Snohomish to Redmond (Seattle, Bellevue, Bothell: foreclosure, rentals, house)

[OcularBeauty]

How would the commute be from the City of Snohomish to Redmond. My husband is currently pursuing a job with Microsoft. We are planning on moving to the area in August. He is finishing up his MBA on the East Coast currently. We have an autistic son. I would like to move to a smaller friendlier town to raise him. I have looked at homes in Redmond but it looks like if we can sing any reasonably priced home we would have to gut it and have a small yard. I also looked at Snoqualamie but have been warned about King County Schools with an autistic children. I have also looked at homes in Monroe and Lake Stevens. It seems to me everyone likes the City of Snohomish and other towns have mixed reviews. I hate to move out too far with the price of gas but I also want to live in a good enviroment to raise my children especially my son with autism. Any advice you can give will definitely be appreciated.

[jwb123]

have been warned about King County Schools with an autistic children.

can you elaborate?? I have never heard this.

I have a child with special needs. I can only offer you the advice I was given by all of his doctors and therapists when we were living there.... you do not want to be out of the Lake Washington school district, if you have a child with special needs. Period. A second would be North Shore. School quality, in WA, is determined by where the money is... and many on this forum will confirm, that is on the east side. I don't know how old your child is, but I am sure it's no surprise to hear that programs that are usually cut from school budgets first, are special education services.

We have often thought of raising our children in smaller towns - but needing and wanting to be in a top school district, with access to excellent community services trump that for us right now.

Seattle and it's suburbs, for the most part, are autistic friendly - no matter where you live.

[OcularBeauty]

I have just read a lot of info from parents with autistic children who said King county is fine for early intervention services but you do not want to live their when they get school age. I know Lake Washington and Northshore have the best schools for him but I am not sure we can swing a house their even the rentals seem high. I need a four bedroom home with at least one extra room for a playroom/office. I have also heard to stay away from everett schools at all costs. My son feels happiest with room to run and close to the water I know their are some homes in those areas that fit the bill just now sure we can afford them unless we found a foreclosure or something of that sort.

[jwb123]

I have just read a lot of info from parents with autistic children who said King county is fine for early intervention services but you do not want to live their when they get school age.

I have heard that exact thing (and I 100% agree with that statement) in reference to Seattle school district, specifically - but never just generally speaking King County Schools... Lake Washington is in King County, and it's highly regarded. As is Issaquah, North Shore and Bellevue.

My son has mobility, cognitive and vision disabilities, but I do not have the experience of Austism. Those that I knew with austistic children though, I think would echo my statements... We have lived both in King County and Snohomish County, and we were happy with the quality of King, over Snohomish across the board.

While I love the historic old town area of Snohomish County, I am not sure I would move my family there without having money for private school, private therapy, and being able to afford one of the grand old historic homes... but that's just my personal opinion.

Getting back to your original question - commute... you are looking at way over an hour, most days, if your husband is taking the main freeways (5 to 405 to 520). I assume there are some backroads that I am not familiar with - so I am not sure how it changes the commute time. The city of Snohomish is maybe 20 minutes, or so from the Bothell/Mill Creek area - where we lived before we moved out of state....and it would take my husband an hour to get to Redmond, routinely.