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The smoke has arrived. Thankfully it's not nearly as bad as last year, yet. Air quality is still good/moderate, but you can see the haze and it's given the sunset a duller copper hue the last few days.
Location: Whatcom County, WA/Cherokee County, NC/Pike County, KY
447 posts, read 332,557 times
Reputation: 609
Update:
The crackheads and reckless drivers are alive and well in Whatcom County. The economy is rotting and people are too drunk to care. Orcas are hiding while container ships become the new waterfront view.
You only have to watch the first minute to hear what they say about Bellingham after comparing it to places like Asheville, Boulder, etc.
Basically, the no housing situation immediately ruled it out.
Great work, city planners!
LOL, did you actually watch the video? Are you trying to make the case that Bellingham is terrible?
I don't think you understand what the people in the video are getting at. These people literally went out of their way to say that they LOVED Bellingham-they just couldn't find the specific style of house that they liked. On a side note, someone should tell them that Portland actually gets about 30% more annual rainfall than Bham....
Anyway, real estate prices are high here. But just so you're aware, Boulder is more expensive than Bellingham, and so is Bend. And where they're actually talking about going is the Denver/Boulder suburbs, where there's much more inventory of generic, overpriced subdivisions on the plains. And as they went on to explain, there were numerous other reasons as to why they settled on CO.
Anyway, I agree with the insinuation that we need more single family housing here, as there's certainly a ton of demand. But I think your attempted point falls flat, considering the details of most of their other finalists for relocation.
Last edited by bartonizer; 08-06-2021 at 02:23 PM..
The crackheads and reckless drivers are alive and well in Whatcom County. The economy is rotting and people are too drunk to care. Orcas are hiding while container ships become the new waterfront view.
Yes, there was a wreck with an impaired driver a few weeks ago. While tragic, apparently it may surprise you to know that there are impaired drivers and accidents involving them in literally every other county in the nation. Do you have some information showing that the problem is somehow worse here?
And yes, we have two container ships anchored in the bay while the Port of Seattle waits for spots to clear up. It's peak season for shipping, and ports around the country and world are experiencing issues with backups. Google "ports backing up". Nevermind, I'll save you the time: https://www.google.com/search?q=port...hrome&ie=UTF-8.
A couple of other things to consider, a) Orcas and other whales don't visit Bellingham Bay as much as deeper waters to the west (though they HAVE been frequenting the bay lately, actually), and b) We have an active port here, like many other places on the West Coast. And we generally have fewer ships in the vicinity than just about any other substantial ports in the region.
Haha no, still here. I do have more friends that moved out of here to Cleveland this year though. They told me to thank the implants for their ability to cash out a much nicer home there and get their boys in college.
I do feel for you guys though, I've been seeing where Idaho has become the new hottest "infestation location".
The cost of housing is substantially less in Cleveland- but they're experiencing a housing crisis, too, as is the entire nation. So while the prices may not be as high in other places, relatively speaking the skyrocketing prices present just as much of a challenge to residents in those areas.
So let me ask you a question: Why is it that when your friends cash out of a more expensive market to buy a dream house in another market, it's perfectly acceptable- but when people with money move here from another market, their intentions are somehow evil? Aren't they all doing the same thing? I'd love to hear your answer, because it sure seems like a glaring double standard.
The cost of housing is substantially less in Cleveland- but they're experiencing a housing crisis, too, as is the entire nation. So while the prices may not be as high in other places, relatively speaking the skyrocketing prices present just as much of a challenge to residents in those areas.
So let me ask you a question: Why is it that when your friends cash out of a more expensive market to buy a dream house in another market, it's perfectly acceptable- but when people with money move here from another market, their intentions are somehow evil? Aren't they all doing the same thing? I'd love to hear your answer, because it sure seems like a glaring double standard.
Your "question" went totally out of context with my points I try to get across. Posters like you going "rah rah rah" for Bellingham draw people in from other places that end up NOT LIKING IT HERE. The musical chair game with people moving to cheaper places and those displaced moving to other cheaper places and displacing those people is real I won't argue that. But, all the friends of mine are working class and the places they have moved offer a much better cost of living/income ratio than Bellingham.
They are happy because, better financial situation aside, they can go to a park and there is actually parking and it's not full of needles and homeless people. They can go to the lake and launch their boat or go to a trail to hike or bike and not have to wait for hours and/or park a mile away, and come back to a smashed out window because there was 58 cents and a Celine Dion CD in their center console. They can go shop for groceries instead of having to "combat shop" only to find 1/3rd of the items they wanted are stripped off the shelves.
They like that it doesn't rain all the time and isn't dismal and muddy 9 months out of the year.
Many of the people that have replaced them, are snobs. I get a laugh out of the watching the luxury cars (some still with California plates), in a big line backed out into the street from Starbucks honking and yelling at each other. What remains of our working class also laughs when they purchase a $1M plus waterfront home, and then are looking for someone to update their place or work on their Mercedes "for cheap".
Now, if you are rich like 7-figures or more rich, like wandering downtown, swilling craft beer at one place and the next, and don't mind lots of homeless, property crime, poor service, 2-3 months wait for healthcare/procedures, and long lines, Bellingham is for you. We need more of you, please move here its great and everything is gold plated.
Your "question" went totally out of context with my points I try to get across. Posters like you going "rah rah rah" for Bellingham draw people in from other places that end up NOT LIKING IT HERE. The musical chair game with people moving to cheaper places and those displaced moving to other cheaper places and displacing those people is real I won't argue that. But, all the friends of mine are working class and the places they have moved offer a much better cost of living/income ratio than Bellingham.
They are happy because, better financial situation aside, they can go to a park and there is actually parking and it's not full of needles and homeless people. They can go to the lake and launch their boat or go to a trail to hike or bike and not have to wait for hours and/or park a mile away, and come back to a smashed out window because there was 58 cents and a Celine Dion CD in their center console. They can go shop for groceries instead of having to "combat shop" only to find 1/3rd of the items they wanted are stripped off the shelves.
They like that it doesn't rain all the time and isn't dismal and muddy 9 months out of the year.
Many of the people that have replaced them, are snobs. I get a laugh out of the watching the luxury cars (some still with California plates), in a big line backed out into the street from Starbucks honking and yelling at each other. What remains of our working class also laughs when they purchase a $1M plus waterfront home, and then are looking for someone to update their place or work on their Mercedes "for cheap".
Now, if you are rich like 7-figures or more rich, like wandering downtown, swilling craft beer at one place and the next, and don't mind lots of homeless, property crime, poor service, 2-3 months wait for healthcare/procedures, and long lines, Bellingham is for you. We need more of you, please move here its great and everything is gold plated.
Where do I begin? I think it's a fair question, and not out of context, considering how many times you've attacked my intentions, and the intentions of others, for moving to Bellingham. Yet you constantly talk about moving away, and how far people's money can go in other places, with nary a peep about intentions, other than to get a good deal and live like royalty in other markets. Anyway, I like where I live, and you apparently don't anymore. That's fine, and I've not only agreed with you 100x on these forums, but I've told you dozens of times that I sympathize with having your hometown change dramatically in front of your eyes, though I'd argue that many changes are actually improvements. In general, I'm defending this place against the absurd, and fairly relentless attacks against this place, not rah-rah-ing. I've said a million times that it's not for everyone. And when have I denied that housing got expensive? I just don't understand why you feel like you're somehow "saving" people from making a bad decision. OF COURSE people should check a place out before moving. In multiple seasons, I'd add. People not doing their diligence are taking a huge risk. But saving them from making a bad decision is why you've been badmouthing the place every chance you get?
Anyhow, here you are complaining for thirteen years about a place, and mad that people like me appreciate the heck out of it. But you just won't go anywhere else to find out that the exact same things occur elsewhere, and in many cases are worse. Lines at Starbucks? Better weather in Cleveland? Give me a break. Ever been? My wife is from Western PA and will be the first to tell you the weather here is a vast improvement. Escalating real estate prices? Having to park a distance away from hiking trails? Shortages of some items at grocery stores? I assume you pay attention to the news. Again, literally everything you complain about happens elsewhere- and in many cases it's far, far worse in cities of comparable sizes.
If you're mad at the people in million dollar homes, okay. But most other cities have wealthy neighborhoods, too. And someone vying for mansions on the water isn't competing for housing with you or me, so what's the problem? Most neighborhoods in town aren't filled ritzy people, they're more likely to be new aged hippies. Maybe that's not your speed, but acting like they're all snobby because you don't agree with their views doesn't make any sense.
In terms of industry, I'm all about more jobs coming here, though it's definitely worth pointing out that industries evolve over time. Getting mad at other people for adjusting to the demands of the job market sounds like more of a defense mechanism than a reasonable argument. Can you seriously blame people for retraining for industries in demand and going back to school to advance their careers? Yeah, I went to college, and then ended up working for years in a furniture plant. I watched the industry collapse and decided to go back and get another degree and get into the digital field. Am I a "snob" because I didn't want to remain in a dying field, so I busted my tail to get out of it? Am I a bad person because we moved here and loved it? Do you laugh the same way when someone driving a $100k Dodge Ram that costs 4x the price of a used Mercedes wants to get work done on their rig "for cheap"? Is swilling craft beer an exclusive realm of those making 7 figures? Give me a break. Again, I'll ask, why are your intentions pure when you need the same goods and services as anyone else? Because you were here first?
I get that you hate the place, but again I would argue that what you really hate is cities, and Bellingham happens to be one of them. As someone who's lived in a number of other cities, I can tell you that this compares favorably at least to us. But you've got the worst case of "the grass is greener on the other side" that I've ever seen. If/when you ever finally decide to "infest" someone else's hometown, I hope you report back on what you find.
In the meantime, when people make ridiculous or one sided comments on this thread, or complain excessively about things that happen literally everywhere else, I'll continue to provide balance- or at least apply context.
Last edited by bartonizer; 08-06-2021 at 06:01 PM..
Great thread. I may have to really look into Bellingham. I have only driven through on the way to Canada. I currently live in OR. We have no sales tax but seems every year we always end up owing income tax. I lived in Seattle for about three years and liked it. I would not move back up there even though I miss Mariners baseball and the hockey which now includes an NHL team.
I did a quick look at Real estate seems like property taxes are not too bad. We cannot afford to buy a house here. The property taxes are ridiculous and houses are selling for a lot more than asking price.
How are the schools? We have a daughter in high school.
My hubby works from home so a job would not
be an issue.
^^^^
I think you would just be trading one form of taxes for another. We don't have an income tax......wait that's actually not true either, the State passed a mandatory long term care tax that takes effect in November at 0.58%.....but there are taxes tacked onto almost everything else and it really does all add up when you don't have a lot of disposable income. It really sucks to buy a new car here because unlike a home which only see's excise taxes, you're paying another 8.7%-10%+ in sales tax depending on county.
FYI Bellingham has a "impervious surfaces tax" that is added onto your water and sewer bill. For my grandmothers home which is nothing special but in a now desirable area, the property taxes and impervious surface area taxes alone are now creeping up on $800/month.
Some properties have not been assessed at higher values and you may be seeing cheaper taxes on their history, but know that if you buy that place at market price it's going to be recorded and adjusted to that when the assessor visits (every year now).
I would visit the "total tax load calculator by state", enter your #'s and see how they turn out. Higher income people can have it pan out as positive compared to Oregon, but for middle class incomes the tax load can actually be quite a bit less in Oregon.
Schools were/are in turmoil from Covid-19, not sure what to say there.
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