relocating to Pacific NW--need advice (Seattle, Kent: real estate, apartment, renting)

[PaisleyCat]

Hey all,

I am considering moving back to the Pacific NW. I lived 4 years in Oak Harbor WA. on Whidbey Island.

I am looking for relatively inexpensive-real estate and living. I will be coming from the South--so prices here are pretty cheap due to the economy. My house here was 180K now 120K.

I would like green, I want a garden, and room for chickens,and the doggle. neighbors, but not close enough to reach out a window and touch. I am more fond of hiking and wilderness than city life offerings. Quiet is a bonus. I work healthcare and IT, and my husband is in asset protection for a large retail chain.

Any Ideas where that might be, besides my imagination?

Thanks!

Ruth

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by PaisleyCat

Hey all,

I am considering moving back to the Pacific NW. I lived 4 years in Oak Harbor WA. on Whidbey Island.

I am looking for relatively inexpensive-real estate and living. I will be coming from the South--so prices here are pretty cheap due to the economy. My house here was 180K now 120K.

I would like green, I want a garden, and room for chickens,and the doggle. neighbors, but not close enough to reach out a window and touch. I am more fond of hiking and wilderness than city life offerings. Quiet is a bonus. I work healthcare and IT, and my husband is in asset protection for a large retail chain.

Any Ideas where that might be, besides my imagination?

Thanks!

Ruth

... Is your housing budget 120k? That might prove to be challenging.

Otherwise...

For what you want, it can be found anywhere in Western Wa. Even in Proper Seattle where people are allowed to have up to 3 chickens-- but obviously, proper Seattle isn't what you're looking for.

Now with the jobs, I'm not sure if you mean that you work in a hospital-- and if you do, there's a handful of hospitals around in the rural side.

If I were to combine the hospital requirement, retail chain aspect plus the rural... I'd point over to the Bremerton area. You might actually find something in your budget. Perhaps your husband can find something in Silverdale (where they have the Kitsap Mall).

Bellingham could work as well, but there might be a low inventory of houses in your budget (assuming budget up to 150K). Port Angeles has a hospital and a bigger inventory of houses... but jobs would be harder for husband to find.

[StealthRabbit]

Harrison Hospital in Bremerton, or WA State Vets home in Port Orchard (Retsil).

There will be some bargains in the bushes. I buy really trashed homes / mobile homes on a NICE acreage (That is hidden by too much brush). 4 hrs with a bulldozer can work wonders, and most buyers don't have that 'vision'. You can build a pole barn shop and add an apartment, or find a repo mobile / modular home each for $20 - $30k. Power, well, septic, road are already done for you

[rainforest338]

Just be careful if you use the bulldozer method described above, I'm not talking physical safety.
An old coworker had been buying townhouses in Bremerton and PO, and around Kitsap. He was doing some improvements which included renting a 'bobcat' and clearing a small dirt mound that had a bunch of blackberry bushes. The county told him he could restore the land to the pre-existing state or pay a $10K fine for altering a drainage in the Puget Sound watershed. He had to re-rent the bobcat and make a new dirt mount between the two houses.

[pw72]

Yes, your price in the south is almost impossible in the NW. The lowest housing costs in the Puget Sound region tend to be in less than ideal neighborhoods, no surprise there. However, if you are willing to live away from the major cities, check far east Kent, far east Auburn, and perhaps Enumclaw or Black Diamond. Maybe even far north, in Burlington/Mount Vernon.

[Hemlock140]

Even the older mobiles on large lots are going to be well over $200,000 these days anywhere in western Washington. Try looking in Port Orchard, it would suit your needs and is one of the more affordable areas similar to where you lived before. I have seen a few places there in the $175-$200,000 range and that's about as low as it gets. One example was $169,000 for 3 br 1 ba
1,000 sf, lot 8,000 sf.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

Even the older mobiles on large lots are going to be well over $200,000 these days anywhere in western Washington. ...

And WHATEVER you do... don't buy something that is already on the market. If a RE agent has found it, you will pay too much. You need to DIG, I get several / yr for under $100k all in Western WA, and in desirable locations (EZ commute / paved road access). I have recently seen some go for under $50k. I'm sure there are plenty around Port Orchard for under $100k, but you need to be a Stealth purchaser.

Tonight, I was just working on another one I bought. (It was $100k, but came with orchard, barn, metal shop, nice solid house, and a very nice 2 acre Rhodie garden) It even has a Rabbit hutch and chicken house!! And LOTS of fruit (grapes, blueberries, raspberries, and of course adequate blackberries). 20 min to a GREAT international airport and 5 minutes from Hiking and Salmon / Sturgeon fishing.

Just be careful if you use the bulldozer method described above, I'm not talking physical safety.

You do NOT want to upset DNR or F&W or Christine's DoEcology.

Know your stuff. (I have to deal with the feds and the 'friends of the gorge' every step I take).

Camo-netting is your friend, Especially with aerial surveillance and photo recognition software.

Better be smarter then the rules...

[PaisleyCat]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

[b]

Tonight, I was just working on another one I bought. (It was $100k, but came with orchard, barn, metal shop, nice solid house, and a very nice 2 acre Rhodie garden) It even has a Rabbit hutch and chicken house!! And LOTS of fruit (grapes, blueberries, raspberries, and of course adequate blackberries). 20 min to a GREAT international airport and 5 minutes from Hiking and Salmon / Sturgeon fishing.

Stealth Rabbit--This is pretty much exactly what I am looking for. I work remotely, so as long as I can get internet and to an airport for work site visits I am good.

I may need to mining your secrets soon!