How much do you pay for housing? (Seattle: transplants, house)

[jenlion]

I wouldn't want to have 30% of income going to house. We're sitting just under 20%. I don't even like that, but as long as we don't lose our jobs, it's doable. If my husband loses his job and I ramp up my hours to earn my max, house would be 29%. If I lost mine, we'd be at 24%. (Numbers don't add up perfectly because I'm assuming some things are deferrable, and on one income for awhile, we'd defer like hell).

In Dallas housing was more like 11% of our income, so certainly it's more expensive here, even with his increased salary.

Jenbar, I'm glad you like living in Austin, but you're never going to convince us all to leave and go to where it's cheaper. (You might look at joining the tourism board though?) Austin is nicer than Dallas, but it's still Texas, and my god I hope to never live there again. It's a great place to visit and grab some margaritas at Trudy's (yum!). But the hill country, even with its peaceful beauty, just does not compare to the mountains or the sound. It's HOT -- I could only enjoy it once or twice a year, since there's only a handful (4 to 6) weekends that are bearable outdoors. Here, I can throw on a jacket and be by a mountain stream (or, last weekend, raging river) within the hour (child permitting). That part of me that was missing that all those years is finally, FINALLY, at peace. I'll take six months of rain over six months of sunshine and heat just so I can have those hours in real forest, or even on the road in the cascades. I feel like I'm finally acknowledging the existence of some kind of soul. It's that powerful. (Forgive me if I start sounding like allforcats, but I mean it). We did give up some things in housing -- our kitchen is smaller, the bedrooms are smaller, though the house is bigger -- but looking out the window at those trees that you're "over" just makes my day.

To the OP, I wonder if there is flexibility in where you work when you get back? There's so much variability in the prices (hopefully not all due to pollution!). I could certainly see an affordable duplex outside the magical 30-minute radius from Microsoft but still within the 'good schools' area. It's that easy-microsoft drive that kills everyone eastside. Get outside that, and boom, amazing how the prices drop!

[jwb123]

Jenbar, I'm glad you like living in Austin, but you're never going to convince us all to leave and go to where it's cheaper. (You might look at joining the tourism board though?) Austin is nicer than Dallas, but it's still Texas, and my god I hope to never live there again. It's a great place to visit and grab some margaritas at Trudy's (yum!). But the hill country, even with its peaceful beauty, just does not compare to the mountains or the sound. It's HOT -- I could only enjoy it once or twice a year, since there's only a handful (4 to 6) weekends that are bearable outdoors. Here, I can throw on a jacket and be by a mountain stream (or, last weekend, raging river) within the hour (child permitting). That part of me that was missing that all those years is finally, FINALLY, at peace. I'll take six months of rain over six months of sunshine and heat just so I can have those hours in real forest, or even on the road in the cascades. I feel like I'm finally acknowledging the existence of some kind of soul. It's that powerful. (Forgive me if I start sounding like allforcats, but I mean it). We did give up some things in housing -- our kitchen is smaller, the bedrooms are smaller, though the house is bigger -- but looking out the window at those trees that you're "over" just makes my day.

I don't know why you think that I want to convince the lot of you to move to Austin? I am glad I left the cranky Seattlites behind. I think it's great that you found something thats working for you, just as we have found whats working for us. We are out and about, as a family, being active, more than ever before in this "oppressive" heat. Yesterday, we had a huge impropmtu party with many friends and neighbors and had a ton of kids on waterslides, in the pool, had ribs and chicken on the grill and smoker. Shiner in the ice tub... a total Texas party. Everyone just came together and collaberated and hung out. We loved it. We've never lived like this.

If this board is still around in a few years, I will be interested in how all the newbie Seattlites are loving it then... I too once sounded like some of you. Enjoy the Rhododendrons and Pine.... I have raked up enough sappy needles to last me a life time.

[seattlerain]

Originally Posted by Jenbar

I don't know why you think that I want to convince the lot of you to move to Austin? I am glad I left the cranky Seattlites behind. I think it's great that you found something thats working for you, just as we have found whats working for us. We are out and about, as a family, being active, more than ever before in this "oppressive" heat. Yesterday, we had a huge impropmtu party with many friends and neighbors and had a ton of kids on waterslides, in the pool, had ribs and chicken on the grill and smoker. Shiner in the ice tub... a total Texas party. Everyone just came together and collaberated and hung out. We loved it. We've never lived like this.

If this board is still around in a few years, I will be interested in how all the newbie Seattlites are loving it then... I too once sounded like some of you. Enjoy the Rhododendrons and Pine.... I have raked up enough sappy needles to last me a life time.

Sounds like my neighborhood here in Duvall, grew up in a neighborhood like that as well.

You seem to have something against Rhododendrens, what is it about them that you don't like...? BTW, there are very few pine trees...lots of fir trees...but few pine trees. East of the mountains it's a different story.

[seattlenextyear]

Originally Posted by Jenbar

If this board is still around in a few years, I will be interested in how all the newbie Seattlites are loving it then... I too once sounded like some of you. Enjoy the Rhododendrons and Pine.... I have raked up enough sappy needles to last me a life time.

I lived in D.C. for 2 years, didn't like it, and moved away. I don't, however, assume that everyone who moves to D.C. will hate it. In fact, I'm willing to bet that there are people in D.C. right now enjoying themselves and loving everything the city has to offer.

[jwb123]

What's to hate about DC? There must be something wrong with you - I loved it there.

BTW, there are very few pine trees...lots of fir trees...but few pine trees.

I had cedar pine through out my neighborhood in Bothell... in fact, we took down 5 monsterous ones.

[seattlenextyear]

Ha. There's a lot of things wrong with me, I'll admit it. I didn't like the uptight atmosphere in DC...and things didn't get better after being there during 9-11.

Also, there's no such thing as a cedar pine. Maybe you're thinking of Western red cedar, a common tree in the Pacific NW?

[jwb123]

We sold the wood to loggers, they told us it was cedar. It had needles and sap - like a pine. Perhaps I should have said evergreen? It was ridiculously tall, and like every other "Pine family" evergreen tree in the neighborhood. "Cedar tree" from what I know is kind of a "catch all" name for several trees in the "pine family".

This is the street I lived on, but this wasn't the address - you will see they are all over. Go ahead and decipher the specific name of the tree if you would like and are very concerned about it. 16412 3rd Dr SE, Bothell, WA 98012 | Zillow Real Estate

EDIT - No, they were not western red cedars... as these were actually cedar trees, and this link says Western Reds are not cedars, and they also didn't have this type of bark. Thuja plicata - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sorry... though I am not sure why it matters? Or are you just looking for something to pick at?

[seattlenextyear]

Nope. Just educating the public on gymnosperm diversity.

[cobolt]

Jenbar,

I am glad you are enjoying yourself in that "oppressive heat" which is much better than gloomy blah blah, 50 something degrees in May. Give me sun. Yes, we pretty much had a weekend of it and when it goes away, you feel deprived.

I am also glad you are experiencing those wonderful friendly Texans and are making friends in the relatively little time you've been there. People make a place, not mountains and trees. Yeah...scenery is pretty to look at but you can't talk to it...well, maybe some people can.

Glad you are enjoying your new home!

[toughguy]

Originally Posted by cobolt

Jenbar,

I am glad you are enjoying yourself in that "oppressive heat" which is much better than gloomy blah blah, 50 something degrees in May. Give me sun. Yes, we pretty much had a weekend of it and when it goes away, you feel deprived.

I am also glad you are experiencing those wonderful friendly Texans and are making friends in the relatively little time you've been there. People make a place, not mountains and trees. Yeah...scenery is pretty to look at but you can't talk to it...well, maybe some people can.

Glad you are enjoying your new home!

I beg to differ, give me gloomy 50 degrees over humid 95 any day, any place. Your heaven is my hell. Why can't you get that concept through your head? I don't care how sunny it is, if it is unpleasant to be outside, then I will be more miserable than it is here when it is 40 degrees and raining. Driving from AC blasting house to AC blasting store and back to AC blasting house, sounds fantastic. That extends to the people as well. Why would you want to live among nosey, in-your-business type people with big hair and grating Texan accents (the worst of all American regional accents, IMO...worse than Jersey, worse than Wisconsin, worse than Pittsburgh...much worse)? Obviously you don't mind it, but understand that not everyone shares your affinity. Same goes for Jenbar.