Client Showcase: Shae and Taylor

It’s time for another client showcase! This one features Shae and Taylor, a rad young couple who I had the pleasure of helping buy their first home in the spring of 2022. They, like so many first time buyers, needed to be exceptionally patient…submitting several offers, getting outbid on multiple homes….but they stayed the course and it paid off! They are coming up on their 1 year anniversary of home ownership, living in a sweet little rambler in close proximity to their favorite place, Galbraith Mountain! Here’s some more fun info about them:

How long have you been in Bellingham?

A lifetime! Taylor James is third generation born and raised here and Shae transferred to Bellingham High School when she was a teen. We originally met in Ceramics class, although didn’t date until several years later, despite having a crush on each other back then! We’ve been together for over 10 years now!

What do you do during the day to “pay the bills”? 

Taylor started Liet Unlimited when he was just 19 years old. He dreamed of making his own designs into apparel, but found that his community had a bigger need for a reasonable and trustworthy screen print and design resource. He was encouraged by his college design class mentor, a young entrepreneur named Kevin Menard. To this day, Liet Unlimited still prints for Menard’s company, Transition Bikes, but their client list has grown to include more of the Bellingham community and bike industry clients. In fact, Liet Unlimited designed and printed the tournament logo and t-shirts for the Lucky Puck, a 3 day youth hockey tournament organized by Jason’s assistant, Katharine!

Shae James also went the entrepreneur route at 19 years old, but instead started a hair styling business. After  13 years, she moved on to help grow the cycling community inside and outside of Bellingham by taking a position in Global Marketing at Kona Bicycle Co. Through advocacy work and community outreach, she’s proud to get more butts on bikes, everyday!

Favorite activities in Bellingham?

It’s not hard to figure out that we love biking! Trail builders, mountain bike riders, dirt jumpers, klunkers, fair weather commuters, and everything in between – but we do so much more and just as often! We are annual passholders at Mt. Baker Ski Area. We enjoy riding our dirt bikes, building ramps and skateboarding, and surfing on occasion.

Favorite places to eat in Bellingham?

We love family style restaurants! Mi Mexico, Xing’s Panda Palace, Sandwich Odyssey, D’Anna’s Italiano, and Café Rumba are places we frequent.

Any fun facts about either of you that would be fun to share?

1. We love local small business! We have over 10 self-employed family members here in Bellingham.
2. Taylor’s grandma, Mitzi, worked at Mt. Baker Ski Area for four decades and even has a run named after her off Chair 3 (Mitzi’s Run).
3. Shae coaches MTB skills for youth and adults for Radical Roots MTB and Radical Rippers. Check them out!