Hackney's Houses

Bellingham bumped up from 38th to #2 on this most recent Best Places to Live ranking.  It sure is fun to live in such a desireable area, especially when it's based highly on the quality of life and natural setting elements. 

It's A Good Life...Sean

May. 10, 2007

MEDIA

Bellingham rises on top-spots list

City is No. 2, up from 38th in ’04

Bellingham has made another “best places to live” list — ranking No. 2 in the nation behind Gainesville, Fla.

Oregon-based Fast Forward Inc., owned by Bert Sperling, released the second edition of “Cities Ranked and Rated” on Monday.

The Vancouver, Wash.-Portland, Ore., area ranked No. 3. The next highest Washington state area was Olympia at No. 16.

The list, part of the 848-page book, takes into account a city’s cost of living, median home cost, crime, climate, education spending, health care, transportation and arts and culture, among other factors.

Bellingham ranked 38th the last time the list was released in 2004.

The ranking is one of a series of accolades for the area in recent years. Bellingham regularly has been named a top recreational city by Outside, Paddler and National Geographic Adventure magazines. It’s also been named a top spot for active retirees and emptynesters by various publications including AARP The Magazine and Kiplinger.

Drew Graham, development director of the Bellingham/ Whatcom Chamber of Commerce, said Bellingham’s low unemployment levels and proximity to so many amenities help the area place high on these sorts of lists.

“We’re so close to so many things,” Graham said. “(Bellingham is) 45 minutes to some of the best skiing in the world and 85 minutes to Seattle and 65 to Vancouver (B.C.), two cultural meccas.”

Every Sunday night growing up was about family tradition.  It started when we lived in the city with going out for fast food hamburgers and french fries.  When we moved out to the county, mom started made the tradition her own.  Hamburgers on toasted buns and long pickle slices, french fries cut from real potatoes, and a Coke.  All this placed in our special plastic baskets...our own gourmet burger joint experience in hills of Bald Peak.  Dessert was mom's carefully concocted Peanut Buster Parfait. 

The traditions of the evening grew, but it was always anchored in watching 60 Minutes with my dad.  This is where I first heard the names Dan Rather, Morley Safer, Mike Wallace, and who doesn't know Andy Rooney.  The ticking of the hand watch brings a sense of personal nostalgia. 

Last night 60 Minutes played a segment about the real estate market and in particular a Seattle based discount type brokerage called Redfin.  Leslie Stahl opens up the segment with "And the reason is, as any homeowner knows, they charge a six percent commission on the price of every house they sell."  Going on to state "For realtors, the six percent commission is sacrosanct."

Hmmm...I wonder where this story is going? 

This is a topic that could be debated in forums and lunch tables ad nauseam. 

I'd just like to make a couple observations and clarify an item or two.  In no particular order:

• Not every home is listed at 6%; nor is it sacrosanct.  By law it is negotiable and the national average is well below this number.
• Real Estate is not a time/hourly based business.
• A true real estate professional brings more to the table than just finding a house or listing it on the MLS (i.e. Negotiating savvy, national and international network of relationships, and listing strategies to bring in top dollar in the most effective manner). 
• There is no one single agent or brokerage that is right for everybody.   
• Not every agent is worth what they are charging.  Make sure you are getting what you are paying for.  That goes for "discount" brokers as well as for full service agents.

People often confuse Value with Cost. 

Something can Cost a little, but be Worthless.  Something can also Cost a great deal and still be worthless.  The reverse is true of both as well.  So don't confuse Value with Cost, but do spend some quality time making sure that you are receiving the right value for the cost. 

My final comment would be that discount brokers have always been and will always be a part of our market place.  There is a reason why a company like RE/MAX is the NUMBER 1 Real Estate company in the entire world though and it's not because of what we charge.

As for the Sunday traditions.  They are only a fond memory now, although I have been known to make some late night DQ runs for a peanut buster parfait.  Never quite does the trick the way mom's did though!!