Need info. on Fairwood (Seattle, Spokane: apartment, rent, crime)

[daffodil4]

We are looking to relocate near the seattle area. In researching, I am beginning to see that the cost of living is much higher. We live in Texas. I noticed that the average home price in fairwood is lower than all of the other surrounding areas south and east of seattle (which is where we will be moving to). I checked the crime there and it looks good. So I am wondering why it is cheaper there? Can anyone tell me what fairwood is like? Also, everything I read says to live east of seattle and avoid south of seattle. But we don't want to spend more than 300,000 for a 3 bedroom home. Is it possible to find a home east of seattle for that price? And are basements a common feature in homes there? Thanks!!

[larrykcragun]

Fairwood is an interesting area. It is good from a location standpoint, close in to many things. The homes in general are about 35 years old, so will be dated. Some homes are around a golf course. Many of the adjoining developments have homes that are small and could use some TLC.

[scirocco22]

As we've talked about in other threads, be sure when researching Fairwood Washington, that you're pinpointing the correct "Fairwood.'

There is an unicorporated town in Spokane county on the opposite side of the state. There is also a Fairwood CDP area of Renton near Seattle. Many have told me that they didn't realize that they were looking up data for the Fairwood in Spokane when they intended to be seeking information for Fairwood in Renton.

The City-Data pages list the Fairwood in Renton as Cascade-Fairwood and the one in Spokane just Fairwood.

More information on Fairwood in Renton from Wikipedia on our C-D reference pages.

[daffodil4]

Yes, I noticed this too. Thanks. I am referring to the one near Renton.

[scirocco22]

Yes, daffodil, if you're wanting to spend no more than 300k for a 3-bedroom house, it is probably no use to even look on the eastside.

As larry has mentioned, Fairwood is not a really old run-down area but it has large areas where the houses were built in the 70s. Lots of "split-levels" and "tri-levels" which were quite popular in that era. Yeah, a split-level in the northwest usually refers to a "mid-entry" where you walk in the front door to a landing which either takes you up to the living area or down to a basement. The tri-level is a plan where the living-dining-kitchen are on one level, the bedrooms up, and a small basement down. These two types of floorplans were popular back then and you'll see quite a few of them scattered throughout the area amongst the ramblers (one level) homes.

When you mentioned that crime "looks good" there, it sounded like something positive. I'm thinking that the crime stats for that area could be a bit above the average ratings especially compared to the eastside.

[wannabeaTexan]

Originally Posted by daffodil4

We are looking to relocate near the seattle area. In researching, I am beginning to see that the cost of living is much higher. We live in Texas. I noticed that the average home price in fairwood is lower than all of the other surrounding areas south and east of seattle (which is where we will be moving to). I checked the crime there and it looks good. So I am wondering why it is cheaper there? Can anyone tell me what fairwood is like? Also, everything I read says to live east of seattle and avoid south of seattle. But we don't want to spend more than 300,000 for a 3 bedroom home. Is it possible to find a home east of seattle for that price? And are basements a common feature in homes there? Thanks!!

And I'm wanting to do the opposite, mainly because of the cost of living...move from Renton to Texas. Although I do not live in Fairwood.

[daffodil4]

I did a search through the forum and found some more info. on Fairwood. It sounds like a decent area to buy a home. I don't want to be a slave to my mortgage. The whole purpose of moving to washington was to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and things to do. If I have a new big beautiful house and fancy cars but can't go anywhere and do much without racking up credit card debt than why bother moving? Yes, we are middle class and proud of it. I am a teacher, my husband is military. I'm getting the feeling that the communities east of seattle that everyone says are so wonderful are elitist communities for the wealthy. Of course the schools look good there. That is because children who come from families with money often have exposure to academic enhancing experiences that lower income children don't. So, in my opinion, it isn't the schools that are necessarily better, but the exposure for those kids. I am a teacher so I think I can speak from experience. Both of my children are in gifted programs at their school and it isn't because of their teachers. It is because of the experiences I have given them. Sooo, I guess what I am saying is there are good people everywhere and I think I have a better picture now of what kind of people are poo-pooing the communities south of Seattle.

[wannabeaTexan]

Originally Posted by daffodil4

Yes, I noticed this too. Thanks. I am referring to the one near Renton.

Fairwood is a neighborhood in Renton, not near Renton...Kent would be near Renton. You may already know that, but it just sounds as if Fairwood is being referred to as it's own area. It's just a decent part of Renton...like I said, I don't live there...just shop in the shopping center sometimes.

Anyhow, I'm glad you're not being scared away from Renton because of what's said on these boards. I've never been mugged, raped, been shot at, saw a drug deal go down, had my house or car broken into, or had my car stolen in the 4 years I've lived in Renton. I'm not scared to go out at night and I don't worry about bad things happening to my kids there. Sometimes when I'm reading posts here, I feel like my kids are doomed, but I know that's not the case.

There have been more positive assessments of Renton, which I appreciate because it's really not a bad place to live. But I think there've been more than a few outsiders who've unfortunately been steered clear of it because of opinions reflected here.

[MichaelinWA]

Fairwood is technically not in Renton, but rather in unincorporated King County.

[Seatown206]

I live in Fairwood and it is a very quite nice area. I rent so I really can't comment on housing prices. Fairwood is an interesting location as it is just up the hill from downtown Renton and has a mix of new housing/apartment developments, older houses, and some decent sized wetlands areas. Believe it or not I have actually seen deer wondering around a few times. I think that the area is split between the Kent and Renton school districts as we always recieve mailings on schools in the Kent school district. Also it is pretty diverse both culturally and economically.