Elaine A. Cook's Blog

Girl Potato and Boy Potato had eyes for each other, and finally they got married, and had a little sweet potato, which they called 'Yam.'  

Of course, they wanted the best for Yam.   When it was time, they told her about the facts of life.   They warned her about going out and getting half-baked, so she wouldn't get accidentally mashed, and get a bad name for herself like 'Hot Potato,' and end up with a bunch of Tater Tots  

Yam said not to worry, no Spud would get her into the sack and make a rotten potato out of her!   But on the other hand she wouldn't stay home and become a Couch Potato either   She would get plenty of exercise so as not to be skinny like her Shoestring cousins.  

When she went off to Europe, Mr and Mrs. Potato told Yam to watc h out for the hard-boiled guys from Ireland   And the greasy guys from France called the French Fries. And when she went out west, to watch out for the Indians so she wouldn't get scalloped.  

Yam said she would stay on the straight and narrow and wouldn't associate with those high class Yukon Golds, or the ones from the other side of the tracks who advertise their trade on all the trucks that say, 'Frito Lay.'  

Mr. and Mrs. Potato sent Yam to Idaho P.U. (that's Potato University ) so that when she graduated she'd really be in the Chips.  

But in spite of all they did for her, one-day Yam came home and announced she was going to marry Tom Brokaw.   Tom Brokaw!  

Mr. and Mrs. Potato were very upset.   They told Yam she couldn't possibly marry Tom Brokaw because he's just......      

A COMMONTATER

So here are the numbers for Bellingham Whatcom County Foreclosures.

Approximately 40% of home sold in Whatcom County are a short sale or foreclosure..aka distressed property.

There are 91 homes involved in a bankruptcy proceeding.
Currrent Bellingham and Whatcom County foreclosures total 166, with 66 homes in pre-foreclosure.

Between now, March 20th and April 10th there are 13 homes up for auction on the county steps.

While these numbers are low compared to the national statistics, they are high for Whatcom County.

However, on the bright side.  Buyers are buying.  Investors are investing. Why? Because the market values will go back up.  Will we see the crazy appreciation increases of yesteryear?  Probably not. Will we see real estate continue to out preform the stock market...absolutely.

Will interest rates go up. Yes, I am sure of it. When? I don't know.  But they will go up.

So what does all of this mean if you are trying to sell your home? The majority of buyers who jump into the market to buy are buying for themselves. They have motivaion and timelines. They often start out looking for a bank owned, foreclosure, shortsale...something they "think" they can get a great deal on. However, the process for purchasing those types of homes is very, very long and complicated. After a month or two we start showing them other properties. So if you want/need to sell price your home right, and get it out there for the buyers to view.  Make it a viable option.

If you are looking to buy, there isn't a better time. Period. $8,000 cash back, 100% financing programs, Rural Housing Programs, low rates, high inventory, and lower prices.  It is really a no-brainer!  Just plan on owning the property for 3-5 years.  It is the highly exceptional property that will appreciate any sooner.

Title & Escrow
Whether you are buying or selling, you will be going through the escrow process. Title search is done on the property, assuring that the deed can legally be conveyed to another person. Also during this search all encumbrances on the property are revealed. Such as liens, easements, mortgages, etc.

Escrow is where all the legal paper shuffling takes place. Based on the instructions of the purchase and sale, and lender, the escrow officer prepares all the documentation needed to close the transaction. You are often asked to provide information to escrow to help them with the process. They are also responsible for pro-rating any water, sewer, propane, taxes due at the time of closing.

Closing. Closing is a word used to state the day the sale must be funded and the transfer recorded. Although, you will often hear an agent or the escrow officer refer to your "closing appointment." This is the day you sign all the necessary documentation. It is typically a day or two before the actual closing (recording) date.

Lending:
When buying a home the very first step you must take is with a lender...unless you are paying all cash!

I have has two recent experiences where the buyers lenders (Big National Lenders) could not do the loans...and these were very qualified folks!  So I asked them to check with our local Bellingham lenders before giving up!  Leena at Neighborhood Mortgage and Rob at The Bank of The Pacific came through for these folks.  With equal rates and costs the National lender was promising...yet couldn't deliver. Another one to check with is Loren over at Whidbey Island Bank. Sit down with a lender or apply online. You must know where you stand financially, how much you can afford, how much down you need, closing costs, and what lending programs are available to you.

There are still several 1st Homeowner programs, which means you haven't owned a home in the last 5 years. 100% Financing programs are still available as well, through the Rural housing program.

In today's lending climate make sure you are working with a lender who can actually get your loan funded.
Ask them how many loans have they closed in the last 2 months!

Thanksgiving Thanks

by David Cook, yes that is my hubby!!!  He is soooo great with words!

The candles are burning on the tables with flare                     

While 26 people slobber over the fare

Two turkeys, a ham, with stuffing and dressings

But Jason can't wait for us to say blessings

There's in-laws and outlaws, cousins and Aunts

Uncles and nephews and boys in low pants

Fathers and Mothers and kids of all kind

This is our family, our ties that bind

Green beans and potatoes and sweet candied yam

Three kinds of gravy and one of them's ham

The turkeys I mentioned, one roasted, one fried

If I had one more bite, I think I'd have died

But wait, over there, desserts on a table

Five different Pies and a cake, am I able?

I push back my chair, but to my shegrin

I have gravy dipping from down on my chin

No worries, no problems, lucky for me

With my apron on, my shirt's gravy free

I push through the crowd and grab a small plate

And thank God above that I'm not too late

There's pumpkin and apple, rhubarb and peach

Cake made with carrots and all within reach

I can't believe it, it must be a dream

To top it all off, there's even ice cream

There's a whole lot of smiles and laughter abounds

As the younger additions make their second rounds

Sweet hugs and kisses are easy to get

This was one Thanksgiving I won't soon forget!

I don't have addresses for all who were here,

So I'm asking you please; make it perfectly clear,

Pass this along to those in your clan

And someone return my roasting pan! LOL

Selling your Property.
First...find that savvy agent!

Your agent will take a tour of your home. Offer suggestions for home improvement items that will help you get top dollar for your property. They will then provide you with a CMA, and help you determine your listing price.

Your agent should provide you with a complete marketing plan specific to your property. Keep in mind that 90% of all homes are sold with an agent involved, and over 80% of all home buyers search the internet. The bulk of any "savvy" marketing plan will focus their budget in these two arenas.

Work with your agent on the marketing plan. The current market in Bellingham, WA requires a great marketing plan! Tell them what you love about your home, why did you buy it?

Your agent will be taking many pictures of your home and yard. Be ready for that!

Be realistic. And be aware that while your home is on the market, you don't live in it quite the same. You try not to leave clothes, dishes, messes scattered about prior to your departure for the day! You have one first impression...maximize it!

Once we have a purchase and sale offer on the table, we will look at the validity of the offer. This is where the negotiation begins.

Once we have an accepted offer, several deadlines start ticking away. It is my job to keep you informed of these deadlines, and protect your interests. When all contingencies such as financing, insurance, inspections have been satisfied we move towards closing.

Thinking of Selling Your Home?
Selling decisions usually come down to a few specific things.  

Why do you want or need to sell?
The answer to this varies in each household. Financial, personal, moving up, sizing down...everyone has a different situation. It my job to not judge your motivation, just help you meet your goal.

What is your home worth? 
For help in establishing a more succinct look at your home's Current Market Value, Click Market Value Request and fill out the requested information. I will use comparable sold listings to help you calculate the fair market value of your home here in Bellingham and Whatcom County.

I promise I won't hound you, just because you were curious about your home's value! BUT, when you are ready, I would appreciate the opportunity to interview for the job!

How long should it take to sell?
It varies depending upon where your property is within Whatcom County, the price range and the marketing plan of your agent! 

As a Connect Realty agent, we have "Showcase" membership with Realtor.com.  The number one real estate search site! I can also get you specific stats to your neighborhood; just email me. 

In the meantime go to Local Market Stats.  This will give you numbers of homes for sale/sold, days on market, and price ranges all in one place! Average days on market is up to 99...so PLAN AHEAD!

Which agent should you work with?
You know how I will answer that!!! However, if you plan to interview several agents, please request the brochure, "Seven Questions to ask a Realtor."

As an experienced Realtor® I have helped numerous clients successfully sell their homes. I know how to handle every aspect of the sales process from strategically marketing and displaying your home, to making sure everything is signed, sealed and delivered by the closing date.  Providing you with a comprehensive, high-quality listing service is the top priority for me. When you decide to sell your home, please contact me. And let's get started!

I know this is long...but it is true...

Those of you who have/had animals will probably appreciate it more. It
is a story that is hilarious in itself and the person that wrote it is a
good writer and made  the story even better.  Enjoy...

We  have a fox terrier by the name of Jasper.  He came to us  in the
summer of 2001 from the fox terrier rescue program. For those of you,
who are unfamiliar with this type of adoption, imagine taking in a 10
year old child about whom you know nothing and committing to doing your
best to be a good parent.

Like a child, the dog came with his own idiosyncrasies. He will only
sleep on  the bed, on top of the covers, nuzzled as close to my face as
he can get without actually performing a French  kiss on me.

Lest you think this is a bad case of 'no discipline,' I should tell you
that Perry and I tried every means to break him of this habit including
locking him in a separate bedroom for several nights. The new door cost
over $200. But I digress.

Five weeks ago we began remodeling our house. Although the cost of the
project is downright obnoxious, it was 20 years overdue AND it got me
out of cooking Thanksgiving for family, extended family, and a lot of
friends that I like more than family most of the time.

I was assigned the task of preparing 124 of my famous yeast dinner rolls
for the two Thanksgiving feasts we did attend.

I am still cursing the electrician for getting the new oven hooked up so
quickly. It was the  only appliance in the whole darn house that worked,
thus the assignment.
 
I made the decision to cook the rolls on Wed. Evening to reheat Thurs
am. Since the kitchen was freshly painted,  you can imagine the odor.
Not wanting the rolls to smell like Sherwin Williams #586, I put the
rolls on baking  sheets and set them in the living room to rise for a
few hours. Perry and I decided to go out to eat, returning in about an
hour. The rolls were ready to go in the  oven.

It was 8:30 PM. When I went to the living  room to retrieve the pans,
much to my shock one whole pan of 12 rolls was empty. I called out to
Jasper and my worst nightmare became a reality. He literally wobbled
over to me. He looked like a combination of the  Pillsbury dough boy and
the Michelin Tire man wrapped u p in fur. He groaned when he walked. I
swear even his cheeks were bloated.

I ran to the phone and called our vet. After a few seconds of uproarious
laughter, he told me the dog would probably be OK,  however, I needed to
give him Pepto Bismol every 2 hours for the rest of the night. 
 
God only knows why I thought a dog would like Pepto Bismol any more
than my kids did when they were sick. Suffice it to say that by the time
we went to bed the dog was black, white an d pink. He was so bloated we
had to lift him onto the bed for the night.

We arose at 7:30 and as we always do first thing; put the dog out to
relieve himself. Well, the dog was as drunk as a sailor on his first
leave. He was running into walls, falling flat on his butt and most of
the time when he was walking his front half was going one direction and
the other half was either dragging the grass or headed 90 degrees in
another direction.

He couldn't lift his leg to pee, so he would just walk and pee at the
same time. When he ran down the small incline in our back yard he
couldn't stop himself and nearly ended up running into the fence.

His pupils were dilated  and he was as dizzy as a loon. I endured
another few sec onds of laughter from the vet (second call within 12
hours) before he explained that the yeast had fermented in his belly and
that he was indeed drunk.

He assured me that, not unlike most binges we humans go through, it
would wear off after about 4 or 5 hours and to keep giving him Pepto
Bismol.

Afraid to leave him by himself in the house, Perry and I loaded him up
and took him with us to my sister's house for the first Thanksgiving
meal of the day.

My sister lives outside of Muskogee on a ranch, (10 to 15 minute drive).
Rolls firmly secured in the trunk (124 less 12) and drunk dog leaning
from the back seat onto the console of the car between Perry and I, we
took off.

Now I know you probably don't bel ieve that dogs burp, but believe me
when I say that after eating a tray of risen unbaked yeast rolls, DOGS
WILL BURP. These burps were pure Old Charter. They would have matched or
beat any smell in a drunk tank at the police station. But that's not the
worst of it.

Now he was beginning to fart and they smelled like baked rolls. God
strike me dead if I am not telling the truth! We endured this for the
entire trip to Karen's, thankful she didn't live any further away than
she did.

Once Jasper was firmly placed in my sister's garage with the  door
locked, we finally sat down to enjoy our first Thanksgiving meal of the
day. The dog was the topic of conversation all morning long and everyone
made trips to the garage to witness my drunken dog, each returning with
a tale of Jasper's latest endeavor to walk without  running into
something. Of course, as the old adage goes, 'what goes in must come
out' and Jasper was no exception.

Granted if it had been me that had eaten 12 risen, unbaked yeast rolls,
you might as well have put a concrete block up my behind, but alas a
dog's digestive system is quite different from yours or mine.  I
discovered this was a mixed blessing when we prepared to leave Karen's
house. Having discovered his 'packages'  on the garage floor, we loaded
him up in the car so we could hose down the floor.

This was another naive decision on our part. The blast of water from the
hose hit the poop on the floor and the poop on the floor withstood the
blast from the hose. It was like Portland cement beginning to set up and
cure.

We finally tried to remove it with a shovel. I (obviously no one else
was going to offer their services) had to get on my hands and knees with
a coarse brush to get the remnants off of the floor. And as if this
wasn't degrading enough, the darn dog in his drunken state had walked
through the poop and left paw prints all over the garage floor that had
to be brushed too.

Well, by this  time the dog was sobering up nicely so we took him home
and dropped him off before we left for our second Thanksgiving dinner at
Perry's sister's house.

I am happy to report that as of today (Monday) the dog is back to normal
both in size and temperament. He has had a bath and is no longer
tricolor. None the worse for wear I presume. I am also happy to report
that just this evening I found 2 risen unbaked yeast rolls hidden inside
my closet door.

It appears he must have come to his senses after eating 10 of them but
decided hiding 2 of them for later would not be a bad idea. Now, I'm
doing research on the computer as to: 'How to clean unbaked dough from
the carpet.'

We have opened our Bellingham Branch Office!

While many Brokerages are closing their doors, merging, increasing fees...doing what it takes to survive...Connect Realty is thriving!  Why?  Low over head, Great Splits and all the tools you need!
And of course, being fresh, perky and innovative doesn't hurt! lol

So, for those of you in Bellingham thinking about Connect Realty but have to have an office...YOU GOT! A very visible, and hip location.  You will love it.  There are only 2 spaces still available. $155 a month. Period.

If you are in another area, and want to know more about Connect...read below, check out the links...call and ask questions.  It is a career decision that deserves investigation!

Where else can you get an 80/20 Split, no quotas, no caps, no fees AND earn back that 20% from the Brokerage?

 Okay, the bottom line. 

• It cost $200 to join. $29.95 a month - click here to see what that gets you!!!
• 80/20 Split  New Agents 70/30 for 1st 5 deals
• FREE Realtor.com "Showcase" Membership (Avg $500 savings!)
• No Desk Fees.
• No Franchise Fees.
• No Brokers License required to build your own team.
• No Transaction Fees, except for the required E & O Insurance.
• PLUS...5% Referring Agent Commission over and over...
• About as paperless as a Real Estate Agency can get!
• Virtual Office Transaction Manager
• Contact Management
• E-Store for Connect Fun Stuff!
• Over 3000 Marketing Templates
• Checks Direct Deposited with in 24 hours
• Support, Support, Support
  
  Oh, almost forgot...FREE on line training classes, videos, marketing materials, buyer and seller presentations...the list goes on!
  
  We are ready for you...you ready for us?