Moving to Seattle/Renton from Texas... (Bellevue, Midland: mortgage, daycare, house)

[alamar]

Trust me, I "get that". All I am doing is trying to get more information. All of this is completely foreign to me. So I'm sorry for trying to get more of a feel for things so that I can make an informed decision- last time I checked, that was the smart thing to do.

[cobolt]

You're right, it is the smart thing to do. I'll let others chime in. Do some internet searches on housing costs, price of gas, food, etc and also start reading all the threads you can regarding the area and you'll have a better idea. Of course, nothing takes the place of a real visit, but if you can't do that, then reading the threads and getting feedback here is the best alternative. I just know coming from a low cost of living area like Midland, Tx to here with that sort of pay (and a paycut at that) is going to be a hard, hard, deal.

And just to give you some perspective, when I moved from Tx to WA, my pay increased by about
4x, and yet, I still think it's pretty expensive.

[Ira500]

I'm not going to be one of those people who will tell you " Don't do it."
A lot of people have moved here with no money and are still here, happy, years later.
Having said that, financial issues can have a really bad impact on relationships, and the lack of sunshine really gets to some people here.
Most of Tukwila is safe, but there are some parts that are less savory. Same goes for Renton and Kent.
But I'd second what Cobolt said. Come visit!

[allforcats]

Here are some resources to get quick information:

Jobs: this is the combined classifieds of the two leading newspapers in a wide area around Seattle, where the greatest number of jobs are. Should give you some wage/salary info:
Seattle area jobs, employment advice and information | NWjobs

Rentals, from same combined classifeds source:
NWapartments: Seattle apartment rentals, house rental listings, rental classifieds and other property rentals in Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue and other Washington areas, cities and neighborhoods

For rentals, also be sure to check: craigslist, rent.com, forrent.com, apartments.com.

For jobs and rentals in the Tacoma area and south of Tacoma, here is the News Tribune:
http://legacy.suntimes.com/Tribnet/D...oday&Product=0

Price of gas at gas stations in Renton today (changes several times daily):
Renton Gas Prices - Find the Lowest Gas Prices in Renton, Washington?
and in Tukwila:
http://www.seattlegasprices.com/Tukwila/index.aspx
and in Auburn:
http://www.seattlegasprices.com/inde...&srch=0&list=0

If your husband were single, and wanted adventure, and were willing to live in a crummy old unkempt "studio" (read: everything in one room) apartment, I think he would still find it very difficult to actually eat every day at $17/hr. for a 30-hr. week. I honestly don't quite know how he could do it. In your shoes, I would discuss this very carefully, with pen and paper calculating rent, food, electricity, gas, moving costs, deposits (first, last and security for apartment; startup deposits for electricity, landline phone, etc.), and so forth together, to come to a conclusion together. I wish you joy together.

[Jennibc]

We moved here from Austin (the most expensive part of TX) and it is killer here in terms of cost of living. If you come up here on that kind of money, you will be part of the working poor. Our family of three has a much healthier income than that and at times we can hardly make ends meet. We had a much better standard of living down in Austin and several years later I kick myself for making the move. Plus, today and much of August has been gray and dreary. The lack of sun here can be absolutely oppressive at times for some of us.

And while some on these boards tout a strong economy that isn't quite accurate. See Jon Talton | For local economy, it'll be a long slog | Seattle Times Newspaper
It appeared in the paper this morning. As much as you and your new husband would like something new, right now is probably not the wisest time to pick up and leave your jobs. It is tight all over the country right now. If you move here on that kind of money, you will have serious financial difficulties and that can put quite the strain on your new marriage.

[41Willys]

40 hours at 17 an hour plus you working would be fine. But not 30, your cutting it REALLY close! Having a job at Boeing plus his 17 an hour job would be more feasible until he is making top money at Boeing which is probably in 5 years.

[thedaneurysm]

Originally Posted by alamar

. When my husband asked about housing and the economy in Seattle, the guy told him that Renton is expensive, but we could "easily afford something in Seattle."

Um...I'd question if the guy has ever lived in Seattle since 1999. You can still find places in Renton in the 800 per month range. The only thing you'll get in Seattle for that is some cramped studio.

$17 an hour in Seattle = rough living!! I have a friend who lives in Renton and makes around $15 an hour though. It can be done, but get ready to stretch every dollar.

[alamar]

It's good to hear that it isn't totally impossible to do... But I would challenge that Austin has a higher cost of living than Midland right now. An article in the paper last week said that Midland is now more expensive than Plano/Dallas... due to the oil boom in this area. My rent has gone up 3x what it was 2 years ago... and my pay hasn't. So it's not like Midland is cheap by any means anymore. My inlaws payed $140,000 for a house 4 years ago, they are moving and just sold it for $389,000. Midland is no longer the cheap place to live...

That's one of the reasons that a higher housing cost probably wouldn't shock me that much. I am paying $1100 currently for an apartment... if I could find an apartment in Renton for $800, then that might actually help.

We decided that we are going to visit the area soon... just don't have an exact date set yet

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by alamar

But I would challenge that Austin has a higher cost of living than Midland right now. An article in the paper last week said that Midland is now more expensive than Plano/Dallas...

2005 housing data from city data.com
Midland:

Median price asked for vacant for-sale houses and condos in 2005: $86,300 (lower quartile is $52,700, upper quartile is $137,100)

Median contract rent in 2005: $421 (lower quartile is $332, upper quartile is $575)

Austin: Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $170,900 (it was $124,700 in 2000) Austin $170,900Texas: $106,000 Median gross rent in 2005: $740.

While Midland may be more expensive than Plano/Dallas, Austin has been more expensive than Plano Dallas for several years because of the rapidly growing tech sector down in Silicon Hills (as it likes to bill itself).

These are 2005 numbers but from everything I've read, Austin still comes in with the highest median cost for housing in the state of Texas. Whether Midland or Austin is more expensive really doesn't matter for the sake of this discussion anyway, as Seattle is still much more expensive than ANY market down in Texas.

I'll bet your parents had a fairly nice house to sell for $389,000. You would be lucky to find a "livable" two bedroom one bath for that anywhere in the Seattle city limits, although you might be able to find something in Renton for that.

[dcoolbro]

If you REALLY wanted to move to the Seattle area I'd try to get the hubby to get a full-time position instead of part-time if possible. That salary is certainly a struggle. You'd definitely would need to find a job yourself and relatively quickly. Kent, Renton, and Tukwila are not terrible places to live if you choose wisely. But the low rent areas are probably not the most desirable. Heck even the worst parts of Seattle you're not going to find much for cheap. Personally I'd hold off a bit on the move until I had the skills and experience to demand higher pay and a full-time position. Best of luck on whatever direction you decide.