How Are These Areas? Feedback Please!

[BurnInTheMil]

Originally Posted by Ira500

Enumclaw is a little out there. Feels like a far away western town. and takes forever to get anywhere. I live in Renton. Renton can't be praised or dismissed, because some areas are much nicer than others. But generally speaking, it's close enough to Seattle or Bellevue that the daily commutes people do aren't too horrible. I wouldn't rule out Burien or Normandy Park either.

Enumclaw has a major draw of interest to me. It looks somewhat "rural" in the sense that it is kind of far out (which I like) but yet still has the trees & distant view of Mt Rainer. The housing market is very affordable and crime seems little to none.

I will check out Burien & Normandy Park as well.
Thank you!

[CrazyDonkey]

Routes 164 (to Auburn), 169 (to Black Diamond, Maple Valley, and Renton), and 410 (to Buckley, Bonney Lake, and Puyallup) from Enumclaw are bottlenecked, helping to explain its lower housing costs. Leaving and returning early could get a jump on the traffic.

[Blondebaerde]

If you can live out of town, great. If you drive for a living to clients or whatnot, also great. Had a job out of college for seven years that usually kept me on the road, I've seen every inch of California north of Santa Clara County and loved it. Lived in east Bay, when I was home (roughly half the time).

Once here, you think Seattle is like Bay Area, and spend a year trying to shoehorn your expectations that A = B. It doesn't. It's roughly ten degrees cooler any given time, which dramatically changes wardrobe, and the rain thing has 5K responses so I'll leave that alone. People also behave differently, horizons are smaller here. Like small town South, the local Moo U schools are about all that matters. The world-class school, University of Washington, is sort of a Berkeley north and another matter entirely (I went to Moo U undergrad, in all fairness, but an Ivy for grad work).

There is less to do, but it is qualitatively different. I'd live in CA if it wasn't a tax-hell, but if pigs had wings there would be flying bacon for breakfast. So, I left, and made my fortune here since there are absolutely fortunes to be made in tech anyway. Housing long since passed "affordable" so that day is done for good(?).

I spent a year hiking, that's a bottomless and fascinating well here. Spent another couple summers running, ditto the scenery and opportunities to trail-run. Then off road motorcycling. Photography. On and on, things unique to this wild and more isolated than you think state.

I want to fly away for a weekend, it's a quick hop from Horizon or Southwest to the West (my interest). I seldom go east of the "Furthest East Western City" (Kansas City) or heaven forbid "Furthest West Eastern City" (St. Louis). DFW is do-able if you enjoy Texas (I don't). Just keep that in mind, if you travel lots (I don't, just a few times/year). I've not yet gotten bored taking a fast flight to LA or SD, I don't bother with SFO since I know just about every inch of downtown (literally) from my 20's bar crawling and exploring.

Your housing budget is low, you know that. Good luck, though.

Enumclaw: a small town, a bit out-there. I liked it, working for a client there about a year and daily commuting (= long commute). YMMV, it is a different world than Seattle area.

Kent, Auburn, Renton: working class with nice, and scummy areas. They're alright, lot of construction.

Covington: booming. I have no use for Covington, Maple Valley, that whole south-end thing by and large since it's sprawl in poor taste.

Yet I'm not sure your budget will support otherwise, so again: good luck, it may work out with frugal house hunting. Since Seattle proper has the fastest growing house prices in the US (per Case Shiller) may wish to re-think "rent for a year" if homes are 15% higher next year. Can't predict trends, but something to seriously consider.

[BurnInTheMil]

Originally Posted by Blondebaerde

If you can live out of town, great. If you drive for a living to clients or whatnot, also great. Had a job out of college for seven years that usually kept me on the road, I've seen every inch of California north of Santa Clara County and loved it. Lived in east Bay, when I was home (roughly half the time).

Once here, you think Seattle is like Bay Area, and spend a year trying to shoehorn your expectations that A = B. It doesn't. It's roughly ten degrees cooler any given time, which dramatically changes wardrobe, and the rain thing has 5K responses so I'll leave that alone. People also behave differently, horizons are smaller here. Like small town South, the local Moo U schools are about all that matters. The world-class school, University of Washington, is sort of a Berkeley north and another matter entirely (I went to Moo U undergrad, in all fairness, but an Ivy for grad work).

There is less to do, but it is qualitatively different. I'd live in CA if it wasn't a tax-hell, but if pigs had wings there would be flying bacon for breakfast. So, I left, and made my fortune here since there are absolutely fortunes to be made in tech anyway. Housing long since passed "affordable" so that day is done for good(?).

I spent a year hiking, that's a bottomless and fascinating well here. Spent another couple summers running, ditto the scenery and opportunities to trail-run. Then off road motorcycling. Photography. On and on, things unique to this wild and more isolated than you think state.

I want to fly away for a weekend, it's a quick hop from Horizon or Southwest to the West (my interest). I seldom go east of the "Furthest East Western City" (Kansas City) or heaven forbid "Furthest West Eastern City" (St. Louis). DFW is do-able if you enjoy Texas (I don't). Just keep that in mind, if you travel lots (I don't, just a few times/year). I've not yet gotten bored taking a fast flight to LA or SD, I don't bother with SFO since I know just about every inch of downtown (literally) from my 20's bar crawling and exploring.

Your housing budget is low, you know that. Good luck, though.

Enumclaw: a small town, a bit out-there. I liked it, working for a client there about a year and daily commuting (= long commute). YMMV, it is a different world than Seattle area.

Kent, Auburn, Renton: working class with nice, and scummy areas. They're alright, lot of construction.

Covington: booming. I have no use for Covington, Maple Valley, that whole south-end thing by and large since it's sprawl in poor taste.

Yet I'm not sure your budget will support otherwise, so again: good luck, it may work out with frugal house hunting. Since Seattle proper has the fastest growing house prices in the US (per Case Shiller) may wish to re-think "rent for a year" if homes are 15% higher next year. Can't predict trends, but something to seriously consider.

I can't speak for the real estate market next year, but as of now, a max budget of $500K, would get us literally any of the cities I first mentioned, and a nice home at that. I don't mind driving, I don't mind rainy weather (actually prefer it). I feel saying $500K is "low" isn't accurate, being that we don't want to live in/near Seattle, so thanks for your input