Moving to Seattle area by the end of June- Need help (Bellevue: renters, house)

[synergx8]

Hello Everyone,
I will be moving to the Seattle area by the end of June and want to secure a property in the next 2 weeks. I have been looking in the Redmond area but want input given my situation below:
Looking for:
1) Rental house for no more than $3000, 2600+ sq ft (a/c preferred)
2) Prefer a higher end neighborhood if possible, even a master planned community
3) Near good elementary/jr high school
4) Reasonable drive to SEATAC (within 45min)
5) Will we working from home, so commute isn't an issue
6) Diverse city
7) Near shopping area's (grocery and mall)
Andy recommendations appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your help!

[CarlB328]

If you want diverse then Redmond isn't the right city, really no where on the Eastside is (or was when I was there) except for parts of Bellevue.

[synergx8]

Thanks Carl. When you say that Redmond isn't diverse, since i'm moving from Indiana it is relative . Given most of the criteria above, would you recommend Bellevue over Redmond?

[seattlenextyear]

Lolz, we're like the only white people in our Eastside neighborhood. Don't worry, the Eastside is plenty diverse. Redmond's a fine place to start, but also consider Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaqauh, etc. Bothell might be too far from the airport.

Most areas around here will fit your criteria. Find a rental house that suits you and chances are it'll be in a nice area. $3000 will get you something pretty awesome.

[Ira500]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

Lolz, we're like the only white people in our Eastside neighborhood. Don't worry, the Eastside is plenty diverse. Redmond's a fine place to start, but also consider Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaqauh, etc. Bothell might be too far from the airport.

Most areas around here will fit your criteria. Find a rental house that suits you and chances are it'll be in a nice area. $3000 will get you something pretty awesome.

I'll agree with all that. Right now the home price/rent ratio is off it's historical norm, so that a house that would sell for 700,000 dollars will rent for something like 2500-3000 dollars.

[synergx8]

That's great info regarding the rental market. However, I called about 6 rentals and they were already rented. One person said he had one for $3500 and another for $5000 and they both went in the last 4 weeks. He is unsure why the market just picked up. We are now considering to buy since the rental market may be a little tough. We looked in the Redmond area initially but are also considering Sammamish. Any advice between the two? We are looking for newer construction. Criteria above still apply. I'll start browsing through the Bellevue and Issaquah areas. Thanks again.

[Ira500]

Yeah, it is much easier finding a 350,000 dollar home for rent than a 700,000 dollar home for rent.
Sammamish has grown on me. I used to regard it as far from anywhere, remote, and soulless. I was wrong. It's grown a lot so there's now a fair amount of retail and restaurants, and has Pine Lake and Beaver Lake, both nice places. You can also get more house for your money in Sammamish than in Redmond, and maybe a little bit more newer construction.

[AhFacts]

Sammamish is definitely cookie cutter planned, master planned subdivisions populate this city. Yuck Bellevue is better,Kirkland I like personally,downtown is small but has atmosphere and the lake view there is incredible.
A real value rental is probably Newcastle,sister to Bellevue.
Another consideration if I had this choice would be the Island community of Vashon.Love this place,rural feel of what Sammamish used to be with out the cookie cutter feel. 20 minute ferry ride to south Seattle,Sea-Tac is few more minutes south
Talked with some of the locals recently,they like to know their neighbors.
many have been there 30yrs.Much of them self described hippies and artsy types I have heard. Nothing much master planned!Ha!
This info will probably send you runnin for Sammamish?

[JesseJB]

Originally Posted by synergx8

That's great info regarding the rental market. However, I called about 6 rentals and they were already rented. One person said he had one for $3500 and another for $5000 and they both went in the last 4 weeks. He is unsure why the market just picked up. We are now considering to buy since the rental market may be a little tough. We looked in the Redmond area initially but are also considering Sammamish. Any advice between the two? We are looking for newer construction. Criteria above still apply. I'll start browsing through the Bellevue and Issaquah areas. Thanks again.

All my friends are renters and half of them just up and moved to different 'hoods in the area within about a one month period. I think its just a spring thing.

[jenlion]

I agree $3k will get you something awesome, if you can find it.

Redmond to the airport is going to be rough. Look south. There are some nice neighborhoods off I-90, nearer Issaquah... Montreux maybe? Or something in Newcastle? Much closer to the airport than Redmond. (I'm in Redmond, I love it here, great for working from home, but I dread the day I need to start flying regularly again. Especially if I'm not HOV).

I'd vote against Sammamish. Even worse for getting to the airport, unless you're way on the southern end of it.