Amy S Zender - Bellingham, WA Realtor®

The Pacific Northwest is oft thought of as an area speckled with small communities supported by the fishing, farming, and logging industries. While this is still true, to a much smaller degree, the upper northwest corner of the US is brimming with boutiques, fine dining, bedroom communities, waterfront estates, mountain-view retreats, and a vital and active equestrian community. The good news is... it's everywhere. This Luxury is inserted in every square acre of the northwest tip of the country!

For our lucky out-of-town guests in search of cleaner living, historic communities, fancy restaurants where nice jeans are okay to don, and a thriving "support local business" philosophy, the Pacific Northwest offers a plethora of choices when selecting real estate.

Sure, we have the big box stores. However, we have so much more, including the freshest seafood, local berries and vegetables, charming boutique shopping, walking trails that wind around mountains, lakes, the bay, and throughout towns and farmland. Whatever tickles your fancy... the Pacific Northwest has something to offer you. Yes, you! No wonder it has become a hot-spot for retirees, medical professionals, college professors, yoga enthusiasts, professional and amateur athletes, writers and artists, and horse hobbyists.

When arriving in our little gem of the Pacific Northwest, make sure you are connected with a local expert - a Real Estate consultant who knows the area, knows how to make you say "ooh" and "ahh" around every corner. Have you found a worthy professional who gets as excited as you? Who understands that every buyer has a story, and is willing to listen to yours? Who wakes up every day to make your dreams come true? Who is willing to learn enough about you, to help you express who you are and want to be?

If you have been blessed enough to already experience all that the Northwest has to offer, and find yourself needing or wanting to sell your property, be certain to look for a real estate professional who is as vibrant at 8pm as they are at 8am. Who is willing and able to be in the moment and honors commitment. Who is able to be the voice to your heart, and stands behind delivering a high-end product. And most importantly, realizes that you and your home have a story to tell, and listens deeply and passionately, striving to make your dreams come true.

You see, it matters not whether you are buying or selling real estate. The company, the product, and legacy remain the same. I am Amy S Zender. I am your trusted authority, and I welcome you to my business.

If you find that you are in need of a real estate marketing consultant who values success, discretion, and caters to the upper-tier housing market, then you require the services of a Luxury Home Marketing Specialist. The Institute of Luxury Home Marketing (ILHM) requires rigorous coursework, only allowing a few proven professionals to become members. I am such a member. I am the local Director of Luxury Homes by Keller Williams here in the Pacific Northwest, servicing from as far North as the Canadian Border to South Seattle.

The Amy Zender Group is a highly skilled and professional team designed to guide you through your real estate transaction seamlessly, and with the utmost care and confidentiality.

Please phone #360.920.4886 for more information and to schedule a marketing consultation. Providing Tiffany's service to all clientele, Amy is the Luxury Real Estate Professional of choice!

I just watched watched Pinocchio with my children, while we were all sick with the flu. On a recent trip to Cancun, we took this photo. It got me wondering about conscience. Good ol' Jiminy Cricket was Pinocchio's Conscience. I printed off the picture, and posted it near my desk. No, not to cause distress for anyone looking at it (it is scary, and very large indeed), but rather a gentle reminder to always do the right thing.

One might argue that you do not need a talisman to do good. I agree. This is a small token to remind me to think good, feel good. Do you have any charms you look to for daily reminders?

By the way, this cricket is part of the largest species of crickets in the world! Thank you for reading!

Bellingham Realty Girl | Amy S Zender | Realtor®

www.bellinghamrealtygirl.com | amyzender@connectrealty.com

Connect Realty.com | 112 Ohio Street, Ste. 101, Bellingham, WA 98225 | Office: 360.920.4886

Amy Zender is dedicated to supporting the hottest Bellingham Real Estate market in Washington! Amy's goal is to empower you with accurate, innovative, and honest information. Be mindful of the many choices you have as buyers and sellers, as we find ourselves in a market where there is plenty of room to be creative! Give Amy, your savvy Bellingham Real Estate Agent, a call to learn what she and her snap-crack team of professionals can do for you at #360.920.4886!

Spring is among us now. And in keeping with the theme, the market is sprouting a little too.

Here in Bellingham, WA, we have seen market improvement in the past two months. No doubt, lower interest rates, first-time home buyer tax credits, and lower home prices are to blame.

While we were in a market slump, many agents left the industry or reduced their availability to part-time. I was lucky enough to maintain a full-time status. Were you one of the lucky ones?

Frequently I am asked about the market, as I am sure most of you are. I have worked tirelessly to stay ahead academically of the market. Mailing cards, making phone calls, sending e-newsletters, and educating my clients - all have been my highest priority. Even if I have not had as many transactions on the table as usual, I have kept my clients informed religiously about market conditions. My phone has been busy nonetheless, even if it has been me making the lion's share of the calls. I have been unafraid to tell the truth, to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have, as it were, kept it real.

With Spring on the horizon, the sun shining more, and flowers beginning to bloom, so too is our housing market. Fortunately, I am prepared because I have been present each and every day with my clients. And as many agents became fair-weather, I remain steadfast and current.

I spent the last few months stepping up and not cowering away from our sour market. I have not chosen to follow the market lead, and play catch-up with clients.

In Winter, plants and trees can sometimes lay dormant. They are rather unexpressive, and can look lonely and unhealthy. We have been experiencing a Winter in the housing market, and I chose not to remain inactive. Instead, I was more like an evergreen - although not growing, still present, full, and thriving.

With Spring upon us, and flowers in bloom, are you? Or are you recoiled in the corner waiting for the market to fully recover before igniting your clients? Are you a thriving vine or a shrinking violet?

Only time will tell. But have you created a faithful following? Or have you lost clients like trees lose leaves in the wintertime?

Sit in the sun, drink some water, contact a client. Breathe life into your business. It is not too late. Thank you for reading.

Bellingham Realty Girl | Amy S Zender | Realtor®

www.bellinghamrealtygirl.com | amyzender@connectrealty.com

Connect Realty.com | 112 Ohio Street, Ste. 101, Bellingham, WA 98225 | Office: 360.920.4886

Amy Zender is dedicated to supporting the hottest Bellingham Real Estate market in Washington! Amy's goal is to empower you with accurate, innovative, and honest information. Be mindful of the many choices you have as buyers and sellers, as we find ourselves in a market where there is plenty of room to be creative! Give Amy, your savvy Bellingham Real Estate Agent, a call to learn what she and her snap-crack team of professionals can do for you at #360.920.4886!

The phone rang this morning very early. I knew it could not be the pilot, so I thought "Self, who could be calling so early?" Not wanting to be the person who answers the phone like they just finished smoking a pack of cigarettes chased by a fifth of whiskey, I faked a "Good Morning! This is Amy..."

"Mrs. Led?" (husband's Call Sign is Led, as in Zeppelin, as in guitar-playing pilot who once had long hair prior to joining the military). I answered perkily, "Yes, wow, I haven't heard that name in a while."

Turns out, a fighter pilot from Led's past is accepting orders to NAS (Naval Air Station) Whidbey Island, WA, to be a flight instructor. Although there are wonderful Connect Realty agents in the Oak Harbor and Anacortes areas of WA, he would rather have the Bellingham Realty Girl assist his family with a Military PCS, as I specialize in VA Loan transactions and taking care of Military Spouses.

Just because of the history of the relationship, I will become this pilot's buyer's agent. The level of intimacy shared in the military through strength and bonding is immeasurable. He and Led deployed together overseas to Iraq on an aircraft carrier. Have you ever seen two pilots get together and have a conversation? Their hands are all over the place in what I like to call the "there I was" stance.

It is rare indeed to find a profession which lends itself to creating lifelong relationships. Where military relationships are concerned, time stands still.

This one call became a true "wake-up" call for me. It occurred to me that I had not had real conversations with many of our military friends around the country for quite some time. Email and Christmas cards seem to be commonplace and have replaced the telephone. I spent the better part of the day calling old friends, catching up, leaving messages even. Initially I had lead generation on my mind. The cosmos had another plan.

I discovered a number of friends are currently deployed to Iraq and Afganistan. I gathered their deployment addresses so Led and I can assemble some care packages (I am awfully good at those). Cultivation. That is what it is all about. Sure, my business came up in conversations, but there was something much bigger at play. It is not about me.

As Easter approaches tomorrow, it occurs to me that a few years ago, I spent Easter alone without Led, and children were not quite on the horizon yet. The photos included were taken during that deployment. It seems as though no matter how much time has passed, how much distance has grown, and how much families have expanded, the closeness of the military relationship remains intact, familiar, and strong.

More than an email, a letter, or a card, a phone call to those far away is the handshake or hug so often shared in friendship. I encourage you to explore your past relationships, and pick up the phone.

And as we celebrate Easter, remember those servicememmbers who are not here a part of the collective, but rather abroad ensuring our safety and freedom. To those who have served, and who continue to serve, I say thank you. To Led, I say thank you, and I love you. May all those abroad return safely.

Have you polished and massaged your relationships lately? Thank you for reading. And yes, I am a very proud spouse - I hope it shows!

Bellingham Realty Girl | Amy S Zender | Realtor®

www.bellinghamrealtygirl.com | amyzender@connectrealty.com

Connect Realty.com | 112 Ohio Street, Ste. 101, Bellingham, WA 98225 | Office: 360-920-4886

Amy Zender is dedicated to supporting the hottest Real Estate market in Bellingham, Washington! Amy's goal is to empower you with accurate, innovative, and honest information. Be mindful of the many choices you have as buyers and sellers, as we find ourselves in a market where there is plenty of room to be creative! Give Amy, your savvy Bellingham Real Estate Agent, a call to learn what she and her snap-crack team can do for you at #360.920.4886!

Bellingham Realty Girl | Amy S Zender | Realtor®

www.bellinghamrealtygirl.com | amyzender@connectrealty.com

Connect Realty.com | 112 Ohio Street, Ste. 101, Bellingham, WA 98225 | Office: 360-920-4886

Amy Zender is dedicated to supporting the hottest Real Estate market in Bellingham, Washington! Amy's goal is to empower you with accurate, innovative, and honest information. Be mindful of the many choices you have as buyers and sellers, as we find ourselves in a market where there is plenty of room to be creative! Give Amy, your savvy Bellingham Real Estate Agent, a call to learn what she and her snap-crack team can do for you at #360.920.4886!