What should I know about Bellingham?

[Sign]

ALICE........

I see that you made it over here to the WA board.
Much of what I have seen of other posts here is definitely a reality in Bellingham, but there ARE nice houses in that price range....IF you are flexible and would consider buying in an outlying area.....near B'ham.

I believe that Ferndale or Blaine and Lynden....could all be viable alternative options....and all within 30 minutes of Bellingham. Sudden Valley? Maybe.
Also.....there are some VERY nice newer homes in Birch Bay as well as a slightly older, gated community there (Birch Bay Village), that you could look into. BBV has a marina, pool, golf course and security, BTW.
Most importantly.......really look at FSBO and IMHO......you will likely have your best luck at a potentially, good deal.
But there is no doubt that houses, condos, etc. ARE overpriced in much of Bellingham and deals are very hard to find, more so than not.
It's still a BEAUTIFUL area and if the amount of gray and drip along with the occasional windstorm......doesn't bother you for a good portion of the year.......Bellingham is "almost" perfect......to some of us, anyway.

[rkcarguy]

We got tired of looking at $300K dumps on postage stamp sized lots in Bellingham and moved to a small community about 1/2 hour away and got a large brand new home on a large lot and then built a 1000sq/ft shop on top of that for less than $300K.
Being I grew up here and lived close to work the drive has taken some getting used to, but it's nice to be in with some good neighbors and in a "unlocked doors" neighborhood again. Property crime is very high in Bellingham, I believe the state itself is #2 in the nation for property crime.

[Dogs4us]

Hi Alice!
I think you would love Bellingham! I have been here for seven years (from the Portland/Vancouver area) and it sounds like you would feel very much at home here. A couple of points to consider - there are a few "no go zones" at night - Railroad Ave. and the the streets neighboring it is the first that comes to mind. And Coastie's right about finding a home in that price range - pretty slim pickings. The middle class has sort of been ignored because there doesn't seem to be much of a middle class! The gap is very, very wide here.
On the up side, there's nowhere better for outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking. I'm not so sure about the art scene, though - I've been underwhelmed.
Oh, and I notice someone else mentioned Lynden or Ferndale - you sound fairly liberal based on your language-ing and the areas you've checked out so far...these are very, very conservative communities. I would wither and die in either of them, especially Lynden (where rumor has it it's against the law to mow your lawn on Sundays because you should be in church!?? Someone please tell me if this is true! I heard it from a realtor several years ago).