AZ to Seattle - Cost of Living (ignoring housing) (Olympia: renting, insurance)

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by cmswazey

I could be happier with driving if they'd fix the roads. Ever since Tim Eyman got his way, the city's been punishing us. They took a lot of major streets and changed them from 4 lanes to 2. It would have been a golden opportunity to do some repaving- would have cost more but less than what they'll have to pay later- but they didn't do it.

Yes, the Seattle "road diet". As for potholes, I walk across Alaskan Way daily, and you have to watch your step or can easily trip and fall in some of those holes, or when raining, drown.

[Minntoaz]

We lived in AZ for six years and then moved around a bit before coming to Seattle. We are relocating back down to AZ in August. I'd say it's all depending on your goals. If you want to save for a down payment you need quite a bit more salary increase. Hypothetically, a two bedroom, two bath condo will run you about $2300 a month. You can buy a way bigger, brand new place for that in AZ. So again it depends on your priorities.

[cmswazey]

Originally Posted by KonaldDuth

If you have a car, you also need to consider the cost of parking. It'll be $1000-$3000/yr.

If you have to pay park... I don't. A lot of people don't.

[bigcheese11]

Originally Posted by XoXSciFiGuy

[b]
The traffic is absolutely AWFUL today.

The weather, due to climate change, is more 'dynamic,'

Drug use and property crime are pretty common here, more than before.

Is this a job thing, or are you retired? Because if your move isn't related to a job opportunity then I can list six other places in the NW you'd be better off living. Most of them are in Oregon. I have HAD it with Seattle. I'm out of here as soon as I can manage it.

I realize that Seattle isn't going to be Shangri-La...no place it. There are good & bad things about every city. I'm personally considering Seattle for the following reasons:
1) Great opportunities & growth in my job market (architecture)
2) More urban lifestyle
3) Access to outdoor opportunities: hiking, snowboarding, mountaineering, etc.

I plan to live close to downtown, so traffic is less of an issue. And yes I realize that means I'll be paying more rent.

[homesinseattle]

big cheese. It amazes me sometimes how much "square footage" people think they need. I say get a smaller home/apartment and live closer in. Works for Europeans, people in Manhattan, Hong Kong, all over the world. Americans have a warped sense of how big they need their homes to be. Could my family and I afford a 5000 SF home? Sure, but we live happily in 1900 SF. That lets us live closer in, simplify our lives, have less of a commute.

[bigcheese11]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

big cheese. It amazes me sometimes how much "square footage" people think they need. I say get a smaller home/apartment and live closer in. Works for Europeans, people in Manhattan, Hong Kong, all over the world. Americans have a warped sense of how big they need their homes to be. Could my family and I afford a 5000 SF home? Sure, but we live happily in 1900 SF. That lets us live closer in, have less of a commute.

I agree. I'm completely fine living in a 600-sf, 1-br apartment.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Minntoaz

We lived in AZ for six years and then moved around a bit before coming to Seattle. We are relocating back down to AZ in August. I'd say it's all depending on your goals. If you want to save for a down payment you need quite a bit more salary increase. Hypothetically, a two bedroom, two bath condo will run you about $2300 a month. You can buy a way bigger, brand new place for that in AZ. So again it depends on your priorities.

Seattle = water
AZ = not

[KonaldDuth]

Originally Posted by bigcheese11

I agree. I'm completely fine living in a 600-sf, 1-br apartment.

They're building "1-bedroom" apartments smaller and smaller. At my apartment complex the 1-bdrm configuration is only 500 square feet and the "bedroom" is basically a close behind a sliding glass door. I've seen some apartment complexes have 1-bedrooms that are 450 sq-ft.

I'm fine with my tiny studio now, but eventually I'll want something big enough that I can invite people over to hang out. That would require me to make a lot more money than I do now.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by KonaldDuth

They're building "1-bedroom" apartments smaller and smaller. At my apartment complex the 1-bdrm configuration is only 500 square feet and the "bedroom" is basically a close behind a sliding glass door. I've seen some apartment complexes have 1-bedrooms that are 450 sq-ft.

I'm fine with my tiny studio now, but eventually I'll want something big enough that I can invite people over to hang out. That would require me to make a lot more money than I do now.

A 1-br. where the bedroom is created by a sliding door is a studio. Honest LL's rent those out as studios. A 450-sq. ft. apt. is almost a micro. Those are more for students or recent grads, people starting out in life. Sure there's a certain demand for that, but there needs to be more diversity in the market, for "real" adults.

[KonaldDuth]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

A 1-br. where the bedroom is created by a sliding door is a studio. Honest LL's rent those out as studios. A 450-sq. ft. apt. is almost a micro. Those are more for students or recent grads, people starting out in life. Sure there's a certain demand for that, but there needs to be more diversity in the market, for "real" adults.

I make around $90k, I put 20% into a retirement account pre-tax, and barely am barely able to afford a newish studio apartment in Seattle if I follow the rule of rent not exceeding 1/3 of take-home pay. I'm not a student or recent grad, I don't consider myself to be "starting out in life," and I do consider myself a "real" adult. It's a reality that the price per squarefoot of an apartment in Seattle is such that if you want a normal-sized, new 1-bedroom apartment, you're going to have to shell out nearly $2000/mo at the least. Even if you make $100k/yr and don't contribute to your retirement account, you can't afford $2000/mo if you follow the widely accepted personal finance guideline of 1/3 or less towards housing. The more hardcore personal finance experts would say that you should be paying 1/4 or less towards housing, even on a 15-yr mortgage. Imagine how much money you'd have to make to follow that rule in Seattle.