Is 75K enough to live reasonably in Silverdale-Poulsbo-Kingston areas? (Seattle: real estate, to rent)

[Alt F4]

Moreover, is it worth it?

Do the mountains, scenery, and other potential outdoor activities make up for the high COLA and overcast weather?

If you had the opportunity to make just as much and live elsewhere in the country like St Louis or Louisville for instance, would you still choose to live in the Seattle area?

Has anyone moved to the Seattle area from the Midwest or Kansas, Illinois, Missouri in particular and regret the move?

What about elsewhere?

Are you looking to move out?

[NewbiePoster]

Who told you the cost of living on the Peninsula is high? Compared to Seattle, it's reasonable. 75K is plenty. This isn't the Bay Area.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Alt F4

Moreover, is it worth it?

Do the mountains, scenery, and other potential outdoor activities make up for the high COLA and overcast weather?

If you had the opportunity to make just as much and live elsewhere in the country like St Louis or Louisville for instance, would you still choose to live in the Seattle area?

Has anyone moved to the Seattle area from the Midwest or Kansas, Illinois, Missouri in particular and regret the move?

What about elsewhere?

Are you looking to move out?

I had a friend at the UW who was from Missouri. He loved Seattle. He stayed for several years after graduation, eventually moving back I guess because he wanted to be around family. But he still came out to Seattle to visit every couple of years.

[Alt F4]

Originally Posted by NewbiePoster

Who told you the cost of living on the Peninsula is high? Compared to Seattle, it's reasonable. 75K is plenty. This isn't the Bay Area.

Really?

Honestly, I was surprised after seeing a very nice looking house listed for $250k, (admittedly, still too high for me), but I figured it was some kind of anomaly.

Certainly, there must have been something wrong with the house that I didn't notice.

With that said, is there downward pressure on prices of the Peninsula? Is the new minimum wage law starting a trend of people leaving the area?

I see a lot of people complaining on this forum, so I assume if this is a sample of the general public, this is perhaps, the norm?

If the Peninsula is reasonable, what if any, are the downsides to living on the Peninsula?

[NewbiePoster]

Depending on where, on the Peninsula, the downside may be that there aren't a lot of jobs. Some of the communities are predominantly retirement communities, so the people there don't care if there aren't any jobs. (Port Townsend, Sequim, for example). In other areas, the main employer is military, and/or the few colleges scattered around. I get the impression that the bulk of the job openings are in retail and health care.

[Alt F4]

Originally Posted by NewbiePoster

Depending on where, on the Peninsula, the downside may be that there aren't a lot of jobs. Some of the communities are predominantly retirement communities, so the people there don't care if there aren't any jobs. (Port Townsend, Sequim, for example). In other areas, the main employer is military, and/or the few colleges scattered around. I get the impression that the bulk of the job openings are in retail and health care.

Do you get the impression at all that the military is downsizing in that area? Has there been any talk locally of that?

[NewbiePoster]

Originally Posted by Alt F4

Do you get the impression at all that the military is downsizing in that area? Has there been any talk locally of that?

No. On the contrary, it seems like some activity is increasing. Which the local residents don't see as a good thing. Some controversies are coming up.

What's your line of work? Why are you so worried about being able to live there on a good salary?

[Ruth4Truth]

OP, were you planning to rent, or buy? You can rent a 3-br. house for around $1,250/month, give or take, depending on the area. People are living on the Peninsula on much less than $75K. I guess if you want to buy, it's different. But you can look at real estate listings online in the different towns to get an idea of pricing.

[Alt F4]

Originally Posted by NewbiePoster

No. On the contrary, it seems like some activity is increasing. Which the local residents don't see as a good thing. Some controversies are coming up.

What's your line of work? Why are you so worried about being able to live there on a good salary?

I was considering taking a job as a contractor. I would say I'm worried about living anywhere on a decent salary, but the Seattle area in particular because a lot of the policies might significantly impact businesses. For instance, Boeing is having trouble, in part because of the high cost of living, so doing things like increasing the minimum wage might make it more difficult for them to compete globally. You take money out of one sector of the economy and it can have an affect on others, since it is interdependent.

[Alt F4]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

OP, were you planning to rent, or buy? You can rent a 3-br. house for around $1,250/month, give or take, depending on the area. People are living on the Peninsula on much less than $75K. I guess if you want to buy, it's different. But you can look at real estate listings online in the different towns to get an idea of pricing.

I would initially rent, but if I see some promise, I would definitely consider purchasing.