Researching King County (Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue: real estate, landscaping, apartment complex)

[johosofat]

We are looking at King County as our place to 'set down roots.' We,(50 yrs old married, grown kids, semi burnt out) are looking for homefor good and a place to 'invest' (in every way) in. Our kids have moved to the WA area and are now getting married and having babies...so it is time. What we are after is semirural, within reach of shopping and restaurants, community and churches to involve ourselves with and maybe a 30 min commute to Lake Union area for work. SO! I have researched a kindof loop of towns too the southeast and due east of Seattle(Enumclaw, Issaquah, Bellevue, Bothell, Carnation, Clyde Hill, Duvall, Hunts Point, Issaquah, Kirkland, Juanita, Newcastle,Redmond, Renton, Sammamish, Snoqualmie, Woodinville, Yarrow Point .) We are hoping for between 2 and 8 acres, and friendliness and neighborliness. We both come from small towns in the midwest(Iowa and PA) and have lived in SO CA for to long. And imput about these areas and any other suggestions would be appeciated. This is kinda hard at 50yrs. but we are ready for the change!

[compltlyme]

I am in Sammamish and love it here. However getting pretty crowded. Have you considered Fall City or North Bend? If you want a bit more rural. The outskirts of Issaquah can be rural as well. The eastside is great and family oriented for the most part.

I too am from So Ca and needed a change. We love it here!

[johosofat]

compltlyme
quote

"I am in Sammamish and love it here. However getting pretty crowded. Have you considered Fall City or North Bend? If you want a bit more rural. The outskirts of Issaquah can be rural as well. The eastside is great and family oriented for the most part.

I too am from So Ca and needed a change. We love it here! "

Thank you for responding, I have not communicated this way before. Is the traffic as bad as it sounds going into Seattle? What is considered bad up there? There is a site I found that refers to a typical rush hour commute on any given highway, it seemed helpful. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/seat...s/reliability/

Where were you in SOCal? We are near Riverside, and the OC No. border via the I91, so we know what real traffic can be. Or you familiar with OC towns? What would be a comparable town to Orange, for instance, Is Issaquah more like Irvine...one new neighborhood after another? johosofat

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by johosofat

Is the traffic as bad as it sounds going into Seattle? What is considered bad up there?

No. It's worse.

I have a commute of about 18 miles. On a good day, I can make it home in 30-40 minutes. But I've had it take 90 minutes before, and the norm is closer to 45-50.

And I don't even go near downtown. I commute between Renton and northeast Tacoma.

In rush hours, I-5 and 405 are always bad. Anything going into Seattle in the mornings and out of the city in the evenings is bad.

Seattle/Tacoma's problem is that it grew way too fast, and the people in charge of urban planning (what poor excuse there was for it) just couldn't keep up. We've got way too many people on too narrow roads, and public transportation is a sad, pathetic joke. I could take the bus on my 18-mile commute --- if I wanted to spend 2 hours on the bus (each way!) and change buses three times.

Honestly, if you're thinking about moving to a metro area in the northwest, go to Portland. It's a nicer city with many of the same amenities as Seattle, but MUCH better urban planning, public transportation, etc.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by johosofat

What would be a comparable town to Orange, for instance, Is Issaquah more like Irvine...one new neighborhood after another?

I'm not intimately familiar with So. Cal, but Issaquah is one of the nicer suburbs. The downsides to it in my view are that it's rather yuppified, real estate is unjustifiably high, and it's gotten rather crowded the past 5 years or so. A good friend of mine used to live in Issaquah, and he has recently moved out to Sammamish, which he likes much better.

And yes, it is pretty much one new neighborhood after another. Lots of cookie-cutter houses, condos, and apartment complexes.

[johosofat]

Thank you for your responses....We will be nailed to the Lake Union area for work, so no compromise there. We are not much interested in huge tract housing, but I was wondering if you (or anyone) has insight into the North vs the east or southeast of Seattle. Both traffic wise and liveablility. Thanks. johosofat

[compltlyme]

I have to disagree with the comments on traffic. Yes it is bad up here but I don't see it being as bad as the 91 at all!!!!!!!! I just moved from the Palm Springs area but have lived in Woodcrest and Corona and the traffic on the 91 is by far worse than anything I have encountered up here! And picture this if you will. Turn on your blinker to change a lane and they actually let you in!!! No...really!!! They don't speed up and flip you off because you wanted to get in front of them! The driving on the freeways up here is different. Almost like everyone working together to get to where you need to go. Not like every man for himself on the LA and OC freeways.
and that website is great for watching the freeways. I did the same for about a year before I moved. And you know how people drive when it rains down there... not the same up here. Get used to driving the speed limits too. If you speed you really stand out here. And no mercy from the police I hear. Fines are pretty steep. The only time I can honestly say I got worried on the freeways was when there was a bit of ice on them. But everyone really slowed down and took it easy. No GIANT SUV honking and flashing his lights for you to move!

And Issaquah is nothing like Irvine. Much smaller and spread out more. A great place to live. I like Irvine but it is really congested and in Issaquah the buildings aren't so large. I think I would compare Bellevue more to Irvine. Picture Corona about 25 years ago... Issaquah is nicer and it is so lush and green!

In most areas here it seems that the homes are tucked away in the trees. Stay away from the Issaquah Higlands area. It is a sea of homes and condos and apts. I think a CA developer did that one! We live in a regular neighborhood with fairly large lots and yet I feel like I am in a forest of sorts. You can drive down a main street and not see the homes just behind the row of trees. When you look for a place, check the photos for mature landscaping. If you are looking to buy... I know a realtor that helped us and put us in just the perfect place. Everything I asked for I got! And we did it all online.

[Mark S.]

One more thing about Issaquah: Rarely a year goes by that a cougar doesn't become a problem in the area. They rarely bother people (although I would be careful of small children), but every now and then someone loses a cat or mid-sized dog to a cougar that comes down out of the mountains looking for food.

I'd still recommend it as one of the nicer suburbs though. Not my #1 favorite maybe, but definitely in the top 5.

[johosofat]

Mark, what are your favorites and why?

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by johosofat

Mark, what are your favorites and why?

Well, that's all a matter of opinion and depends entirely on what you like. My pro might be someone else's con. Personally, I hate urban areas. I grew up in a small town and can't stand the city.

I’ve lived in the southern suburbs for about 9 years now. We live in Federal Way now, but I’m pretty familiar with Kent, Auburn, Des Moines, Tacoma, etc. I wouldn’t recommend any of them. Schools are not great, crime is really bad and getting worse, and the traffic is a nightmare.

Issaquah is nice. It’s prohibitively expensive for me, but it is a very nice town if you can afford it. Sammammish is not far from Issaquah and is also very nice. Both towns are growing. They’re still very green, but I don’t know how long that will last with housing developments going up all over the place.

My favorite area, honestly, is probably the areas just outside of North Bend. The towns of North Bend and Snoqualmie themselves are only so-so, but the rural and semi-rural areas just outside of them are just stunningly beautiful. Snoqualmie Falls is gorgeous, and the whole area is right in the middle of mountains.

I’ve only been to Carnation a few times, but it seemed like a nice place.

I really like Enumclaw and Black Diamond, as well, but that would be quite a long drive to Lake Union for you. And, if Mt. Rainier ever decides to wake up, Enumclaw and Black Diamond are going to be under a large steaming lake of mud.