Advice on places to live in WA state

[konish]

I've noticed quite a few of the 911 tech forum regulars live in WA state, and I thought I'd post this question. My wife and I are considering selling our place in San Diego and moving to WA when I retire from the Navy...about 8 years from now.

I'm not sure the SD market will keep going up...and may even come down a bit, so I think its time to cash in. Looking for a place near the water and Seattle, say within 30-40 minutes. Really looking for a nicer neighborhood, as this will be the last (knock on wood) home I have to buy.

Obviously, the prices of homes will increase over time, and may vary greatly in 8 years, but currently I'd be able to afford a home in the $400,000 range. Schools and convenience are a major consideration. Any thoughts?

R/
Dustin

[island911]

Lots of water here, both fresh and salt.
convenience;lots of urban sprawl too.

what type of regular activities do you like. . .do you bike, ski, shop, build robot warriors . . .?

[genrex]

Convenience and schools.. you're talking Mercer Island.

M.I. has very low crime, has a somewhat slower pace, and is smack-dab in the middle of everything. There are Porsches and other sports cars all over the island. You can get a nice 2000 sf house with a 2-car garage for $400k. I think Coldwell Banker and John L Scott are probably the biggest realtors on the island, each of them having about 50 listings at any given time.

Edmonds is nice also, and has beautiful views and low crime, and I've heard good things about Poulsbo..

[island911]

Yeah, Mercer Island is nice (on a big lake, right next to Seattle) But no way are you going to find a nice 2000 sf house there for $400k. ( I just did a check. . .not even at 1500_sf . . out of 148 listed)

Edmonds does have a lot of charm and class, IMO.(about 30mins north of Seattle, sloping mostly to the west w/ water and mnt views) It seem to be getting pricy fast too.

For seattle neighborhoods see http://www.urbanlivingseattle.com/marketupdate.htm for price trends.

[Schrup]

Might consider the north end of Tacoma, $400k will buy a nice home. Cost of living is less than Seattle, & traffic is a lot better depending on where you'll work. What kind of work will you be looking for?

[jyl]

I like Bainbridge and Vashon Islands. Vashon is pretty sleepy, kind of a one-horse town. Bainbridge has considerably more places to eat and so on. Both are a brief (30 min or so) ferry ride from Seattle.

[Superman]

It's going to be WAY colder here than SD. And our transportation problem cannot be overstated. Usually, it takes me perhaps 30 minutes to drive the 40 miles from home to Tacoma. Then it takes another hour to drive the remaining 25 miles. And that's at 5:30 in the morning. If you leave downtown Seattle on a Friday afternoon at 4:30, it will probably take you four hours to get to the 70 mph speed zone starting in Tumwater. That's about 65 miles.

I honestly think that our economy, and real estate pricing, etc., are going to suffer over the next twenty years. And friends, it's going to take upwards of $200 BILLION to bring capacity up to current volume.

But, I'm sure Tim Eyman and Rush Limbaugh know who's going to fix this. Perhaps someone could just tell me their brilliant plan.

[Superman]

Actually, I love living in Tenino. Pretty sleepy (quiet, peaceful, convenient, smells like camping). But I need to live closer to work. This 3+ hours of commuting per day has worn me down. The house I am selling: 2700 SF on a beautifully landscaped half-acre, quiet street, close in, 2-car garage, new heating system, new septic, new insulation, new roof, new electric service panel, etc. $175k

[juanbenae]

dustin, i came to the same conclusion about a month ago, that i was fed up with california and wanted to get out. i looked in oregon and washington and will be going up there for 10 days around thanksgiving to look around. this is the site i used to get the skinny on different cities>>>http://www.mrsc.org/cityprofiles/citylist.aspx

very helpful site. i am looking for work in the public sector and hope to find something by spring.

my thread on the topic>>>had it with my state

[arcsine]

$400K will get you a good house in a good (but not nice) hood in Seattle. Nice 'hoods and or a view will bump that up considerably. Going north to Edmonds as island suggested or south towards Tacoma as Paul says will get you a much nicer place and out of the dense-pack that is Seattle and still be withing 30 minutes or so (as long as it is not rush hour(s)). West to Bainbridge or Poulsbo is becomming more popular but the pennisula can be frustrating to get into/out of.
Going an hour out of town gets you lots more options/bennies and all comes down to how badly you need to be close to Seattle.

[Dantilla]

I'm in Gig Harbor, less than an hour south of Seattle, right across the Narrows bridge from Tacoma.

They are currently constructing a second bridge across the Narrows, and all the demographic reports expect a big jump in real estate values here on the peninsula after the bridge opens.

Gig Harbor has a rich fishing heritage, is becoming a tourist stop, and has a real laid-back atmosphere.

If you work in Tacoma, you deal with traffic. If you're retired, you get to sip coffee. Lots and lots of coffee sipping. No shortage of coffee sipping places in Gig Harbor.

It's fun watching the bridge construction. As I sip coffee. Sitting in traffic on the existing bridge.

Time for a refill, now. Bye!

[konish]

Thanks all. I'm hoping to get a flying job when I retire. Actually, I don't really want to fly for a major airline...maybe a small regional or puddle jumper. I appreciate all the input...being an hour away from Seattle is acceptable. Truth be told, the proximity to Seattle is driven by finding a good, soild Japanese community...my wife is Japanese, I'm 1/2 and I want my two kids to be exposed as much as possible to the language/culture.

Island,
My wife and I are into the family scene right now, but I do like to ocean kayak, snowboard, fly, camp, drive etc. Seattle is almost the perfect fit for a transplanted Boulderite/San Diegan.

Superman,
Thanks for the heads up on the weather. I have spent alittle time in Seattle during the winter months and fond it to be pretty nice. I grew up in Boulder, CO...I just can't deal with freakin' snow anymore.

R/
Dustin

[island911]

Well, it sounds like the NW is the right place for you. Lots of puddle jumpers flying around, a huge asian community (though not a lot Japanese specific.) and lots of all that other stuff you listed.

I'll suggest one of the islands to the north. (Whidbey, or one of the SanJuans) . . .get some waterfront and a job with Kenmore or Seattle Air (float planes) and fly home after work.

[Dantilla]

Flying a Beaver on floats for Kenmore Air would be a hoot!