Areas/Cities with the least harsh winters? but great quality of life? (Seattle: real estate, 2010)

[Shock976]

I am looking into the WA area, and Spokane looks like a nice place to live but it seems that the winters can be quite harsh, are there any areas that might receive less snow and rain less than it does in Western WA? I live in CA now and we have very little rain and no snow where I live.

[ArcticPhoenix]

You could try the tri-cities area (Pasco, Kennewick and Richland). They are pretty dry, like where you live now, and they are about 8-10 degrees warmer, on average, year around than Spokane.

The winters here can be rather rough.

But, all in all, the winters in Central and Eastern Washington are pretty harsh WRT winter weather.

Either way though, Spokane doesn't receive much precipitation. We receive more than any other Eastern/Central WA town, but we still only average something around 17 or 18 inches/yr. And that's not very much.

[Shock976]

Originally Posted by ArcticPhoenix

You could try the tri-cities area (Pasco, Kennewick and Richland). They are pretty dry, like where you live now, and they are about 8-10 degrees warmer, on average, year around than Spokane.

The winters here can be rather rough.

But, all in all, the winters in Central and Eastern Washington are pretty harsh WRT winter weather.

Either way though, Spokane doesn't receive much precipitation. We receive more than any other Eastern/Central WA town, but we still only average something around 17 or 18 inches/yr. And that's not very much.

I am looking at it from a snow perspective. What can you tell me about the temprature, and seasons out there. I am planning on continuing in real estate when I get there, so I would like to know what I will be looking at during the winter since if it will stop my business I need to take that into consideration.

Also I have not lived in an area where it snows, so it is all new to me. Also, is a 4-wheel drive vehicle necessary. Please include anyother important information you feel is necessary.

[StealthRabbit]

This is not the arctic circle, nothing closes in WA due to winter snows, excluding a few tourist related visitor centers high in the mtns. In fact that is the case in the whole lower 48 (including MN, WI, NH, ME where they know about winter). No 4x4 required in WA, tho handy if you live at high elevation and in a snow zone (Leavenworth, Concrete, Republic, elevations above Ione...). Of course this has been a rare yr, and Spokane got hammered, but generally 4x4 is handy about 2 weeks a yr, but not required. If you are doing real estate and have to take folks into the boonies you might want to figure out how to rent / borrow one, as it doesn't make sense for 95% of the time. (More maint, lower economy, higher expense).

If you are into real estate and mild winters you should consider Sequim and the rain shadow surrounding. The rainshadow effect in Sequim Washington, What Is The Olympic Rain Shadow? | KOMO News - Seattle, Washington | F.A.Q., http://www.ocs.orst.edu/pub/maps/Pre...ates/WA/wa.gif

I think there will be some interesting real estate challenges in WA State, thus it would be good to position yourself to capitalize on a potential 'shift of strategy'. (desirable places may be shifting due to tax burdens). We don't have a prop 13... I pay $33/day property tax ($12000+/yr) for a joint I built for $100k 13 yrs ago (taxes WERE $800 then). I am not alone, now many of us are aging and no longer working, thus WA loses its luster of "income tax shelter" when you have not income... Our (WA) weasel Gov has followed the 'left coast death march to economic suicide ' $8.4B deficit, so hang on, and plan your move wisely.

Come see what you like, as if you stay urban, you will not need a 4x4, if you want to represent rural props then possibly you may need one. As mentioned there is a potential 'shift' in property 'hot-spots', and some WA regions will likely be decimated, but others will bloom. Think about how things might look in a 'new economy'. Do your homework.

BTW, most of WA gets very little snow, but it is generally pretty grey, east and west, just drizzly in west.

[West coast at heart]

Originally Posted by janb

I think there will be some interesting real estate challenges in WA State, thus it would be good to position yourself to capitalize on a potential 'shift of strategy'. (desirable places may be shifting due to tax burdens). We don't have a prop 13... I pay $33/day property tax ($12000+/yr) for a joint I built for $100k 13 yrs ago (taxes WERE $800 then). I am not alone, now many of us are aging and no longer working, thus WA loses its luster of "income tax shelter" when you have not income... Our (WA) weasel Gov has followed the 'left coast death march to economic suicide ' $8.4B deficit, so hang on, and plan your move wisely.

As mentioned there is a potential 'shift' in property 'hot-spots', and some WA regions will likely be decimated, but others will bloom. Think about how things might look in a 'new economy'. Do your homework.

Hi janb. Sorry to jump in the conversation. Your post has piqued my interest. My wife and I are planning on moving out to either Western WA or OR.

I believe I understand what you mean about the property tax situation. I remember a simialr post about the surprising large increase in property taxes. I don't recall if it was your post or not. That sounds crazy and unjust.

I am curious what you mean by :"left coast death march to economic suicide ' $8.4B deficit, so hang on". I am still wet behind the ears and do not know what that means for WA residents.

Also, do you have any insight on: "potential 'shift' in property 'hot-spots', and some WA regions will likely be decimated, but others will bloom" ?
Like I said, I am intending on moving out there (summer of 2010). I guess by then the answer may be the writing on the wall instead of whispers in the wind. I was hoping you might be able to offer some insight. Thanks for your posts. I find them very informative.

Peace and respect,

wc@h

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by Shock976

I am looking at it from a snow perspective. What can you tell me about the temprature, and seasons out there. I am planning on continuing in real estate when I get there, so I would like to know what I will be looking at during the winter since if it will stop my business I need to take that into consideration.

Also I have not lived in an area where it snows, so it is all new to me. Also, is a 4-wheel drive vehicle necessary. Please include anyother important information you feel is necessary.

In Tri-Cities, today is a Typical Winter Morning. That means, at 7 AM as I have my coffee:

--It is below freezing, though it will thaw later today.
--There is no snow and hasn't been much for a month.
--There is frost on stuff, and probably in a few places the roads are slick--nothing major.
--The sun's shining, as it will for most of the day.

A 4WD vehicle is not going to help you in most of our winter conditions, but studded tires will. Many people here have them, and switch them out (I think you have to have them off by March 31 and can't put them on until November, but they get slightly less gas mileage and don't last as long, plus the ride is noisier, so there's no incentive to use them except when you might encounter slick conditions).

Perhaps once or twice most winters we get a little snow. Every few years we get snow that sticks for awhile with a real cold snap. You should be more worried about freezing rain and freezes after heavy rains, because it is a lot safer to drive on snow than ice.

[Ira500]

WC@H,
I can't answer for janb, but property taxes around here have gone up a lot. They are still far lower than New Jersey's, but mine have gone from 1100 dollars per year to 3100 dollars per year over a ten year period. Partially, what happened to some people was they were living in rural areas that became discovered, and folks started building either McMansions or many houses on what used to be farms.
At the same time, some people who bought 5-10 acres early on and were hoping to sell part of their property off to pay their increased property tax were stymied by the King County Growth Management Act, which restricted the use of their property. I completely agree that something needed to be done to stop the spread of this unbridled, ugly growth, but it was done with very little input from the rural landowners.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by West coast at heart

property tax situation. ... simialr post about the surprising large increase in property taxes. .. sounds crazy and unjust.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/washi...oosing-my.html
Just a reality of WA taxation... it has to come from somewhere. I had a long discussion with a county assessor last night, trouble brewing as there are many homeowners falling into tax delinquency on their homes... 3 yrs of no pay and it goes on the auction block. I'm in 'national scenic area', which means very restrictive development, but nice views... speculators drive our property values to the moon, but in current market the price are 1/2d, but taxes will not be. They will increase the levy rate to assure the budget GROWS by 1% annual restriction per county (BUDGET, not TAX).

"left coast death march to economic suicide ' $8.4B deficit, so hang on".

Just the socialist nature of how the 3 governors and legislature are running the states, OR is worse in that regard, but all 3 states are h_ll bent on being the 'leaders' in jamming socialism down our throats. The 3 Govs gain much strength from 'enabling' each other . WA and CA at least have some legitimate businesses (and diverse economy) that can bring an ounce of 'reality' to gov.

"potential 'shift' in property 'hot-spots', and some WA regions will likely be decimated, but others will bloom" ?
...the answer may be the writing on the wall instead of whispers in the wind.

Answer is more in the wind at the moment, too much economic shake-out to see a clear path. I suspect the large suburban McMansion sprawl AND the high end condo will not be a good market going forward (Less 'wealth' in home ownership). I Speculate that smaller footprint (low tax), lower utility need, close to what few jobs will be available, in walkable neighborhoods will be desirable.

I Speculate / expect
Higher taxes
less well paying jobs
more unemployment
higher energy costs (Much higher than now)
more emphasis on 're-localization' / community / family (this is questionable with new communication technologies that encourage a 'different' socialization, but 'warm bodies' and physical communication may come back in style as a 'social' human nature re-adjusts.)

I would add Walla Walla to OP 'quality of life' community.

[j_k_k]

Yeah, it's all the fault of socialism. I am so utterly sick and tired of every governmental blunder called socialism, as though it were a swear word. Socialism socialism socialism! It's like 'Marcia marcia marcia.' These days it's like saying 'communist' was in the 1950s or like 'liberal' has been for the last eight years: a word most people using it have no idea what it actually means, automatically associated with the most negative connotations and become a propaganda club to beat one's political opposition over the head.

For the record: Americans wouldn't know socialism if it tattooed a big red star on their behinds. Only when unbridled capitalism comes perilously close to flushing the whole nation down the economic toilet do Americans send the government to clean up the stuff that missed the toilet, because if it were left up to the capitalists it would never get cleaned up. But when government gets out the pooper scooper, Americans then Agonize That We Are Descending Straight Into Socialism. And they do this even as, all the while, capitalism continues to work just fine in most aspects of life and continues to show that it generates more wealth and better conditions than socialism, enough that there is no way in the world Americans would dream of embracing actual socialism, even if four or five of them were to read up on it and actually learn what the heck it means. Which in turn is not going to happen any time soon because it's so much easier and more fun to just throw the word around as a profanity.

Americans won't even join a labor union to benefit their own wages and working conditions, because to stick up for themselves as a group would be socialism, and as we all know, all you have to do is call something 'socialist' and people will rank it somewhere between kiddy porn and genocide on the ick factor scale.

[Ira500]

...and lately, it's been corporate socialism, where corporate losses get shared by the taxpayers, and the big bailouts are used to pay bonuses and buy other companies. Proposals are made to bail out the ordinary citizens and that's called "socialist".