Hey Folks.......I'm nearly to the point

[swinky]

So... the Seattle area is wonderful. It is full of outdoor things to do, places to see and etc. Yes, Seattle is expensive compared to other places you will visit, but it's not so much Seattle as it is Mercer Island and Bellevue and Some parts of Redmond and Kirkland. These are suburbs of Seattle. If you are concerned for your children's education, then you should consider Bellevue and M.I. (Mercer Island). M.I. has good schools, but they don't make it to national level standards whereas Bellevue schools do, these communities are more expensive and class does play a minor part, but don't worry, most people are really friendly and welcoming. The weather is not some horror movie and is not always rainy. The weather in Seattle is a new idea we call "Gray" it is just plain gray here for about nine months. Summers are superb and wonderful.

Another PLEASANT thing about this area is the location. About 45 minutes away you have snow, you can see it in the summer ( in the distance) while you're bathing in the warm waters of Lake Washington. This is something you probably won't find anywhere else on earth. Approximately 3 hours east, there's really really warm weather in Lake Chelan and Wenatchee. Lots to do lots to see, you should visit though... Good luck!

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by swinky

Yes, Seattle is expensive compared to other places you will visit, but it's not so much Seattle as it is Mercer Island and Bellevue and Some parts of Redmond and Kirkland.

You have got to be kidding. I live within the city of Seattle and the house down the street from me sold for over 800K just a few months ago. No view, no nothing special at all other than it being newer construction. If that's not expensive, I don't know what is.

[leedspaddy]

Originally Posted by obsidian97

Shouldn't it be getting a little easier to buy a house now if you make the median salary for the area?

Housing prices have been coming down much quicker than inflation in owner's equivalent rent has been going up.

Based on the cost side of the equation I'd say it continues to be difficult, not that it's getting more difficult.



Which also supports my point that it continues to be difficult. Using your numbers, a house that is $233,001 is just as hard to qualify as one that is $400,000. In either case, you won't qualify. Since the $400k house price is getting closer to $233k than the $233k house is getting to $400k (because housing prices are going down, not up)... if anything it's getting easier or staying just as difficult as it was before.

A $250k is still impossible, for someone with $70k in income and $30k in down-payment, but it's approaching possible a little bit more everyday because house prices are coming down.



Not to mention the new (old?) credit tiers that they are putting into place for interest rates. Suddenly, FICO scores (for all their problems) are being used as a more fine-grained measure of risk.

Well I don't have to worry about buying a house because I won't qualify for a home loan anyway whatever my income is because I had to settle for a short sale on my house in Vermont. We had absolutely no choice because not only did I lose my job at the time but the severe winters took a huge toll on my wife's medical condition. Even if I had perfect credit, I would still rent for the first year anyway especially if I coming to an area which I essentially don't know. Now given the fact that you guys tell me the Seattle area is overpriced both to buy and rent, what I am looking for is what I have right now.............I live in a small and safe town that is in a great school district, that is 45 minutes away from my job in Baltimore. So is there a commuter belt around Seattle/Tacoma? Also does anyone have an opinion on the best and worst school districts in Washington State.

Finally, this question goes out to people who have moved to Seattle/Washington state from the east coast or from anywhere for that matter. When my family and I moved to Vermont and then back to maryland, the only issue I had both applying for jobs and at interviews, was the question of relocating. A common response I got from employment agencies was "contact us when you move here" and then at interviews it always came up that I was a candidate for the job who was from out of state.....and so I had to prove I was serious about moving to the area and was not wasting their time. Now I was lucky that I could use the fact that I had family in both Vermont and Maryland but one of the many reasons why we want to start again in Washington state is the fact that we will know no one and will be starting again.............so I was just curious how people handled this particular problem. My only ideas so far is to either get a PO box to give me a Seattle address or have my wife and kids move out there first as she is a homemaker and I stay behind at my job until I can get something in Washington state. Obviously it will be more conducive to our situation if we all just move out there and search while there.............any opinions would be very much appreciated.

[Ira500]

As far as places within an hour or so that cost less than Seattle but are in good school districts:

Maple Valley, or those parts of Renton within Maple Valley's school district ( called the Tahoma school district). About 35 minutes from Seattle. Best school district in south King county, compares well to Bellevue's and Issaquah's.
Or: Those parts of Renton in the Issaquah school district.
Or: Steilacoom. Historic town on Puget sound with ferries to Anderson Island and Ketron Island , about an hour from Seattle and 20 minutes from Tacoma. Cool place.
Gig Harbor: pretty, pretty, town, great school district, about an hour from Seattle and 20 minutes from Tacoma.
Olympia: 75? minutes from Seattle, 35 from Tacoma, lots of stuff to do, lots of recreational opportunities, state capitol and home of the Evergreen State College.
Kenmore, Bothell ( Northshore district) or Shoreline, both just north of the city.
As far as the best school district in Washington State, it's probably Mercer Island.
The worst: something east of the mountains like Soap Lake. Within the Seattle area, maybe Tukwila or Highline. the Renton and Kent and Seattle districts are no great shakes either, but not the worst.

[Molly 56]

Originally Posted by leedspaddy

Finally, this question goes out to people who have moved to Seattle/Washington state from the east coast or from anywhere for that matter. When my family and I moved to Vermont and then back to maryland, the only issue I had both applying for jobs and at interviews, was the question of relocating. A common response I got from employment agencies was "contact us when you move here" and then at interviews it always came up that I was a candidate for the job who was from out of state.....and so I had to prove I was serious about moving to the area and was not wasting their time. Now I was lucky that I could use the fact that I had family in both Vermont and Maryland but one of the many reasons why we want to start again in Washington state is the fact that we will know no one and will be starting again.............so I was just curious how people handled this particular problem. My only ideas so far is to either get a PO box to give me a Seattle address or have my wife and kids move out there first as she is a homemaker and I stay behind at my job until I can get something in Washington state. Obviously it will be more conducive to our situation if we all just move out there and search while there.............any opinions would be very much appreciated.

At last someone with the same problem as me! I finally just had to give in and leave my job in Austin without another one lined up in Seattle. I don't blame them for not considering me without being already there, but it was a hard decision to make. And I'm not young or a high wage earner (at least since the boom years...sigh...) so my kind of possible job right now wouldn't be the kind that you'd get a transfer to anyway. So I've made contact with an employment agency and will just trust to luck and my resume. I've gotten several calls from them checking back as to when I'll be in town, though of course that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I do have a temporary place in Magnolia just for a month while I scout for jobs, and will try to find a very modest apartment near my job. Scared? You bet. But not sorry, and I'm not giving up. I also considered the PO box number but decided that wouldn't look good on a resume; as soon as I've got the key (and the address) to the place, I'll hit the ground running. (Gulp!)

As for "proving" that I'm serious about staying...gee, I hadn't thought they'd ask that. I have the story I told my coworkers and bosses (who were perplexed) --that I've been trying to make this move for many years but family obligations, the fact that I so loooooved the job I had with them (NOT!) and such made me linger on in Austin. Hmmm...I need to come up with a more professional excuse; the real reason is that I think Seattle rocks...

[Sonnenwende]

Like you all, with the work my husband and I do, no one is going to bother with relocating us out there. What we decided to do is that I would continue working here and he would move out there early next spring. Once he has found something (giving it about 3-4 months), my kid and I would follow and then I would look for a job there. This is about the only way we can think to do it right now. Although we have savings, I think continuous financial support would be the best way to move.

Like Molly, moving is something we have wanted to do since before we even came back to the States, but something kept sticking us here where we didn't want to be. I think FINALLY this spring, all the ducks will be in a row and we can attempt to leave the Midwest.

I am also not worried about buying a house. Right now, it is fairly low on the list of priorities. I just want to get out there and working first and maybe in a few years think about it, hopefully when the market has become sane again. I am not stressing it at all though. Whatever.

I think for the job reason, you could just say that Seattle offered better career opportunities or opportunities for advancement that weren't available wherever else.

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by Molly 56

an employment agency ... I've gotten several calls from them checking back as to when I'll be in town, though of course that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

Actually, it does mean something -- it's a great sign that they've kept in touch with you. Employment agencies don't spend time and toll charges on potential customers in whom they're not interested. Which means your resume and style are very promising to them.

Originally Posted by Molly 56

As for "proving" that I'm serious about staying...that I've been trying to make this move for many years but family obligations ... made me linger on in Austin. Hmmm...I need to come up with a more professional excuse; the real reason is that I think Seattle rocks...

What's wrong with the truth? Integrity is the most "professional" way you can ever live, right?... Other superficial and glitzy-style reasons will sound like just that. Be you. Being you works here. If you're lying, you won't be enthusiastic and your energy will be scattered. HR people sense that. They also sense when you're together, centered, authentic. What could be a better way to present yourself, eh?

Don't be scared. Excited, definitely. Enthusiastic. Happy. Life is leading you to a new way for you to be. I wish you joy! And an enjoyable job