Fiance and I want to buy a house with in a year, live in west seattle, love it but can't afford it, where should we buy? (Renton: 2015, apartment)

[jesbolt]

Hi all,

My Fiance and I have lived in an apartment in West Seattle for the past four years. I absolutely love it! Since we will be married this summer we are starting to think about buying our first house in the next year, 2015. We are thinking 300K for the house. He works in White Center and I work in Belltown (ish). So while I love living close to where I work I just don't think we can afford a house we would like in Seattle area. We don't want to move into a tiny house that needs to be remodeled and no back yard. He's down to move any distance to find a nice completely finished house in the suburbs. I actually really like the the city and would at least like to live in a fun community with good restaurants, bars and is safe. Also my big "deal" is that I don't want an hour plus commute to work, since I did that for several years.

So the question: Any thoughts on neighborhoods or cities we could afford that I would also like to live?
Looking for:
House - 3 bedrooms
Not in need of remodel
yard
Fun restaurants or shops in the city, not necessarily walking distance but not too far.
Budget 300K

Thanks!
Jes

[amaiunmei]

Why not White Center? Or Georgetown? Or any of the neighborhoods in between?

Or Burien?

[JBVirtuoso]

What you want will indeed be hard to find, but I think it's doable. You'll get the most for your money by looking south. Burien might be a good place to start your search. I'd also recommend Columbia City and other areas in southeast Seattle.

What's your threshold for safety? Have you lived in another large city before? Are there any areas in the region where you've been that made you feel uncomfortable?

[homesinseattle]

Burien, absolutely one of the most underrated parts of town!

[tobester]

Close to your price range in (more like near) Columbia City

5025 S Renton Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118 | MLS# 614568 | Redfin

[amaiunmei]

Keep in mind that what you described as your wants is a list that is pretty much identical to a lot of peoples' want lists. And in this town, it is not uncommon to have properties as you described pull in multiple offers. I'm not a realtor; I was on the market for a while, but it's too hot for me to handle and I'm taking a backseat. You will most likely fare better.

Here is what I would tell you, just from my short experience:

(1) Be ready to move fast. Properties that don't need work, have working utilities, and are close to popular amenities are generally prime targets for all-cash buyers, investors, and other competition. If you like a house, be ready to move on it as soon as you see it. Assume it already has another offer (because it just may have at least one other one).

(2) Based on where you and your partner work, the SW corridor (West Seattle to White Center to Burien) would offer the quickest commute for the both of you. Of those options, Burien is probably the best option (cheap & well-developed). White Center is also a fantastic option, and quickly becoming a hotspot for home buyers.

(3) Be sure to visit anyplace that you want to live, and drive around the block. Check out the block on Google Earth. White Center and Burien have nice blocks and not-so-nice blocks, and the way to figure it out is to visit.

Also, Burien has a very informative website and crime map. White Center is not necessarily part of Seattle (technically, it's unincorporated King County), so you may want to check out Burien's crime map for more detailed info re: White Center and Burien.

Good luck! I hope you find something before the buying season (spring and summer) heats up!

[Ira500]

Something near Old Burien or Seahurst Park in Burien is what comes to mind. Burien's got some very fun restaurants. I think White Center's a fun neighborhood in terms of places to eat and drink, ( A pie bakery, great pizza, microbrewery, great breakfast place) but a little further west is a little quieter/more suburban like...There's a great nursery nearby, Village Green Perennials....Highland Park's pretty hit or miss, some blocks are much nicer than others,and there's a little grocery store/cafe that makes great BBQ sandwiches.

[Abby Schmitters]

Originally Posted by jesbolt

Hi all,

My Fiance and I have lived in an apartment in West Seattle for the past four years. I absolutely love it! Since we will be married this summer we are starting to think about buying our first house in the next year, 2015. We are thinking 300K for the house. He works in White Center and I work in Belltown (ish). So while I love living close to where I work I just don't think we can afford a house we would like in Seattle area. We don't want to move into a tiny house that needs to be remodeled and no back yard. He's down to move any distance to find a nice completely finished house in the suburbs. I actually really like the the city and would at least like to live in a fun community with good restaurants, bars and is safe. Also my big "deal" is that I don't want an hour plus commute to work, since I did that for several years.

So the question: Any thoughts on neighborhoods or cities we could afford that I would also like to live?
Looking for:
House - 3 bedrooms
Not in need of remodel
yard
Fun restaurants or shops in the city, not necessarily walking distance but not too far.
Budget 300K

Thanks!
Jes

Why not continue renting where you want to live and buy when you're ready to move to a more affordable area? Equity can wait (home buying with a mortgage is overrated anyway), quality of life is more important.

[James Bond 007]

^
This thread was 3 years old.

Funny though you bumped it up. I just clicked on the Redfin link by tobester above. According to this discussion that house was under $300K 3 years ago. If you click on the link now it's worth $574,646 (!!!)

[MayouInSeattle]

It was better to have bought 3% down a few years ago than to save 20% for a proper down payment!