Moving across the country to Seattle...need LOTS of advice!! (Burien: for sale, foreclosures)

[gatorgrad99]

My husband and I may be moving to Seattle from Jacksonville, FL next summer depending on if my husband matches at Wash U for reisdency. We have 2 kids, one who will be in 1st grade and one who will be 18 months. For us, a good school district is very important as well as proximity to Wash U. Anyone have any ideas??
We are open to renting or purchasing housing but our east coast budget is only about $250K so I think we may be renting for a while.

[cyberwulf]

Quick random tip: The locals refer to the University of Washington (not Washington University, which is in St. Louis) as "U-Dub". So now you can sound like a local when you're talking to folks around here.

[Under The Clouds]

My Dad lives in Kingsland, GA, and I have family in JAX, so I'm a little familiar with the area.

I can tell you that Seattle is about as big a difference as you can get from Jacksonville. There's the weather, of course. Outside of that, the most noticeable difference is that Seattle is much denser and more expensive than Jacksonville. I think you'd have to rent for a while unless you were willing to purchase a house a long way outside the city. I'm not too familiar with house prices, so maybe someone else can comment, but I don't know of any desireable areas in or near Seattle where you could get a house for anywhere near $250k. I just purchased a small 1 bedroom condo on Capitol Hill for $220k, and I feel like I got a solid deal.

Generally, the best school districts are in the Eastside suburbs. However, for grade schools, the Seattle School district has some good schools, depending on the neighborhood you live in. I know parents who have no problem sending their kids to grade school in the Seattle School district, but wouldn't send them to Middle or High Schools in this district. The problem is that the best Elementary schools can be difficult to get in. I don't have kids, but my understanding is that the best grade schools in Seattle are assigned based on neighborhood where you live, so if you live in a good neighborhood like Montlake (near UW), you have a good chance to get your kid into a good school. Hopefully a parent on this board can give you better, firsthand info.

If you do end up in Seattle, I hope you and your family have a great experience here. The cultural difference between here and JAX can be pretty big, but both areas have their charms and shortcomings. Best of luck!

[nfdsouza2001]

Originally Posted by gatorgrad99

My husband and I may be moving to Seattle from Jacksonville, FL next summer depending on if my husband matches at Wash U for reisdency. We have 2 kids, one who will be in 1st grade and one who will be 18 months. For us, a good school district is very important as well as proximity to Wash U. Anyone have any ideas??
We are open to renting or purchasing housing but our east coast budget is only about $250K so I think we may be renting for a while.

This must be an exciting time for you all. We went through it 10 years ago. Depending on what residency he will doing for Internal Med, Surgery and some specialty, He will probably rotate through the VA, Harborview and University hospital. For Peds childrens and community clinics like Odessa Brown. Depending on the residency he may have to respond with 15 minutes to half hour. I looked at some homes you could get a decent home in West Seattle or the Burien within your range. You may also consider a condo esp with little kids and the possibility of over night calls. Hope this info helps. Look for my personal message with my contact info.

[HuskyDawg]

Even with the economic meltdown I would be absolutely shocked to see a decent home in W. Seattle sell for 250k. I'm sure the various realtors on this site can chime in, but haven't seen any homes for sale in that range in a long time in this area. Maybe foreclosures or bordering on Delridge/White Center.

[texastrigirl]

Seattle Public Schools holds a lottery every February I believe which is how school assignments happen. You have a reasonable chance of getting in your neighborhood school but there is also a chance you won't. We felt it was too big of a risk for us as we moved to Seattle well after the lottery (in July) and because we could not afford private schools and a house, we ended up on the Eastside which has terrific schools but is not the best commute to the UW area. I would go to the Washington State Report Card website and see if you can find some schools that fit your criteria in the SPS district and then familiarize yourself with how the lottery works.

[gatorgrad99]

Thanks for all of the advice. My husband will be (hopefully) pursuing a career in Hem/Onc at UW but we won't know anything until he matches. If he interviews in the fall we will be flying out and it will be our only chance to scope out the area. We won;t actually move until June so I think the lottery is out. We will just have to do our research carefully regarding the school districts. I also worry about finding a job myself. I'm an OT so if anyone knows of anything, let me know. Thanks!