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Although the path to homeownership is an exciting time for you and your family, it is also a time when additional responsibilities are brought into your life. Having the assistance of an honest real estate agent can make all the difference. Many older homes and buildings may still have asbestos insulation or old corrosive building materials.

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral used for a majority of the 20th century due to its fire resistant and durable qualities. Asbestos can still be found in attics, roofs, piping and flooring.  Potential Bellingham homebuyers or those remodeling older homes should be aware that homes built prior to 1980 may still contain asbestos. This should by no means make you jump out of your chair because asbestos exposure is easily prevented by taking simple precautions.

If any asbestos is suspected, the best advice is to leave it un-disturbed. Touching or breaking it off may cause it to become damaged and release its fibers into the air. A Professional home inspector can identify the materials and provide an expert consultation for you. If the materials are deemed dangerous, removal may be necessary.

Although un-damaged asbestos does not pose any harm, you should be aware that the prolonged inhlation of airborne asbestos fibers can lead to the development of mesothelioma, an asbestos-related lung cancer. Due to the fact many mesothelioma symptoms are similar to less serious ailments, mesothelioma diagnosis is one of the more difficult tasks physicians encounter. This is also because it may take anywhere from 20 to 50 years for this disease to develop.

Removal of asbestos in public facilities, workplaces and homes should be performed by licensed abatement contractors as long as the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) are not violated. They must wear protective equipment such as masks and gloves to avoid any
exposure. The materials should be removed in as large pieces as possible and places in disposable bags.

With a steady growth on technology and public education, there are a variety of green alternative methods of insulation which make the use of asbestos obsolete. The United States Environmental Program states that the use of recycled building materials such as cotton fiber, lcynene and cellulose will provide many dividends for its users. Statistics show that the lcynene foam, for example, can cut energy costs by about 25 percent annually.

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Click here for a list of the current top employers in Bellingham. I have also provided a list of links below to places where current, available jobs are posted for Bellingham and the surrounding vicinity.

Worksource is a popular place for businesses to post available jobs. Worksource is a joint venture of organizations that provide resources for both employers and perspective employees. Along with job postings for all of Whatcom County, in a variety of professions, the Worksource website also provides an array of tools to help job-seekers find and get the job that they are looking for.  BP, Western Washington University, and Peacehealth (St. Joseph Hospital) are just a few of the employers who post job openings on this site.

Craigslist is another popular source for finding jobs in Bellingham. Many local employers are using Craigslist to post both full time and piece work jobs. Craigslist does a great job of categorizing their job postings, however, you will need to scroll down the page a bit to find older postings. Sometimes there are still open postings that have been pushed down the page because they are a few days old.

Another place to search for jobs is on the local paper’s website.  The Bellingham Herald’s job classifieds is powered by Career Builder and allows you to search for new job postings by keywords. I have not found this to be the best place to find local employment opportunities, but it is another place to expand your search.

If all else fails, another great way to find the job you are looking for is to simply ask around.  If you are interested in a particular line of work, let people know.  The beauty of a small town lies in the connections you find. If you are a go-getter with a positive attitude and a drive for success, someone may be willing to create a position just for you.

There are jobs available in Bellingham and in Whatcom County, you just have to know where to look, and sometimes you need to do a little digging, but I guarantee that there are some awesome opportunities just waiting for people like yourself.  We need more workers!  If you are looking for a new place to hang your hat from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, and if you are looking to relocate, browse these links – your dream career may be in Bellingham Washington!

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Post tags: Bellingham jobs, jobs in Bellingham wa

There are three main bed and breakfasts in the greater Bellingham, Washington area. Two of the bed and breakfasts are located north of Bellingham in Whatcom County and the third is located on the eastern shores of Lake Whatcom.

The South Bay B & B is located on the east end of Lake Whatcom. This bed and breakfast has 6 guest suites that each have their own bathroom and gas fireplace. Every room in the house has a view of Lake Whatcom from the private hillside setting. The appeals of the South Bay Bed and Breakfast include the rural location, beautiful rooms, and proximity to the lake. Rates range from $149 – $169 in this bed and breakfast.

South Bay Bed and Breakfast

The Anderson Creek Lodge is located off Mission Rd, near E Smith and Everson Goshen Rd. There are a total of 5 rooms in this bed and breakfast. Each room features a private bathroom, wireless internet access, TV, and radiant heat floors. The Anderson Creek Lodge also features a conference room which can accommodate up to 60 people. The Anderson Creek Lodge is well known for the 35 acres of llama fields and walking trails that surround the lodge. Rates range from $120 – $160 per night.

Anderson Creek Lodge

The Axton Road Bed & Breakfast is located off the Guide Meridian, north of E Smith Road. The Axton Road Bed & Breakfast is the smallest of the three inns with only three guest suites. Each room includes wireless internet access, TV with DVD player, and a access to the shared library. The Axton Road Bed and Breakfast is situated on 20 rural acres. This bed and breakfast is also pet friendly, however pets must be kenneled outside of the suites. Rates are $135 per night, or $125 for two or more nights.

Axton Road Bed & Breakfast

*Rates are subject to change. Please investigate current rates on each individual website.

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9. Mt Baker ~ Amazing hiking and climbing in the summer. The longest skiing and snowboarding season in the Northwest during the winter.

8. Ocean Access ~ Access to Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands, and Alaska via the Alaskan Ferry.

7. Chuckanut ~ Chuckanut Drive and Chuckanut Bay are simply amazing places to visit and incomparable place to live.

6. Clean Air ~ The American Lung Association has Bellingham rated in the top 25 US cities with the best air quality.

5. Traffic ~ The traffic is extremely manageable in the City of Bellingham.

4. Travel ~ Bellingham International Airport flies direct to Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Phoenix, San Diego, and San Francisco.

3. Trails ~ Bellingham has one of the most expansive trail systems in the US with over 29 miles of pedestrian, bicycle, and equestrian trails.

2. Fairhaven ~ Fairhaven is easily the most popular area of Bellingham.

1. Stability ~ The real estate market has held strong through the ups and downs of the national economy.

© Ryan Martin for Bellingham Real Estate Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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The Bellingham Business Journal just published their 2009 Book of Lists. The Book of Lists ranks Bellingham and Whatcom County businesses based on the number employees. The Book of Lists can be found in the Bellingham Business Journal’s print publication. Some of the more notable top business in Bellingham for the year end 2008 are as follows.

The top real estate company in Bellingham is Windermere Real Estate. The top auto dealer is Jerry Chambers Chevrolet/Cadillac. Bellingham’s top architect is RMC Architects. The top home builder in Whatcom County is Homestead Northwest. The top catering company is Haggen Market St. Catering. The top graphic design company is Tollhouse Design.

The two most important lists that I look for every year in the Book of Lists are the top 10 private employers and the top 10 public-sector employers.

Top 10 Private Employers in Bellingham – Whatcom County

1.    St. Joseph Hospital
2.    Haggen Inc.
3.    BP Cherry Point Refinery
4.    Sodexho Services
5.    Sterling Life Insurance Company
6.    Heath Tecna
7.    Alcoa Intalco Works
8.    Fred Myer Inc.
9.    Silver Reef Hotel Casino Spa
10.  The Markets

Top 10 Public Sector Employers in Bellingham – Whatcom County

1.    Whatcom County
2.    City of Bellingham
3.    Western Washington University
4.    Bellingham School District
5.    City of Lynden
6.    Ferndale School District
7.    City of Blaine
8.    Port of Bellingham
9.    Whatcom Transportation Authority
10.  Lynden School District

For more information about ordering the Bellingham Business Journal, or to purchase a copy of the Book of Lists check out the Bellingham Business Journal’s Website.

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Post tags: Bellingham Business Journal, Top 10 Bellingham Employers, Top Bellingham Employers, top business in Bellingham, Windermere Real Estate

Are you looking for a fun weekend trip from Bellingham? Consider taking the Amtrak train along the Pacific shoreline to Seattle or Vancouver, BC. Trips to Vancouver, BC and Seattle are both about an hour from Bellingham via the train. The Amtrak schedule runs daily and the rates are pretty reasonable.

A roundtrip for two from Bellingham to Seattle runs about $84. The train takes a little over two hours to reach Seattle from Bellingham, WA.

A roundtrip for two from Bellingham to Vancouver, BC runs about $56. The train takes a little less two hours to reach Vancouver, BC from Bellingham, WA.

If you are looking to get a little further out of town, consider a trip to Portland, OR. Portland is a beautiful town and only 6 hours south of Bellingham.

A roundtrip for two from Bellingham to Portland, OR runs about $120. The train takes a little over 6 hours to reach Portland, OR from Bellingham, WA.

Bellingham Amtrak
401 Harris Avenue
Bellingham, WA 98225

Hours 8:00am to 9:00pm

*Photo Courtesy of JP Mueller CC

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To summarize, it is important to have sand and sand bags purchased and ready at the beginning of the flood season. Once you have the bags and sand, you need to make the actually sand bags. Make sure to only fill the bags half full, so they are not too heavy to carry and stack. Don’t worry about tying the bags, just fold the top of the bag over. Once the bags have been laid out, walk over the bags to make sure there are no air gaps.

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RDS Recycling and Disposal Services, Inc.

If you have a truck, or a way to haul your garbage, RDS is the cheapest route to go. They accept household garbage at $0.05/lb. RDS will also accept your yard waste (including sod & dirt) for only 2.25 cents/lb. In addition to household and yard waste, RDS also accepts, construction waste, wood, metal, concrete, appliances, air conditioners, and automotive tires.

RDS Disposal Price List

Sanitary Service Company

If you live in the City of Bellingham, you can sign up for standard garbage and recycle pickup. SSC offers both weekly and bi-weekly pickups. If you have a lot of waste that you need removed and you don’t have a truck or the capacity to transport the waste yourself, SSC will actually drop off a large garbage container for you. You can fill up the waste container on your own schedule and they will pick it up for you when it is full.

Sanitary Service Company Price List

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Post tags: Bellingham garbage removal, Bellingham Junk removal, Bellingham waste removal

The concept of a Tribe in business is a term made famous by marketing guru Seth Godin. Seth believes that alliances and relationships are created in business for the mutual benefit of all parties. I pondered the concept of a tribe and how it relates to the real estate industry and realized that this theory holds very true.

The relationships made between agents of different offices are vital to the success of all real estate agents. It is important for agents to both network with and trust other agents that they work with. Any client working with an agent that is disconnected from the tribe will immediately have to overcome an issue of trust with other agents of the tribe. This distrust will be passed through the agent to the client. Therefore, if an agent is not trusted by other agents, their clients are not trusted by other agents.

Another benefit to working with an agent that is associated with the tribe is the power of networking. If your agent already has an established relationship with the other agents, they will be more likely to hear of properties that might be coming on the market soon. It will also be easier for the agents in the tribe to negotiate among each other on the client’s behalf. By understanding how certain agents handle their negotiations, other tribe members that already know them will have a better understanding of to deal will objectionable points of contention.

In addition to tribes among real estate agents, there are also groups of real estate affiliates that work together as tribes. Real estate affiliates include lenders, escrow companies and home inspectors. While it is illegal for these affiliates to accept monetary gain for business (referral fees), there is a huge advantage for real estate agents to work with affiliates within their tribe. The power of networking and trust are the major benefits to working within a tribe of affiliates.

When choosing your real estate agent, find out if they are a member of a tribe.

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