Bellingham, the ugly truth.... (Pacific, Birch Bay: crime, how much, houses)

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

...I get the impression you might endorse prohibitions against non US
citizens and/or non US corporations being able to purchase WA RE ?
Guess this is a different issue under the label of protectionism ? ...

no, no, I'm all for free trade, and have lived and worked in several countries and fully appreciate the contribution of diverse cultures. - it is the 'illegal' portion which concerns me, whether ill gotten gain from here or elsewhere, it is usually at the expense of someone less fortunate or government corruption, then the 'average joe' is paying the way of the crooks. It ain't pretty, and unfortunately the US can make it pretty easy to abuse, as we tend to be based on an element of truth. That is not a popular (or possible) theme in many countries, and potentially here, in due time...

[Linson]

hi, people. okay, here's the deal. i wanna move up to Bellingham from west Texas. i am a Border Patrol Agent and i make about 65,000 - 70,000 a year (before taxes). probably around 45,000 - 50,000 net. i have a wife and a 2 year old son. my wife doesnt work, and i understand that there arent many jobs for her up there anyhow. can i afford to live there?

i am interested in a new 4 bedroom house in Maple Falls for about $230,000. i have good credit, but currently dont have jack **** as far as a down payment.

your honest opinions would be much appreciated.

P.S.

i was born in SF, CA. grew up in Southern Oregon. went to High School in Longview/Kelso, WA. after 13 years in West Texas, I am willing to pay a higher cost of living, but not live in poverty on 70 thousand a year.

you guys have the beach, the mountains, the woods, beautiful scenery, and creeks and rivers galore. in El Paso, and West Texas in general, there is nothing of any interest or beauty for at least 500 miles in any direction. the schools are terrible. it is not multi-cultural. it has only one culture - hispanic. there are plenty of hot, sunny days, but it is usually too hot to even go outside. the weather generally varries between too hot and oppressively hot. there is nothing worse than going to work at 6 AM and it is already 85 degrees.

[StealthRabbit]

I'd come, especially since you have a 'secure' job...

There are plenty of job ops for your wife. I'd keep the plans for expensive homes very minimal, BUT... with some builders sitting on spec homes, you might get a 'low / no / downpayment' or some other incentive. I wouldn't reveal your job or income while hunting for a home, just look hard for a good deal, act broke, but serious about buying.... Depends on your desires, but I'd look toward Lyden if conservative and Bellingham if liberal. Both are nice, as is the majority of the rest of area. It is really nice to be so close to BC, especially if you have friends at the crossing (to expedite your transfer) / not have to go through the '100%' search line every time across...Hopefully the new WA DL will help.

[CoastieTX]

Linson,

I'm an agent also and transferred to the Bellingham Station a few months back. I also worked with a couple of your coworkers who recently transferred to Uvalde - Robert and "Big Mac." Good guys...

To answer your question - and this is after a lot of house hunting - I am finding that you must go up to $300K to find a decent, 1500 square foot 3 bed, 2 bath rambler in Bellingham. Everything in the $250K range is either tiny, or old.

Housing in Bellingham is more expensive than I thought it would be, so be forewarned...

PM me for more information about housing and the work here.

[rkcarguy]

I do not recommend the maple falls area, it is far from everything and there are alot of.....we'll leave it at.....people of different nationalities that have their own ideas about the law. To give you an idea there was an article in our local paper stating that in a month, the sherriffs office responded to 58 incidents of which 47 were in the Maple Falls/Paradise area. My wife and I are still saving and hoping to find a home(see my post "Bellingham, the Ugly truth"). The problem still remains that there is no affordable housing, only rich retirees keep moving here from out of state. The builders cater only to them, no one even wants to deal with you if you don't have at least $300K to spend. On top of that the growth is placing more demand on everything, and our council is constantly increasing taxes on everything. One lot we looked at was $109,000, was going to cost $9000 for water rights, $2500 for building permit, and now they are looking to add another ~$1000 to the permit cost. They have already added more taxes to our water/sewer. Makes me really happy that I'm paying for everyone else's growth and I can't afford a home here. When you're only approved for $225K even with the cheapest house it's not going to be enough. Most of the lots for sale all have CC&R's so you can't have a new modular home, several of the local modular home places have closed up. Plus, last time I checked, the permit applications were backed up almost 6 months. Everywhere prices are going down on real estate, except here because there is such a anti-growth, over regulate attitude.

That is why there are so many jobs here, people are leaving left and right for greener pastures. We may join these people, because I am tired of having no home after 4 years of spining my wheels. I only have one friend left here from college who bought his house before it got stupid, the rest all moved away.

We also pay the highest prices in the state for gas, while I'm bitching might as well mention that too........

So, Linson, think about your move cafefully. Working for the CBP you do have an ace in the hole however, as most commute to Bellingham so homes in Lynden, Blaine, and Birch Bay will be a short commute for you and are more affordable. If you are the only worker in your family, that is going to put you in the $200-$225K range which is only going to get you a new "cracker box" home on a tiny lot or a old pos. If you're the type of guy who wants some land to wander on, a shop or barn, I'd keep on lookin elsewhere.

[AZ N8IV]

There is a nice new neighborhood in Birch Bay near the water. DB Johnson is the builder and the homes start in the 220's. You can probably get what you're looking for for around 240. The lot sizes are not too bad either. It's 5 minutes from the Peace Arch and Truck crossings, 15 minutes to Lynden and 25 minutes to Sumas.

Birch Bay is a nicer, safer community than Maple Falls. Sunnier, drier, and closer to I-5.

[Linson]

thanks so much for the info. i am going to try to come up there this summer and look around. problem is that i am sick of Texas (and the southwest)in almost every way possible. it sounds really frustrating up there too. but in my line of work, it seems like the most desireable location. the southern border is the southern border. california is too expensive. pretty much anywhere (other than western Washington) on the northern border is too cold and too isolated.

unfortunately it seems that the cost of living is unbearable up there. and i have experienced that the quality of life is unbearable down here.

btw, how far is Birch Bay from Bellingham.

[rkcarguy]

I clocked the distance from Birch-bay/Lynden Rd.(the main road into BB) to Bellingham about 15 miles.
Btw yesterday my wife was going to a dentist appointment, and some jerk getting on the freeway cut over into the fast lane too quick and spun out, forcing cars into the median and my wife off the shoulder where she hit a large tree and totaled her car. She is sore but was lucky to walk away. Then the he ran off! We've had 2 hit and run incidents and a no-insurance accident(all not our fault) in 2 years!!!!
I hope they find this moron he will be going down for felony hit and run. The car was a Blue Sedan, like a late 90's Neon or Cavalier. The accident took place just North of the Sunset/Mt Baker Highway Exit on I-5 NB at 4:50 PM Yesterday, May 3rd. If anyone saw anything please let me know here or contact the Police at 360-676-2076, regarding case # 07-004831. I want this person OFF THE ROAD and will offer a $500 reward for information leading to his arrest!!!

[beanpod]

Hi. Since we are looking to relocate to WA, we are all over the place today on this forum. Apologies but it is helpful.

We agree with rkcarguy and to people who say "gee you are SO negative" for God's sake, do you want real and honest information or do you want to feel good? If you want to feel good, maybe go pop a beer or something but we want honest, real and truthful information because these are major decisions
we are making here. BIG decisions and we need all the REAL and HONEST
information we can get. Comments like you are "so negative" irk the bejeezies out of us. Who cares. Get over it. No one has the responsibility to make you feel good. Sorry.

Ok. Off our chests. Anyway, we agree with RKcarguy after spending a few weeks in BHAM. Folks that live there are topped out with the growth and rightfully so. I live in a place that the Bay Area aggrandizes and they all move here causing increases in housing and taxes. It IS irritating. People with tons of $$$ they made somewhere else move INTO an community and take it over. It is, in fact, a type of colonialism, granted on a smaller scale, but it is still colonialism and is just human nature that the people that live there already will not like it. This is a NORMAL response. We have decided against BHAM for alot of reasons but if nothing else, to give the folks that live there a breather! We can say we were nearly horrified by what we saw in
Blaine. Blaine used to be a "sleepy little fishing town." We saw the biggest new mansions (not mini mansions) we have ever seen in our lives there. Rows and rows and rows of these new enormous homes, of course, gated. It was
disgusting. Then, we see packs of these noveau riche white people all walking together with their alumnium pole "hiking sticks"...ugh.

Thanks for all the candid responses. We want the TRUTH. If we want to feel
good, we'll watch reruns of Sleepless in Seattle!

Beanpod/FBean

[Fairhaven]

RKCarGuy you sound like you're having a bad year. It probably influences your perspective. You've also been here a long time, so change probably comes hardest to you.

Beanpod you were here "a few weeks" so you're not exactly an authority, but your reference to "rich white people" says alot, too.

People should not come to Bellingham on their own if they are overly willful, fearful, racist, ultra-conservative, judgemental, or financially strapped. The place is changing rapidly. Sections are very liberal, and there is a very strong fundamental religious population. It makes for segmented diversity. If that's not your style, maybe look elsewhere?

I find Bellingham inherently interesting. A street can have a weed-engulfed single-wide trailer and a McMansion across from each other. Which one took a risk and invested in the community? Which do you think will eventually have to go? It's not rocket science, but it will take some time to change and more to settle down afterwards. And about those "retirees"... how long before their homes are back on the market, and who will buy them next? And if their spending in the mean time fuels the renovation of an old mill town, was that a bad thing?