Looking for some space, good schools, decent commute... (Seattle, Redmond: big house, middle school)

[mumztheword]

Hello!

I've been reading thru pages of posts, and found many answers and many more questions. We are contemplating a move to Seattle, and I was hoping to get some feedback on where to concentrate my research. Here's what we are looking for:

1. Great schools -- but I'm not basing that on having a 10 on GreatSchools.com, or what the standardized test scores are. I want a school that will educate my kids, prepare them for college (not necessarily Ivy League), and will be a kind and warm place for them to learn and explore and just be kids. My son is heading to middle school next year, and my daughter is two years behind him. They are artsy kids, not so sporty.

2. Some space, not too much -- I'm a midwestern farm girl currently living in the suburbs of Boston. I long for some space, but I know that the amount of work involved in keeping up a large space would end up being too much. So maybe a half-acre, give or take, with a place I can grow some food (you can grow food in Seattle, right?). I just don't want to look out my windows and see what my neighbor is watching on TV or fixing for dinner. We would be more apt to pile into the car to go camping or for a hike than head into the city... but we like that too.

3. Commutable to MS... we would like to see Dad now and again.

I've been looking at Woodinville, Sammamish, Issaquah, Duvall... it's hard to get a feel for a place thru Trulia. So I'm asking the experts!

Many thanks...

[Hemlock140]

The cities you are considering all have what you are looking for, same with Redmond and Kirkland. They all also have the big house/small lot cookie cutter homes, so anything with 1/2 acre is going to be harder to find and more expensive. Older areas of Sammamish, for example have 1/3 acre lots, with 2,500-3,000 sf homes while newer ones may be 3,500 sf on minimum lots of 5,000 sf. Watch out also for big trees. Yes, despite the short growing season here we can do gardens, but finding a large enough area free of shade is difficult. I have several 100' firs and had to position a greenhouse where it gets 2 hours of morning sun and 4 hours afternoon, and that's the best we can do.
Duvall is a little far out to commute with nasty traffic to Redmond, but not bad enough to stop you if you find the ideal home there.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by mumztheword

I've been looking at Woodinville, Sammamish, Issaquah, Duvall... it's hard to get a feel for a place thru Trulia. So I'm asking the experts!

Many thanks...

It looks like you are focused in the correct areas. The eastern part of Redmond has larger lots that could work for you too. Maple Valley would work too, but the commute is longer.

[beautifulseattlehomes]

If you want to be fairly close to MS, with very good schools and large lots then Woodinville or the eastern part of Redmond would be good areas to focus on. Both have parts that actually seem semi rural and the access to trails and the great outdoors would be wonderful in both.

[tobester]

The big question as always is your housing budget ... none of the places mentioned are necessarily cheap, guessing easily high 6 figures.