Where in Wa can i have... (Seattle, Spokane: rent, homes, neighborhoods)

[foggyw]

Longing to relocate to Washington but must have these three things: reasonable rent, local nursing homes (where i will work), and hummingbirds at home feeders. Rain or dry side doesn't matter. What towns should i consider?

[rainforest338]

If those are your big three...might take a look a Sequim. Lots of nursing homes and assisted living places because of the old people. Rent isn't bad. I know of people that have humming birds even in winter. The area is lacking in many other ways--kind of closes down by about 5 pm, population age gaps, social scene. One of the main economies for the area is the nursing home industry and associated small medical practices.

[foggyw]

Would the same hold true for Port Angeles, or is Sequim unique in these respects? Many thanks for your replies!

[sll3454]

In the eastern part of the state you can see the black-chinned hummingbird, the calliope hummingbird, and maybe the rufous.

Rufous and Anna's are common in the western part of the state. If you want the birds year-round, Anna's hummingbirds can be found year round in parts of Snohomish, King, and Pierce Counties. Those areas are very populated and surely have nursing homes. Unfortunately, they are not the cheaper areas of the state. Someone else can tell you more about affordable neighborhoods, but here's more bird information and the map:
Anna's Hummingbird

[rainforest338]

Originally Posted by foggyw

Would the same hold true for Port Angeles, or is Sequim unique in these respects? Many thanks for your replies!

You could live in one and commute to work to the other. Port Angeles doesn't seem to have the same ratio of older people and health facilities as Sequim.
Sequim is unique in the respect of the nursing homes, many of which are within the city limits. Port Angeles hasn't changed much over the years, except for losing a little population and a lot of business. Sequim went nuts with a building spree and filled up with retirees. Seriously, Sequim feels like most of the town is a retirement center. The old people want to be on the Peninsula for the cost (property/taxes), and want to be in Sequim specifically due to the amount of sunshine. Sequim is just a little sunnier, but the marketing has people convinced it is like SoCal.

[Cdarocks]

Have you considered the Eastern part of the state? I think Eastern WA (Spokane) would fit your criteria.

[ssirevaag]

My husband and I are wanting to leave California, we were born and raised up here and we are just tired of everything in this state. We are looking for a place that does have the 4 seasons, has the mountains and snow and greenery. We want a place that has good schools for our kids and that isn't too expensive to live. Anyone have opinions on Seattle, Olympia or other places to consider? My husband is an electrician/journeyman and I work in the dental field. What are seasons like up there, price ranges of living, etc?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by foggyw

Would the same hold true for Port Angeles, or is Sequim unique in these respects? Many thanks for your replies!

Sequim is a great idea, and it has much sunnier weather than Seattle. I think you could live in Port Angeles and commute to Sequim.

[sll3454]

Originally Posted by ssirevaag

What are seasons like up there, price ranges of living, etc?

The seasons are not as distinct as they are in many parts of the country. There are a couple months of warm/cool/occasionally hot summer, and nine or ten months of overcast wet. The cost of housing is lower than in California, but higher than most of the country. Same with gas prices.

Eastern Washington is colder in the winter and hotter in the summer than Seattle. It's much drier and gets a lot more sun.

It sounds like you still have a lot of research to do. How about Colorado? Maybe Virginia?

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by ssirevaag

My husband and I are wanting to leave California, we were born and raised up here and we are just tired of everything in this state. We are looking for a place that does have the 4 seasons, has the mountains and snow and greenery. We want a place that has good schools for our kids and that isn't too expensive to live. Anyone have opinions on Seattle, Olympia or other places to consider? My husband is an electrician/journeyman and I work in the dental field. What are seasons like up there, price ranges of living, etc?

Just what are you sick of in CA? I'm a former Californian who lived in Seattle, and would love to get back to CA.

The weather is really changeable, there doesn't seem to be a typical seasonal pattern much anymore. It's been raining much of the spring and into summer. There's been a lot more rain in general the last roughly 10 years or so, maybe it's a rainy cycle that will end soon, we can always hope for that. Winters are relatively mild, meaning COLD compared to CA, but if it snows, it will usually only last a week. July and August are always in the 90's and mid-to-high 80's. Rents in Seattle are high, better if you live north of Seattle: approx. $600/month for a one-br apt., give or take, depending on what you're looking for.

I want to hear about what you're leaving behind in CA. What part of the state are you in, and what are the problems?