graham vs. green river/maple valley (Seattle, Tacoma: real estate, condo, home)

[moochdawgg]

Hi, i'm looking into move to graham or green river auburn/maple valley area from no. ca. Looking for a home on an acre country type property. Hows traffic in those area's commuting to kent or auburn. I hear commuting from graham is a nightmare. Also what about property tax's in those counties. Thank you.

[chris]

Maple Valley will probably be higher taxed due to being in King County. Commute from Maple Valley to Auburn/Kent will be a breeze compared to Graham. Both areas shouldn't be too difficult to get an acre or more.

[Moreta]

Maple Valley is Urban Yuppie. Easier to go to kent, auburn as Chris said, also depends on WHERE in those towns you are going.. Graham is going to be cheaper. Different county. Graham isn't too bad to get to Auburn, again depends on WHERE in there you are going and what route.

[moochdawgg]

Thanks moreta, I've been to enumclaw before and its beauitful there,but seems a little outward. Could you tell me about the wheather there since its close to the mountain? I understand there's more rain in that area vs. graham or orting .

[Moreta]

Depends on where in Enumclaw, in town is usually less snow than other areas. Enumclaw sits on a plateau. If you go north or east from town you'll get more snow than other spots. same as the rain. Basically the clouds back up into the canyons. Orting is down in the valley, so it can get really wet down there. more from run off than anything, they get the flooding. Graham, is kinda like Enumclaw for rain and such.. Graham, Kapowsin, Eatonville all get it.

A friend lives 15 miles north of me, so 17 from Enumclaw. And coming home the one night I went through, 5 different bits from clear to snow, to pouring rain and in between.

The last snow we had (about a week or so ago) I got about 5 inches that melted fairly fast, however 2 miles north, and one one of the back roads the further east I went along it, the deeper the snow got, and this was when it was totally gone from the enumclaw area. (was going to drive the loop to come home. ) I turned around when it hit 2 feet of snow on the sides of the road and I was plowing the slush on the road.

I don't think graham gets as windy as the plateau. Or orting for that matter.

[FoxyKnox]

Graham really is a bad commute seeing as your main freeway access is via Meridian, which in rush hour will move you about 2 miles in 45 minutes. Yes Maple Valley is $$$, but what is your time worth?

Enumclaw is pretty, I like it there.

[ylgfam]

The drive from Graham to Auburn is about 50 minutes during the peak rush hour, and the weather seems to be a bit different than other parts like Tacoma or Auburn. We're on top of the hill, and I can say that in the winter we usually get snow a couple times more than other areas. Summers seem to be hotter, too. The area is rural, but is expanding rapidly with numerous retail sites going on...

[jinj]

I also live in Enumclaw plateau, unincorporated county. Most of us have land, its great, lots of wildlife, everyone has horses. If you live above 1000 ft you will get a little more snow and wind. I moved there from Maple Valley, which is too much of a city.

40 to 45 minutes to Kent, hardly any traffic.

[Kim Emmons]

Hi Moochdawgg,

I am not sure about the difference in rain between Maple Valley and Orting area. I do know that real estate was recently overbuilt in Orting and current sellers are really suffering. Maple Valley is a sure bet. Rural, yet close in. 30 minutes to the mountains and 30 minutes to Puget Sound. Tahoma School District is tops and that helps keep the value up. There is about 300 acres inside the city of Maple Valley that is in the beginning stages of commercial development. So, some time in the future we will have our own commerce and not have to go outside the city.

[westseattlegirl]

DON'T move to Maple Valley, Black Diamond, or Enumclaw unless you have a helicopter or plan to take valium before the drive to work or home - especially if you will be working anywhere north of these towns (i.e. Seattle, Renton, Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, and others)

The cities of Maple Valley and Black Diamond continue to permit over-development with no regard for road capacity. The roads have not improved since I first came to the area 34 years ago -- Maple Valley Highway (Hwy 169), from Renton to Enumclaw is still a two-lane road in most places. Now we have school entrances directly onto the hwy, with lowered speed limits, new stop lights and school buses stopping every 50 feet for one child to get on or off. The growth management act was only enforced while there were no developers in the area --- what a joke they played on us. And the county turns a blind eye to it all, because they don't live out this far and don't have to make the drive.

The state is responsible for Hwy 169. Funny how the towns can permit uncontrolled growth, collect the property taxes, and not be culpable for road improvements.

Commute times:
Black Diamond to Redmond in 1995 - 45 minutes; in 2008 - 90+ minutes on a good day. Add 30-60 minutes for rain, 60-90 minutes for snow; 20 minutes in summer for construction work (putting flower boxes down the middle of busy roads instead of adding lanes).

Best bet --- buy a condo directly across the street from your workplace and walk to work. Or, find a job during the wee hours of the night.