MagKarl
Well-known member
If I had to work for msft I'd move to Easton or Cle Elum and spend my time crossing the pass twice a day instead of sitting in traffic.
Advice for a move to Seattle
- Thread starter mysta2
- Start date
drivesitfar
Well-known member
MM: i hear you on the new toll lanes on 405 making it hard for those of use that don't want to pay the toll fees. it was a mess during all that construction for the last couple years and now with the crazy on and off of the toll lanes i'm sure somebody is going to get killed. seems like you just sit from there all the way to Renton almost any time of day. IMHO traffic just became way worse for southbound traffic from Kirkland to Bellevue with the new toll lanes and it has never been decent from I-90 south on 405 except maybe 2am to 4am like another member mentioned.
Mag: i lived near Seatac and worked in several counties East of the Cascades back in the early 2000's and would have to drive over a couple times a week. i would much rather drive that route than to drive up 405 to Redmond during traffic and adding the Fife to 405 sounds painful. i've headed south many days at 5 to 9am and watched traffic on northbound I-5 crawl with all lanes and even carpool packed. i'm not sure how Fish makes it from Fife to Redmond in an hour unless he's driving up at 4:30am.
i'm watching this thread for my own knowledge too because i've started looking for a place to build a shop and new home that doesn't have 5 neighbors within 100 feet of my front door like at my house today.
Mag: i lived near Seatac and worked in several counties East of the Cascades back in the early 2000's and would have to drive over a couple times a week. i would much rather drive that route than to drive up 405 to Redmond during traffic and adding the Fife to 405 sounds painful. i've headed south many days at 5 to 9am and watched traffic on northbound I-5 crawl with all lanes and even carpool packed. i'm not sure how Fish makes it from Fife to Redmond in an hour unless he's driving up at 4:30am.
i'm watching this thread for my own knowledge too because i've started looking for a place to build a shop and new home that doesn't have 5 neighbors within 100 feet of my front door like at my house today.
nonhog
Well-known member
When the Snoqualmie river floods.
I-90 is where I would look if I were you. East of Issaquah.
four.cycle
Well-known member
re: Cle Elum/Easton: yeah sure.... unless they've got all westbound lanes closed for avalanche blasting or it's iced up or there's an accident, in which case you can spend two hours sitting on 90 between Cle Elum and North Bend!
drivesitfar
Well-known member
FC: i'd probably look in Snoqualmie or North Bend before living over in Cle Elum and commuting to Redmond. Another option for our OP is that Microsoft is a computer company so maybe he can get a job where he can work from his living room so he won't have to drive.
I hear you on the work going on up at the pass and don't forget the Staters and local police in Cle Elum that like to park at the bottom of hills and write tickets and eat donuts. also the staters have radar that goes out the back of their patrol cars while driving so BEE CAREFUL.
i'd still rather drive to work on I-90 than get anywhere near I-5 or I-405 during traffic hours.
I hear you on the work going on up at the pass and don't forget the Staters and local police in Cle Elum that like to park at the bottom of hills and write tickets and eat donuts. also the staters have radar that goes out the back of their patrol cars while driving so BEE CAREFUL.
i'd still rather drive to work on I-90 than get anywhere near I-5 or I-405 during traffic hours.
re: Cle Elum/Easton: yeah sure.... unless they've got all westbound lanes closed for avalanche blasting or it's iced up or there's an accident, in which case you can spend two hours sitting on 90 between Cle Elum and North Bend!
BTDT - still a more relaxing drive than 405 during rush hour IMO! I've known people that have more insane commutes in western Washington for sure.
It would take a commitment for sure, and not for everyone, but could be something to think about. Even more so if you had some sort of flexible schedule (work 1-2 days a week at home, 4x10, etc.). An added bonus is that you're literally in a different climate when you get home if the Seattle weather gets you down.
I personally choose to avoid freeway commuting after doing it for several years early on - I've given up some career opportunities to do so, but I'm also home on time for kids' sports and activities and save literally hundreds of hours a year not sitting in a car. Taking into account the cost of commuting (time/money/stress) and lower cost of living, it's definitely been worth it for me.
I used to commute from Everett to Bremerton. Traffic starts around 0430. After 0600 forget about it, you are going to be in traffic.
Living across the water and taking ferry to work is an option. $400k goes a long way on the Bremerton side of the water. The ferry is a nice ride, though it can get expensive. Get a motorcycle to get head of the line for loading.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
Advice for moving to Seattle? Get some good rain gear...
Tommy
Tommy
TBoone
Member
I live in Carnation, 20 minutes to MS/Redmond, same to issaquah. The valley does flood, that said only once in 8 years was I not able to get to work. Several times I have had to go the "long way around" which is 5 minutes longer. My point is it's not all that bad, do your research. There are maps that show the flood zones, obviously don't buy a house in the 100 yr zone. At your price point along the snoqualmie valley is the closest you can get to MS/Redmond. I would much rather dodge the floods than sit in traffic every day. Which you will no matter what other direction you go.
For those recommending Cle Elum etc, remember how much the pass closes and/or is gridlocked with cars in the winter. Is the most rediculas thing for a pass only 3000'. I have done this commute, is not a stress I am after.
For those recommending Cle Elum etc, remember how much the pass closes and/or is gridlocked with cars in the winter. Is the most rediculas thing for a pass only 3000'. I have done this commute, is not a stress I am after.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
TBone: i was only saying Cle Elem would even be my choice over commuting from Fife or Tacoma to Redmond. not my first choice by any means.
good to hear Carnation is still a decent option. the Roadhouse restaurant in downtown Fall City was one of our favorite restaurants until they lost their best cook a couple months ago. i'm sure they will get another one and the food is still ok, but not worth a 35 minute drive for us now even though Snoqualmie Falls was a nice walk and scenery after dinner.
BTW doesn't it flood in Carnation someplace every year now? i think the bridge was out just a few weeks ago for maybe a week? i agree working around that instead of stop and go or mostly stopped traffic every day is a much better option.
good to hear Carnation is still a decent option. the Roadhouse restaurant in downtown Fall City was one of our favorite restaurants until they lost their best cook a couple months ago. i'm sure they will get another one and the food is still ok, but not worth a 35 minute drive for us now even though Snoqualmie Falls was a nice walk and scenery after dinner.
BTW doesn't it flood in Carnation someplace every year now? i think the bridge was out just a few weeks ago for maybe a week? i agree working around that instead of stop and go or mostly stopped traffic every day is a much better option.
Slednut
Well-known member
mysta2, PM'ed ya once or twice.
TBoone
Member
I misread, I agree. I would not make that commute from that far south.
Yes Tolt Hill road did close as it does most any time there is flooding. That is the quickest route to Redmond. When that happens I either drive Carnation Farm road or down to Fall City. Either option is about 5 minutes extra. The flood stage flows like a wave and is pretty easy to predict what will happen and what route to take.
Too bad about the Roadhouse, is an awesome building. Too bad their food is so up and down.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Tbone: if i lived 10 minutes from the Roadhouse i'd still take my wife there maybe once or twice a month because the steelhead salmon salad is still pretty good. since we live near Seatac airport we now make our own salads, but we'll check it out again next spring or summer so hopefully they get another awesome cook. PM me if you have an awesome meal there in the meantime because we like watching Snoqualmie Falls all year round.
can you find a 2000 square foot rambler with maybe a shop or room for one for $400 in Carnation?
cheers
can you find a 2000 square foot rambler with maybe a shop or room for one for $400 in Carnation?
cheers
TBoone
Member
I'd say it is possible.
rippered
Well-known member
Seattle average rainfall 38"
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle
Average rainfall of Morristown New Jersey is 50"
http://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/new_jersey/morristown
jerseywild
Well-known member
Good luck with the move. We moved to Washington in 2012 from South Jersey and we have been very happy here. There is a lot to do if you enjoy the outdoors. We are located in Lynden which is as far North as you can get before British Columbia.
The summers are very nice but when the rain (if you can call it rain) comes it will drizzle forever.
The summers are very nice but when the rain (if you can call it rain) comes it will drizzle forever.
Thanks for all the responses. Microsoft is a tech company, but I'm a model maker, I work with hardware. It's hard to telecommute, but may be an option a little down the line. It sounds like I may be looking in the North Bend, Carnation area. I'll be in town next weekend and am meeting with a real estate agent on Sunday. I've still got a lot of time to think about all of it. But I think I've got a good start.
dbabicky
Well-known member
Can you say LIBERALS !!!
Sell all your guns and sign off on all of your individual rights. That whole West Coast is turning to ****. Commiefornia ways have spread North. They should take those 3 West coast states and rename them "Obamaville". LOL !
Sell all your guns and sign off on all of your individual rights. That whole West Coast is turning to ****. Commiefornia ways have spread North. They should take those 3 West coast states and rename them "Obamaville". LOL !
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
No ****? They always blame Seattle's high suicide rate on the lack of good weather...
Tommy
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Tommy: I hadn't heard there was a high suicide risk living here or i'm sure i would have moved sometime during my 60 years here. most likely the reason is the taxes for our real estate and paying for sports stadiums and stuff like that. even if you own your house you have a big bill at the end of the year and nobody is giving away houses up here either so there is usually a mortgage to go along with the taxes.
believe it or not we had a drought this year and weren't allowed to water our lawns for almost two months (July and August) and some of September. it also was in the 90's for several weeks. the mold is getting sucked out of our blood quickly these days.
cheers
I heard there was more rain and definitely more snow in New Jersey last year than Seattle. yes??
believe it or not we had a drought this year and weren't allowed to water our lawns for almost two months (July and August) and some of September. it also was in the 90's for several weeks. the mold is getting sucked out of our blood quickly these days.
cheers
I heard there was more rain and definitely more snow in New Jersey last year than Seattle. yes??
LEVE
Well-known member
Some people experience what's called SAD, it can be a very real problem. So, if you see signs of it when you move here, take measures to combat it.
I almost didn't move back to Washington because my better half is affected by SAD. We were careful to move where she'd get some sun every few days. After a couple of years, so far so good.
However in Bellevue you're going to be under the clouds a lot. The clouds stack up against the Cascade range and dump water before they're light enough to be able to cross the mountains. Cabin fever can set in here pretty darned quickly for some people.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
I know they're rated #2 out of the top cities for suicide attempts (or at least they used to be), maybe the actual suicide rate is lower?
Tommy
Tommy
aka Larry
Well-known member
Show me a stat for number of days with precipitation for each. I'll take 50" of rain in 120 days over 38" spread over in 365.
I was in WA for work and only saw 4 hours of sun in 15 days. Depressing as hell.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Larry: we ski in the winter time. you ought to come visit in July or August. 80 degrees plus or minus, no bugs and no humidity. it's the best place on earth 2 or 3 months a year weather wise. no traffic until we start riding cars like a souped up Delorean we are not happy.
maybe the suicides are not because of only the clouds, but add those to the ones because of traffic and maybe you are on to something.
maybe the suicides are not because of only the clouds, but add those to the ones because of traffic and maybe you are on to something.
redmondjp
Well-known member
I have lived in Redmond (about 1.5 miles from Microsoft HQ) for 18 years now and my wife teaches at the elementary school in Carnation, so I am very familiar with the area. I am in a 3BR ranch (with a 2-car garage and room for 4 cars in the driveway thank God) and have been actively looking over the past year for a 4BR with high-bay garage or separate shop on the Eastside (so I can fully raise my lift in the garage). My target price range is a tad higher than yours - $500-550K (based upon what I can sell my existing home for).
It will be extremely difficult to find what you are looking for at $400K anywhere on the Eastside. Even in Carnation/Duvall and the outlying areas, prices are very high. For that price, you're looking at a foreclosed-rambler needing a lot of work, or a mobile home (which may have a separate barn or shop if you're lucky).
Here's one thing I want to point out that to me is a very big deal - make sure to look at your property taxes versus what services you are receiving. At my existing home, I pay about $4K/year for property taxes and have:
- good school district with elementary school within walking distance
- city-maintained roads and sidewalks
- one block away from awesome city park
- city sewer
- city water
- underground power (which almost never goes out in my part of town)
- two high-speed internet choices (Comcast/Xfinity cable and Frontier FIOS fiber to my house)
- natural gas to my home
- fire and police stations within 1.5 miles with 5-minute response time
- 20 minutes to two different major hospitals
- All major stores within 15-20 minute drive
Now let's compare this to dozens of properties that I have looked at out in the county, in the areas around Carnation and Duvall, where you might pay $6-8K/year on a 3-5 acre parcel that you can't develop (but still have to pay taxes on) because it is located outside of the Urban Growth Boundary:
- OK school districts, with schools a fairly-long bus ride away
- overhead electrical power only which can take days to restore due to being on a low-priority circuit that only serves a few to a few dozen customers
- gravel road or hilly county road that may not get sanded or treated quickly during the winter
- no water service
- no sewer service
- no natural gas (so only choices for heat are electric, oil, propane, or wood-burning stove)
- no high-speed internet options, or maybe one (cable) depending on the area (certainly no high-speed fiber)
- police service provided by the county sheriff which is spread so thin that they don't even respond at all to property crimes (you go down to the station and fill out a report)
- far away from fire station, hospitals, stores, and just about everything else
- need to consider some sort of home security system or a mean-looking dog to protect the place while you are away at work
Personally, I'd love to live out in the country where I have a bit more space, can have a separate shop and cars parked outside without snobby neighbors complaining about them, but bang-for-the-buck, the crazy-high property taxes really irk me, as even after your mortgage is long paid off, you will just be renting from King (or Snohomish) County. Snohomish County used to be better than King County in many respects, but from what I've seen, they are becoming more and more like King County in every negative way.
And as-stated above, watch out for properties in the 100-year floodplain. If you have a mortgage, they will require you to have flood insurance. I looked at one house in Carnation earlier this year that when built in the early 1990s, was not in the 100-year floodplain. However, they rezoned the flood map in the late 1990s and now it is. About $1200/year for flood insurance was the quote on that house, but the amount varies depending upon how high your first floor is above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) level for that location.
You have to get an elevation certificate done by a professional land surveyor which determines the official elevation of your property and various portions of your structure (bottom of crawl space, top of garage slab, and first floor) before you can get a quote on flood insurance. I went through all of this with my insurance agent when I looked at the house (the sellers didn't even know that the flood map had been changed, as they were grandfathered in under the old map and therefore didn't have to have flood insurance). And don't trust the county records as to whether or not the house in the the 100-year floodplain - I found that many times their records were inaccurate.
I'm certainly not trying to discourage you in your search, but do pay careful attention to what the property taxes are for any place that you look at. It's usually listed in the real estate ad, but if not, google 'king county parcel viewer' and you can use that site to check on any property that you are interested in. Snohomish County also has a decent online parcel viewer where you can get the same information.
It will be extremely difficult to find what you are looking for at $400K anywhere on the Eastside. Even in Carnation/Duvall and the outlying areas, prices are very high. For that price, you're looking at a foreclosed-rambler needing a lot of work, or a mobile home (which may have a separate barn or shop if you're lucky).
Here's one thing I want to point out that to me is a very big deal - make sure to look at your property taxes versus what services you are receiving. At my existing home, I pay about $4K/year for property taxes and have:
- good school district with elementary school within walking distance
- city-maintained roads and sidewalks
- one block away from awesome city park
- city sewer
- city water
- underground power (which almost never goes out in my part of town)
- two high-speed internet choices (Comcast/Xfinity cable and Frontier FIOS fiber to my house)
- natural gas to my home
- fire and police stations within 1.5 miles with 5-minute response time
- 20 minutes to two different major hospitals
- All major stores within 15-20 minute drive
Now let's compare this to dozens of properties that I have looked at out in the county, in the areas around Carnation and Duvall, where you might pay $6-8K/year on a 3-5 acre parcel that you can't develop (but still have to pay taxes on) because it is located outside of the Urban Growth Boundary:
- OK school districts, with schools a fairly-long bus ride away
- overhead electrical power only which can take days to restore due to being on a low-priority circuit that only serves a few to a few dozen customers
- gravel road or hilly county road that may not get sanded or treated quickly during the winter
- no water service
- no sewer service
- no natural gas (so only choices for heat are electric, oil, propane, or wood-burning stove)
- no high-speed internet options, or maybe one (cable) depending on the area (certainly no high-speed fiber)
- police service provided by the county sheriff which is spread so thin that they don't even respond at all to property crimes (you go down to the station and fill out a report)
- far away from fire station, hospitals, stores, and just about everything else
- need to consider some sort of home security system or a mean-looking dog to protect the place while you are away at work
Personally, I'd love to live out in the country where I have a bit more space, can have a separate shop and cars parked outside without snobby neighbors complaining about them, but bang-for-the-buck, the crazy-high property taxes really irk me, as even after your mortgage is long paid off, you will just be renting from King (or Snohomish) County. Snohomish County used to be better than King County in many respects, but from what I've seen, they are becoming more and more like King County in every negative way.
And as-stated above, watch out for properties in the 100-year floodplain. If you have a mortgage, they will require you to have flood insurance. I looked at one house in Carnation earlier this year that when built in the early 1990s, was not in the 100-year floodplain. However, they rezoned the flood map in the late 1990s and now it is. About $1200/year for flood insurance was the quote on that house, but the amount varies depending upon how high your first floor is above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE) level for that location.
You have to get an elevation certificate done by a professional land surveyor which determines the official elevation of your property and various portions of your structure (bottom of crawl space, top of garage slab, and first floor) before you can get a quote on flood insurance. I went through all of this with my insurance agent when I looked at the house (the sellers didn't even know that the flood map had been changed, as they were grandfathered in under the old map and therefore didn't have to have flood insurance). And don't trust the county records as to whether or not the house in the the 100-year floodplain - I found that many times their records were inaccurate.
I'm certainly not trying to discourage you in your search, but do pay careful attention to what the property taxes are for any place that you look at. It's usually listed in the real estate ad, but if not, google 'king county parcel viewer' and you can use that site to check on any property that you are interested in. Snohomish County also has a decent online parcel viewer where you can get the same information.
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ thank you, redmondjp.
details details details.
property tax rates and the county "growth management acts" are crazy in King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties.
infrastructure/public services can be wildly different between incorporated municipalities and "rural" county areas. (i.e., eastern King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties.)
building permit restrictions/requirements can be insane.
so yeah... check out details.
details details details.
property tax rates and the county "growth management acts" are crazy in King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties.
infrastructure/public services can be wildly different between incorporated municipalities and "rural" county areas. (i.e., eastern King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties.)
building permit restrictions/requirements can be insane.
so yeah... check out details.
drivesitfar
Well-known member
Redmond: nice detailed post. just curious what you are going to sell your 3 bedroom with a 2 car garage home for maybe within walking distance to Microsoft?
good luck in your search for a nice home. what do you think of Woodinville and Bothell as other options? Monroe seems a bit too far for a daily commute, but they did widen 522 last year so maybe an option now?
good luck in your search for a nice home. what do you think of Woodinville and Bothell as other options? Monroe seems a bit too far for a daily commute, but they did widen 522 last year so maybe an option now?
I must admit that I'm confused at the price disparity that I seem to be seeing. The 400k number that I came up with did not come out of the blue, it was after looking at a good number of properties and doing some on site research. My wife spends a lot of time scouring real estate listings and we seem to find a lot of places between 300 and 400. The hardest thing for me to figure is the realistic drive time, it's very possible that I'm underestimating this. I suppose it's also possible that these houses are just under priced intentionally:
32850 NE 195th St, Duvall, WA 98019 (Listed at 399k) Might sell for 509k?
19322 312th Ave NE, Duvall, WA 98019 (Listed at 359k, this is really just a nice barn and a mobile home, but maybe an opportunity to build)
16004 Market St, Snohomish, WA 98296 (too far?)
I wish I had more time to pull up some of the other listings that she has been looking at. Maybe I'll have to give up my commute dream for other dreams, at least for a while. I think one of the latest listings that my wife has sent me was way up on Hat Island, and way down in Kent.
32850 NE 195th St, Duvall, WA 98019 (Listed at 399k) Might sell for 509k?
19322 312th Ave NE, Duvall, WA 98019 (Listed at 359k, this is really just a nice barn and a mobile home, but maybe an opportunity to build)
16004 Market St, Snohomish, WA 98296 (too far?)
I wish I had more time to pull up some of the other listings that she has been looking at. Maybe I'll have to give up my commute dream for other dreams, at least for a while. I think one of the latest listings that my wife has sent me was way up on Hat Island, and way down in Kent.
Last edited:
four.cycle
Well-known member
mysta2 said:
oh yeah?
maybe on the "existing footprint".
anywhere near water? you're dealing with "wetlands" issues.
anywhere near property lines? setback requirements.
slope gradients?
and don't forget all water runoff has to be contained on site.
oh yeah... and the 1990 ADA will require wheelchair ramps on the sidewalks.
girlfriend is a civil engineer. you would not believe the hoops planners have to jump through to get a permit approved by cities/counties around here.
redmondjp
Well-known member
My primary driver for looking to move was the need for a 4th bedroom - we have relatives that often stay in the guest room and the kids in the same room together keep each other up two hours past their bedtime every night when we have guests. Plus I want more garage/shop space, preferably a separate shop for my lift and all auto tools and parts, so we can use the house garage for parking (to avoid the 25 minutes of frost-scraping like I had to do yesterday morning).
Due to the crazy real estate market right now, I'm probably going to end up staying put where I am at - going to investigate adding a master suite plus another bedroom onto the front of the house (losing one small existing BR in the process, ending up with a 4BR 2.5BA), along with extending the garage 18 feet out (have to check impervious-surface lot coverage and setbacks/easements first to see if it is even feasible).
Unfortunately, I now work in Renton (and our HQ is moving to Des Moines in three years) so I don't work anywhere close to my house (I worked 3 miles away when I bought the place). It makes for a doable commute for both my wife and I since the house is almost in the middle between our two jobs.
Woodinville and Bothell are also good options that I would look into - I'd go for Woodinville first, as there are several parallel routes east of 405 from there to Redmond that you can take to get to work. Of course, from Bothell you can head east to Woodinville and take those same routes in order to avoid 405.
Monroe is a nice rural area - I keep my parts cars in a pole barn out there at a friend's house. Traffic on 522 is not horrible - it does back up where it goes down to a two-lane road in each direction during commuting times, but otherwise isn't bad. The worst traffic can be through Monroe on Highway 2, especially on the weekends with people coming and going up Stevens Pass.
The wicked killer commute is southbound 405 every morning (down to Highway 520 where it opens up for a bit before downtown Bellevue which is perpetually bogged) and then back again north in the evenings. You can pay to drive in the two HOT lanes now, and that can range from $.75 up to $5 or more depending upon how slow the average speed is in those lanes.
I have a feeling that the Ada requirements for sidewalks will not apply to the rural 10 acre property in duvall. With acreage, permitting restrictions open up slightly, at least they do in unincorporated pierce county. I have 5 acres and I can seemingly do what I like compared to those under 1.
It's just like any other place to live, it's not like we came out here and tamed the Arctic tundra. Everyone is making is sound like it's impossible to set your sights on the Puget Sound and find a home.
There's some rules to follow, real estate isn't cheap, traffic ***** in the metro areas, the weather can be depressing at times, some school districts are better than others and it sure would be nice to pay less taxes. Sounds like a pretty broad description of Anywhere USA, not just the north west.
Be fair.
Btw, that Duvall property looks nice, if something like that is within your means to build in the future I say go for it. Plenty of room to grow at your own pace.
LEVE
Well-known member
35 years ago I was planning on moving to Vashon Island. I was looking at a 5 acre piece of property to build. I had to deal with King County... one of the first questions out of the Building Dept. Reps mouth was: "Where is the nearest sidewalk." I told him: "Coleman Dock." He wasn't pleased and things went downhill from there. I needed to walk the property with him to secure a permit and we agreed on a time. That day the Washington State Ferries went on strike... and I decided this property wasn't for me and moved 30 miles south and east of Seattle.
I can only think that laws have gotten even more crazy in the last three decades. So, if you want to build... be aware of the county laws and know what you're doing.
Corvette Cave
Well-known member
In the current Seattle housing market homes frequently sell above their listing price.
My daughter jus sold a flip house in West Seattle for 21,000 OVER the asking price.
The bidding wars seem to be for the new listings, You may be able to negotiate on price for a house that has been listed for more than a month.
My daughter jus sold a flip house in West Seattle for 21,000 OVER the asking price.
The bidding wars seem to be for the new listings, You may be able to negotiate on price for a house that has been listed for more than a month.
Vegaman_Dan
Well-known member
North of Redmond means high prices or very long commutes. Traffic along the 405 corridor is not your friend and is getting more and more expensive. The state governor has already announced plans to turn both I-5 and 405 into toll roads with target fares of $7 each way. There is no commuter rail and the bus system works great- if you have 2-4 hours each way for your commute.
Going east, all prices are very high right up to the mountains.
South means a longer commute, but lower prices. The moment you cross the King county / Pierce County line, the same homes drop $30-50K just for crossing the line. Homes around Pacific, Milton and Sumner are bargains. I bought my home for $150K three years ago at the bottom of the housing bust and have had the value go up $110K in that time. Great for an investment, not so great if you're trying to buy something.
SE area in the foothills like Covington, Maple Valley, Black Diamond, and similar can offer better values with more open space, but you drive farther. However, the drive isn't on a major roadway and the commute isn't that bad.
It all depends on how close you want to be to the job. For me, I don't want to be too close, so 35 miles away is perfect, especially as I work from home most days of the week. I do wish I had more property, bigger garage, etc, but maybe I'll relocate in a few years.
Going east, all prices are very high right up to the mountains.
South means a longer commute, but lower prices. The moment you cross the King county / Pierce County line, the same homes drop $30-50K just for crossing the line. Homes around Pacific, Milton and Sumner are bargains. I bought my home for $150K three years ago at the bottom of the housing bust and have had the value go up $110K in that time. Great for an investment, not so great if you're trying to buy something.
SE area in the foothills like Covington, Maple Valley, Black Diamond, and similar can offer better values with more open space, but you drive farther. However, the drive isn't on a major roadway and the commute isn't that bad.
It all depends on how close you want to be to the job. For me, I don't want to be too close, so 35 miles away is perfect, especially as I work from home most days of the week. I do wish I had more property, bigger garage, etc, but maybe I'll relocate in a few years.
four.cycle
Well-known member
yeah, but you have to drive a Volvo or Subaru or Prius if you want to live in West Seattle.
Richard D
Well-known member
They be Japaneese
p_mori7
Well-known member
I lived in Covington and worked in Yarrow Bay back in the mid 90's...and traffic was bad then. There was a Park'n'Ride in Maple Valley...a group of us would meet there and commute in a 12 passenger van...the van and the gas for the van was entirely paid for by the transit authority and my employer. The carpool lanes really helped make the commute manageable.
I visited the area again back in 2010 when on vacation...wow ! had it ever grown !
myredracer
Well-known member
I remember the days when you could sail right through Seattle any time of the day or week. Then Bill Gates moved to Seattle and traffic got REALLY bad. Almost as bad as LA now. We RV a lot in Wa. and getting our trailer through or around Seattle is horrible.
Not sure why so many complain about the rain. When you're from around the PNW, you don't even think about it. Heck of a lot better than snow and freezing cold in the winter. The PNW had plenty of sunshine this past summer and long enough to cause bad drought conditions and forest fires. In the southwest corner of BC just north of Seattle, we have not had a single flake of snow in over 365 days which is extremely unusual. The NOAA is predicting warmer and drier conditions this winter for the PNW area. There's no escaping rain in the Seattle area due to the effect of the Cascade mountain range as can be seen in the precip. map below. East of the Cascades is very dry in comparison.
If I were to move to Seattle, I'd look south and east of Seattle/Tacoma and find a nice piece of property in a rural area. A lot of people live up Everett way and the rush hour traffic is horrendous into and out of Seattle. And that's if there isn't a bad accident snarling up the flow. Tacoma area is bad due to Boeing and military bases.
If you don't like green, don't move to the PNW. Everywhere you look, it's green. Used to know a doctor that moved up from California and he absolutely hated seeing all the green.
I love Seattle and surrounding area. So many cool things to see in the area - Mt. Ranier, Mt. St. Helens, Olympic Peninsula, San Juan Islands, Ocean Shores, Stevens Pass (summer or winter), etc... It's close to Portland and Vancouver BC (not to be confused with Vancouver Wa.) and then there's the Oregon Coast which is a must see trip.
Not sure why so many complain about the rain. When you're from around the PNW, you don't even think about it. Heck of a lot better than snow and freezing cold in the winter. The PNW had plenty of sunshine this past summer and long enough to cause bad drought conditions and forest fires. In the southwest corner of BC just north of Seattle, we have not had a single flake of snow in over 365 days which is extremely unusual. The NOAA is predicting warmer and drier conditions this winter for the PNW area. There's no escaping rain in the Seattle area due to the effect of the Cascade mountain range as can be seen in the precip. map below. East of the Cascades is very dry in comparison.
If I were to move to Seattle, I'd look south and east of Seattle/Tacoma and find a nice piece of property in a rural area. A lot of people live up Everett way and the rush hour traffic is horrendous into and out of Seattle. And that's if there isn't a bad accident snarling up the flow. Tacoma area is bad due to Boeing and military bases.
If you don't like green, don't move to the PNW. Everywhere you look, it's green. Used to know a doctor that moved up from California and he absolutely hated seeing all the green.
I love Seattle and surrounding area. So many cool things to see in the area - Mt. Ranier, Mt. St. Helens, Olympic Peninsula, San Juan Islands, Ocean Shores, Stevens Pass (summer or winter), etc... It's close to Portland and Vancouver BC (not to be confused with Vancouver Wa.) and then there's the Oregon Coast which is a must see trip.
Pluribus
Well-known member
On that mfg home in Duvall, they did a great job of photography. I believe that about 8 of the 10 acres were clearcut several years back. You'd never know it from the listing pictures. I was considering that place at one point a long time ago, but hadn't sold my existing house yet. Even though it's not very big, it's a really cool shop building.
Getting to Snohomish in the afternoon from Redmond would be horrible using I405, SR522, and SR9, but getting to that house might be possible by going up Avondale, then some winding, slower roads. I don't know about those. Not many commute secrets out there though; I'm guessing.
Getting from ANY of the SE suburbs to Redmond will all be over an hour at normal commute times, and at random other times, so I wouldn't even consider going all the way to rural Pierce County. You'd be looking at over 2 hours commute each way pretty frequently. I've lived all over the S. King and N. Pierce County areas and would never consider them if I were in your shoes. Even looking at the Maple Valley area, there are some nasty bottlenecks in getting from the residential areas onto Hwy 18. From there, you'd have to take it East to I-5, then back over to Rte 202 to Redmond. You do not drive up through Issaquah, even though there is a direct road (parking lot.) Also, the Hwy 18/I5 interchange is a bit of a backup and getting worse every day.
So after all the gloom and doom, on a lighter note...COPS in Redmond
Getting to Snohomish in the afternoon from Redmond would be horrible using I405, SR522, and SR9, but getting to that house might be possible by going up Avondale, then some winding, slower roads. I don't know about those. Not many commute secrets out there though; I'm guessing.
Getting from ANY of the SE suburbs to Redmond will all be over an hour at normal commute times, and at random other times, so I wouldn't even consider going all the way to rural Pierce County. You'd be looking at over 2 hours commute each way pretty frequently. I've lived all over the S. King and N. Pierce County areas and would never consider them if I were in your shoes. Even looking at the Maple Valley area, there are some nasty bottlenecks in getting from the residential areas onto Hwy 18. From there, you'd have to take it East to I-5, then back over to Rte 202 to Redmond. You do not drive up through Issaquah, even though there is a direct road (parking lot.) Also, the Hwy 18/I5 interchange is a bit of a backup and getting worse every day.
So after all the gloom and doom, on a lighter note...COPS in Redmond