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Retirement living

For over 30 years I lived in rural Whatcom County. After retirement, i prepared my house for sale and looked for something in Bellingham for better services and less maintenance. I eventually found a condo near downtown--close to many services that I could get to on foot, and close to a bus stop so I could get farther afield. But it also had a single carport for my car for when I needed to go farther. While the condo ended up costing more in repairs than I expected, I don't regret my decision.

I achieved my ideal--low maintenance and the ability to get to many places without my car, but also a place for my car (as long as I can drive) if I need it.

ALopez

My partner and I moved to Bellingham in 2023 from the east coast. After a frustrating process searching through dozens of rental listings, we finally found a single family rental in Lettered Streets that met our needs. Fast forward 6 months, and our landlord told us they were selling the property and would not renew our lease. We tried to purchase the house prior to listing, but had difficulty working with the owner and couldn't find agreeable terms. The owner eventually put the house on the market and it sold quickly for over asking and we moved out. It would…

Lifetime of mortgage payments afforded a home here

Able to buy a home here after a 3 decade career and homeownership in Tacoma. The larger Tacoma home with views of the Narrows, Douglas Firs, an apple orchard and Madrone turned into a far smaller, simple home here in Bellingham, due to Bellingham’s high housing costs. Glad to be here, close to downtown, family, Greenways and creek.

On December 15, 2025, Bellingham City Council approved the Bellingham Plan. You can learn more on the cob.org/comprehensive-plan. These pages are no longer being updated.