Moving up there for Microsoft job (Seattle, Bellevue: for sale, real estate, houses)

[bblackbu]

Hi all.

I just accepted a position with Microsoft, so my wife and I will be relocating up there in the next month. We are in our mid-30s with our first child on the way. I wanted to get some feed back on recommended areas to buy a house, considering that I will be working in Redmond. We are moving from Los Angeles. We looked at Issaquah briefly, and it looked very nice but everything seemed very much on top of each other. Ideally, we're looking for something safe, with good schools, and looking for new/newer construction. We're looking to spend $600k-$900k for the right house. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts/recommendations on this.

Thanks in advance.

[CityGirl72]

I'd say stick with Issaquah

Snoqualmie Ridge is nice too

And if you'd like a bit more space - try North Bend or Sammamish

[woodinvilleguy]

I personally like Woodinville, worth checking out.

[bblackbu]

Thanks. What are the approximate commute times from Woodinville and Issaquah to MS in Redmond?

Woodinville is the winery area, right? My understanding is that you can actually get a decent size lot up there. Is everthing very spread out? Is there a little downtown area with restaurants, shops, etc?

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by bblackbu

Ideally, we're looking for something safe, with good schools, and looking for new/newer construction. We're looking to spend $600k-$900k for the right house.

Yup, you were there! -- Issaquah. Or Issaquah Highlands. Or Snoqualmie Ridge. Everything you specify is there. The local contributors to City-Data seem to agree that the Issaquah school district is probably the "best" in the state, or at the least one of the six best districts in the state. It's a wonderful place to raise a family and for adults to thrive, too.

Are you checking all the real estate resources?
The most complete resource online I've found for real estate in a very wide area near Seattle, including the entire area around Issaquah, is MLSOnline. No registering required; no emails --
Seattle Real Estate, Top Seattle Real Estate Search, TheMLSonline.com
Also:
Realtor.com: REALTOR.com - Real Estate Listings & Homes For Sale
Homes.com: Homes.com - Real Estate and Homes For Sale.
Have fun researching!

[jwb123]

My guess is you will think Snoqualmie is too far out... and really, it pretty much is. I agree with Woodinville... you aren't interested in Redmond?

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by bblackbu

Thanks. What are the approximate commute times from Woodinville and Issaquah to MS in Redmond?

Woodinville is the winery area, right? YES
My understanding is that you can actually get a decent size lot up there. YES
Is everthing very spread out? SOME AREAS OF WOODINVILLE ARE.
Is there a little downtown area with restaurants, shops, etc? "Little" is the operative word. Basic grocery shopping.

Woodinville is still partly "country", and in some sections quite rural. Commute from Woodinville to Redmond MS: going south in the morning and north in the evening can be slow and crowded, because there's only a small choice of arterial roads. Depending on where you locate in Woodinville, the commute could take 45 minutes, give or take. The MS Connector Bus could pick you up at Cottage Lake and take you on in to Millenium or the main campus. The up to the minute MS Connector Bus map:
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/m...ctornewbig.jpg

[bblackbu]

Thanks for all of the info. We haven't ruled any areas out yet... just more in fact-finding mode right now. What are your thoughts on Kirkland?

[allforcats]

You're welcome. I live in north Bellevue, near Kirkland, have for over 20 years. Kirkland is lovely, a bit artsy, certainly safe, older traditional houses near downtown, has superb seafood restaurants, and is a good bit more expensive than Woodinville. Houses near the center of town and near the lake are quite expensive; distance reduces the prices. The lakeside is just delightful, but anyone can enjoy that, not just Kirkland residents. MSLOnline includes Kirkland, in fact everywhere imaginable where an MS family might choose to live.
Seattle Real Estate, Top Seattle Real Estate Search, TheMLSonline.com

Here's a Search on City-Data for posts about Kirkland. In each dark blue bar, at the right you'll see what Forum each post is in. "Seattle area" is a post about the Kirkland we're talking about.
http://www.city-data.com/forum/searc...archid=5169659

At the top of every City-Data page, you'll see a Search function with a downward arrow. You can look for Woodinville or Issaquah or wherever, click on Show Posts. Search results show the most recent post first. Lots of homework!

[woodinvilleguy]

Woodinville is a mix of new and old developments. The schools are great as they are in most of the area. For your range you can find something newer with land towards the lower end of your range. If you go to the higher end, you will have a ton of choice.

When I lived in Woodinville and commuted to Microsoft... my commute was not as bad as allforcats claims(we have disagreed about this many times before). Maybe in the last 6 months it has suddenly gotten worse but I doubt it. Anyway...

For any commute, I would suggest test driving it yourself. Also, since you'll be working for MS, you may have flexible working hours to get you out of the normal
rush hour times. I even biked to work from Woodinville so that is an option as well if that interests you. In 45 minutes you can bike it :-)

-dave