Can We Make it in Seattle? (Bellevue, Federal Way: sales, buying a house, job market)

[waitnolonger]

For starters, my family consists of me, my husband, our two-year old, two dogs and a cat. We have been planning a move for some time now. Up until recently, we were focused on Portland, a big reason being their relatively low cost of living. But after some consideration, Seattle seems like a much better fit for us, both for the better job market and the overall "feel" of the city vs. Portland.

That being said, the high cost of living, especially housing, in Seattle, scares the you-know-what out of me. We are coming from the midwest, where the cost of living is very low. Obviously, we are prepared for that to change drastically no matter where we go. But Seattle's living costs seem so extreme, it's hard for me to imagine that we will be able to make it there at all.

We are putting our house on the market in the next month or two, and the proceeds from that sale will be the bulk of our savings. It should be relatively substantial, but will it be enough? My husband is in IT, but a somewhat lower level specialty (networking), although he's very good at it. I'm a legal assistant right now, and I hope to be able to find similar work there, although any high-level clerical/administrative work would be okay with me (I'm also pretty good at my job ).

We will look for jobs before coming there, but realistically, until we are in-state, I'm not sure we have much of a shot at actually getting anything. Even then, I'm worried that competition there is so high, we may have an extended period of unemployment. In Portland, the costs were low enough that it seemed doable to be without work for awhile, but I'm not so sure about Seattle.

So I guess my question is, can we actually make it there? I know the risks of moving without a job, so no need to repeat them to me. I just want some honest opinions about the job market, cost of living, and how to get by in a situation like mine. Thanks!!!

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by waitnolonger

For starters, my family consists of me, my husband, our two-year old, two dogs and a cat. We have been planning a move for some time now. Up until recently, we were focused on Portland, a big reason being their relatively low cost of living. But after some consideration, Seattle seems like a much better fit for us, both for the better job market and the overall "feel" of the city vs. Portland.

That being said, the high cost of living, especially housing, in Seattle, scares the you-know-what out of me. We are coming from the midwest, where the cost of living is very low. Obviously, we are prepared for that to change drastically no matter where we go. But Seattle's living costs seem so extreme, it's hard for me to imagine that we will be able to make it there at all.

We are putting our house on the market in the next month or two, and the proceeds from that sale will be the bulk of our savings. It should be relatively substantial, but will it be enough? My husband is in IT, but a somewhat lower level specialty (networking), although he's very good at it. I'm a legal assistant right now, and I hope to be able to find similar work there, although any high-level clerical/administrative work would be okay with me (I'm also pretty good at my job ).

We will look for jobs before coming there, but realistically, until we are in-state, I'm not sure we have much of a shot at actually getting anything. Even then, I'm worried that competition there is so high, we may have an extended period of unemployment. In Portland, the costs were low enough that it seemed doable to be without work for awhile, but I'm not so sure about Seattle.

So I guess my question is, can we actually make it there? I know the risks of moving without a job, so no need to repeat them to me. I just want some honest opinions about the job market, cost of living, and how to get by in a situation like mine. Thanks!!!

I'm curious why you consider networking a "lower level specialty". I'm in networking myself, and I make more than just about anybody in IT. A good network engineer crosses well into the 6 figure threshold. To answer your question on the job market as it pertains to IT, it's pretty strong up here so long as you have the skillset and the certifications to back them up. You, on the other hand, will be facing an uphill battle with your industry.

The higher cost of living is something of a myth when you compare Portland to Seattle. Yes, you'll pay more for housing up here (significantly more). But Washington doesn't steal 9% out of every one of your paychecks for the privilege of working. I've lived in both cities, and my total COL has actually gone down since I moved up here.

But seriously, what do you consider an "upper level specialty"?

[godhead]

Originally Posted by waitnolonger

I'm a legal assistant right now, and I hope to be able to find similar work there, although any high-level clerical/administrative work would be okay with me (I'm also pretty good at my job ).

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[waitnolonger]

Originally Posted by Xanathos

But seriously, what do you consider an "upper level specialty"?

I guess I see mostly software/programming jobs as being more in demand. Also, my husband is in the early stages of his career, so I doubt he will be getting hired as a senior network engineer right off the bat. He has a degree and several certifications (his focus is Cisco, FWIW). I didn't really mean low level so much as low demand I suppose.

[Hemlock140]

While our cost of living, especially housing is higher, so are salaries. Also, we have no state income tax. The biggest thing here is that the best schools are in the most expensive areas, but you have at least 3 years until you need to worry about that, plenty of time to get established.

My employer currently has an opening that may be of interest, #5371:

https://hosting.portseattle.org/psc/...RAM.HRS_CE.GBL

[Xanathos]

Originally Posted by waitnolonger

I guess I see mostly software/programming jobs as being more in demand. Also, my husband is in the early stages of his career, so I doubt he will be getting hired as a senior network engineer right off the bat. He has a degree and several certifications (his focus is Cisco, FWIW). I didn't really mean low level so much as low demand I suppose.

Well, trust me on this - it's a lot easier to make it as a network guy than it is a programmer, especially once you pick a specialty be it wireless, security, R&S, VoIP, or design. And once you achieve your higher level certifications, a lot more profitable, all without having to put in the 90 hour work weeks the programmers have to give up.

Now that being said, I'll have to retract what I said about the job market being easy here, just because I don't know what the market is for junior level admins. Your original post stated he was "very good" at what he does, which implied to me some seniority. You'll have to do some digging to see what the market would be like for him.

[sammerd]

So, why would you be leaving the midwest...with your jobs and your home? Just wondering about that. You can raise a family in midwest very well and seems like you are both doing well. Do you not like the lifestyle or maybe the weather? I moved from midwest recently, but I didn't have a whole lot nor am I in a relationship. Good luck either way, Seattle is a great place.

[djdawg321]

wait...I think you'll be fine. I'm not sure what you're looking at that says that Seattle is going to be more expensive than Portland....I'm not saying that your info isn't accurate. Someone already said it - no state income tax here but we do have sales tax. Buying a house right now is better than at others times because of the housing situation and you can really get some good deals depending on where you want to live. The eastside (Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Woodinville) will be pricier but many think the better schools are over there. (not sure, my kids have graduated) From what I heard you can get a lot for your $ south like in Federal Way, Kent, Auburn...just depends on where everyone is working and where you want to live! Someone also correctly said that salaries are higher here so that can make up for what some see as a higher cost of living.

[Ira500]

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't make it here. You don't have to live in the hippest, trendiest areas or the very best school district. If you do, you may find housing to be very pricey, but if you're willing to live someplace a little less hip and sought after or a school district that's merely good, you'll be just fine.

[rabagley]

Originally Posted by Xanathos

Well, trust me on this - it's a lot easier to make it as a network guy than it is a programmer, especially once you pick a specialty be it wireless, security, R&S, VoIP, or design. And once you achieve your higher level certifications, a lot more profitable, all without having to put in the 90 hour work weeks the programmers have to give up.

Hate to burst another bubble, but nobody in software works 90 hour weeks for more than a couple of weeks at a time without burning out. Heck, working >50 hours/week for more than a couple of months and you're writing crap programs, adding more bugs, forgetting details in your designs... Even startup founders pause to sleep, and the number of bugs that fatigue adds to their code can be acceptable in prototypes and early releases.

For all that your criticism of programmer job conditions is off-base, your assertion that network engineers are valuable and paid well for their expertise is quite accurate. If the OP's husband (and the OP) pursue continual skill development and growth, (Vivek Haldar : tldr summary: The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance), expertise in one aspect of computer system development can become the foundation for a larger skill set with commensurately larger pay.

I work for Google and know a little of what I write. If the OP's husband thinks he can deal with the PITA that is the Google interview process, I can get him a phone screen for the kind of job that will take him beyond his current expertise as a network engineer. Google has offices in Seattle (Fremont) and in Kirkland and needs skilled SRE's in both offices. PM me if interested.

In fact, anyone who thinks they've got what it takes to get through the Google interview process OR EVEN IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS THAT GOOD, send me a PM. Outside referrers get $2k if you refer a successful hire.