot bursts.” The hue’s unexpected warmth, unfurled in confidence, captures Nina (pronounced “nine-uh”) and her proficiency in real estate with RE/MAX Whatcom County.

 

Nina Denson

She recently won the global RE/MAX Hall of Fame award, because of her ability to…

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by Tara Gilligan Reimer

In real time, Briddick Webb is hiking. And snowboarding. And mountain-biking.

Online, Briddick is educating, telling us about the real estate market, using a discarded pizza box in the RE/MAX parking lot or pulling out a scroll in the library.

Daily, Briddick is meditating, doing breathwork, and hitting the dry sauna.

 Briddick earns RE/MAX Lifetime  Achievement award.

Most of all, Briddick is not selling real estate in the traditional way--as much as creating a warm and engaging (and even vulnerable) space, to invite you into relationship. If that relationship leads to a pending, mutual acceptance between seller and buyer with acceptance fittingly being Briddick’s self-described work high, he has done his job.…

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BELLINGHAM, WA, December 14, 2021 – 

Coherence. This is Mark Frye’s commodity, and it runs through everything he does.

Whether he’s describing his business value proposition or talking about his family, writing a contract or analyzing market share, Mark presents coherence.

...

$1M in commissions in six years

And, out of that coherence—in his work systems and relationships, in his big picture and attention to detail—Mark recently earned a meaningful award. For making (his first) $1 million in commissions, he entered the global RE/MAX Hall of Fame. He earned this distinction in just six years as a broker.

RE/MAX Whatcom County CFO Lisa Carlson said, “We’re thrilled to celebrate Mark’s award, which is so well-deserved.”

(Writer’s…

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BELLINGHAM, WA, November 19, 2021 – 

What is the perfect career step for someone who has owned a professional cleaning service, worked in commercial banking, and gained an exceptional reputation for staging hard-to-sell homes? Becoming a broker, of course.

Even better? Taysia Seiler (pronounced sy-ler) is joining a RE/MAX Whatcom County team she admires.

“Sommer Cronck listed our Sudden Valley home, and Amy Bowhay helped us find our current one in Bow,” Taysia said. Of course, she’s talking about wrap-around expertise and ingenuity, signatures of The Best Bellingham Homes Team (bestbellinghamhomes.com).

“Buyer specialist, Amy Bowhay, showed me a lot of homes, just as the pandemic was starting,” Taysia described. “And Amy found us an…

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BELLINGHAM, WA, November 23, 2021 – 

On birthdays, most people enjoy celebratory dinners, nights out, or weekend getaways.

Lori Reece, founder and CEO of RE/MAX Whatcom County, celebrates her birthday with her signature giving-back-to-the-community style. Leading up to her November birthday, she asks for gifts—not for her, of course—but for one of her favorite causes: the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County.

And this year’s gift, to a nonprofit that helps children in our county, was significant.

Rising to the match challenge, RE/MAX Whatcom County brokers, family and friends gave $9,475. Lori, along with highly respected agents Kristi Lovick Coy and Pete Coy, matched donations (up to $5,000) for a total $19,475 gift to the local Boys &…

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Are you looking to buy a home? If so, we’ve got good news for you.

While there’s no denying the housing market is having a great year, many of the headlines are focused on the perks for sellers. But what about buyers today? As a buyer, you’re likely braving bidding wars and weighing low mortgage rates versus price appreciation as you search for your dream home. If you find yourself a bit discouraged, hear this: there are clear signs buyers may have more opportunities this fall.

According to realtor.com, the sweet spot for buyers is just around the corner. In a recent study, experts analyzed housing market trends by looking at data from the past several years. When applied to the current market, experts determined the ideal week to buy a home…

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If you’re a renter with a desire to become a homeowner, or a homeowner who’s decided your current house no longer fits your needs, you may be hoping that waiting a year might mean better market conditions to purchase a home.

To determine if you should buy now or wait, you need to ask yourself two simple questions:

  1. What will home prices be like in 2022?
  2. Where will mortgage rates be by the end of 2022?

Let’s shed some light on the answers to both of these questions.

What will home prices be like in 2022?

Three major housing industry entities project continued home price appreciation for 2022. Here are their forecasts:

  • Freddie Mac: 5.3%
  • Fannie Mae: 5.1%
  • Mortgage Bankers Association: 8.4%

Using the…

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BELLINGHAM, WA, September 17, 2021– RE/MAX Whatcom County, Inc. is pleased to welcome Zach Hilty to the Lakeway office. Zach will be joining the Shiflett Group and will focus on residential real estate.

Zach grew up in Bellingham and lived here until he was 21 years old. He moved back to Bellingham in January of 2021, before which he was a chef for many years. At only 18, Zach was a partner in Tony’s Coffee House and what is now Harris Avenue Café. He moved to San Francisco to work in restaurants and ended up attending UC Berkeley. After graduating, Zach moved to New York City with Teach for America and taught for six years. He then was a photographer and director at an agency in NYC for five years.

Zach’s agency experience consisted largely of…

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If you’re trying to decide when to sell your house, there may not be a better time to list than right now. The ultimate sellers’ market we’re in today won’t last forever. If you’re thinking of making a move, here are four reasons to put your house up for sale sooner rather than later.

1. Your House Will Likely Sell Quickly

According to the Realtors Confidence Index released by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), homes continue to sell quickly – on average, they’re selling in just 17 days. As a seller, that’s great news for you.

Average days on market is a strong indicator of buyer demand. And if homes are selling quickly, buyers have to be more decisive and act fast to submit their offer before other buyers swoop in.

2. Buyers Are…

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