Moving to Washington, but where? Help!? :) (Spokane, Vancouver: apartment, attorneys, home)

[Norra Stjarna]

Hey, everyone! I have a family of four, and we're moving to Washington by the end of February, if we find jobs. We're both under 30 and have two children.

What we're looking for, is a place on the west side of the state, in or close to a decent size city. When I say decent, I mean.... 150k or under, I suppose? I'm looking for an area that has a lot of jobs (regardless of the economic crisis) for my husband and I. He is currently working in the IT industry, but has a wide range of experience in other fields, and I'm just willing to take whatever comes along. We're looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom home, apartment, etc... under $700/month.

Any help or advice you guys can give me, would be greatly appreciated. <3

[j_k_k]

I don't know of a place where you can meet your apartment price plus the city size criterion plus the economic criteria. I think something will have to give.

[Norra Stjarna]

Originally Posted by j_k_k

I don't know of a place where you can meet your apartment price plus the city size criterion plus the economic criteria. I think something will have to give.

Vancouver meets apartment price, city size, and has a lot of jobs, from what I've seen on Craigslist. I'm not quite sure about it's economy.

I noticed Spokane has a lot of jobs, but my husband says it's trashy there and he's afraid people will hate on us because he's Asian, and I'm while.

[Dendrite]

Originally Posted by Norra Stjarna

Hey, everyone! I have a family of four, and we're moving to Washington by the end of February, if we find jobs.

It sounds like you have your priorities straight. Find a job first in a particular location, then look for housing in that given city.

Originally Posted by Norra Stjarna

Vancouver meets apartment price, city size, and has a lot of jobs, from what I've seen on Craigslist. I'm not quite sure about it's economy.

Many city economies nationwide are suffering right now (this also includes multiple towns in Washington as well as Oregon and California and...) and Vancouver is experiencing this to a degree as you might expect. IT jobs are a little rocky in WA right now. HP and perhaps now Microsoft are downsizing. So I think it will depend a little upon your occupation as well. For example, I understand that bankruptcy attorneys are having no trouble at all finding work at this time... Flip side of the coin, it might be tough to find a minimum wage type of position in a lot of places if that's what you're after???

Originally Posted by Norra Stjarna

I noticed Spokane has a lot of jobs, but my husband says it's trashy there and he's afraid people will hate on us because he's Asian, and I'm while.

Spokane trashy? Ummm, has your husband been there lately? I think it's a very nice mid-sized eastern Washington city with a lot going for it. Sure, there are "bad" parts to the downtown just like most other cities of this size. OTOH, there are many more very "good" parts of Spokane. Keep in mind the climate difference between western and eastern WA. Spokane is NE Washington so you will have 4 seasons (snow!).

Again, if you've visited Spokane, IMO you would not be "hated" for being Asian. A quick Google showed currently about 8% of Spokane's population to be Asian American. I find that most of WA state is generally accepting of race, creed, political bent etc.

[Norra Stjarna]

Originally Posted by Dendrite

It sounds like you have your priorities straight. Find a job first in a particular location, then look for housing in that given city.



Many city economies nationwide are suffering right now (this also includes multiple towns in Washington as well as Oregon and California and...) and Vancouver is experiencing this to a degree as you might expect. IT jobs are a little rocky in WA right now. HP and perhaps now Microsoft are downsizing. So I think it will depend a little upon your occupation as well. For example, I understand that bankruptcy attorneys are having no trouble at all finding work at this time... Flip side of the coin, it might be tough to find a minimum wage type of position in a lot of places if that's what you're after???



Spokane trashy? Ummm, has your husband been there lately? I think it's a very nice mid-sized eastern Washington city with a lot going for it. Sure, there are "bad" parts to the downtown just like most other cities of this size. OTOH, there are many more very "good" parts of Spokane. Keep in mind the climate difference between western and eastern WA. Spokane is NE Washington so you will have 4 seasons (snow!).

Again, if you've visited Spokane, IMO you would not be "hated" for being Asian. A quick Google showed currently about 8% of Spokane's population to be Asian American. I find that most of WA state is generally accepting of race, creed, political bent etc.

Well, we have two kids, so we've got to be responsible about it.

Yea, I figure as much. He has experience elsewhere, so if the IT area is saturated, he has other means. I myself, have pretty much been a housewife and been at home raising my kids, and going to school. Being that this is my first time moving out of reach of my family, I figured I should get a job and put it in savings. I'm really up to take just about any job within reason, as long as I can stay at home with my kids during the day, and work on the evenings and weekends. I'll fit school in between, somehow.

My husband is from Los Angeles. He had culture shock when he moved to my little town of 40,000 people at first. He is just worried about our family becauase we're mixed, and he heard from friends in the Spokane area, that they can be kinda white trash and racist sometimes. I keep trying to talk him in to it, but eh.. he's kinda firm on not moving there.

I've had my heart set on Washington since the first time I went there around 11 years old. I love the coast, so I'm hoping to find a job around the the west end of WA.


Anyone have any ideas?