Reloc to Seattle- cost of living? (Tacoma, Bellevue: mortgage, relocating, real estate)

[LitoMama]

Hi there! If you can help asap on this, it would be most appreciated as we need to make a decision QUICK on this one!

Me, the hubby and our baby are relocating to the Seattle area (he is getting ready to take a job in Bellevue as a systems engineer, i.e., computer systems administration stuff, on 80k a year.) We're moving from Albuquerque, NM on a mid-range income for the area.

First of all, is 80k plus typical health benefits a reasonable offer for that line of work in that area? It's so difficult to know. We would love to give it a shot, but we are also worried about the cost of living of course and we are, I'll confess, pretty determined to own a home rather than rent if possible. We figure on that income, we may be able to afford a 3 bedroom+ home at $250-300k? (We may have another little one if things work out over there.) Oh- and we would preferably a house that we don't have to worry about fixing up, too.

Also, we are open to living outside Bellevue or Seattle (within a reasonable commuting distance) so long as we're in an area we can feel safe in. Anyone have any advice for us, especially regarding the question on the salary for the job and what areas might be do-able, even street names would be great for decent areas so we could start looking at listings would be great. P.S.- We will be a single-income household. Thanks so much in advance, looking forward to your advice!

[70Ford]

My two cents. You might get a studio apartment or something similiar for that much, close to work, without a lengthy commute. You might get a 3 bedroom 2 bath, sort of "meh" house.... for that much.... about an hour away.

It's so much cheaper to rent, at least for now.

Here's a link to Trulia about Bellevue. Maybe the mods won't cut it. I dunno. They mention staying West of 405. That's good advice, I think. Here's a map of Bellevue, too.
bellevue washington - Google Maps

I am new to the Bellevue area. In your opinion, what is the best area to live in Bellevue and why? My - Trulia Voices--

You could also Google Trulia and Bellevue, Washington. I don't trust their prices, but the voices (chat forums) sometimes have good info. Realtors prowl there like cats needing milk. You should get some helpful advice.

Check out Rain city guide blog. (Google it - I can't post a link.) I don't work for them, but they have good info on King county home/condo prices and where the market is headed. You might be able to email someone there. They have helped me.

Can also check out Seattle Bubble for the other side of the coin. It's a "rough" sort of blog and it can get nasty talking about Seattle real estate...but that's what they do, eh?

IRA500 is a realtor that hangs around the Seattle forums. He might stop by here. Has great advice. Let's hope he has some for you.

As for the 80 K, it is definitely doable. I made/make it just fine in Issaquah with less than that...wife and two kids.. etc. Issaquah has nice schools and is very livable. Some would even dare to call it "upscale." Rents are affordable, there. You won't be living high on the hog, but with 80K, you won't be hurting. At least I wasn't hurting.Then again, all I had a was a car payment and monthly expenses. I dunno your expenses, so you might be.

I averaged out my costs for the last year and we're spending about 2 K to 2.5 K a month to live there, all the "kid's stuff" and "wife's stuff" and "my stuff" included. That's rent and everything. I have a list of my monthly bills posted here (on this forum). Yours might be similiar. At least it is something to start with.

I wish you the best of luck. Seattle is a beautiful place. A bit soggy, sometimes, but a green jewel nonetheless.

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by LitoMama

We would love to give it a shot

If the company is a leader in its field, then why not do it? What do you have to lose? You'll get a great history on the resume, and there's nothing wrong with that, right? And living here will give you such visual beauty... "They" say when we look back we don't regret the things we did, only the things we didn't do...
I can't help you about comparative salary level, but someone else will likely come along who can.

pretty determined to own a home rather than rent if possible. We figure on that income, we may be able to afford a 3 bedroom+ home at $250-300k?

Maybe that can fit your salary, but it's not likely to fit the area anywhere near Bellevue. Real estate is expensive on both the east and west sides of Lake Washington. RENT FIRST. You can't imagine how many different kinds of neighborhoods, views, amenities, commuting distances, stores, etc. etc., how many different choices, there are in any square mile here -- huge variety. The only way to find out where you actually want to live is by living here. For you, that means renting first -- and right now rental prices are a bargain compared with buying. You're not likely to find your specifications in a house for sale, not near Bellevue.

Rentals:
Use the map to drill down to areas, then neighborhoods -- the combined classifieds of the two leading newspapers in the area:
NWapartments: Seattle apartment rentals, house rental listings, rental classifieds and other property rentals in Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue and other Washington areas, cities and neighborhoods
Craigslist: craigslist: seattle-tacoma classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events
A little quirky, but nevertheless a resource:
Seattle Classifieds

Purchase:
This is the most inclusive site I've found:
TheMLSonline.com - Seattle Real Estate, Top Seattle Real Estate Search - Call 425-467-6577

Also, we are open to living outside Bellevue or Seattle (within a reasonable commuting distance) so long as we're in an area we can feel safe in.

Anywhere around Bellevue you will feel safe: Bellevue, Redmond, Issaquah, Carnation, Duvall, Woodinville, Bothell, Kirkland, northeastern Renton, Mercer Island... It's a safe area. Not crime-free but the crime is usually against property rather than against persons.


It's very important that you live near work. The commutes here can be extremely long, subtracting many many hours per week from your husband's home and family life and adding a lot of stress to you all. There aren't enough roads, there are too many cars, and there are too many people who keep moving here from elsewhere -- so it's increasingly crowded. LIVE NEAR WORK; PLAY ELSEWHERE. That's our motto here on this forum!

To find lots and lots of detailed information on this City-Data forum about living in western Washington and living & working on the east side, go the top of any page, click on Search, type in Microsoft or MS, choose thread titles or posts, and watch what comes up! Microsoft is located on the east side so you'll find tons of help!

[allforcats]

70Ford, could you please enable Direct Messages to you? I'd like to send you some info. Thanks. -- Quick Links (near top each page), Edit Options, Direct Messaging.

[LitoMama]

Thanks, all- we will look into what you said. Keep 'em coming, we can use all the info we can get our little hands on!

Looks like there is no way around renting first at least, but... we would like to at least start off renting somewhere we might actually be able to live in a little time (if we can afford it, of course.)

Again, thanks- looking forward to reading more!

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by LitoMama

we would like to at least start off renting somewhere we might actually be able to live in a little time

You're very welcome!

Are you talking about rent to own? That works when sellers can't sell the houses they have for sale because the market is glutted with houses and nobody's buying. Not the case here. A rent-to-own house, condo or townhouse here -- I can't remember the last time I saw one.

Plan on renting. Plan on renting for at least 6 months, in a place that will suit you for 6 to 12 months, that's as near work and stores and whatever else you want to be near as our great public transportation will give you, or you can drive to. Use the weekends to roam around and learn the area -- have fun, be tourists, be adventurers, have picnics, eat in local mom n pop restaurants, and lastly be looking for areas you might want to live in.

[mayfair]

Great advice here. The commute would be long, but for 250K-300 and not too much work on the house you're probably looking at Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood or Renton (farther out suburbs). You can find safe areas in all of those cities.

[LitoMama]

Oh no, like you said, just kinda planning on renting until we can get to know whether the area is for us or not. Then hopefully look to buy.

By the way, nobody has mentioned whether 80k is considered a good income for a profession in the IT industry? Anyone happen to know if that is a good offer? It sounds fair enough for sure, but... good enough for us to leave friends and family to give it a go in the Emerald City? We wanna give it a shot but just want to see if, well,,, would you take the job- it's definitely a skilled job for that offer as is and prove yourself from there, or would you ask for another figure? Is that figure average, or good for the Pac NW?

[azoria]

I may be a lone voice in the woods here, but I think wages are excellent in Seattle. The job market is fairly rosy as well.

We're over 50 and came here cold in March knowing nothing about nothing in Seattle. We both had good jobs in a month. We rent and our utilities are cheap. We ride the bus and save even more money. Color me happy. So far Seattle has been a piece of cake.

However different from many people, we have no intention of buying a house here. Ever. We can rent for a fraction of the average mortgage payment. I'm not paying half a million bucks for some worn out fixer upper when I can rent for way less and invest the difference.

[seattlenextyear]

Originally Posted by LitoMama

Oh no, like you said, just kinda planning on renting until we can get to know whether the area is for us or not. Then hopefully look to buy.

By the way, nobody has mentioned whether 80k is considered a good income for a profession in the IT industry? Anyone happen to know if that is a good offer? It sounds fair enough for sure, but... good enough for us to leave friends and family to give it a go in the Emerald City? We wanna give it a shot but just want to see if, well,,, would you take the job- it's definitely a skilled job for that offer as is and prove yourself from there, or would you ask for another figure? Is that figure average, or good for the Pac NW?

I think you'll have to give people # years experience or whether he's a senior or junior engineer. There's a lot of variation within the field depending on experience and type of work.