Your Bellingham Home Buying Guide

All About Bellingham

Connection, affordability, and education – these are just a few of the reasons why you would want to consider Bellingham home buying. Whether you are starting off new or wanting to be close to resident family members, you can find a little bit of everything for just about everyone in Bellingham.

The Basics

What can you expect when you are thinking of Bellingham home buying? History, community, and accessibility for a start. Specifically, Bellingham was incorporated as a town way back in 1719. With only 16,000 residents and 19 square miles in size, getting to know your neighbors and community at large should be easy peasy.

Even better, Bellingham has a fair mix of retail, industry, and major distribution centers, which allows for work and shopping all within its area.

Home Values and Taxes

When you’re moving to Bellingham, then knowing about home prices is necessary. OK, so while the median home price in Belligham is higher than the national price – by 33% – it still is substantially less than that of Massachusetts. Here are some numbers: as of January 2019, the median home price in Bellingham was about $246,000, while for the state it was $341,000. Bellingham home buying seems like a bit of a steal!

And you cannot forget property taxes. For 2015, the residential rate is $11.28 for each $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Education

There are a few options when it comes to schools. For the public system, there are two elementary schools, one middle school, and two high schools. All are rated average or above average. Additionally, there are a number of preschools and private schools, but no charter schools at this time.

The Great Outdoors

If you like water, then you’ll like Bellingham. Arcand Park Beach and Silver Lake Beach provide great opportunities for swimming, kayaking, canoeing, or just plain floating on your inflatable raft. Enjoy the quiet as no motorized craft are allowed.

If you want to be a land lubber, visit Franklin State Forest where you can commune with nature on its multi-use trails.

Commuting

Every yin has its yang. And with all of Bellingham’s advantages, public transportation unfortunately is not one of them. There is talk of having a light rail commuter service as an extension of the MBTA, but

you will need to stay tuned.

However, if air travel is more your style, try the Hopedale Industrial Park Airport which is close by, or Logan International Airport for more travel destinations.

Of course, car remains king, and luckily, there are plenty of roads to use! Even better are the sidewalks in case your feet want to go for a jaunt.

Where to Eat

When the process of Belligham home buying gives you the munchies, ask yourself this question: what do I feel like having? The answer: anything your tummy desires! American, Indian, gastropubs, sushi – it’s all there. Elizabeth’s Bagels is the perfect spot to nosh on breakfast bagels, and for evenings, try Alicante Restaurant to savor elegant Portuguese cuisine.

Safety

Moving to a new neighborhood usually leaves people with questions, and one of those is: how safe is it? Happily, Bellingham home buying is just what you are looking for. When you take a gander at annual crime data, you’ll discover that, for the overall crime rate, Bellingham is 38% lower that the national average. It is also 5% lower than that of Massachusetts. The violent crime rate is even more encouraging – it’s a whopping 54% lower than the rate for the state.

Of course, nothing is ever perfect. Bellingham does have its share of property crime, which is a little higher than that of the state. Take basic precautions with your belongings to avoid becoming a statistic.

Anything Else?

Over the years, Bellingham has produced a number of interesting characters that only adds to its charm. Keep these people in mind when Bellingham home buying:

· Deborah Sampson: She is known as “Americas first female soldier” – way back in the Revolutionary war in Bellingham!

· Geoff Bodine: He’s a NASCAR driver.

· Schuyler Towne: He is a competitive lock picker. Truly! Maybe that’s why the property crime rate is a tad higher…