A few specific questions... (Seattle, Olympia: renting, crime, house prices)

[SeattlitefromNC]

Originally Posted by OnMyWay

I've found a place on N 88 St near Aurora Ave. Anyone live around there? Thoughts?

The area near 85th and Aurora is notorious for prostitution and drug issues.

There is clearly gentrification going on in the area (I saw quite a few townhouses being built in the area), and the area is probably being advertised as being "Greenlake". That area is not far from Greenlake, but one you get north of 85th, I don't think of that area as Greenlake. It's really more Oaktree (but Greenlake is more marketable).

That neighborhood is quite, um, schizophrenic. You can tell that a lot of changes are going on. I read an article not too long ago about the concerted effort that people are making to clean up the neighborhood. I think it's working, to a degree. But it still has a reputation.

I wouldn't write the area off entirely, if I were you. However, just be aware. And I would check the place out in person, to be honest. From one block or even one apartment complex to the next, things can change enormously.

[Ira500]

The area near 85th and Aurora is notorious for prostitution and drug issues.

There is clearly gentrification going on in the area (I saw quite a few townhouses being built in the area), and the area is probably being advertised as being "Greenlake".

That's so common, and annoys me to no end. What's wrong with being honest? They don't have to advertise the area as " Hooker Central" or " Heroin Row" or " Like Crack?", but they don't have to call it Greenlake when it's not, and it's not. Grrrrr....

[OnMyWay]

Wow! Boy looks sure can be deceiving While we're all for the cleaning up of a neighborhood, and took part in it when we lived in West Philadelphia, that's not our #1 priority now with the little one just now starting to stand up on his own (which reminds me it's time to lower his crib height so he can't catapult out of there!).

The more I hear from everyone here the more inclined I am to rent for at least 6 months. A brief weekend visit to Seattle can't possibly be enough to get a proper feel for the variety of neighborhoods we're considering...

Speaking of townhomes, does anyone have any resources or information about local-area builders and their reputations? The new townhomes homes look lovely, but they are all so similar. Howland Homes, Refino, etc... any positive information or horror stories would be appreciated!

[seattlerain]

Originally Posted by Ira500

The area near 85th and Aurora is notorious for prostitution and drug issues.

There is clearly gentrification going on in the area (I saw quite a few townhouses being built in the area), and the area is probably being advertised as being "Greenlake".

That's so common, and annoys me to no end. What's wrong with being honest? They don't have to advertise the area as " Hooker Central" or " Heroin Row" or " Like Crack?", but they don't have to call it Greenlake when it's not, and it's not. Grrrrr....

I thought it was being called Licton Springs these days.

[SeattlitefromNC]

Originally Posted by seattlerain

I thought it was being called Licton Springs these days.

It is called that, too.

Sometimes, when I say "Lichton Springs", people don't know where I'm talking about. But if I say that it's near the OakTree cinemas, then they know. *shrug*

[SeattlitefromNC]

Originally Posted by OnMyWay

Wow! Boy looks sure can be deceiving While we're all for the cleaning up of a neighborhood, and took part in it when we lived in West Philadelphia, that's not our #1 priority now with the little one just now starting to stand up on his own (which reminds me it's time to lower his crib height so he can't catapult out of there!).

I cannot in good conscience allow a comparison between Seattle crime and crime anywhere on the East Coast ... certainly NOT Philly!

Seattle is the safest city I've lived in, by a longshot! Even with the occasional problems here and there, this place is certainly not comparable to the East Coast and some of their crime ills. Not even close ...

Like I said, the neighborhood will probably look very different five years from now. I would check the place out, to be sure.

Originally Posted by OnMyWay

The more I hear from everyone here the more inclined I am to rent for at least 6 months. A brief weekend visit to Seattle can't possibly be enough to get a proper feel for the variety of neighborhoods we're considering...

Seattle is really just a collection of neighborhoods. There's something for nearly everyone here. If you don't like one neighborhood, move on to the next one! It will probably be more to your liking.

I think six months is a good amount of time to get a feel for the area.

Best of luck!

[seattlerain]

Originally Posted by SeattlitefromNC

It is called that, too.

Sometimes, when I say "Lichton Springs", people don't know where I'm talking about. But if I say that it's near the OakTree cinemas, then they know. *shrug*

I don't remember it even having a name until about ten years ago...but maybe I just wasn't aware of it.

[jenlion]

Originally Posted by OnMyWay

jenlion - were the homes you looked at found on a site with MLS listings? or something more casual like Craigslist? Some of the new construction townhomes look lovely to me, but I don't have particularly good taste in these things We will likely do most of our shopping/travelling by car. My wife has been pretty good about bringing the baby into NYC by public transportation, and that's pretty much the worst thing imagineable in my opinion! She's a pro at handling the stroller, etc. and it amazes me seeing her do it all at once (she's rather tiny). I'll definitely take your advice about car/neighborhood compatibility

Best site by far was seattle.redfin.com. MLS you have to look up each address one-by-one and that takes too long. Once we started targeting neighborhoods, redfin was the best for limiting price, size, beds, and then seeing what we had to work with by area.

If you aren't insistent on a single-family home or large yard, there ARE some nice townhomes around. I only know the eastside, though -- CD user VeronikaW lives in a new development with townhomes in Issaquah that she likes; works for her, but not for us with wanting a bigger yard for kid and dog. You'll find a lot of apartments that were converted to condos as well over here, and I have heard that you really want to check the reputation of the people that did the conversion before you get serious about a unit.

Good luck.

[OnMyWay]

jenlion, I'd been using ZipRealty, but the user experience on Redfin is VERY nice! I just found a very affordable townhouse on 49th St at Aurora. Hopefully it's a nicer area than 85th and Aurora!! It has a lease-option, so I could "rent" it at first...

Anyone know a site that lists the property tax rates for the different areas? This 3-bedroom townhouse only has $1,700/year on property tax, which seems pretty low...

[Ira500]

On my way....That townhouse ( I know the one you're talking about) was built this year, and the tax year for it's 1700 dollar tax was 2007, so the low taxes were due to the fact that it was land they were taxing and not a finished building. It won't stay 1700 dollars, it may triple within a couple of years. Whatever it sells for now will get reflected in future tax bills.