Issaquah - good or bad place to live? (Seattle, Highland: low income, real estate)

[Pittgal]

Any insight would be great!

[Mark S.]

Two of my co-workers live there. They love it. It is a pricey community, but if you can afford it, it is definitely one of the nicer Seattle suburbs.

[scirocco22]

Bad place ...as far as traffic goes!

(seriously, stay away from downtown Issaquah if you don't like congestion. People who live there will know what I'm saying.)

--'rocco

[chris]

pros: schools, low crime
cons: traffic, housing costs

If you have the money, a good place to live.

When I lived in Issaquah, there was a lot of noise about them putting a highway through the area (that seemed to get people pretty upset) but I haven't heard much about in the news lately.

This is the 'real issaquah' I'm talking about, not the highlands which should be considered a separate city in it's own (where most of the new homes are).

I moved away from the area because I didn't like the 'vibe' that area was heading in (in other words I didn't want to raise my kids there). Most people won't be bothered by this though.

[singingnettle]

It has good and bad points, like anyplace else. Real estate is a tad lower than in Seattle. There is a very charming downtown area with a good local bus system. There are some good restaurants and a fabulous new library, and several nearby shopping malls--some chic, some chain-store. If you are into natural food and organic living, the area supports it well.

Outside town you can rent or buy bigger places on acreage--again, much pricier than it was just five years ago, but still cheaper than Seattle.

The downside is that becuase of the high-tech companies that have moved in, the area is supporting far more people than the infrastructure can handle. As a result, traffic in town is hellaceous, and there is some friction between longtime residents and Microsoftees.

The town is pretty and the view of the mountains wonderful; it is somewhat hotter in summer and a good deal colder in winter than in Seattle.

[Avlany]

Sorry to hi-jack your post Pittgal, but it seems like perfect time to ask... you guys said magic word - "pricey". How much is "pricey" in WA? I am from very darn expansive LA and moving to Seattle are as well, so just wanna figure out the "cost matter" as well. What are the prices on rent/buy around the area? I live in 1 br right now here, so something similar or better would do, as long as we have some privacy there

[VeronikaW]

Originally Posted by Avlany

Sorry to hi-jack your post Pittgal, but it seems like perfect time to ask... you guys said magic word - "pricey". How much is "pricey" in WA? I am from very darn expansive LA and moving to Seattle are as well, so just wanna figure out the "cost matter" as well. What are the prices on rent/buy around the area? I live in 1 br right now here, so something similar or better would do, as long as we have some privacy there

I live in Issaquah, and I moved from Southern CA, and it seems like houses here right now are more expensive than in parts of Southern CA. For example, there are some condos across the street from me that are still in the mid $300s with HOA fees of $300/month. Townhomes are still in the $450+ range, and single family homes are in the $550+ range. I live in the Issaquah Highlands, but down in Issaquah proper prices still seem pretty high. You can go on redfin.com or other similar real estate sites, and see for yourself.

That was one of my biggest disappointments moving from Southern CA, we thought homes would be more affordable in comparable areas of WA, and they seem just as expensive or more in WA. Our rent is cheaper, at least (or it was when we moved here, don't know what SoCal rents are like right now).

V. =)

ETA: Okay, I just looked on line. My apartment complex doesn't have 1 bedrooms, but the 2 bedrooms start at $1,050/month (according to the website). I just did a search on redfin for condos, and there are several in the $200-300K range, so if you're looking for smaller, there seems to be a lot out there.

[LongDawson]

Expensive. Great schools. Everything available. Lived here for years and have never locked my car doors, leave the house without worrying about a thing. Good neighbors. Fresh air. Trees. Trails. Parks. Issaquah has all of that. If you want thick pollution and population heavily tattooed look elsewhere. Low income, look elsewhere. Just the basic facts...

[Avlany]

Are those prices to buy or to rent? I know this question sounds weird, but 1K for 2br rent sound unrealistic

[seattlenextyear]

$1000 for 2 br is a pretty good deal for the area.