Seattle Native-How Can I Live Here Anymore? (Bellevue, Shoreline: sales, apartments)

[mila123]

I was born and raised in Seattle/Bellevue, and live on the Eastside. I own a house in King County and my property taxes go up by an enormous amount every year. I'm a single woman in her 50s and my job pay increases are minimal if at all. With property tax increases, Comcast increases, sales tax increase (now 10%!), and everything else that goes up, how can I or anyone else survive here anymore? Unless you're these outsiders or execs that move here, how do you not live paycheck-to-paycheck?

[homesinseattle]

Hi Mila, Sorry about what you are going through. It's a tough one, no easy answer. Some of the local people I know are selling their homes, cashing out, moving to something smaller a little farther out. Example: selling in Queen Anne and moving to Shoreline. I know that is far from ideal if you are living closer in, it is an option though.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by mila123

I was born and raised in Seattle/Bellevue, and live on the Eastside. I own a house in King County and my property taxes go up by an enormous amount every year. I'm a single woman in her 50s and my job pay increases are minimal if at all. With property tax increases, Comcast increases, sales tax increase (now 10%!), and everything else that goes up, how can I or anyone else survive here anymore? Unless you're these outsiders or execs that move here, how do you not live paycheck-to-paycheck?

Renters! You figure out a way to create a rental unit, so that the renters pay the property taxes, plus a little toward your maintenance costs. I always had renters, when I lived in Seattle.

[cmswazey]

I like Ruth's idea.

[homesinseattle]

Me too. My Dad did that when I was young, created an efficiency off the house. He has rented it for years, brags that he has gotten back twice what he paid for the house just with that unit.

[mhays25]

That's a good idea. Seattle and some other places (I don't know specifically) basically outlaw that, basically saying "all hail land owners; screw renters" but it's a great way to add housing while helping longtime residents stay around.

[mila123]

Do you mean rent out a room while I live here, or me move and let renters move in? A friend of mine at work says, "sell your house, make a killing, then go rent an apt." Now why the heck would I do that?

[cmswazey]

No, get a roommate, possibly.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by mhays25

That's a good idea. Seattle and some other places (I don't know specifically) basically outlaw that, basically saying "all hail land owners; screw renters" but it's a great way to add housing while helping longtime residents stay around.

Seattle changed the law back in the 80's, I think, when the city decided to encourage higher density, to control urban sprawl into farmland. IIRC, a measure was passed to at least allow MIL apartments.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by mila123

Do you mean rent out a room while I live here, or me move and let renters move in? A friend of mine at work says, "sell your house, make a killing, then go rent an apt." Now why the heck would I do that?

Yeah, haha, don't sell your place in favor of renting, because then you'd end up like so many renters getting pushed farther and farther out.

No, I mean, figure out a way to convert an existing space (basement, garage, spare room that happens to have it's own entrance from the outside) into a rental. That will give you privacy, while you augment your income w/the rental unit.