There and back again

[Seacove]

Yeah...that's why the water view in Bellevue for $300-$350K was a little optimistic.

Surely there's a middle ground between the Bellevue and Bothell houses. Did you look at Issaquah, such as Klahanie? Those are going to be older too which small yards but Issaquah is good for I-90 access. You may find the cost of living to be too high coming from SC and considering what you have now.

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by Ira500

It's a bank owned foreclosure that's backed by Fannie Mae, so they are encouraging seliing to owner occupants, municipalities, and non profits ,with the idea that it's better to have someone invested in the community rather than just somebody buying it to rent it out.

Thanks Ira

[craftbrewer]

You mentioned cost of living being different and I never really considered it would be this big! I live in the suburbs of Charlotte area, maybe the Bellevue equivalent to Seattle. Here are the numbers from this site... these numbers I realize are three years old, but I’ll use them anyway.

Estimated median household income in 2009:
Seattle: $60,843 Charlotte: $49,779
Washington: $56,548 North Carolina: $43,674


Estimated median house or condo value in 2009
Seattle: $452,000 Charlotte: $175,600
Washington: $287,200 North Carolina: $155,500


Home cost living index
Seattle: .135 Charlotte: .283
Washington: .197 North Carolina: .280

(Closer to 1 being ideal)

First thing I see is how out of whack Seattle property is compared to the rest of the state. Using Charlotte for example, the index is almost identical to the rest of the state. Seattle is .06 index points (or 6%) higher than the rest of state. Charlotte is the biggest metropolitan area in North Carolina, similar to Seattle. Total population when this was done in 2010 was 732,424 people in Charlotte, and 608,660 in Seattle.

To help you see the numbers better… when you compare the two you see that even though the median income is only about $10k more in Washington/Seattle the index is .148 (or 91%) higher for Seattle and .08 (or 42%) for Washington. So when you look at a comparable $300k house in Charlotte, you would need to compare it to $573k house in Seattle! WOW! A price difference of $273k!

[tobester]

Originally Posted by craftbrewer

So when you look at a comparable $300k house in Charlotte, you would need to compare it to $573k house in Seattle! WOW! A price difference of $273k!

You're going to find that in any major metropolis on the west coast. People will pay a premium to live in beautiful surroundings with mild climate and thriving (for the most part) economies. As to comparing Seattle real estate with the 'rest of Washington' - you could probably find the house you want at your price in Spokane. And comparing Charlotte to Bellevue, I'm guessing the median income in Bellevue is much higher than Seattle, as are home prices.

[slan490]

This is why Seattle can be hard to live in. Does your wife have to take this job?

Honestly it sounds like what you have going on is perfect if the job is negotiable. My husband works in King county but we live in Olympia (mainly because he was born and raised here). You can find the type of houses you are looking for in the Olympia area with really good schools (Olympia school district)...but who wants to commute that far??

Plus...you mentioned your wife loves sun. She may have a very difficult time adjusting here. It's very different culturally, weather-wise, and cost of living wise. It seems like you would be giving up a lot.

I don't mean to sound negative. But I'm in the same boat as you trying to find a location where my husband has a shorter commute and we have some decent houses to choose from. If it were up to me I'd move out of state for a while...but he's not on board quite as much as me.

Anyhow...good luck with your move...Maybe try North Tacoma/Browns Point, Des Moines (but look at "greatschools" for school ratings then at home prices in that district), Renton Highlands (with schools in the Issaquah school district)...there are some affordable houses with some of the amenities you listed. Though remember...we don't have clubs and pool houses...as summer is very short. It's not a typical part of a neighborhood like it is in the south.

Good luck!

[craftbrewer]

Originally Posted by tobester

And comparing Charlotte to Bellevue, I'm guessing the median income in Bellevue is much higher than Seattle, as are home prices.

True.. looking at Bellevue the median income is $82,408 while the median home price is $544,900. Index of .151

Which is funny because according to that, its actualy cheaper to live in Bellevue if you also work there, compared to Seattle proper.

sorry.. my links before were not working, and i just realized that new members cannot post links.

[craftbrewer]

Originally Posted by slan490

This is why Seattle can be hard to live in. Does your wife have to take this job?

Honestly it sounds like what you have going on is perfect if the job is negotiable. My husband works in King county but we live in Olympia (mainly because he was born and raised here). You can find the type of houses you are looking for in the Olympia area with really good schools (Olympia school district)...but who wants to commute that far??

Plus...you mentioned your wife loves sun. She may have a very difficult time adjusting here. It's very different culturally, weather-wise, and cost of living wise. It seems like you would be giving up a lot.

I don't mean to sound negative. But I'm in the same boat as you trying to find a location where my husband has a shorter commute and we have some decent houses to choose from. If it were up to me I'd move out of state for a while...but he's not on board quite as much as me.

Anyhow...good luck with your move...Maybe try North Tacoma/Browns Point, Des Moines (but look at "greatschools" for school ratings then at home prices in that district), Renton Highlands (with schools in the Issaquah school district)...there are some affordable houses with some of the amenities you listed. Though remember...we don't have clubs and pool houses...as summer is very short. It's not a typical part of a neighborhood like it is in the south.

Good luck!

I grew up in the Spokane area and all my family are still there. I have family in and arround Seattle as well. Thats another reason we are wanting to head back out there. We are too accustomed to the big city though and dont want to live in Spokane, so we decided on Seattle. We have been to Seattle several times, and although visiting is different from living thre, she loves it and is onboard with moving. I am a software engineer, and my oldest son is very interested in 3d design modeling for movies and games, so that seems to also fit with what he will be interested in as far as career options.

[slan490]

Being near family and career options makes sense!

Good luck...I hope you find something awesome!

[craftbrewer]

i think we have decided to just rent for a year and experience the different areas ourselves. It would seem that if you want anything with a view your going to have to spend upwards of $600k to $700k. We are not willing to do that kind of commitment without realy knowing what we want to,and make sure our jobs dont get canned 6 months after we get there. That being said, anyone have some good resources for rentals? I have not rented in pob 20 years.