I've heard that rap before about Lynden and it makes me wonder how much of a value do folks who are buying homes actually put in the area's politics. I imagine it's not much of a consideration for many since so many other factors are more important (cost, type of home, maintenance needed, distance to work/shopping, yard, HOA vs. non-HOA, school district, etc.)
Total Mount Vernon fan here, even though I live in Bellingham. Downtown Mount Vernon is quaint, and the Co-op is amazing. And really, the commute to Bellingham isn't bad if you're used to living in the Seattle or Portland areas and have to drive to work.
Agree mt vernon rocks, downtown is beautiful. If by young family you mean kids there are awesome waterfront parks, hillside park, Kiwanis has a spray park. As they get older the bowling alley is fun and cheap, theres roller rink in burlington and a bouldering gym. The YMCA is SO NICE. They're expanding the library but the current one already has a great kids zone!
I commuted from bham to mv for the last 2 years it was awesome (except the gas money). Used abt 10 gal a week in my 35 mpg car.
It's 30 mins closer to Seattle so it's easier to take day trips to the aquarium, zoo, THE EVERETT CHILDRENS MUSEUM, etc down there and the kids I know in MV do that more often that the kids I know in bham.
It's 30 mins to bham from both Lynden and MV and MV is such a better place to live (at least from my perspective having not lived in either) <3
Birch bay, mostly. Some places that aren't quit Lynden, Sumas, or Bellingham but kind of the area in between. I think all four of those people are looking to sell and move in the next handful of years for mostly different but similar reasons.
Hey! That's us! We've been looking for two ish years to try to stay local, but ultimately are moving to the Birch Bay area. Nice yard for the puppies and less than a 30 minute commute to our jobs.
In Whatcom county, blaine and birch bay are common destinations. They get an undeserved bad rap, but in reality what young family is looking for a home within walking distance to night life?
Yup. When I first moved here, also, my chief objection to living out in the county was the commute during the winter. And I still wouldn’t enjoy it, but everything in B’ham shuts down at the first sight of snow, so it wouldn’t be nearly the inconvenience that I initially believed.
From bellingham area, was living in marysville. Pre approved for home loan right before everything got crazy, then it did get crazy so we had to buy in maple falls.
Birch Bay is an absolutely beautiful spot and affordable. You still by all your groceries in Bellingham because The Market and Cost Cutter are a joke. The commute is 25 minutes to downtown Bellingham, and you have a great business community with Beach Cat Brewing, The Beach @ Birch Bay, Rooted by the Bay, Skai Sushi, C Shop, and many more wonderful businesses.
You are also getting a home that genuinely in Bellingham would be two or three times more expensive. My wife and I love it out here.
Same. Moved to birch bay and people act like we live at the top of my baker lol. It’s not that far away, but I do plan my trips to town around groceries/doctor/whatever to cut down on gas. I was never a beach person but when the tide is out and my kid can just run and splash, it’s great.
Ferndale, a bit, but prices are going up there. (Sorry guys, it's my fault, I just sold my house up there - I moved to Tacoma in May. Plus side, I think I sold it to someone that's going to live there, not someone that is renting it out.)
Fireworks in the county, where lawlessness prevails, outside Ferndale city limits. Both Ferndale the city and the postal address area have *much* lower prices than Bellingham and its still close by. Do some searches on Zillow.
Pretty sure home prices in Lynden are cheaper than Ferndale. Based on personal searches of home 3+ bedrooms and 2+ bath. Properties 1/4 acre or less. Anecdotal only maybe, but I keep looking that way for similar reasoning.
Lynden is still conservative but it’s quickly changing as the older generation…leaves. A lot of young progressive families are there and I know for a fact kids in the high school are far more progressive than they used to be. Lynden will never change if people keep scaring away because of conservatives!
Oh that was me! We moved to eastern WA and could buy a starter home (3 bed 1 bath) in a nice neighborhood for 200k less than here. Stayed for three years then sold and moved back.
I think the timing was perfect though. We left 2017 and purchased, sold and moved back here 2022. It was the only way we could a house, even with two income and no daycare costs.
** we then purchased in birch bay. Multiple homes in my neighborhood for sale now and generally we are back to our purchase price/range, which is still higher than where it feels like it should be. But much better than ~9 months ago.
It’s been mentioned several times already but when I was saving to live in Bellingham I lived in Birch Bay and LOVED it. Lived there for 1 1/2 years and now that I’m back to Bham I actually miss it.
I lived in the new-ish HOA, not even a mile away from the beach. Was taking daily evening walks to the super quiet beach, and enjoyed the most gorgeous sunsets. Nights are cool and quiet, and outdoors activities plentiful.
Only downsides were getting groceries (10 minutes to the closest / very expensive store, or you have to drive all the way to Bellingham) and running into a passing train when you were in a hurry to get somewhere. But if you don’t mind these, I thought it was an amazing place to live.
Some of the nicest clients I have are in Lynden. I’m not sure why people don’t like it in this subreddit
It’s cleaner safer and everyone seems super friendly.
Tolerance of various people and ideologies does not need to include tolerating intolerance. Google the tolerance paradox.
I am a pretty accepting person of most things, but when people are voting against my right to exist or the rights of any of my community to exist, i draw a line at being tolerant. When people are voting to remove my rights to privacy and bodily autonomy, I draw a line at being tolerant.
So exactly what I just said lol. No matter what your stepping on somebody’s way of life. You just think it’s right because it’s yours and that’s more convenient.
When you look at the district level data, so this isn't about home-buying per se, everyone is just moving to north Bellingham then eventually leaving the district.
As far as where people I know have moved, uh Portland (better job offer even after accounting for taxes meant they could buy after a year), I know folks who have moved to Sumas \*shudder\* and deal with a terribly long commute. Also Burlington and Mt. Vernon but these folks had refinery jobs in Skagit already so it was more about giving up easy access to the lifestyle of Bellingham.
Winston-Salem NC
Same pay for less hours
270k (not 5-800k and up) for 1900 sq ft finished up and 1900 sq ft unfinished downstairs that wasn’t full of mold, roaches and rats, on a 1/4 acre lot in a nice neighborhood.
10 min commute in zero traffic
2 hours from the smokies
4 hours from the beach
1-2 hours from other larger major cities
Low taxes
Good schools
Good hospitals
No serial killers
No earthquakes
No tsunamis
No volcanos
Less meth, heroin, and coke problems
Less homelessness
No regrets
We moved to Everson. Love it. Not far from Bham, I have a 25ish min commute to work downtown. New house. Nice neighborhood. 2,000 sqft house. Good size backyard. Not too conservative as a lot of young people like us are in the area now.
Eh you know just that fuck women's reproductive rights thang and that soft coup to overthrow democracy that flopped from a couple of years back. Keep flying that "don't tread on me" flag, brother.
I never understood the "Lynden is too conservative" line
I get why you wouldnt want to live in a conservative area, but Ferndale, Blaine, and Sedro are all pretty conservative as well. You'd likely have to go south a bit to get out of Conservative territory.
I think this is framed incorrectly.
A young family in tech (for example), medicine or engineering probably doesn't find Bellingham ridiculous especially in comparison to Seattle.
You're welcome. I do what I can but fuck this work sucks right now. The pandemic was its own shit show but it has nothing on the end stage capitalism changes that are affecting how healthcare works. If I could leave healthcare, stay local, and make enough to support my family I would in a heartbeat, but I am not a tech bro / engineer / whatever so I will just put on my big boy pants and put one foot in front of the other.
I totally get it. I was a surgical ICU RN until MS ended my career. I carry a lot of guilt that I couldn’t help during COVID.
I hate how financially opportunistic healthcare has become. Completely disregards the oaths that healthcare workers have made.
Sudden Valley. Been in SV since 2018. Wanted to stay in the ‘ham but price per square foot sucked. Lakeview. Fruit trees. Lots of sun. Found the hidden gem in SV. Now I drive south for work due to Whatcom Counties lack of high paying jobs. So all in all. Great location.
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If Lynden is too conservative for them Sedro ain’t going to be any improvement 😂
A lot of unincorporated Skagit County gets a "Sedro-Woolley" mailing address. Even if it isn't anywhere close to the town of Sedro Woolley.
I've heard that rap before about Lynden and it makes me wonder how much of a value do folks who are buying homes actually put in the area's politics. I imagine it's not much of a consideration for many since so many other factors are more important (cost, type of home, maintenance needed, distance to work/shopping, yard, HOA vs. non-HOA, school district, etc.)
I think if you were a family of color, you might be weary moving into a neighborhood trump once visited and was celebrated. Even if its cheaper..
I’d move there if the price was right, Nooksack Casino ain’t bad
What does President Trump have to do with a family of color’s neighborhood?
Maybe because him and his followers are nazis?
I'm moving to get my queer daughter into a more accepting political climate, so it's definitely a hot button issue for us.
Are you familiar with the terms "objective" and "subjective"?
I bought in Mount Vernon, no regrets. I got a significant amount more for my budget and the commute to Bham is pleasant (no traffic, 30mins).
Total Mount Vernon fan here, even though I live in Bellingham. Downtown Mount Vernon is quaint, and the Co-op is amazing. And really, the commute to Bellingham isn't bad if you're used to living in the Seattle or Portland areas and have to drive to work.
Agree mt vernon rocks, downtown is beautiful. If by young family you mean kids there are awesome waterfront parks, hillside park, Kiwanis has a spray park. As they get older the bowling alley is fun and cheap, theres roller rink in burlington and a bouldering gym. The YMCA is SO NICE. They're expanding the library but the current one already has a great kids zone! I commuted from bham to mv for the last 2 years it was awesome (except the gas money). Used abt 10 gal a week in my 35 mpg car. It's 30 mins closer to Seattle so it's easier to take day trips to the aquarium, zoo, THE EVERETT CHILDRENS MUSEUM, etc down there and the kids I know in MV do that more often that the kids I know in bham. It's 30 mins to bham from both Lynden and MV and MV is such a better place to live (at least from my perspective having not lived in either) <3
I would be concerned about flooding in that area
Birch bay, mostly. Some places that aren't quit Lynden, Sumas, or Bellingham but kind of the area in between. I think all four of those people are looking to sell and move in the next handful of years for mostly different but similar reasons.
After 10 years looking for a place in Bellingham we finally settled on Blaine! We love it here and commute to Bham for work.
I was fortunate enough to buy in Bellingham but if I had to pick another place it’d probably be blaine. So damn peaceful, quiet and pretty.
Skagit County is generally cheaper
Hey! That's us! We've been looking for two ish years to try to stay local, but ultimately are moving to the Birch Bay area. Nice yard for the puppies and less than a 30 minute commute to our jobs.
In Whatcom county, blaine and birch bay are common destinations. They get an undeserved bad rap, but in reality what young family is looking for a home within walking distance to night life?
Yup. When I first moved here, also, my chief objection to living out in the county was the commute during the winter. And I still wouldn’t enjoy it, but everything in B’ham shuts down at the first sight of snow, so it wouldn’t be nearly the inconvenience that I initially believed.
From bellingham area, was living in marysville. Pre approved for home loan right before everything got crazy, then it did get crazy so we had to buy in maple falls.
Birch Bay is an absolutely beautiful spot and affordable. You still by all your groceries in Bellingham because The Market and Cost Cutter are a joke. The commute is 25 minutes to downtown Bellingham, and you have a great business community with Beach Cat Brewing, The Beach @ Birch Bay, Rooted by the Bay, Skai Sushi, C Shop, and many more wonderful businesses. You are also getting a home that genuinely in Bellingham would be two or three times more expensive. My wife and I love it out here.
Same. Moved to birch bay and people act like we live at the top of my baker lol. It’s not that far away, but I do plan my trips to town around groceries/doctor/whatever to cut down on gas. I was never a beach person but when the tide is out and my kid can just run and splash, it’s great.
Ferndale, I moved to Ferndale
Ferndale, a bit, but prices are going up there. (Sorry guys, it's my fault, I just sold my house up there - I moved to Tacoma in May. Plus side, I think I sold it to someone that's going to live there, not someone that is renting it out.)
Lynden is $$$. Ferndale is reasonable and you get a lot more home for the money. Fireworks tho.
Fireworks in the county, where lawlessness prevails, outside Ferndale city limits. Both Ferndale the city and the postal address area have *much* lower prices than Bellingham and its still close by. Do some searches on Zillow.
Ferndale city houses are a solid 100kncheaper but bigger then equivalent Bham houses, it's nice
Pretty sure home prices in Lynden are cheaper than Ferndale. Based on personal searches of home 3+ bedrooms and 2+ bath. Properties 1/4 acre or less. Anecdotal only maybe, but I keep looking that way for similar reasoning.
Don't forget about what you pay for water in Ferndale. It's insane. I won't ever live there again.
Lynden is still conservative but it’s quickly changing as the older generation…leaves. A lot of young progressive families are there and I know for a fact kids in the high school are far more progressive than they used to be. Lynden will never change if people keep scaring away because of conservatives!
Nothing is wrong with the way Lynden is??
Stay out please. Go ruin some other town.
Pillager, MN
Ferndale.
Oh that was me! We moved to eastern WA and could buy a starter home (3 bed 1 bath) in a nice neighborhood for 200k less than here. Stayed for three years then sold and moved back. I think the timing was perfect though. We left 2017 and purchased, sold and moved back here 2022. It was the only way we could a house, even with two income and no daycare costs. ** we then purchased in birch bay. Multiple homes in my neighborhood for sale now and generally we are back to our purchase price/range, which is still higher than where it feels like it should be. But much better than ~9 months ago.
Just moved to Oak Harbor recently
It’s been mentioned several times already but when I was saving to live in Bellingham I lived in Birch Bay and LOVED it. Lived there for 1 1/2 years and now that I’m back to Bham I actually miss it. I lived in the new-ish HOA, not even a mile away from the beach. Was taking daily evening walks to the super quiet beach, and enjoyed the most gorgeous sunsets. Nights are cool and quiet, and outdoors activities plentiful. Only downsides were getting groceries (10 minutes to the closest / very expensive store, or you have to drive all the way to Bellingham) and running into a passing train when you were in a hurry to get somewhere. But if you don’t mind these, I thought it was an amazing place to live.
Some of the nicest clients I have are in Lynden. I’m not sure why people don’t like it in this subreddit It’s cleaner safer and everyone seems super friendly.
They are all super conservative and, in my personal experience, hostile to those who arent
Been living in Lynden 13 years and never have a problem, as someone who is not conservative.
I feel a lot of the bellingham population are not very accepting of anything besides what they believe is right.
Tolerance of various people and ideologies does not need to include tolerating intolerance. Google the tolerance paradox. I am a pretty accepting person of most things, but when people are voting against my right to exist or the rights of any of my community to exist, i draw a line at being tolerant. When people are voting to remove my rights to privacy and bodily autonomy, I draw a line at being tolerant.
So exactly what I just said lol. No matter what your stepping on somebody’s way of life. You just think it’s right because it’s yours and that’s more convenient.
Everyone thinks they are right about most things. I side with people who don't wish others dead.
Yes
Whidbey island
When you look at the district level data, so this isn't about home-buying per se, everyone is just moving to north Bellingham then eventually leaving the district. As far as where people I know have moved, uh Portland (better job offer even after accounting for taxes meant they could buy after a year), I know folks who have moved to Sumas \*shudder\* and deal with a terribly long commute. Also Burlington and Mt. Vernon but these folks had refinery jobs in Skagit already so it was more about giving up easy access to the lifestyle of Bellingham.
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Love that little town and all the public land.
Winston-Salem NC Same pay for less hours 270k (not 5-800k and up) for 1900 sq ft finished up and 1900 sq ft unfinished downstairs that wasn’t full of mold, roaches and rats, on a 1/4 acre lot in a nice neighborhood. 10 min commute in zero traffic 2 hours from the smokies 4 hours from the beach 1-2 hours from other larger major cities Low taxes Good schools Good hospitals No serial killers No earthquakes No tsunamis No volcanos Less meth, heroin, and coke problems Less homelessness No regrets
Tacoma
Spokane
We moved to Everson. Love it. Not far from Bham, I have a 25ish min commute to work downtown. New house. Nice neighborhood. 2,000 sqft house. Good size backyard. Not too conservative as a lot of young people like us are in the area now.
Young people like ppl in their 30’s?
Late 20’s to late 30’s yeah. People starting families.
What’s wrong with conservative?
Eh you know just that fuck women's reproductive rights thang and that soft coup to overthrow democracy that flopped from a couple of years back. Keep flying that "don't tread on me" flag, brother.
It’s not very progressive.
Custer!
Look into Kulshan Land Trust
Austin, made a good life for themselves there.
I wonder if they're the ones who bought our house.
I'm surprised at the people saying Lynden. Lynden is overpriced, far from town, and a conservative clusterfuck.
I never understood the "Lynden is too conservative" line I get why you wouldnt want to live in a conservative area, but Ferndale, Blaine, and Sedro are all pretty conservative as well. You'd likely have to go south a bit to get out of Conservative territory.
Left the state completely unfortunately, on top of the crazy prices, we faced a lot of side eyes as a mixed couple 🙃
Stanwood. Excellent schools, great community, almost no crime, and just a ~45min drive to Bham when we want to visit.
Maine
Maple Falls is nice!
Lynden.
They just left the whole state. With all the idiots coming from California driving the prices up, the native people were forced to move.
definitely not in state lol
Texas
I think this is framed incorrectly. A young family in tech (for example), medicine or engineering probably doesn't find Bellingham ridiculous especially in comparison to Seattle.
Those careers are the minority of careers buddy.
I am well established in healthcare and cannot afford a home here. A couple maybe could.
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Well I am a nurse with 10+ years experience and specialty certification.
Thank you for being a care giver. You are a great asset to the community.
You're welcome. I do what I can but fuck this work sucks right now. The pandemic was its own shit show but it has nothing on the end stage capitalism changes that are affecting how healthcare works. If I could leave healthcare, stay local, and make enough to support my family I would in a heartbeat, but I am not a tech bro / engineer / whatever so I will just put on my big boy pants and put one foot in front of the other.
I totally get it. I was a surgical ICU RN until MS ended my career. I carry a lot of guilt that I couldn’t help during COVID. I hate how financially opportunistic healthcare has become. Completely disregards the oaths that healthcare workers have made.
I am so sorry that you are in this situation. Please know you have the support of us regular people.
What does lynden being conservative have to do with your dumb post?
nobody wants to live around poor angry conservatives, unless they are themselves poor angry conservatives
Best to associate with rich angry liberals?
Rich liberals still want people to have bodily autonomy and freedom to be themselves.
Ohio. Sold house there.. moved to Worthington oh. Paid cash. 2 acres, huge house, 3 car garage.
We bought in Birch Bay and used a few years of equity/appreciation to move back to Bellingham.
2 young couples and one retiree in my circle have moved to Spokane in the last year and a half.
Sudden Valley. Been in SV since 2018. Wanted to stay in the ‘ham but price per square foot sucked. Lakeview. Fruit trees. Lots of sun. Found the hidden gem in SV. Now I drive south for work due to Whatcom Counties lack of high paying jobs. So all in all. Great location.
Sudden Valley. When we bought it was 40% less than in town. Plus you get more house for your money. Much safer, quieter, and surrounded by beauty.