Surrey is the nearest major suburban city to the I-5/BC-99 border crossing. It has thousands of new apts & condos, but housing costs there have skyrocketed since the light rail commuter service to downtown Vancouver opened.
Langley is immediately east of Surrey; it is a bit more suburban (more homes than apts/condos) but also growing rapidly and is expensive.
Abbotsford is the next border crossing about 10 miles east; the 2 lane roads to it on the US side are much slower, but the border crossing is much less busy. Chilliwack is 25 minutes east of there on the Trans-Canada Hwy 1. There are several towns between them; the Frasier valley is well on its way to becoming one long extended suburb. The further east (and out of Vancouver), the lower the housing costs. This area has a variety of housing and may better fit your requirements.
Expect a 2.5 hour trip each way, plus a 10-30 minute wait at the border crossing, plus 30-40 minutes during rush hours.
Minor notes: US passport will be required for entry at these border crossings in 2008, and has noticably facilitated crossing since 9/11.
The Interstate 5/B.C. 99 border crossing has been closed for hours at a time about once every 3 months by walk-offs of Canadian customs employees protesting inadequate security, and once or twice a year by incidents (e.g. fugitives, fence-crashers, etc). This can cause I-5 to backup for most of a full day. It's been perhaps 3 years since the Abbotsford crossing was affected by anything like this. Both border crossings are open 24 hrs/day.
As a Canadian resident entering Canada, expect to have your car searched occasionally for undeclared (untaxed) American merchandise (right down to the tires on your car - if they look new and aren't a Canadian brand, carry the receipts!). As an American entering the US in a vehicle with BC plates, I'd carry a passport, vehicle registration and at least a photocopy of the vehicle title in your name. I'm afraid you can expect more than average scrutiny going both ways, but won't have a problem most days. Best wishes, eh?
Welcome to City-Data.com forum! Make sure to register - it's free and very quick! You have to register before you can post and participate in our discussions with 700,000 other registered members. User profiles and some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your free account you will be able to customize many options, you will have the full access to over 15,000 posts/day about local topics and you will see fewer ads. 
Work in Bothell - Live in Canada - Commute once a week
Linear Mode
