Think about moving to the great Seattle area from Texas. (Kent: to rent, loan)

[NYrangers]

Me and my wife (working in financial sector with no kids) are in consider to move to the Seattle area from Texas. The company (Renton and Kent area) I applied is willing to offer me 60K to start. my wife, who recently earned her master in MBA, is going to look for the job that she likes in Seattle with a fair share. What kind of lifestyle we could get from, let's say, 100k to begin with. We are making pre-tax 70k here in Texas, and we are living comfortable. We are definitely going to rent a place for the first 6 mos - a year. Thanks for ur time and input.

[cobolt]

I'd trade Tx for Wa anyday. After moving here from Tx 5 years ago, I'm ready to go back. Make a visit out here before you make your decision.

[NYrangers]

I know every place has its pros and cons. can you address me some the points you dislike there if u dont mind. thanks

[Ira500]

You and your wife should live comfortably on 100k per year. If you chose to live in Renton, your rent money would go further, but even if you chose to live in a nice Seattle neighborhood like Greenlake or Alki or Queen Anne, you should be able to do that quite easily as long as you rented.

[eskercurve]

Renton and Kent suffer from some pretty bad traffic, so I'd recommend living closeby. On 100k you should be able to rent no problem. When you go looking for a house, if you are a first time homebuyer then there are special loan facilities to help cope with the HUGE cost of residences.

But on 100k you will be able to save money hand over fist if you do it right. I make 75k a year and live on Mercer Island, renting. I have been able to save about $800 a month by living in my means and still splurging occassionally. My wife works too but she's totally paying down her debts and saving, and combined we make around 100k, but we live comfortably off my salary alone. And I drive a BMW (used) that costs $480 a month. So yeah, it's do-able.

[NYrangers]

Thanks you guys for the input. I will soon be there for my 1st tour of the area.

[JustCallMeTC]

Originally Posted by cobolt

I'd trade Tx for Wa anyday. .

Would like like a ride to the airport?

[cksean]

biggest difference is weather...visit and see for yourself...
what works for me may not work for yourself...
I grew up in Seattle, lived in California and now residing in San Antonio...

[Jennibc]

The cost of living difference is huge. We moved from Austin to Seattle nine years ago, lasted about eight years and went back to Austin. The difference in cost wasn't worth it to us. What part of TX do you currently reside in? If Austin, then 70K in Austin is like making about 100K in Seattle. However, if you are in one of the lower cost areas of TX like Dallas or Houston, trading 70K in TX for 100K in Seattle will be a step down in standard of living for you.

[momwithamission]

Hello,

We have lived in Austin for 5 years and before that lived in Seattle for 7 years. We are actually thinking about going back, but aren't sure yet. There's a lot we like about Austin, but there are some things we miss about Seattle. If you move to Seattle, you might miss the warmth. Summer is short and it rarely gets above 90. People aren't as friendly there, but I found that they are more intelligent IMO. I think people are people and once you get to really know anyone, they are friendly if you want to be friends with them. Renton/Kent in my mind aren't as nice as the Eastside, but aren't horrible either. I never lived down there, but visited a few times. I feel people are more "clickish" here than there. We lived on the Eastside and people seemed more down to earth. I mostly associated with other moms. Recycling is taken more seriously in Seattle and since we moved, I don't think cell phones are allowed to be used while driving. It is cloudy a lot of the time. There often is a misty rain. When the sun comes out, it may not be out for the whole day. When the sun is out, it is beautiful and when it is raining, if you appreciate that kind of thing, it has it's own beauty as well. I think it depends on your attitude as well. There are more people in Seattle with a poor attitude about the weather than here. If you like to hike and/or camp, this is a good place to be. Olympic National Park isn't too far and there is a lot of natural beauty you can drive to. Don't miss the tulips a little ways up to the north. So pretty. If you love the sun and warmth, Seattle is not the place for you. If you let traffic upset you, Seattle is not the place for you. There are pros and cons to everyplace you live. One other thing, buildings, playgrounds, etc. look less run down. The parks department is much better than here in Austin. I can't really say anything about living in Seattle proper. I imagine it's pretty different. I think the last post mostly referred to the city, although I enjoyed visiting the city, I wouldn't want to live there. I would agree with another post that it is wise to live close to work if the traffic bothers you. Good luck!