Birch Bay is an exciting community, say local Washington Realtors, with booming construction and lots of housing opportunities in the Puget Sound/Canadian border area.

"Nestled right next to the Canadian border and the Puget Sound, Birch Bay has relatively low housing costs overall," says Realtor Jeff Jordan. "The Semiahmoo area is the exception with its world-class resort and million dollar homes.

Jordan explains, "Birch Bay is the most exciting community in Whatcom county at present. The excitement is over the changes it's experiencing. Always known as a great summer retreat for the "summer home" crowd, it is now becoming one of the best investments also. Homes here have been experiencing a 12-15 percent increase in value annually for the past two plus years."

Says Realtor Mike Kent, "If you're waking up to the sounds of construction you're not alone. The Village on the West end of the Bay and Baycrest on the East are in the midst of a building boom, meeting increased buyer demand. Baycrest is affordable housing, and the Village is truly upscale homes.

He notes, "Even the Canadian Buyer is now back competing for choice waterfront or waterview properties in and around the Bay. A healthy mix of seasonal and more and more permanent residences are adding to the prosperity here.

"Birch Bay is suddenly the area of focus for Whatcom County when it comes to affordable housing opportunities with a number of developers gearing up to build homes in the $175-250 thousand dollar range."

Birch Bay Village

"The license plates showing up at the Village looks like Disneyland's parking lot," jokes Kent. "Most are from California and plenty are from places like Kansas, Oklahoma and other midwest states. The Canadian sell-off has wound down and the inventory of homes and lots are at their lowest level in years. If you find the property you like in the "Village" take action as choices are slim and prices continue to inch upward. Another property recently sold at over a million dollars and increasingly more buyers are discovering what a unique and desirable community Birch Bay Village has become. Here, you can drop your crab pot in the morning, go to work...come home and empty the pot with fresh crab in time for supper. The Birch Bay Village lifestyle is catching on with buyers arriving from everywhere."

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Published: September 9, 2003

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