Colleen Thorsen, REALTOR® | John L. Scott, Bellingham When people picture Bellingham, they usually think of Fairhaven's brick storefronts or the old Victorians in the Lettered Streets. Cordata is a different kind of neighborhood. It's on the north end of town, it's mostly newer construction, and it's growing faster than any other part of the city. It's also quietly becoming one of the neighborhoods I get asked about most by people who are ready to simplify. Here's what Cordata is like, who...

By Colleen Thorsen, REALTOR® | John L. Scott Real Estate, Bellingham There's a version of selling that goes smoothly. The home's ready, the price is right, a motivated buyer shows up in the first couple of weeks, and the whole thing closes without much drama. I see that version more often than most sellers expect. But it almost always has one thing in common: the seller went in informed. The things sellers wish they'd known before listing aren't complicated. They're mostly gaps between how...

By Colleen Thorsen, REALTOR® | John L. Scott, Bellingham If you're working through my guide to Bellingham's neighborhoods, Barkley is worth a close look for anyone who wants convenience without sacrificing livability. It's one of the most practical, well-rounded neighborhoods in the city — and one of the newest, at least in feel. A Neighborhood Barely 30 Years Old Barkley's backstory starts in the 1970s, when Jim Talbot — owner of Bellingham Cold Storage — purchased roughly 240 acres of...