Danielle Groeneweg

Bellwether Real Estate
Danielle Groeneweg, Realtor®

MANAGING BROKER

Articles

What are your most frequently asked Real Estate Questions?

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I’m working on updating a lot of my information packets, service providers, relocation packets, etc.

It’s been a few years since I’ve spent the time to go through them and update the information as needed. I would love to hear about some of your main questions, concerns, or other items you tend to research before making a real estate transaction. I’m planning to completely revamp them and would love to include items that add value & help make the process smoother for most.

Would you be interested in learning about:

    • Life of an escrow file? I could go into details on what an escrow officer does throughout the transaction, what title insurance is for, what the usual fees are, etc.
    • A detailed outline of each city in Whatcom County. Including local eateries, things to do, parks, local businesses & service providers. Would also include current information on stats, schools & other town specific details.
    • What are the fees throughout a transaction? What comes out at closing and what are due during the transaction?
    • Realtor Code of Ethics?
    • What would you like to know about your real estate agent?

 

What other items would you find helpful & I can add to my list?

Thank you!!

 

President’s Day Trivia

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Anyone else a history buff? I thought it might be fun to do a little bit of presidential trivia with President’s Day right around the corner.

Here are just a few of the questions that Reader’s Digest asks in its article, ” U.S. Presidential Trivia Questions Everyone Gets Wrong” by Morgan Cutolo.

To read the full article click here.

 

The White House in Washington DC, closeup of southern facadeLUX BLUE/SHUTTERSTOCK

What does the “S” in Harry S. Truman’s name stand for?

Hmmm, what are names that start with the letter S?

This 1948 portrait of Harry S. Truman at his White House office deskAP/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

Answer: Nothing

The S in President Truman’s name is actually a compromise his parents made between both of his grandfather’s names, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young. There is still controversy today about whether there should be a period after the S.

The White House, Washington DCTURTIX/SHUTTERSTOCK

Did every president live in the White House?

Two options: Yes or no?

George Washington. Print showing George Washington, standing in front of a chair with right arm extended toward a table on the left and holding a sword in left hand.UNIVERSAL HISTORY ARCHIVE/SHUTTERSTOCK

Answer: No

Not every U.S. president lived in the White House. Our first president, George Washington, oversaw the construction of the building when it began in 1792 but never got to live there. The first president who got to call White House “home” was John Adams, who moved in with his wife, Abigail, in 1800.

American Flags at The White HouseANTHONY RICCI/SHUTTERSTOCK

Who were the four presidents that were assassinated?       

You know Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, but can you guess the other two?

The Last Formal Photograph of Abraham Lincoln Taken On the Day the Confederacy Surrendered 5 Days Before His DeathMARY EVANS/SHUTTERSTOCK

Answer: Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy

All four of these presidents were assassinated while in office. Assassination attempts were made on six other presidents—Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt (who was done with his term), Franklin Roosevelt (president-elect at the time), Harry Truman, Gerald Ford (twice in one year!), and Ronald Reagan—but they were lucky enough to survive.

Summer view of the White House, Washington, DC.FSTOCKFOTO/SHUTTERSTOCK

What state produced the most U.S. presidents?

Hint: It is either Ohio or Virginia.

Welcome sign: 'Virginia is for Lovers' - October 26, 2016JOE SOHM/SHUTTERSTOCK

Answer: Virginia

Eight U.S. presidents were born in Virginia, and Ohio was close behind, having produced seven presidents.

 

 

 

 

An Overview of 2020 Stats for Whatcom County

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Anyone else think very analytically and love looking at stats? I also like looking over a time period (especially an entire year) to get a good grasp of the market & trends. The Northwest Multiple put together a series of different graphs and charts that compares 2020 to 2019. I am only showing the graphs for Whatcom County that include residential and condos.

Let me know if you have any questions!

 

Planning for the Best You in 2021

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It is almost time to turn the page on 2020!

I’m sure a lot of us are ready to say good-bye to this year and wish for better things in 2021! I came across this great list of 12 steps to plan for a better you in 2021 and wanted to share. If you wanted to read the full article from Millennial Grind you can click here.

I liked this list because I thought it helped cover your habits, thoughts, self care & gets you thinking about goals and your future. In real estate, we talk a lot of self motivation and goals. I have found that breaking down your bigger goals does make a big difference like in step 10. I have also started a vision board in my office like it discusses in step 4. Finally, I talk with my assistant often about our goals and how we are going to achieve them like in step 11.

That’s only 3 out of 12 steps so it looks like I have a few more things to go over before the start of 2021. I hope you’re able to do the same and that by this time next year we can reflect on how great a year 2021 was.

 

 

Thankful Trees for Thanksgiving

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How many of you already have a Thanksgiving tradition of making a Thankful Tree? How many of you are wondering what a Thankful Tree is? A Thankful Tree is when you create a tree and you write on the leaves or branches what you are thankful for. I’ve seen a few ideas floating around. Some people start their tree early and throughout the whole month of November leading up to Thanksgiving they write on their leaves letting family & friends also share what they are thankful for. Then, at Thanksgiving dinner they will read their leaves out loud. Other families will do it all on Thanksgiving day. I think this is such a fun tradition. I know a lot of families will go around & say what they are thankful for but this adds another element to it. If you start the tree at the beginning of the month, it is also a great reminder to be thankful every time you walk past it.

What does a Thankful Tree look like? It can be whatever you want it to be! Some use real leaves & branches, others make the leaves out of clay or even gather some acorns to add to the tree.

 

Here are a couple sources if you would like to gather some ideas to create your own Thankful Tree:

  • Rythms of Play has 10 really good ideas on their blog for how to make a Thankful Tree. This is a blog directed towards families with younger kids. Click here to see them.
  • Good Housekeeping also has a few really good ideas. Their trees are so pretty! They have some ideas that should work with fall décor you might already have up in your home. Click here to see them.

 

I hope you are able to create your own Thankful Tree this year!

 

 

 

Open Houses are OPEN again

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Just in case you haven’t heard the news, in person open houses are allowed again in Whatcom County! There are a total of 68 public open houses scheduled for this weekend alone in Whatcom County. There are restrictions so be sure to read any signs posted on site if you decide to view a home in person. Visiting open houses are a great way to get a feel for the market in the area you are looking to buy without committing to a scheduled appointment. Maybe you haven’t wanted to work on getting preapproved with a lender yet (which is always recommended before you offer on a home), and just want to know what you ‘might’ get for your money when you’re ready. Open houses can also allow you to interact with different agents and see if any fit your idea of how you want to be cared for during your buying process. If you are planning to visit one during the safety era of Covid, please be sure to plan on wearing a mask and bringing as few people in your party as possible (max of 5 allowed in addition to the hosting agent at a time). As always, if you want to see a home and schedule your own private tour, please feel free to reach out and ask me anytime!

For a list of current open houses, click here: http://bit.ly/openhouseswhatcomcounty

 

Industrial Shelving Finally Complete!

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Do you remember reading my past blog about our new office renovations? If not, you can see the before & after’s here.

The final piece of the puzzle was finishing off our gorgeous industrial shelving from Rachel at Recreated. She is a local vendor here in Lynden who does amazing wood working! If you ever have a vision for anything rustic or industrial that involves some sort of old barn wood she is your gal. She makes everything by hand so she can easily customize your order and bring to life whatever you are envisioning.

 

As promised, I wanted to share the completed project of our industrial shelves that are in my office. Rachel came and installed them. Thankfully, because that part look very confusing with all the different lengths of industrial piping. I finally got around to finishing the decorating. The final item, that I’m loving, is a few framed photographs from past listings. I’m thinking I might have to switch those out too! It was so hard to pick only 4 pictures that I might need to do a rotation. 😉

 

I’m loving how it all turned out & completed our office space. If you haven’t had a chance to stop by yet, please do! We are located right off of Front St at 103 Third St. I would love to see you!

 

A Sneak Peak at My Homeschooling Space

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How many of you are adding homeschooling to your to do list now? I decided to make the most out of it and really transform a section of our  bonus room to a designated home school space. I’m loving how it turned out! While trying to make the most out of learning at home I wanted the space to really feel like a classroom setting.

That’s something I love about decorating! You can truly design & decorate spaces in your home to whatever your current needs are. I never thought I would be homeschooling- but here we are!

Good luck to all the other homeschooling parents out there!

We can DO this!

Parks in Whatcom County to help Beat the Heat

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I love that Summer FINALLY arrived! It’s suppose to 90* a few days this week and stay in the 80’s for a lot of next week. I’m not going to complain that it is too hot but it would be nice to know of a few parks to take the kids, dogs or just yourself to cool down this week if needed. Here are just a few parks in Whatcom County. If you know of any other hidden gems please let me know!

 

(https://www.facebook.com/sumascityhall/photos/pcb.587184831994952/587184791994956/)

City of Sumas Splash Pad!

The Splash Pad just got finished a couple weeks ago. It’s located on the corner of Sumas Ave & 3rd st. This park is open 9:00-9:00 all summer long. Check out the City of Sumas Facebook Page for updated details. Also it has been said it can be a bit slippery but sounds like the city is looking into this problem and should have it fixed soon.

 

(https://www.lyndenwa.org/parks/#iLightbox[image_carousel_2]/2)

Lynden City Park

The Lynden City Park has a great playground surrounded by trees so you can soak up some shade. You can enjoy the Fish Trap Creek right alongside the playground if you are needing a cool down! This park is located at 8460 Depot Rd, Lynden. It is open 8:00 to dusk.

Want more info about this park as well as other parks in Lynden? Click Here.

Photo Link

 

Bloedel Donovan Park in Bellingham

Bloedel Donovan has lots of ways to cool down! This park is located in the Silver Beach Neighborhood on Lake Whatcom. The address is 2214 Electric Avenue, Bellingham and the park opens early at 6:00 am until 10:00pm. If you are looking for a spot to bring your boat- here it is! The park also offers a lot of swimming & sandy beach options as well. If you want to see all the amenities & rules for Bloedel Donovan Park click here. 

 

Photo Link

 

Lake Padden Park

Another gorgeous park with lots to do in Bellingham is Lake Padden. This park is located at 4882 Samish Way, Bellingham. It is open from 6:00am-10:00pm daily. You can bring boats here just not motorized ones. The park also has lots of walking/hiking trails, fishing options, dog parks & more. For a full listing of the amenities at this 745 acre park click here.

 

Photo Link

Birch Bay State Park

Birch Bay State Park is located right along the ocean between Bellingham & Blaine. The address is 5105 Helweg Rd, Blaine. There is lots of exploring to do at this park! You will need a Discovery Pass (which they have pay stations available). Birch Bay is popular for crabbing, bird watching and there are lots of day shelters available for rent. For more details about this State Park click here. 

 

 

This is just a few of the local parks to get you started & hopefully help you enjoy this heat wave a bit more. Hopefully this will help get you outside & exploring our gorgeous county! We live in such a beautiful area that it is very easy to forget or take advantage of it. Enjoy & let me know where you end up going this week.

Happily Welcoming Phase 2-Whatcom County!

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Hello Phase 2- Whatcom County! It was just announced today by Governor Inslee that Whatcom County has officially been approved to start Phase 2 immediately. This means that real estate offices can start opening up again! Another change for real estate in Phase 2 is that three people can be in a home at a time versus just the two people allowed in Phase 1. We will still need to practice safety protocols and keep up with social distancing.

Here is a little information from the Bellingham Herald Article that was released today by Robert Mittendorf.

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“Phase 2 will allow these activities, according to the Health Department:

▪ Social gatherings — inside or outside — with no more than five people from outside your household.

▪ More manufacturing and construction, domestic services, retail stores, real estate. services, professional services, nail salons and barbers, with some restrictions.

▪ Restaurants can open at 50% capacity but without bar seating.  “

To read the entire article from Bellingham Herald click here.

There was also an official news release from the Washington State Coronavirus Response website. If you want to read the article that was released today, click here.

 

Overall, I could not be more excited that our county continues to go in the right direction! I’m hoping everyone stays safe and we can continue moving through the phases.