leavenworth (Seattle, Spokane, Wenatchee: condos, buying a house, buying)

[calicocutie]

What can anyone tell me about Leavenworth? Is it expensive to live there, what do homes sell for , does it get a lot of snow, and finally are the people friendly? One more thing, is there a hospital nearby-one with a VA facility? Thanks

[scirocco22]

I'll defer to others who might live there to answer most of your questions but I do know that the major VA hospitals will either be in Seattle or Spokane. So, no, not close by.

[NCWmark]

Leavenworth is a very nice place, but from what I understand it is getting more and more expensive to live there. There should be affordable land/housing within 5-8 miles though, unless you only want to live in Leavenworth proper.

Leavenworth's one and only industry (pretty much) is tourism, so the locals are very very friendly.

As far as snow, it depends on what you mean by a lot. You probably won't see four foot drifts regularly, but more than a foot of snow is quite common.

As far as the VA Hospital question, yes the main VA hospitals are in Seattle and Spokane I believe. They are, however, building a brand new VA Outpatient Clinic in Wenatchee which is about 20 minutes east of Leavenworth.

Here are some pictures of Leavenworth, but I don't have any showing the snow.

Hope that helps

[scirocco22]

The City-Data page for Leavenworth has a few snow pics:

http://www.city-data.com/city/Leaven...ashington.html

[calicocutie]

Thanks for your input. Loved the pictures!!

[UmbrellasYearRound]

I've done the tourist thing in Leavenworth a number of times. It's a cute town. I think the closest larger hospitals might be in Wenatchee (??) but I don't think Wenatchee has a VA Hospital.

As for snow, I assume that Leavenworth gets more than Seattle!

[Geordie Romer]

Yes, there is a VA facility in Wenatchee now. Leavenworth has a small hospital in town with some upgrades coming soon.

The cost of living in Leavenworth is pretty cheap, it's buying a house that can be expensive. The average home price is now in the low $400,000s. However, you can find some starter homes or 2 bedroom condos for $300,000. Going East to Dryden, Peshastin or Cashmere will significantly lower these prices, but selection is limited. Most of the buyers are buying vacation homes, so there often are some relatively good deals right in town. Buying just outside of town is often more expensive than in town itself.

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[ochoco]

I've lived in L'worth on and off for 20 years. It averages 90 inches of snow per year, but I've seen winters with double that amount and winters with almost no snow at all, but it's usually rather snowy there. First significant snowfall begins in November (I remember one Turkey Day where we had 5 feet of snow on level ground!) and usually doesn't melt until mid-March. So be prepared for several months of the white stuff.
As you know L'worth is probably Washington's most popular tourist community. It has more festivals than anywhere. Any excuse for a festival, they'll have one. On their busiest festivals expect tens of thousands of tourists on any given day. As far as the people are concerned, it's a German town, and many Germans are not the friendliest folks. However, I think you'll find most of the citizens and employees to be more friendly than not. It's set in a beautiful location, with mountains rising several thousand feet to the west of town. It truly looks as though you are in Europe. It is a lovely town. If it's what you're looking for, you will probably be happy there. And remember, other than the tourist shops, there's not much shopping, so you'll find yourself in Wenatchee, 20 miles east, for everyday things.