Luanne Highlander

Bellingham real estate currently is down in value 9% from last year and sales are down to just under 25%. Realtors are leaving the business as a result of slower sales. The older realtors (those who have been in the market for say 10 or more years) tell me this is really a more normal sales environment for Bellingham, The rush to buy a home days of 2004-2005 made some newer agents think this was an easy way to earn a living.

Sellers are becoming restless when homes don't sell within 30 days and are now getting re-educated as to the realities of a sluggish housing market. Realtors in the Bellingham area are getting discouraged as well.

Investors

The Yakima and Columbia Valleys may be the newest vineyard areas in the country. There are many varieties of wineries ranging from metal sheds with an elegant door to new adobe buildings complete with overnight suites and elegant restaurants. A small group of us ventured over the pass one weekend to check it out. From Bellingham it took us just 3 ½ hours to get to Yakima . Driving from Seattle, it would take under 2 hours. There are a few good overnight accommodations right in Yakima that I would recommend. The Hilton Garden Inn is the newest in the city with a full restaurant. The staff is friendly and the rooms are

Northwest Living...Island Style By Luanne Highlander So you think you want to live on an island? Some romanticize island life and find it has all the charm and relaxed lifestyle they are imagining. Others realize soon after moving that there are too few restaurants, cultural activities and events within an easy commute to suit their personal tastes. There are a few islands where one may easily drive where you want to go without long ferry lines, and wind or tidal charts having to be part of your itinerary. These have easy access with great lifestyles.

Camano Island This pristine Northwest Island has been rapidly growing the past 5 years. It

The Holidays have arrived!  

Nov. 29-Dec. 2, 6-9, 13-16, 20-23, 27-30  

Warm Beach-Dazzling light displays, the smell of fresh hot donuts, the holiday sounds of Victorian Carolers, and so much more make The Lights of Christmas the perfect holiday destination for your family, your friends, and your group. 800-228-6724

Dinner Theater and Sunday Dessert Matinee  Dinner Theatre: Nov. 29-Dec. 1, 6-8, 13-15, 20-22; 2007 Sunday Dessert Matinee: Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23; 2007  

Dinner Theatre features a fabulous 6-course meal and live theatre in our Baylight Room. Every Sunday in December features

What’s your idea of the perfect retirement community? Is it an urban, walk to everything condo or a retreat nestled in the woods? Or is it where ever the grand babies are? We all are thinking about our personal ‘perfect scenario’ now that the children are grown and we have the luxury of making decisions based on our own preferences rather than the job or good school districts. Most boomers I know are deciding on the Pacific Northwest rather than the Florida or Arizona communities of our parent’s generation. These young retirees or those who are semi-retired love the balmy Northwest climate (too much sun in their younger years), active

Diablo Dam and the North Cascades (some of the most beautiful scenery in the Pacific Northwest) offers a great day trip, via the North Cascades Institute and North Cascades National Park, to folks looking for a get-away that isn't an overnight trip.

It's the second year that the institute, working with North Cascades National Park, has offered the free guided canoe trips and hikes, partly to welcome visitors to the learning center — a complex of classrooms and dorm rooms built two years ago for $11.6 million.

"They were very popular last year," Christian Martin, a spokesman for the North Cascades Institute,

Relocate Northwest  

5 Top Picks for Retirement Communities

 

Luanne Highlander  

 

 

What’s your idea of the perfect retirement community? Is it an urban, walk to everything condo or a retreat nestled in the woods? Or is it where ever the grand babies are? We all are thinking about our personal ‘perfect scenario’ now that the children are grown and we have the luxury of making decisions based on our own preferences rather than the job or good school districts. Most boomers I know are deciding on the Pacific Northwest rather than the Florida

Those of us in the Northwest know that Bellingham IS the best place to live.  Now, Mother Earth News says our city is one of "Eight Great Places You've Never Heard Of."  Bellingham is designated a great place, along with 7 other cities, because of the dedication to renewable energy, local farmers and other "green" efforts.

Local Bellingham stores go for the Green without costing a lot of green! An article in our local Bellingham Herald noted the recent trend and part of the article is below:

It’s chic to be green these days. Whether it’s wearing jeans made out of organic cotton or recycling last season’s shirts, going green is the new black.

Green chic has popped up in a surprisingly simple place as an item long used by casual farmers-market shoppers is catching on worldwide as a way to reduce waste: the reusable tote.

“I think people are realizing where plastic comes from and the oil production that goes along

Bellingham has several long-term teachers and staff retiring this year.  One gentleman graduated from Western Washington University in 1967 when it was Western Washington State College, went to work for Western and is now retiring from there after 40 years!  I'm sure one reason so many of the folks that were featured in the article of The Bellingham Herald remained in the area all these years is because of the fabulous location of Bellingham.  Right here in the beautiful Northwest.