Small-town feel does not come cheaply

By TOM PAULSON
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Jon Beahm, owner of Blue Ridge Realty, said a small house that might sell for $200,000 in Green Lake would sell in Blue Ridge for about $300,000 -- and that's without a water view. Add a view of Puget Sound, Beahm said, and you can add as much as $200,000 to the price of that bungalow.

Larger homes, such as the tony "castles" originally built by William Boeing, are in the seven-figure market.

Residents of Blue Ridge are asked to pay about $400 in annual dues to cover the cost of upkeep for the clubhouse, tennis courts and pool. Residents can't be required to pay and some who don't use all of the community resources pay a lower "fair share" amount. A few years ago, each family was asked to contribute $1,000 to pay for the $400,000 renovation of the clubhouse and swimming pool.