moving from tri-cities to seattle. Help! (Tacoma, Redmond: best suburbs, rental, crime rates)

[wamamma]

My husband has been offered a nice job in West Seattle. We are currently in Richland WA. We have 2 small preschool age children and own a nice home here. I get to stay home with the kiddos. What I want in Seattle:
1. Nice home (at least 1500 sq. ft.) (Newer or updated)
2. Yard
3. good, safe neighborhood
4. reasonable commute to hubby's work (California Ave.- North end - West Seattle)
5. family friendly, small child area.

We're willing to pay up to 400k for a home. We've looked online and West Seattle seems to only have 400k townhomes or very old, expensive homes. (Over $350 a square foot). We're not interested in big city, downtown, urban feel. I'm much more of a suburb, soccer mom type.

What are my options? I read I should stay away from White Center. What about Burien or Des Moines. I've traveled through the Tukwila, Seatac area often and I'm not impressed.

We have a great home and only paid $240k for it. Maybe we should turn down the offer for new job and more money? The housing options scare me

[scirocco22]

You seem to have a pretty good perception on what you're up against, wamamma. People going from the Seattle area to the Tri-Cities will find their money goes so much further than coming from the Tri-Cities to Seattle.

You're right, $400k will get you just what you described in West Seattle. West Seattle is an older established neighborhood and you won't find many new homes there.

Yes, all those areas you mentioned are not the best suburbs of Seattle. They're working-class 'burbs with higher crime rates and poorer rated schools.

I don't know what to tell you. You could go further out but the commute for your hubby may become unbearable. The "better" suburbs are of course located on the "eastside" but prices will start in the mid-$500k range and that's for nothing fancy. Also, the commute from the eastside to West Seattle won't be necessarily pleasant either.

It's so tough coming from Richland because you're not going to find a Richland-type area in the south King County region. Nor will you find the house prices that you're used to over there in the Tri-Cities. Man, it's a tough call.

[wamamma]

Thanks, Scirocco22, for your quick response. I know any of the eastside suburbs are out of the question, because of commute time; and I have now eliminated White Center as an option.

We know the housing will cost more than Richland (we're pretty lucky here). We've looked around and I've lived in other states, I don't think anyplace can beat Tri-cities housing costs.

What do you think about Burien or Des Moines. How would the commute be to W. Seattle?

I've run into some newer housing on the internet that indicates a West Seattle area, zip code is 98106 and 98168. What's your opinion on these areas. What about Southern Heights?

We're down to deciding time (need to make a decision in the next 24-48 hours). Our pay would increase at least 40k a year, but is it worth it?.....

Any opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!

[scirocco22]

I'd rule out Burien. Des Moines is ok the closer you get toward the water but the Pac Hwy corridor is awful pertaining to crime.

I'll have to check out those zips you mentioned.

You definitely have a dilemma ...to give up the quality of life in the Tri-Cities to move to south King County, even with a higher salary, is questionable in my mind.

Anybody else?

[Balco9]

Do your family a favor and stay in Richland!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Traffic id brutal in the Seattle area. People are not as friendly,
9 months of dark clouds and 40 in. of rain a year, cost of living
is a lot more. I know gas is 30 cent cheaper in the Tri-Cities.
I currently live Tacoma and work in Seattle, but our home is
on the market and heading to Richland hopefully by August.
Been to the Tri-Cities a few times and absolutely love the area.
Good luck on your decision wamamma..

[xboxmas]

Originally Posted by Balco9

Do your family a favor and stay in Richland!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Traffic id brutal in the Seattle area. People are not as friendly,
9 months of dark clouds and 40 in. of rain a year, cost of living
is a lot more. I know gas is 30 cent cheaper in the Tri-Cities.
I currently live Tacoma and work in Seattle, but our home is
on the market and heading to Richland hopefully by August.
Been to the Tri-Cities a few times and absolutely love the area.
Good luck on your decision wamamma..

But if more and more people continue to move to the tri-cities, the traffic will start to look like Seattle's....

[Balco9]

Originally Posted by xboxmas

But if more and more people continue to move to the tri-cities, the traffic will start to look like Seattle's....

Very true!!!

[Moon Waffle]

Funny you bring this up because I too am smack in the middle of a similar tough decision. I live in the Tri-Cities and love it here. But have been in my job almost 5 years and am getting the "itch" to move onward. Not much opportunity for me in the Tri-Cities.

I now have an offer from Microsoft in Redmond. It will pay about $20K more than my current salary. Is it worth it? Well, the career opportunities will be better, but clearly the quality of life will take a HUGE dive. Weather, crime, pollution, traffic, housing, you name it. Everythign is a setback.

So I'm sitting here in my 2-year old, 2500 square-foot 5-bedroom, 3-car garage home on my 1/3 acre lot, one block from the river, which I paid $215,000 for, realizing that there's no possible way I can have this lifestyle - or anything close to it - if I go back to Seattle (I lived there before).

Unless someone can tell me why I'm looking at this the wrong way?...

[Balco9]

Your kids will love you for staying in the tri-cities...
Better schools, beter weather to do stuff with them....
Redmond is great if you like the yuppie life, their mall is
the best the state, great shopping, great parks, but the traffic
is brutal...

[wamamma]

Moonwaffle, I feel your pain. From my research, I don't think 20k additional salary will make up for your loss. I also have a 2500 sq. ft. house, new construction, (Willowbrook Heights) great yard, nice neighbors, good church.... Do we leave it all for more money and more costs?

My stepbrother and his wife are renting in Redmond. They don't have children, yet. He works for Microsoft, great salary, left Utah for the opportunity. But, they can't afford to buy and their rental is small.

My father and his wife live in Kirkland on Lake Washington. They had to trade in the Honda for an Infinity because the Honda wasn't "upscale" enough for the neighborhood.

I have another brother in West Seattle. He loves it! But he's born for the urban life. He works downtown in Pioneer Square and then lives a typical single urban social life. He just bought a 1000sq. ft. townhome in West Seattle for $370k. He calls it the hobbit house because the rooms are so small you can stand in the middle of a bedroom and touch both walls at the same time. He doesn't even have a standard size fridge and dishwasher (they are mini.)

The more I look online at housing, the more depressed I'm getting about our decision. However, I found a great website: Redfin.com. It includes great mapping software and shows the dollar appreciation of idividual properties. It's very helpful!

Good luck with your decision