NW Living Group – Gratitude Project

Posted By John / Client Focus / No Comments

Remember the last time you received a hand written thank you from someone you hired? Is that still a thing? Remember how it made you feel to get something in the mail that wasn’t a bill or junk?  Seriously though, what happened to the art of hand writing a thank you card?

I personally love receiving thank you cards and sadly, no, I don’t write as many as I think I should. I blame all the modern conveniences of email, text messaging, and social media chat communications – and not because we don’t say thank you any more, because we do.  It’s just that the act of taking time to hand write a thank you has slipped into the past, and while a hand written card had more warmth and meaningful thought attached, it took more time and care to make it happen. And sometimes we simply don’t get around to writing anymore except around birthdays and holidays – if that.

Something I’ve taken to heart these days, is that I always take a moment when I receive a thank you card to remember the great experience I had with that person. This was someone who helped bring their expertise and time and care to help me get something accomplished that I needed. Of course they were doing this professionally, but there was always a feeling that they were there because they wanted to help and they wanted the best for me.  I always appreciate the extra thoughtfulness, and I appreciate what it took for that person to take out a pen and a card and send me a personal thank you.

I will say again that while I don’t write nearly as many thank you cards as I think I should, at NW Living Group | eXp Realty we’ve made a commitment with our team to nurture the art of writing thank you’s and letting our clients and peers know how much we appreciate them and are grateful.  Our clients are a great example of people who we get to know and who rely on us to be positive and helpful always. From the first time we meet to the time when they’ve either purchased a new home or sold one, we’re there every step of the way to help advise and ensure the entire process is managed professionally and with the utmost care and attention.

We formally send out thank you notes to our clients and as our team grows we’ve extended our client outreach to include them in what we call the Gratitude Project. It’s something unique and special that we believe in and let’s our clients know we enjoyed meeting and getting to know them, and that we look forward to the next time we can connect again in the future.  Cheers!

Read More

Ski to Sea Memories

Posted By Mimi / Activities, Events, Festival, Outdoors, Team / Events, Festivals / 1 Comment

It’s Ski to Sea time again!  Every Sunday before Memorial Day, marks the day teams gather at Mt. Baker at dawn to start the first leg of Bellingham’s original adventure race.  Ski to Sea Weekend is one of Bellingham’s BIG annual events.  So beloved are the race, the parades and the festivals it has the power to beckon “Bellinghamsters” back home from places far and wide to participate and visit with their friends and old neighbors.

Fairhaven, where the race ends and the Festival is held, morphs overnight from a small, quaint, historical village into a sea of people and music, vendors and race participants.  Over the years I have noticed there are more and more unfamiliar faces in the Ski to Sea crowd, punctuated by only the occasional bump with a familiar face.  This serves as a reminder of the changes and growth Bellingham has seen over the past 35 years since my family moved here in the 1980’s.  We have most certainly morphed from what was a small “Mill Town by a bay” when I moved here, to a bustling, vibrant, interesting, semi-cosmopolitan small city.

This weekend I will spend time with friends (like we do every year) and I am sure we will share (again) our own 35+ years of Ski to Sea memories.  I hear the same stories every year, and laugh each time like it is the first time I have ever heard them.  (I notice as we all get older, the stories of our youth take on a whole new level of hilarity.)

There was the year there was a sailing leg to end the race across the Bay, and ZERO wind…none!  The race ended with catamarans and small sailboats stranded and strewn all over the bay for hours into the night (I think it was the very next year they changed that leg to kayaking!).  Or the time friends participated in the canoe leg, which was also the year the tide was soooo far out, they had to carry their canoe through over a mile of mud flats to reach their teammate who only upon their arrival could sail their way to the finish line.  The road rash stories from downhill running or cycling – and show off the scars for proof.  The years with not enough snow to either downhill or cross country.  Nostalgic stories of the year it was soooo cold the only vendor doing much business at the festival was the guy selling those super heavy Hippie llama wool sweaters made in Peru.  (He killed it that year!)  Springtime and early summer in the Pacific Northwest can be pretty unpredictable!

What is predictable is that Ski to Sea Weekend is the distinct marker that the long, warm summer days are just around the corner!  It brings excitement to everyone around here knowing that the time for all of our favorite summer things to do has arrived!  Days of boating, crabbing, fishing, kayaking, agate hunting, clamming!  If the vegetable garden is not planted by Ski to Sea, it means you are late and need to get moving!  It is the time for planting flower beds and tackling the outdoor projects that have waited all winter for the dry days and the internal energy to complete them.  It means daylight until 10:00 pm, BBQ’s with friends, fire pits, camping and hiking…there is just so much to do in the Pacific Northwest in the summertime it is hard to fit it all in!

Ski to Sea Weekend is also the marker for the start of our busiest time of  the year for real estate.  Historically we begin to see a surge in listings just after the Ski to Sea weekend, and more buyers out looking.   If you want to keep tabs on what is going on with the Bellingham and Whatcom County Real Estate market this summer, set up a search on the NWLivingRE.com site.  There you will find accurate, real time updates on what is for sale, and what properties are selling for which is good information for both buyers and sellers (and those who are simply curious).

And, if you see my face in the crowd this weekend, please make sure to say, “HI!”.

-Mimi

“If anyone you care about needs a Realtor, please share my name with them.”

And if your need one, click HERE for a copy of the Official Ski to Sea RACE MAP!

 

 

Read More

25 Seasons: Growing Strong

Posted By Mimi / Activities / Downtown, Local, Organic, Outdoor, Shopping / No Comments

The Bellingham Farmers Market, just a dream in the early 1990’s has become one of the largest markets in Washington State, and a destination location for tourists and locals alike. It began when two Western Washington University students had a vision to have locally grown produce sold in a downtown urban location. They approached local community member, Del Lowry, who worked cooperatively with them to gain the support of several key farmers and city officials. Today Lowry’s efforts are acknowledged as an important contribution to forming the Market.

It’s going to be a great year. See you at the Market!

Read More

Galbraith Mountain

Posted By Mimi / Trails / Biking, Facebook, Galbraith, Video / 1 Comment

This is where we live! I LOVE Bellingham!

Posted by I love Bellingham Washington on Friday, March 3, 2017

Read More

Hello Bellingham!

Posted By Greg Bays / Introduction / Brand, Brokers, Headshots / No Comments

We’re proud to announce the initial NW Living group – powered by eXp. Northwest Living is located in Bellingham. Here to serve you under this banner with one common goal. Make your experience for buying or selling a house a real treat. We hope you will join us, or just reach out and say “Hi!”

Read More

click for google map