Want to hear from families who ALREADY relocated from SF to SEA (Seattle: real estate)

[Reeko17]

Hi All,

I know, I know--another family relocating from SF to Seattle.

BUT, I'd love to hear from families who have ALREADY relocated and have settled in.
How was the transition? What time of year did you move? Did you rent or buy at first? What
neighborhood are you in, what neighborhood did you leave behind in the bay area and how do they
compare? What do you love and what do you hate? Do you 'feel' the lower cost of living now that
you've been there for a while?

We're a family of 4 with two little girls (5 and 3) and will likely relocate within a year.

Thanks in advance!!!

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by Reeko17

Hi All,

I know, I know--another family relocating from SF to Seattle.

BUT, I'd love to hear from families who have ALREADY relocated and have settled in.

Hey, does doing so a decade and a half ago count? Some things haven't changed, others have. Not a 'family,' an individual. Be that as it may:

The transition: attempting to shoehorn all that is SF into Seattle did not work, though there are similarities. Far fewer people, the police seem to keep a closer eye on things, initially-amusing but ultimately-annoying belief around here that the local Moo U schools are beginning and end of the line (though University of Washington is, by any objective measure, and excellent school. The rest, meh.) All around smaller vibe in Seattle, grittier but pleasant most of the time.

Adjusting that you can't be out and around enjoying the warm-ish weather 8-10 months year. Lop off ten degrees and add "rain probable" to most plans November-April, you'll be fine.

Cleaner air. Much cleaner. Whole place doesn't catch on fire by September, either.

I moved in February, driving up from east bay to ....eastside. Rented in Redmond, first 1.5 years, knowing I'd be buying a condo or townhome eventually. That worked great. Being close to work first 1.5 years both gave the erroneous impression that "traffic is manageable" (it isn't, unless you're patient and plan ahead). And the correct impression that "eastside is eventually where (I, with my particular needs that are not yours) will eventually want to live." It was a lucky shot in the dark, that first move, and encouraged by the recruiter who coaxed me up in the first place.

Moving in February can be dodgy due to weather. You just never know. I hit a warm patch. You may hit ice and snow in Portland, like the big storm or two they've had lately. That would suck, can't imagine what it would be like with a family in-tow.

I lived in Pleasant Hill, CA and moved to Redmond, then to Mill Creek, then back to eastside (Kirkland).

East bay or whatever they call Concord/Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill these days looks scummier since I lived there. Popped in en route to Santa Barbara in 2010, a nice drive (1,100 miles: two days down, one long slog back). East side...Seattle metro...generally has fewer scumbags and gangsta-types slouching around. A bit cleaner, more-upscale, less people, fewer nutbars. Pleasant Hill was getting on my nerves after seven years, I needed to get out of there anyway due to the weird stuff I'd see out my front door from time to time.

Mill Creek is bedroom to eastside and Seattle, though commute can be a bummer and needs to be managed day-to-day. Otherwise, a rather sterile yet mildly enjoyable place to live. Homes from reasonably-affordable to million dollar mansions, depending on where you are.

Eastside real estate is all getting to be crazy money, see other threads. And Zillow, Trulia, and Case Shiller.

I don't "feel" the cost of living is lower now, I know it is. Some bunch of far Left nuts are no longer skimming off 10% my income that I'll never see again (state income tax). Of course here in Seattle, they find other creative ways to tax. Some of which can be avoided, but most not.

As much as people complain Seattle metro isn't "affordable", if you've got the chops and hot skills, well.... However, the current housing paradigm is definitely making it more-difficult for all. If arriving with average skills and prospects, and making national median type income for households ($65.2K, as of 2012, per one source), I think Seattle metro is not all it could be in terms of quality of life. And that is definitely a shame. No different from Bay Area in that respect.

I was a dial stuck at zero in east bay SF, needed to broaden my horizons and gain valuable career experience in Seattle. Mission accomplished. No intention of leaving, since I was able to gather a lot of resources and make a couple real estate moves at a good time. The real estate thing is increasingly harder to deal-with here, though. Summer 2011's $500K house is 2014's $650K house, per Zillow, in NorKirk at least. Think on that relevant to your own needs. Matching up a good place to live with excellent schools often leads people to one word: 'Bellevue.' YMMV.

[Hemlock140]

I was born in SF, as a kid lived in San Bruno then Lafayette, High School in Concord, then in College moved to an apartment in Union City. After getting married we lived in Oakland a few years then bought our 1st and later 2nd homes in Castro Valley. We moved here in 1993 after being involved in school board committees and seeing the deterioration of academic programs.

When we came up here on vacation, we loved the green woodsy landscape so much better than the brown, dry hills, we decided to check out the schools. After visiting many principals and attending board meetings we concluded that our 3 kids would be better off here and made the move. I came up in February,
after our house went on the market, and started looking here. It took until August to sell as prices had fallen there and there was a surplus, but eventually we got a house in Sammamish twice as big, half the age on 2.5 times bigger lot
for what we got for the house in CV. We are at over 600' elevation on a plateau with plenty of woods left around. It's considered more affluent than where we came from, probably more like Lafayette but with less commercial district, and mush lower home prices. Our house is worth maybe $650k, in Lafayette it would be 1.5 million.

The lack of state income tax more than makes up for the lower pay here, considering the cost of living is also lower. We still prefer the 9 months of drizzle and green all year over the 100+ degree summer//fall, the smog and dry grasses. Sometimes we are not totally happy with the state government, but we were not there either. We have no regrets on the move. When we go back to visit we always feel like the sky is too low, without the 100' tall fir trees all around.

[beautifulseattlehomes]

It was a long time ago when I made the move and I started my family here in Seattle. I lived in the Sunset/Richmond District, Mill Valley and then went north to Sonoma County.

What I think is the most striking difference is the feeling of congestion...not traffic on the roads; we have that in spades, but the sense that it is much more open here and doesn't feel as dense and crowded as the Bay Area which has felt overcrowded for 25 plus years.

Housing costs here are a lot more affordable for an apples to apples kind of comparison. I think for the most part, the public schools are better in Washington. I have a client who just moved up from Berkeley and they are loving it..better schools, bigger house and they feel that the whole area is safer and much less crowded. Her sons class has almost ten fewer students than his class in California had. Which leads me to my next point.there are many parts of The Bay Area that feel sketchy and run down and while no area is perfect and urban crime exists everywhere, I personally feel much safer in the Seattle Metro than I felt in many parts of the Bay.

I moved here during a sunny period in February of 2000 and the rain started pretty quickly. No one is going to pretend that we have sunny west coast weather. I remember wearing shorts and t shirts often by late February early march in Marin and Sonoma County and that is definitely not happening here. But the rain and the mist are what make Western Washington green and beautiful. The air is definitely cleaner here too and never feels stagnant!

I think that day to day life such as food, eating out, gas, summer camps for the children, lessons, etc will feel like they cost about the same in both places. Where the big savings will come is in housing costs and I believe we also have some of the most affordable utilities in the country.

I think that the Seattle area is a wonderful place to raise children with as many enrichment opportunities here for them as you would find in any larger educated city. You will need to make the requisite trip to REI for rain boots and rain gear so that the kids will be able to go outside and play no matter the weather. Snow sports are also a big part of the culture here and most people live within 40 minutes of a ski area which is so much easier than the long drive to Tahoe from SF.

Seattle and SF are culturally different from each other but at the end of the day share all the best aspects of West Coast living so enough will feel familiar in a good way!

[tobester]

Originally Posted by beautifulseattlehomes

I moved here during a sunny period in February of 2000 and the rain started pretty quickly. No one is going to pretend that we have sunny west coast weather. I remember wearing shorts and t shirts often by late February early march in Marin and Sonoma County and that is definitely not happening here.

For the past two February days (over 50 degrees!), I have worn shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt. The sun's shining - I'm wearing shorts!

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by tobester

For the past two February days (over 50 degrees!), I have worn shorts and a long sleeve t-shirt. The sun's shining - I'm wearing shorts!

Wow, and I thought people here wait for 55 to wear shorts!

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Wow, and I thought people here wait for 55 to wear shorts!

Whatsamattafuhyou: at 55 degrees, the Utility Kilt comes out! Yet another benefit of living in the PacNW vs. SF.

[beautifulseattlehomes]

Ha ha bring on the Utility Kilts!!! : )