Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I used to live a few miles from Custer, WA and it's like SemiahmooDude said.
So small a town, you'll miss it if you blink.
Semiahmoo......NICE area for sure!
Love the 2 local golf courses there (Semiahmoo and Loomis Trail).
Anyway......Custer is NOT a high crime area and IS very rural.
I don't think the meth lab thing is quite as big of an issue as it was a few years ago but that's always something that is generally more of concern in a rural area as opposed to an urban one, for obvious reasons.
I believe, that this type of criminal activity has been well documented by many locals to have been....or may still be....far more of a problem up around Maple Falls / Kendall as well as rumors of a Russian mafia in that area but a methlab house DID blow up in Birch Bay several years back.
Custer is OK if you don't blink and miss all the town has to offer.......a post office, tavern, church and maybe......a little store? Railroad tracks run through there too with lots of freight trains and Amtrak.
No......your biggest concern living in Custer might really be a family of raccoons that decide to take up residence under your house like what happened to me. They ended up dismantling some ventilation air ducts under our mfg. house right after I moved in.....in January. I kept running the thermostat higher and didn't know why the house wasn't warming up. Got my electric bill from PSE and it was almost $800.00 after just 6 weeks in the place!
Needless to say.......I don't think of 'coons as being so cute anymore.
They're TOO smart for their own good!
Nature's misfits and thieves!
Sorry......got so off topic, but I'm still mad at them furry beasts!
I used to live a few miles from Custer, WA and it's like SemiahmooDude said.
So small a town, you'll miss it if you blink.
Semiahmoo......NICE area for sure!
Love the 2 local golf courses there (Semiahmoo and Loomis Trail).
Anyway......Custer is NOT a high crime area and IS very rural.
I don't think the meth lab thing is quite as big of an issue as it was a few years ago but that's always something that is generally more of concern in a rural area as opposed to an urban one, for obvious reasons.
I believe, that this type of criminal activity has been well documented by many locals to have been....or may still be....far more of a problem up around Maple Falls / Kendall as well as rumors of a Russian mafia in that area but a methlab house DID blow up in Birch Bay several years back.
Custer is OK if you don't blink and miss all the town has to offer.......a post office, tavern, church and maybe......a little store? Railroad tracks run through there too with lots of freight trains and Amtrak.
No......your biggest concern living in Custer might really be a family of raccoons that decide to take up residence under your house like what happened to me. They ended up dismantling some ventilation air ducts under our mfg. house right after I moved in.....in January. I kept running the thermostat higher and didn't know why the house wasn't warming up. Got my electric bill from PSE and it was almost $800.00 after just 6 weeks in the place!
Needless to say.......I don't think of 'coons as being so cute anymore.
They're TOO smart for their own good!
Nature's misfits and thieves!
Sorry......got so off topic, but I'm still mad at them furry beasts!
Thanks for the info. It seems many people don't know about Custer I read the consensus of 2000 which is dated now but I believe there were only a few hundred living there then I forget the exact figure but they did have the area broken down by age group, homeowners, renters and income. It does appear to be a low income area which is what I thought was going to be a high crime area.
I would think being rural with less people would be alot less traffic and crime. I don't know what the prices of homes are in Custer but from what I have viewed from the satellite pictures is that there is lots of land between neighbors which is great for privacy. I wouldn't think you would have problems with kids running up and down the street making all kinds of noise or playing basket ball, foot ball in the streets hitting everybodys house and car. Or those cars with boom boxes that drive by and rattle the whole house like down here in suburbia. We have alot of the above problems and there is about 25 feet between homes here on the side, front and back.
I used to live a few miles from Custer, WA and it's like SemiahmooDude said.
So small a town, you'll miss it if you blink.
Semiahmoo......NICE area for sure!
Love the 2 local golf courses there (Semiahmoo and Loomis Trail).
Anyway......Custer is NOT a high crime area and IS very rural.
I don't think the meth lab thing is quite as big of an issue as it was a few years ago but that's always something that is generally more of concern in a rural area as opposed to an urban one, for obvious reasons.
I believe, that this type of criminal activity has been well documented by many locals to have been....or may still be....far more of a problem up around Maple Falls / Kendall as well as rumors of a Russian mafia in that area but a methlab house DID blow up in Birch Bay several years back.
Custer is OK if you don't blink and miss all the town has to offer.......a post office, tavern, church and maybe......a little store? Railroad tracks run through there too with lots of freight trains and Amtrak.
No......your biggest concern living in Custer might really be a family of raccoons that decide to take up residence under your house like what happened to me. They ended up dismantling some ventilation air ducts under our mfg. house right after I moved in.....in January. I kept running the thermostat higher and didn't know why the house wasn't warming up. Got my electric bill from PSE and it was almost $800.00 after just 6 weeks in the place!
Needless to say.......I don't think of 'coons as being so cute anymore.
They're TOO smart for their own good!
Nature's misfits and thieves!
Sorry......got so off topic, but I'm still mad at them furry beasts!
Semiahmoo is a magical place amidst large old-growth trees with views of the water and/or an Arnold Palmer designed golf course, and another fabulous golf course in Loomis Trail just down the road. A short bike ride to the beach, marina, and the near endless explorations of the San Juan and Gulf Islands.
The Custer area is not bad. Very rural, as is most of Whatcom County, with almost all homes on significant acreage. There are the occassional less than stellar properties that plague all rural areas, but overall, if you want privacy and a "leave me alone" environment, Custer and the surrounding areas will do very well. As stated in the other post, it is the Maple Falls area farther to the east that is most noted for being pretty rough - but you can buy a 4 bedroom stick-built home there for about $150k, so that is the trade off. A bit of a long drive from I-5 though whereas Custer is right off of I-5 but it feels far more secluded.
Whatcom County is truly a gem among all the Western Washington counties.
Semiahmoo is a magical place amidst large old-growth trees with views of the water and/or an Arnold Palmer designed golf course, and another fabulous golf course in Loomis Trail just down the road. A short bike ride to the beach, marina, and the near endless explorations of the San Juan and Gulf Islands.
The Custer area is not bad. Very rural, as is most of Whatcom County, with almost all homes on significant acreage. There are the occassional less than stellar properties that plague all rural areas, but overall, if you want privacy and a "leave me alone" environment, Custer and the surrounding areas will do very well. As stated in the other post, it is the Maple Falls area farther to the east that is most noted for being pretty rough - but you can buy a 4 bedroom stick-built home there for about $150k, so that is the trade off. A bit of a long drive from I-5 though whereas Custer is right off of I-5 but it feels far more secluded.
Whatcom County is truly a gem among all the Western Washington counties.
For 150K for the Custer, Whatcom Co. area or is that the price for the rough area? I was curious as to the prices in the better part of Custer.
I know they have property tax problems like the rest of Washington unlike here in California where are taxes can only go up so much at a time.
Custer is BARELY even noticeable. LOTS of rural, acreage and NO noisy kids running down streets.
PLENTY of peace and quiet except maybe for the RR tracks proximity to this little town.
Country living....all the way and BTW......TONS of raspberry farms in the area! Largest raspberry crop in America.....Whatcom County!
(I believe something like 60 MILLION + metric tons of raspberries harvested annually). Something like that.
Christmas tree farms, pumpkin patches, farmers markets, etc. are all over the place.
I LOVE Whatcom County and miss it terribly!
But....like Arnie Shwartzeneger said......"I'll be back."
And when I am......I ain't leavin again! Leaving there to move back to Colorado was the BIGGEST mistake I made in a long time! Colorado is so overcrowded now.....and with far too many Californians as well as many others. WORST drivers in the nation too.....IMHO!
NOT so in Washington.
Like SemiahmooDude said........the county IS a gem of the Pacific NW.
NO worries around Custer, WA and a VERY easy drive to Bellingham.....15 or 20 minutes down I-5, maybe.
Semiahmoo.......IS VERY NICE! A bit pricey, for some of us though.
Custer is BARELY even noticeable. LOTS of rural, acreage and NO noisy kids running down streets.
PLENTY of peace and quiet except maybe for the RR tracks proximity to this little town.
Country living....all the way and BTW......TONS of raspberry farms in the area! Largest raspberry crop in America.....Whatcom County!
(I believe something like 60 MILLION + metric tons of raspberries harvested annually). Something like that.
Christmas tree farms, pumpkin patches, farmers markets, etc. are all over the place.
I LOVE Whatcom County and miss it terribly!
But....like Arnie Shwartzeneger said......"I'll be back."
And when I am......I ain't leavin again! Leaving there to move back to Colorado was the BIGGEST mistake I made in a long time! Colorado is so overcrowded now.....and with far too many Californians as well as many others. WORST drivers in the nation too.....IMHO!
NOT so in Washington.
Like SemiahmooDude said........the county IS a gem of the Pacific NW.
NO worries around Custer, WA and a VERY easy drive to Bellingham.....15 or 20 minutes down I-5, maybe.
Semiahmoo.......IS VERY NICE! A bit pricey, for some of us though.
Thank you for the information and your input. Is Custer pricey? I would have thought it would be reasonably priced compared to the other congested areas like Bellingham, Ferndale or Birch Bay?
Yes you are correct California has the worst n most stupid drivers. I wouldn't think alot of Californians would move to Washington because of the terrible property tax situation in Washington state. They can raise your property tax so high in a year maybe it is out of control.
For 150K for the Custer, Whatcom Co. area or is that the price for the rough area? I was curious as to the prices in the better part of Custer.
I know they have property tax problems like the rest of Washington unlike here in California where are taxes can only go up so much at a time.
The 150k stick built home is for the rougher area - Maple Falls.
For Custer and the surrounding area you can do a nice manufactured home with some land for about $150k. Homes will run around $200 - $250k, which is still a great price considering the overall quality of life. The other post was spot on - tons farmers market type areas, great local events, a few wineries, it really is an amazing area that I fear, will get more attention due to the Winter games coming up, which are taking place just across the border.
For me it is the golf and the beach, and the cool laid back vibe of Semiahmoo. I LOVE this little corner of the world. It reminds me of the Carmel/Pebble Beach area, but much more affordable - and not quite as upscale. Awesome - awesome area.
The 150k stick built home is for the rougher area - Maple Falls.
For Custer and the surrounding area you can do a nice manufactured home with some land for about $150k. Homes will run around $200 - $250k, which is still a great price considering the overall quality of life. The other post was spot on - tons farmers market type areas, great local events, a few wineries, it really is an amazing area that I fear, will get more attention due to the Winter games coming up, which are taking place just across the border.
For me it is the golf and the beach, and the cool laid back vibe of Semiahmoo. I LOVE this little corner of the world. It reminds me of the Carmel/Pebble Beach area, but much more affordable - and not quite as upscale. Awesome - awesome area.
i'LL stay away from Maple Falls whereever that is probably in same county of Whatcom. Custer sounds good I wonder what's the weather like?
Thanks for the info.
i'LL stay away from Maple Falls whereever that is probably in same county of Whatcom. Custer sounds good I wonder what's the weather like?
Thanks for the info.
The weather is mild - (usually) with summer temps around 75 or so, and winter temps high 30s to mid 40s.
Certainly more rain than say, Southern Cali, but not as bad as Western Washington is often portrayed.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
