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I’m up for a promotion with my company that involves moving from NYC to Seattle. I have a few questions based on my scenario, and I’d love to get some advice.
Details:
Who: 30 year old married lesbian couple + mother in-law who lives with us and 2 small dogs
Why: Management promotion within company
More Info: My MIL does not work, and my wife is a real estate attorney in NYC, who would be seeking employment in Seattle after getting admitted to WA bar via reciprocity. My wife is open to other career avenues as well.
Questions:
How is the overall job market for well educated folks? What is typical timeframe for finding a job?
What areas would you recommend living assuming we both work downtown and would like to take public transportation to work? (Prefer a walkable area, where we can get a nice 2bd/2ba+ for under 3k, and less than a 40 minute commute on public transportation)
What are the landlord rental requirements in Seattle like and what is the application process?
How far in advance do you need to look for an apartment?
What are the best apartment search sites in Seattle? (Zillow, Craigslist, etc)
What are some of the things we are likely to miss about NYC that you may not realize until you move?
It depends on what kind of environment you want. You can get a 2-br. apt. on Capital Hill, which would put you at, or near, walking distance to downtown (there are also buses). It's a very urban environment, for the most part. Or you could look to the north end, around Greenlake, Ravenna, or Maple Leaf (easy commute downtown), and get 2 br. at a considerable savings, or rent a 3-br. apt. or a 2+ br. house. These neighborhoods have a bit more suburban ambience, quiet, scenic. Greenlake has a walking/jogging/skating/biking trail around it, and is good for swimming in the summer, and a good commercial neighborhood, with a popular food co-op, bars, shops. Ravenna has a wonderful park, with a shopping area close by, though not quite as walkable. Another option for you might be Madison Park, which is on Lake Washington, and very walkable. It's pricier than many other areas, being right on the lake, but you can afford it. These are all in-city neighborhoods. There's no need to commute in from outside the city. (Nightmare)
You'll be arriving with a job, right? So the job question is regarding your wife. Will she be looking to join a firm of RE lawyers, or starting her own practice? She may as well start looking for jobs online now, to get a feel for what kind of options she may have. RE is booming in Seattle, so she's in a good field for jobs.
You'll miss the severe winters, and the sweltering summers. (j/k) IDK how it is in NY, but the days are very short in winter, in Seattle. You go to work in the dark, you come home in the dark. You may well miss the fabulous quality of entertainment you have in NYC, the fabulous museums. NYC is a city of museums, and of world-class live music venues. If you're not much into that, you'll do fine in Seattle. Expect to spend time hiking or boating; the Seattle area is about recreational opportunities in nature. You may enjoy short vacation getaways to the San Juan Islands, for a refreshing change of pace from the big city vibe. (Google: Orcas Island).
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 01-10-2018 at 11:09 AM..
Location: Was Midvalley Oregon; Now Eastside Seattle area
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rentals will cap 2500-3000/mn for a 2+2, and covered parking. Highly desirable locations.
We have 2 rentals, both in small unit buildings. 1 unit we are making acceptable profit and offering good value (Eastlake). 1 unit is below cost of ownership because we will convert this rental to our permanent home (redmond).
We rented both within 48 hours with high quality clients.
Rents are pretty much supply & demand driven. Currently moderately priced units are in high demand but constrained by supply and ability to pay. Highend rentals are in relatively surplus (high unit buildings, new construction coming on) and are constrained by the number of people able to afford the rent, $3000+/mn, 2+2.
Congratulations on the promotion.
No idea on job opportunities.
Redfin and Zillow make their headquarters here.
Our RE transactions in Washington has not needed the use of an attourney.
Our RE transaction in OR needed an attourney for easement and zoning issues. We could have done the work ourselves but time and expertise was an issue.
One unit was rented via Skype/Facetime, MD & CPA from Virginia, whose original apartment was unexpectly pulled and needed a unit within 7 days. We had just closed in a midmonth transaction and putting on the finishing improvements for a first of month rental. It was perfect for all.
One unit was rented also remotely to a divorced Connecticut nurse with teenagers.
Both units were rented within 48 hours of posting on the popular sites, Zillow & their associated rental sites. Both rentals our son did personal virtual tours for the renters. He did have open house for the locals but the locals are slow to the gate. Both rentals were done "off season"
Our son handles the apartment rentals. He is tangentially in the RE realm.
Be prepared to have all documents, rental history, references, etc to be submitted at viewing. We will do a credit check and a small fee ($50) will be asked. So be sure that the unit meets your requirements.
Our son lives on Jackson/Yesler and works on 4th. He can get to work on in 20 minutes via bus. He can walk it in 40. Our rentals are also situated to be close to "downtown"
Last edited by leastprime; 01-10-2018 at 11:51 AM..
What areas would you recommend living assuming we both work downtown and would like to take public transportation to work? (Prefer a walkable area, where we can get a nice 2bd/2ba+ for under 3k, and less than a 40 minute commute on public transportation).
Lots of choices for 2bd/2ba <$3k in walkable areas with good transit. To narrow it down further, define what you mean by "nice".
Some areas are easier to live in without a car (parking can be a hassle):
Urban Ambience (more like NYC): Downtown, Capitol Hill, First Hill, Belltown, Lower Queen Anne, Pioneer Square, International District, University District, Eastlake, SLU/Denny Triangle, Downtown Bellevue.
More Residential But Still Very Walkable: Central: Central District, Madison Valley, Queen Anne Hill, The Village (Magnolia), North Beacon Hill. North: Ballard, Wallingford, Fremont, Phinney Ridge, Green Lake, Roosevelt, Ravenna, Bryant; South: Junction/Admiral (W. Seattle), Columbia City.
What are some of the things we are likely to miss about NYC that you may not realize until you move?
NYC's subway system. We are building out a light rail system with a tunnel under Downtown and Capitol Hill, but it is limited in where it goes. We also have two streetcar lines. We are also one of only two U.S. cities with an extensive electric trolleybus network (San Francisco is the other). For ease in getting to different parts of town, live centrally (near a light rail station, streetcar, or electric trolleybus line).
Seattle is generally a much lower-density area than NYC; our densest neighborhoods barely make it to the sorts of densities you'd see in Queens or low-rise parts of Brooklyn. With your budget you could probably find a detached home within commute range, for example this one on top of Queen Anne Hill - https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...67684815_zpid/ (On second glance, that looks like a duplex, but you get the idea.)
One big difference you're going to see is in your paycheck. There's no state or local income tax in Seattle, and some things will be quite a lot cheaper, for example utilities - not as cold in the winter and most people don't bother with A/C in the summer.
Job prospects for attorneys with existing licensing (or portability) are excellent. With Seattle being such a headquarters city, the legal biz is flourishing.
You might want to look at some kind of short term rental so you can suss out the various parts of the region and the housing/commute options. You don't mention cars, but you're likely to find yourselves needing one or more; things aren't as walkable as in much of NYC, and IMO schlepping groceries on a bus sucks. If that's the case, then parking is going to be a factor for your location choices.
Seattle is generally a much lower-density area than NYC; our densest neighborhoods barely make it to the sorts of densities you'd see in Queens or low-rise parts of Brooklyn. With your budget you could probably find a detached home within commute range, for example this one on top of Queen Anne Hill - https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...67684815_zpid/ (On second glance, that looks like a duplex, but you get the idea.)
One big difference you're going to see is in your paycheck. There's no state or local income tax in Seattle, and some things will be quite a lot cheaper, for example utilities - not as cold in the winter and most people don't bother with A/C in the summer.
Job prospects for attorneys with existing licensing (or portability) are excellent. With Seattle being such a headquarters city, the legal biz is flourishing.
You might want to look at some kind of short term rental so you can suss out the various parts of the region and the housing/commute options. You don't mention cars, but you're likely to find yourselves needing one or more; things aren't as walkable as in much of NYC, and IMO schlepping groceries on a bus sucks. If that's the case, then parking is going to be a factor for your location choices.
Indeed very exciting news.
Hope Seattle rolls out the red carpet!
Gardyloo gives really good advice on the mobility. You're going to need a car much more than in NYC. Getting to work or getting things delivered to your home, you can probably get by without, but the most interesting attractions are inconveniently across the city and farther flung throughout the region outside the city.
Definitely get a short term rental to get a feeling for the area, but perhaps keep in mind buying a home sooner rather than later. Property price increases have led the nation for the past years. Not getting on the property appreciation escalator could entail painful consequences, while a few years of investing in a Seattle area property could bring a really nice windfall no matter where your future brings you.
I have zero regrets buying as soon as I did. Indeed, I wish I'd bought a year earlier, or found a way perhaps to buy more houses. My only regrets about my move to Seattle a few years ago, were that I chose a home and neighborhood more based on "business" and "investment" criteria rather that intangible lifestyle factors. While it's value has probably almost tripled since I bought in 2013, I might have had more joy in an area whose community is more in sync with my values and personality.
Time is more valuable than Money.
Finally in this spirit, get a place as close as you can to work. The commutes are really appalling. Every rush hour, even the buses get stuck in gridlock. If you can live close enough to go on foot or by bike, you might find that the highlight of your day instead of something to dread. The climate may be moist here, but winters are much more mild than Amsterdam and Copenhagen and the summers are rarely unpleasantly warm but rather "relentlessly delightful." I don't think there is anyplace in the US with better summers. Not marine layer foggy San Francisco (boo Karl) and certainly not Los Angeles. Maybe Oakland comes close, but it can get awfully warm there too.
What you will miss about NYC will include Greek owned diners, really good pizza, delis, bagels and ethnic diversity.
Reading through the responses, I don't know if you want the same kind of density you've been experiencing. If you do, Capitol Hill is really your only option. I'd recommend taking a look at Columbia City. It might be a little less dense than Capitol Hill, for sure, but it's walkable, has old charm( where a lot of Seattle now has a lot of newer, soulless construction.) Columbia City is only a few blocks from the light rail line,a quick ride to downtown, and is one of Seattle's more ethnically diverse neighborhoods, and has a sense of community.
Lots of choices for 2bd/2ba <$3k in walkable areas with good transit. To narrow it down further, define what you mean by "nice".
Some areas are easier to live in without a car (parking can be a hassle):
Thanks for all of the advice. I would define nice in terms of an apartment as having all the amenities (Washer/Dryer, Dishwasher) a newer/updated kitchen and bathrooms, hardwood floors (I hate carpet/have allergies). If in a bigger building, I'd want the building to have good amenities like a gym and outdoor space.
As far as having a car, it is something we would want, but I don't mind paying for parking for the convenience to live close to work and just use the car on weekends.
Columbia City would give the the best price to value, light rail accessibility and diverse character-filled neighborhood. I love it there and think you would too.
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These are all in-city neighborhoods. There's no need to commute in from outside the city. (Nightmare)
