Moving from Austin to Seattle Area (suggestions, schools, etc) (Bellevue: for sale, selling a house)

[crust-n-patti]

So we might be pulling the trigger and taking an opportunity to work at a large software company, you've probably heard of. I've seen lots of Austin->Seattle moves, comparisons but I am hoping the friendly folks can help us a bit. Both of us are basically native Texans and have lived in Austin 20 years and Houston another 20 before that (which amounts to 99% of our lives).

We've have 2 kids, one in 1st grade and the other in preschool so we kind of need to be in an area where the schools are well regarded. For those familiar with Austin, we live in the great hills area which is roughly 9 miles from downtown and 6 to UT Austin so easy to get to for going out, etc in addition to being close to shopping, grocery .... I don't think we are ready to give those fun things yet.

We would likely to have to purchase a home within 10 months to take advantage of the federal tax benefits of moving for work. I've been there 2x now and did a formal tour and self-guided tour. While we like the area of N. Queen Anne and Sunset Hill, we found that the schools were hit or miss and the commute might not be great. We've also looked at places in Bellevue, Mercer Island, around Lake Sammamish (sp?), and on the SW shore of Lake Washington. I liked the island's accessibility (the home is on the northern side) to the freeway but many that I saw were project homes -- I've done 2 of those already and I don't know if I have the energy to do it again. With the other areas, we just want to be close to public transport -- late night if possible (bus, etc) and be able to go out for beers and whatever at places that 1) aren't chains and 2) don't suck. Extra points if there is a dive bar in the area.

We generally only go out on the weekends and maybe downtown Seattle is "visitable" in those cases though I did notice parking was a challenge on one Sunday in August. However if we can take reasonable busses or cabs to go out, that is fine as well.

Now to the gist of my question ... we like the outdoors and the water in Austin so we kind of want to be where we can take the paddleboards out, go run and not have it be a 45 minute project to get to the accessible water. So schools, lack of sketchiness, something to do in the evenings, close shopping, and reasonable public transport are some of our current "short list" items. Are there any more we should consider? What areas or neighborhoods should we consider?

I think the other Austin/Seattle threads answered all the "the weather is different, etc". I'll miss SXSW shows -- perhaps I can swing that somehow anyway.

[BellevueNative]

You didn't mention your budget, but I think Redmond, Kirkland, east Bellevue or Issaquah would be options for you. Good schools, between two lakes (Washington and Sammamish), cute downtown areas with local (non chain) restaurants and bars (even some dive bars).

[Hemlock140]

The best schools are in the most expensive areas, and being close to water adds to the price. As you learned, Mercer Island which has the best schools is expensive, but at least a fixer there is a good investment. Besides the schools the commute to Seattle, Bellevue or Redmond is short. No dive bars there, the closest is probably the Roanke Inn, but Bellevue and Issaquah have them.

[crust-n-patti]

Sorry, I would like to stay under 750K for a budget. I can go higher but would prefer not to.

[jjinla]

What tax benefits are there for moving and buying/selling a house?

[Andy]

I'd focus my search east of Lake Washington from Bellevue north to Bothell and from Mercer Island east to Issaquah.

Lake Sammamish has large parks on either end and Lake Washington is dotted with waterfront parks. The Issaquah area is adjacent to a hilly forest preserve where people hike, mountain bike, and hang glide. Snoqualmie Pass is less than an hour east from the eastside in case you want to pick up a winter sport during the rainy season.

[Ira500]

It sounds from your description that you'd prefer a home that's newer. And given that the large software company you're referring to is in Redmond, I'd probably look in Kirkland first, somewhere around Rose Hill. It's not all that far from DT Kirkland, which is great for dining and drinking options, and for whatever reason, the Rose Hill area just seems to have more homes for sale.

[texastrigirl]

We moved to Sammamish from Austin (Circle C Ranch area) in 2007. We live near Pine Lake in Sammamish and love it! Please feel free to DM me with any specific questions. Sammamish fits a lot of your criteria and is similar to the Great Hills area in feel though we are a bit lacking on restaurants in Sammamish proper. Redmond has plenty of restaurants though as does Issaquah. You are getting good advice from the previous posters so I am not sure what else I can add. We personally moved to Sammamish for the natural beauty, the schools and access to water, hiking and skiing. Seattle's waterfront is only 18 miles from my house and it's quick to get downtown in no traffic. We also go to Bellevue and Kirkland for eating out.

[crust-n-patti]

Originally Posted by jjinla

What tax benefits are there for moving and buying/selling a house?

Generally moving expenses are fully deductible (and all the costs that go along with it) if you are moving for a job. The IRS considers expenses incurred within a year. However, I am not an accountant so in this case its good to adhere to my general policy of trust-but-verify.

[crust-n-patti]

Thanks everyone, you've really helped us out quite a bit and gave us plenty of valuable insight. (And yes, its the shop in Redmond). During a recent trip I did go across the entire area scouting both neighborhoods and bars ... So I offer up my recap:

In DT I visited a bar called the NocNoc. It is similar to some of the places we might go to in Austin. Its not a dive by any means. Further along I made it to "The Matador" ... not sure why its "the" vs "el" but in any case the place was nice though I enjoyed the NocNoc more. The last place I went to qualified as a dive bar. It was called "Palmer's Sports?" I think. Bad karaoke? Check. Greasy food? Check. Everyone referred to by first name? Check. Bartender leaves note on the bar saying he'll brb, out for a smoke? Check.

Again, Thanks everyone ... if we come up with more questions, we'll post in this thread.