Washington State relocation questions (Olympia, Longview: for sale, co-op, houses)

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by 805gardengal

Thank you for the thoughts on this. Between the input here and a deeper dive into the housing costs right now it seems I need to go back to the drawing board. Coming from a life long residency on the central coast of California I'm accustomed to outrageous housing costs and skyrocketing values... however in comparison to our visit there four years ago and now it's on a different level. I never thought the salaries vs cost of living would be worse there than here! Thank you all for your input.

805gardengal, we moved up to WA from the central CA coast ~ 4.5 years ago. We were north in Monterey where prices went from high to crazy. 1$ million plus for run down, old beach junker that needed tons of work. Things have gotten worse in CA and around the country these past four years. Your $300k house you saw 4 years ago now sells for $500k+. Some areas have doubled.

Your best bet is to completely rethink your plan in light of current prices. I agree with Stealth that it is not the best time to buy with prices so out of synch with wages. The market is inflated. The options include:

1. Increase your housing budget while changing your plan for early retirement. This sounds less than ideal and may not be in the cards.
2. Look for something more affordable in CA outside the central coast. Go further north an east.
Some options: NorCal Homes
We seriously looked at the Sierra foothill towns outside Sacramento before moving to WA. Another spot which is nice is the California/Nevada boarder near Tahoe.
3. Consider other states which are more affordable. There's a lot out there if willing to venture beyond the west coast.
4. Stay put for now until the market changes. That could be a long wait since prices may never go back to 2019 levels.

All the best!

Derek

[Ultrarunner]

Buying is one thing but property tax is the gift that keeps giving.

Some would say I'm blessed the Assessor believes my value has nearly tripped in a little over 15 years but it's not sustainable for me... just thinking of it tripling again in the next 15 years gives me a headache.

My neighbors modest home was in contract in 1 day on market with the buyer being from Oregon...

A lot of people I meet in Washington have ties or come from outside Washington...

[805gardengal]

All good input here. I'm revisiting this scenario as I have an interview request. The telecommuting scenario for me may be only going into the office near Olympia one day per week; hence my considering more far-flung areas from the Olympia area. Driving two hours each way, for that one day per week that is not a big deal to me so long as there would be issues with getting through due to weather (so local familiarity with the roads/routes is welcome). That being said I would definitely need to be somewhere where I can get good internet service at home. In addition, my daughter has sensory issues and though most 18 year olds may not enjoy living in a quiet rural area for her it's probably more ideal than being in a city center in spite of her age.

[mayfair]

Originally Posted by 805gardengal

In addition, my daughter has sensory issues and though most 18 year olds may not enjoy living in a quiet rural area for her it's probably more ideal than being in a city center in spite of her age.

Rural areas can be louder than suburban ones in WA with gunshots, farm machinery, fireworks, military jets, barking dogs, ATVs, parties, loud lifted trucks etc. Sound carries in the damp air. A nice quiet suburban area might be better for sensory issues.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by mayfair

Rural areas can be louder than suburban ones in WA with gunshots, farm machinery, fireworks, military jets, barking dogs, ATVs, parties, loud lifted trucks etc. Sound carries in the damp air. A nice quiet suburban area might be better for sensory issues.

Gawd, who knew rural areas were such hellholes? LOL! And btw, the "nice" suburbs also have barking dogs, motorized lawn mowers, tree trimmers/chain saws, partying teenagers at night, motorcycle clubs, rock bands rehearsing in their parents' garage, etc.

Western Washington does have affordable places, but they're not anywhere within commuting distance of decent jobs.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by 805gardengal

All good input here. I'm revisiting this scenario as I have an interview request. The telecommuting scenario for me may be only going into the office near Olympia one day per week; hence my considering more far-flung areas from the Olympia area. Driving two hours each way, for that one day per week that is not a big deal to me so long as there would be issues with getting through due to weather (so local familiarity with the roads/routes is welcome). That being said I would definitely need to be somewhere where I can get good internet service at home. In addition, my daughter has sensory issues and though most 18 year olds may not enjoy living in a quiet rural area for her it's probably more ideal than being in a city center in spite of her age.

Look in Raymond, WA and nearby South Bend, on the Willapa River. Look for rentals (if any) as well as properties to buy. These are very small towns, so there may not be much on the market at the moment. You'll see some semi-derelict rural-ish houses, but you can score a good one in the nicer parts of town. It's a little over an hour to Olympia, I think. Longview could work, as well. Again: depends on the part of town.

I'm not sure your teen would like being in a small town, though. Raymond does have a film and concert venue, and a couple of museums. Their art gallery didn't survive Covid, unfortunately. There are restaurants, coffee shops. Ditto--South Bend.

[MechAndy]

Being able to drive a long way only one day a week really opens up your search areas.
I live right at 2 hours from Olympia near Sequim.
I guess I could drive 2 hours one day a week but I don’t think I would.

Windy roads are not good for cars.
They really wear out tires, brakes as well as other things faster than a flat straight hi way.
There is also the chance that you might need another job and that would suck.
Getting stuck behind tourists is a real thing up here and can be frustrating when they drive 10-15 below the limit and refuse to use the pull outs.
I would recommend dropping down that mileage limit by a good 25%.

I don’t think you will have any issue with idiots acting like idiots in the rural ish area’s more so than the not rural area’s .
Our area is not overly populated and we all seem to get along just fine.
This area isn’t like some of the other rural areas I’ve been to that have haters.
I think there can be Jack asses everywhere and they don’t necessarily group up here.

Good luck to you.

[StealthRabbit]

How about just finding a nice quiet place in nearby Boston Harbor / Woodard Bay Conservation area?

Doesn't get much traffic, <20 min to Olympia.

A few friends live up there (very non-affluent / they all work for Non-profits in Olympia)

We have our co-op meetings there.

Yelm / Eatonville direction hosts many more eco friends (who are not wealthy, but have sustainable lifestyles).

But... with 18YO, I would stay very near a Jr College (or college) (plenty to choose from)
https://www.google.com/maps/search/c...!5e2?entry=ttu

Hint:... Gas, commute, time is not going to get less expensive or demanding.
Save your burdens, life dishes out plenty.

The closer you stay to Olympia, the less chance of rural riff-raff. (and altercations).

I've had friends nearby have to move, because rural LT residents(neighbors) would torment and threaten the wife and kids while DH was off traveling for months on end. And I have VERY nice and helpful neighbors. Not always the case, maybe infrequently the case these days.

[JOinGA]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

Even Amazon is going to have trouble clawing back all of their "key" employees. They're partly doing it because they're sitting on "tons" of vacant office space, but may have to change their mind some due to having to compete with companies that realize the benefits of remote working (where the employee is willing to pay for their home office, gigabit internet, etc.).

My nephew took his IT job from Bellevue to Las Vegas, where he was able to buy a house, which he couldn't have done up here. His employer is perfectly fine with the arrangement.

One school of thought is that Amazon doesn't want them all back. That forcing RTO is just a way to encourage resignations without the costs involved in a true layoff. The corporate mentality is that there are very few people that aren't easily replaceable.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by 805gardengal

All good input here. I'm revisiting this scenario as I have an interview request. The telecommuting scenario for me may be only going into the office near Olympia one day per week; hence my considering more far-flung areas from the Olympia area. Driving two hours each way, for that one day per week that is not a big deal to me so long as there would be issues with getting through due to weather (so local familiarity with the roads/routes is welcome). That being said I would definitely need to be somewhere where I can get good internet service at home. In addition, my daughter has sensory issues and though most 18 year olds may not enjoy living in a quiet rural area for her it's probably more ideal than being in a city center in spite of her age.

It does extend the range. Note that "rural" generally means crappy Internet.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/8...55055318_zpid/ (Xfinity)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7...55051275_zpid/ (Xfinity)