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Old 12-07-2018, 05:27 AM
 
Location: Seattle
8,165 posts, read 8,253,464 times
Reputation: 5983

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Quote:
Originally Posted by maddieinoz View Post
Thanks everyone! CLEARLY I have no concept of the traffic. How fast dongouses typically stay on the market in desirable locations? Do houses often go for more than asking price? Or does it depend?
Hi Maddie. Yes, please trust us about traffic. I had to drive across town from Madrona to Ballard yesterday at 5pm, took me about an hour. Going from Ballard (as you proposed) to Highline would present so many possibilities for traffic chaos. Best to stick in those other neighborhoods (with West Seattle at the top of the list) that we have spoken of.

Regarding homes, things have become more sane and are mellower than they were 6 months ago. Great homes in central locations priced fairly can sell quickly with some competition, sometimes still escalating in price. This is the exception rather than the rule though. You will have options and won't have to react in 5 minutes .

I'm guessing that you are a physician and are accepting a position at Highline Medical Center, how'd I do? That lovely Three Tree Point area of Burien on Puget Sound is popular with Highline physicians, though the public schools don't perform as highly as West Seattle.

Last edited by homesinseattle; 12-07-2018 at 05:55 AM..
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Old 12-07-2018, 10:10 AM
 
Location: Independent Republic of Ballard
8,065 posts, read 8,326,746 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by maddieinoz View Post
Thanks everyone! CLEARLY I have no concept of the traffic. How fast dongouses typically stay on the market in desirable locations? Do houses often go for more than asking price? Or does it depend?
Traffic is awful and will get worse, once the Viaduct comes down. Even with the Viaduct, I-5 through Downtown is basically a parking lot - your only viable alternative will be the new toll tunnel, and I'm suspecting it will be jammed, as well. If working a "hospital" night or morning shift, that will definitely help, however.

House prices have been falling, significantly in some areas. It could be wise to rent for a year, to let house values settle and take time to more fully investigate neighborhoods, preschools/schools, and commuting choices. For instance:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6...?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_ren...71_rect/12_zm/

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_ren...79_rect/12_zm/

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_ren...61_rect/11_zm/ (Rainier View Elementary)

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_ren...71_rect/12_zm/

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_ren...71_rect/12_zm/
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Old 12-07-2018, 01:50 PM
 
22 posts, read 14,449 times
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Thanks for the advice! I think renting sounds like a safe idea and gives our current house time to gain value.
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Old 12-07-2018, 07:47 PM
 
22 posts, read 14,449 times
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OP Here: Hi! Sorry... One more question. Everyone who has responded has really been pushing us to stay away from the North End which I'm much more familiar with because I grew up there in the 80s.

We absolutely DO NOT want to get stuck in traffic- that sounds horrible. We would obviously prefer to spend that time with our kids or doing something fun.

But, how bad would traffic from a house zoned for Roosevelt High be to Highline? More than an hour? Having our kids attend a great middle school and high school (obviously good elementary schools are easier to find) is more of a priority to us than sitting in traffic.
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Old 12-07-2018, 08:04 PM
 
Location: Seattle
8,165 posts, read 8,253,464 times
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[quote=maddieinoz;53830323]OP Here: Hi! Sorry... One more question. Everyone who has responded has really been pushing us to stay away from the North End which I'm much more familiar with because I grew up there in the 80s.

We absolutely DO NOT want to get stuck in traffic- that sounds horrible. We would obviously prefer to spend that time with our kids or doing something fun.

But, how bad would traffic from a house zoned for Roosevelt High be to Highline? More than an hour? Having our kids attend a great middle school and high school (obviously good elementary schools are easier to find) is more of a priority to us than sitting in traffic.[/QUOT

Really depends when you leave and come back for work. If you can get through Seattle by 7am (even better 6:45) you'll probably be okay, I'd say 40ish minutes. On the way home, you'll have a reasonably decent drive until you hit about the West Seattle Bridge, I'd say an hour is quite doable.

Essential to select a location within Roosevelt school that will give you easy I-5 access. Wallingford, Tangletown (East Green Lake) and Maple Leaf are good choices.
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Old 12-08-2018, 01:10 AM
 
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My wife works at Highline and we live in Wallingford not too far from Aurora and it is definitely doable. Her commute to work at 6:45 a.m. is about 20ish minutes. Commute home can be anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes. I wouldn't advise living too far from Aurora or north of 80th however.
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Old 12-08-2018, 06:43 AM
 
Location: Seattle
8,165 posts, read 8,253,464 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by evda View Post
My wife works at Highline and we live in Wallingford not too far from Aurora and it is definitely doable. Her commute to work at 6:45 a.m. is about 20ish minutes. Commute home can be anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes. I wouldn't advise living too far from Aurora or north of 80th however.
That's encouraging Evda but you must admit that one traffic mishap either direction can screw up the commute. I'm just out there on the roads a lot so I see it. How do you think the transition to the new tunnel is going to affect your commute in the short term?

Maddie, if this commute is okay with you, Phinney Ridge is another great location for Hwy 99/tunnel. PNC (Phinney Neighborhood Center) is wonderful and hub for all kinds of neighborhood activities. https://www.phinneycenter.org

Last edited by homesinseattle; 12-08-2018 at 06:55 AM..
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Old 12-08-2018, 06:58 AM
 
Location: Seattle
8,165 posts, read 8,253,464 times
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Default Seattle Viaduct Closure/Transition to Tunnel Info.

January, 2019. It's going to be chaos for a month at least, get ready. Here's the link: Alaskan Way Viaduct - Three-week closure of SR 99
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Old 12-08-2018, 09:49 AM
fnh
 
2,888 posts, read 3,899,754 times
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I started my reply with a couple of points not mentioned yet, but homesinseattle mentions one above - the opening of the 99 tunnel within next year or so will impact Seattle traffic flows. Also, beginning fall 2019 students in neighborhoods bracketing I-5 and Aurora will move to reopening Lincoln instead of attending Roosevelt or Ballard. Both have potentially positive and negative outcomes, but both are unknowns at this time.

I had to look up where Highline is and, seeing it on a map, choosing to live north of the ship canal bridge is foolish. I would also try to keep at least half a mile between my family and major roadways such as I-5 or Aurora, advice which runs counter to commute concerns, as children and teens are at especial risk from early and sustained exposure to air pollution. I'm surprised how few families consider this.

Our kids are at Garfield and Meany (we have no experience with elementary schools here). Garfield is excellent with very high level academics, while Meany has been mixed for us. To be fair it has been mostly issues arising from the school's reopening last year and a new administration finding its footing, hiring faculty etc., plus my own kid. I anticipate Lincoln will have similar birthing pains. Any of the neighborhoods in central Seattle would offer a midway commute to both Highline and the UW, and I agree West Seattle would offer the best commute to Highline.

I would recommend Mt Baker though for its midway location, it's charming residential streets with views of downtown and Lake Washington, its variety of green spaces and beaches, its proximity to the Link and good bus service, its cute little shops and restaurants. It's an overlooked gem that I've only recently discovered with my kids rowing at the Baker boathouse. I urge anyone not to judge the schools on aggregate test scores alone, which tell you little about a heterogenous population of students. The schools are markedly better and improving, leading up to Franklin, a high school I'm now considering for my own current 8th grader (we intentionally moved into the Garfield zone from across the country, even though we previously owned a home in NE Seattle). Garfield remains an option for academic rockstars in the Franklin zone but more and more high-performing students are choosing to attend Franklin now.

Best of luck!
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Old 12-08-2018, 11:01 AM
fnh
 
2,888 posts, read 3,899,754 times
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(Circling back to clarify that our Garfield experience has been fantastic, and that the only reason we contemplate Franklin for our younger child is that we have two wildly different children who are brilliant in different ways, and who are close in age and extremely competitive with each other. Some separation would be nice. My younger child is set on Garfield though, so we'll see.)
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