Showing posts with label Bellingham real estate investment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bellingham real estate investment. Show all posts

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Bellingham Market Quiz

Last night I spoke to the Real Estate Investors Association satellite meeting in Bellingham. The topic was "Know Your Market," and below is the quiz (with answer key). The top experts were Serge and Irina with 20 correct answers. Congratulations, Serge and Irina!




According to the NWMLS, closed sales during 2015
  1.  were less than in 2014, due to limited inventory
  2.  were roughly the same as last year
  3.  outperformed the prior year by no more than 10%
  4.  outperformed the prior year by a more than 14 percent increase.
Compared to 2014, the dollar volume of those closed sales
  1. was less in 2015, due to limited inventory,
  2. was roughly the same in 2015
  3. represents a gain of ten percent
  4. represents a gain of nearly 23 percent
True or False:
Last year’s completed residential sales surpassed the previous highs during 2007
Industry analysts tend to use what range as an indicator of a balanced market, favoring neither buyers nor sellers?
  1. 1-2 months
  2. 3-4 months
  3. 4-5 months
  4. 4-6 months
King County has 1.3 months of housing supply. How many months of supply in the city of Bellingham?
1.      1.3
2.     3.25
3.     4
4.     4.5

Bellingham City Nickname?
City of Subdued Excitement

Bellingham City Population (within 5000)?
83,000

Median Age in the City of Bellingham (within 1 year)?
31
15.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 23.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 22% were from 45 to 64; and 12.8% were 65 years of age or older. 

Which company employs the largest number of workers in the city of Bellingham?
St. Joseph Hospital

Three of Bellingham’s top five employers are in what sector of the economy?
1.      Education
2.     Professional Services
3.     Charitable/Social Work
4.     Manufacturing/Industrial

True or False:
The Canadian economic situation has had adverse effects on foreign sales in Whatcom County.

Two years ago the Canadian and US dollar were on par with each other. Today the Canadian dollar is worth approximately how much relative to the US dollar?
1.      $1.10
2.     $0.97
3.     $0.91
4.     $0.82

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/business/article22288617.html#storylink=cpy
Which tax on Canadian visitors provides the greatest revenue to Whatcom county?
Sales tax

Of the total $750M sales tax revenue in Whatcom County, how much of a decline was experienced between the first quarter of 2013 and the first quarter of 2014?
1.      Less than $1M
2.     Between $1-2M
3.     Over $2M
4.     50% of the total revenue

Number of Canadian vehicles crossing into the US during this same time decreased by how much?
100,000 per quarter

In 1995, the housing affordability ratio was 53% , as calculated by average monthly US mortgage payment/average monthly income.  In 2015, this affordability ratio was:
  1. 45%
  2. 50%
  3. 53%
  4. 66%
The median home price for a house in the city of Bellingham was under or over $300K?
$324,500

Median days on market for Bellingham home sales?
41 CDOM 

The median percentage of sales price relative to asking (list) price is over or under list? 98.58%

What is the mean annual salary of a wage earner in Bellingham?
$37,990, which is below the Washington State average of $44,710.

True or False:
Home Ownership is lower and Rental Households are higher than the national average.

True or False:
The City of Bellingham has a higher level of violent and property crime than the national average.
Violent: Bellingham 53.3 US 41.1
Property: Bellingham 59.5  US 43.5

Top 5 safest neighborhoods in the city of Bellingham:
Sudden Valley
Silver Beach
Geneva
Happy Valley
Chuckanut

Top 5 highest appreciating neighborhoods in Bellingham (since 1990)
Chuckanut
Western WA U/High St
Happy Valley
City Center
Ellis St/Alabama St

True or False:
The City of Bellingham does provide financial assistance to develop and operate housing.
This housing is for residences occupied by owner households with incomes at or below​ 80% of the median income of Whatcom County ($37900 for a single person, $43,300 for 2-person household)

How is the City of Bellingham encouraging infill development?
It is a set of 9 new housing forms for addition to all residential zones except single-family
zones, neighborhood commercial zones, and the Lake Whatcom Watershed. The forms
include Small and Smaller Lot detached single family houses, Cottages, Detached
Accessory Dwelling Units, Carriage Houses over existing garages, Duplex/Triplex, Shared Courtyard, Garden Courtyard and Townhouses.

Which zip code has the most real estate transactions 98229 or 98225?
98229

Happy Investing!

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Bellingham Investor Training



I have been asked to facilitate the Bellingham satellite meeting for the Real Estate Investors Association of Puget Sound (REAPS) on Wednesday, March 23, 2016.

I would like to focus on "Doing Your First Deal," getting started in real estate investing for the novice investor. I have been meeting for coffee with some of the newbies coming to the REAPS orientation at our main meeting, and many of them simply do not know how to get started. They assume they start with wholesaling or bird dogging, but they don't even know where to begin.

I would like to make the class very interactive and participatory, getting attendees to open up about where they are in their real estate investing, and hurdles they are having getting started. For many of them, it is even deciding WHAT they want to do; for some, it is the idea of buying their first primary residence, or finding more affordable housing, or generating quick cash. Some want to know about getting or using their real estate license.

For others who know what to do, it is simply taking action. Some fear or belief is holding them back from taking that first step. Plus, real estate investing IS NOT EASY, and I would want to focus on the realities of perseverance through frustration and rejection.

The class would also focus on REAPS membership tools designed to help them move forward in their real estate investment efforts, and we would identify audience members who might be able to partner or participate on a new investor's real estate team.

I would be using a very interactive Q&A format, developing some specific questionnaires, and giving each participant an opportunity to identify their own next steps in the next 30 days, possibly with an accountability partner.

If you are new to real estate investing, you may attend your first REAPS meeting for free. For more information on registering for this specific meeting, please go to www.REAPSweb.com

Happy Investing!