finn hill kirkland or issaquah highland (Seattle, Bellevue: real estate, to rent, buying a house)

[rainysunshine]

Hi,

We are thinking of buying a house soon, probably in the $450K range and have been looking at a few areas.

1. Finn Hill in Kirkland: We saw a house with nice updates and beautiful panoramic view of the cascade mountains and good size backyard in our price range. We like that it's close by downtown kirkland and an easy drive to bellevue and we can take 522 instead of 520 to get to seattle. It also has many beautiful waterfront parks nearby (juanita beach, denny park, waverly, etc.) and we can easily bike to big finn park from that house and do some mountain biking. We will be starting a family soon so elementary schools are important to us and juanita elementary school has a 10 out of 10 rating on greatschools.org. It seems like a really great neighborhood, even the neighbors seem friendly and took the time to say hi to us. What is finn hill like and what are some of the cons about the neighborhood because i see too many things i actually like about the neighborhood?

2. We also looked at some houses in issaquah. My first impression when we were there was that the houses were really packed in. Every window in the house I look out from, it feels like i am looking at a mirror and see a reflection of the same house because all i see are the neighbor's house which look exactly like the house we were in. The backyards are tiny, although there were a few community park nearby, but the parks are just a patch of grass and not like parks in kirkland with the water, wildlife, and charm. According to greatschool, the elementary school is an 8 (although that it still good.) It seems like for the same amount of money you get a whole lot less in issaquah. What are some of the pros and cons of issaquah?

In terms of resale, which neighborhood would be better? which would be a better investment in the long run? It seems like Finn hill has a lot more potential to grow? thoughts?

thanks for you help!

[Ira500]

I think it's more a matter of personal preference and style than resale value or investment. Some people like the uniformity and newness of a place like Issaquah Highlands, and that it has good bus service both to Bellevue and downtown Seattle. Finn Hill is not entirely in Kirkland, I think some of it is considered Bothell, so you might want to check with the school districts online to make absolutely sure that it's Juanita Elementary. Sometimes the real estate listing is wrong, it's inputted by the listing agent, and sometimes they're not checking current sources and sometimes they're lazy.
Me? I'd rather live in Finn Hill. I like a mix of types of houses, and I like bigger yards. You also might want to check if the Finn Hill house is within the Kirkland city limits. There's been a lot of annexations of unincorporated areas by both Kirkland and Bothell, and some of that area has been unincorporated. Being unincorporated has it's advantages( you can get away with a little more) but it also seems like there are less rules enforced, so if there is new housing, it can be less nice.
And yes, you definitely get more house and more yard for your money in Finn Hill. Some people feel that it's worth it to live in a newer community so close to I-90( Issaquah Highlands).

[seattlenextyear]

We've lived in Juanita, not far from Finn Hill and now we live in the Issaquah area (not the Highlands though).

Advantage Issy Highlands: Newer homes. Transit center, a few restaurants and schools right in development. Closer to skiing and much more hiking. More shopping available in Issaquah than in the Juanita area.

Advantage Finn Hill: Older, more established community. Still close to some great parks (check out St. Edward too). Restaurants in Kirkland are better than Issaquah.

It seems as if you're leaning towards Finn Hill, which is a fine choice. In either case, make sure to test drive the commute from both locations.

[AddyLaddy]

We're just about to buy a house in Issaquah (98029) but not in the Highlands.

Klahanie has quite a lot of older properties that have a bit more space and are more individual. It has parks, a lake and two swimming pools. There is a local shopping centre with a QFC, Starbucks and a restaurant etc. Access to a bus route is not so great, but the Issaquah Highlands P&R is close if you can drive.

[rainysunshine]

We love st. edward park, its such a great park for hiking and mountain biking. We also love that finn hill is close to the burke gilman trail, where on a nice weekend you can bike to seattle or redmond. I don't think you can do that in issaquah or do they have their own trail system similar to the burke gilman trail? You are right that we are leaning towards finn hill, i just feel that it has so much more to offer. They even just open an off leash dog park by fred meyer. Do they have off leash parks in issaquah? We couldn't find one. The proximity to the wineries and brewery in woodenville is also a major plus for finn hill. I think i will be lazy and not make the drive to the wineries if we live down in issaquah, so another reason to buy close to it, lol. The only reason why we are considering issaquah is that my fiance and i both work at the renton boeing, so the commute would be shorter for us.

[seattlenextyear]

Yeah, if you take 405 down to Renton, it's going to be crummy from Finn Hill. That area right around Totem Lake is craptastic. I don't know if going around the lake and taking I-5 will be any less craptastic, you'll have to check.

There's a dog park in Issy Highlands. The only bike trail I know of is the one that parallels I-90. There's a trail that goes along Lake Sammamish, but its gravel and I don't think you'd have much fun riding a road bike on it.

You might also consider Newcastle. I don't know if you'll find anything you like in your price range, but it's a nice, active area with good schools (though check, since I think there's split zoning here) that will be closer to your workplace.

[Inkpoe]

If both of you are working at the Renton Boeing... Why not look into Eastern Renton, Mirrormont, Maple Valley? They got really good schools plus a huge inventory of houses around your budget range.

[Hemlock140]

I agree with Klahanie, more yard space, great parks and schools, and it's own shopping center. Short run to the Issaquah Highlands Park & Ride for the bus and easy drive down the hill to I90. I wouldn't like the Highlands with the tiny lots and artificial urban feel attempt so my second choice would be Finn Hill, but unless your commute is to the north it will be nasty through 405 and Renton. Try it once and you will see what I mean.

[mrsincredible]

We had looked at some homes in the Finn Hill/Juanita area of Kirkland because there was a lot more selection in our price range there. But we just couldn't get the right combination of factors of having a playground in walking distance, a nice sized, useable, fenced backyard (sloping issues) and of course a big issue that you can't escape is the relative isolation of freeway access. It will take you a lot longer to get onto the 405 and a huge swath of road work is being done at the intersection of 124th/100th and at the 116th exit of the 405 making the wait times even longer than the normal Totem Lake snarl. If you look at how the Juanita area is laid out, your access to the 405 is via Juanita-Woodinville road to the 160th St on ramp, 124th st to the huge Totem Lake interchange or 116th St but only if you're coming or going south on 405. Not a ton of options and 522 is great in theory but it's mostly a 2 lane road with a speed limit of 35. Accidents slow traffic to a 1 lane crawl so YMMV when you're relying on it as your gateway to DT Seattle.

There are a few grocery stores in that area: Albertsons and Safeway are closest and a little further away, QFC and Fred Meyer. One plus is that the Safeway has a gas station where (with free Safeway Club membership) you can get gas for 3 cents off and shopping rewards for 10 cents off. Costco off of 85th near DT Kirkland will take an estimated 15-20 minute drive (and they are getting a gas station soon). But for any other kind of retail therapy (Target is a favorite store of mine), you're going to have to go a ways farther out. Downtown Kirkland is ok for boutique shops, let's-do-lunches and 30-something psuedo-yuppie nightlife but not much else. There is a nice public library and a general community center with a teen center, senior center, swimming pool, baseball fields, small skate park and a 1 year new playground. Don't get me wrong, downtown Kirkland is great if you live right there, but I wouldn't drive there to use it.

The other thing that didn't ring our bell about Finn Hill is that almost all of the homes were built during that 70s/80s era when the split entry home was king and I get that it's the most efficient square footage use of the footprint but we just didn't like it for our lifestyle. We ended up buying just a bit more north (Hubbby works in DT Kirkland) but with easy access to the 405, in a good school and district. We're technically in Bothell but wedged right in between Woodinville and the north part of Kingsgate. I like it here. We got exactly what we were looking for at our target price and with a home in very good but original (1988) condition.

I'd recommend that you don't be afraid to expand your search areas. REALLY spend a lot of time looking for the right house with the mix of lifestyle components that you want and be ready to jump on it if you know it hits most of the important marks. Good luck!

[goosemonkey23]

We have been living in Issaquah Highlands for almost a year now. I don't have an opinion of Finn Hill area as I've never been up there, but I can definitely share my thoughts on the Highlands...

We love that all of the streets have sidewalks (for scooter riding) and that there are 3 parks within walking distance. We feel VERY safe here. Having quick access to I-90 is great and the Park & Ride at the bottom of the hill has been wonderful for my husband's daily commute to Seattle. The new Swedish hospital built right at the bottom of the Highlands is a big plus too (esp when we had to rush our son to the ER last month). The views of Cougar and Tiger Mountains are wonderful and there are some lovely trails and ponds hidden throughout the development. The fire station and the elementary school (which looks to be a 9 on Greatschools) are right in the community, as well as a few shops and restaurants. Having Zeeks Pizza within walking distance has been delicious!

With that said, we're actually moving OUT of the Highlands next month (to either Klahanie, Sammamish, or South Redmond). It's a bit too crowded for my liking here in Issaquah Highlands and homes with any sort of yard are out of our budget. I don't like that I have to pull over every time someone is coming the other direction in a car. There's only one road out and during school drop off/pick up, it gets ugly. I need more space. More house for my money and more yard for my kids.

Best of luck with your decision!