Snoqualmie Ridge vs Issaquah (Talus)? (Seattle, Bellevue: for sale, townhomes, neighborhoods)

[evergreentori]

OK, now I am sufficiently concerned about Snoqualmie schools after reading those articles. I cannot get the visual out of my head of the Mount Si kids having to eat lunch on the floor b/c of overcrowding. I wonder why the heck the community is not passing the levies - especially with all the young families moving to the area? Right now I live within Issaquah SD boundaries and I always just assume the levy will pass b/c it always does by a landslide.

[texastrigirl]

I think the "problem" is a bit of an us vs. them attitude. The folks in the Snoqualmie Valley and the rest of the folks in the very populous "On the Ridge" developments. Don't know what it will take to get consensus but it's been this way for a long time.

[seattlenextyear]

I wouldn't bet on the Talus property increasing much. It's been nothing but decreases there.

[mkarch]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

I wouldn't bet on the Talus property increasing much. It's been nothing but decreases there.

Urban growth boundary aside developers keep finding more land to put in subdivisions out there. It seems better managed than a lot of other areas though.

It's interesting how extreme the weather is. Definitely a different climate compared to the mild winter we get in the lowland coastal areas.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by texastrigirl

I think the "problem" is a bit of an us vs. them attitude. The folks in the Snoqualmie Valley and the rest of the folks in the very populous "On the Ridge" developments. Don't know what it will take to get consensus but it's been this way for a long time.

That's true. Back in 1992 I went to a school board meeting at the headquarters in Snoqualmie when shopping for houses. The entire meeting was spent with parents complaining about a guest speaker at the High School (Mt. Si) who happened to be gay, and how all of their kids were going to catch aids. Those people are not at all happy with the new developments with better educated, more liberal residents crowding their streets and shops, and still have the votes to defeat anything that might help the "intruders."

[evergreentori]

Can any of you point me in the right direction as far as real estate agents in the Issaquah area? Thanks!

[BellevueNative]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

That's true. Back in 1992 I went to a school board meeting at the headquarters in Snoqualmie when shopping for houses. The entire meeting was spent with parents complaining about a guest speaker at the High School (Mt. Si) who happened to be gay, and how all of their kids were going to catch aids. Those people are not at all happy with the new developments with better educated, more liberal residents crowding their streets and shops, and still have the votes to defeat anything that might help the "intruders."

Yep. The old town Snoqualmie residents detest what the developers (and the people that buy their houses) have done to the area. I can't say I really blame them. I have several friends that live out on The Ridge, and though it is a beautiful area, it breaks my heart to see how many trees have been clearcut to make room for development upon development. And the deer, bears, cougars, etc. have lost their habitat - yet the people who move in have the nerve to complain when bears go through their trash cans and deer eat their plants. The people that have been there for decades (or generations) live there for the quiet and natural beauty mostly, and little by little they are being stolen. The schools out there were tiny before the Ridge was developed, and now many of the people who live out in the old parts of town have kids who've grown and moved out...so they don't want to pay for the schools for the yuppies they think have ruined their town.

[Ira500]

Snoqualmie Ridge has had a much larger impact on Snoqualmie than Talus has had on Issaquah. 80% of Snoqualmie's residents live in Snoqualmie Ridge. Also, many of the homes there are Quadrant homes. They're a builder with a not very good reputation, with class action lawsuits filed against them over mold issues.
Talus didn't impress me when they were building it, but it's grown on me as their plantings have become a little bigger. I do like the fact that the trail on Cougar Mountain are directly accessed from Talus, and I think it's well located, just a couple of minutes from I-90, downtown Issaquah, Trader Joe's, PCC Food Co-op, Lowe's, etc. Lake Sammamish State park is also really close. I can't really predict how or if Talus will appreciate in prices. They had a surprising number of foreclsoures and short sales there over the last year or two, but not too many currently.

[mkarch]

Originally Posted by Ira500

Talus didn't impress me when they were building it, but it's grown on me as their plantings have become a little bigger. I do like the fact that the trail on Cougar Mountain are directly accessed from Talus, and I think it's well located, just a couple of minutes from I-90, downtown Issaquah, Trader Joe's, PCC Food Co-op, Lowe's, etc. Lake Sammamish State park is also really close. I can't really predict how or if Talus will appreciate in prices. They had a surprising number of foreclsoures and short sales there over the last year or two, but not too many currently.

I hadn't looked at Talus until now, and WOW, these places are pretty expensive. $525K for 1800 sq ft on a small lot? That's as much as new infill in north seattle.

2170 NW Stoney Creek Dr, Issaquah, WA 98027 | MLS# 362300 | Redfin

[pw72]

I'm glad many have mentioned the different climate in the Snoqualmie Ridge area. This is essntially the Cascade foothills, and during winter events, while Seattle and Bellevue will be rainy, this area is high enough in elevation to get snow. Just be prepared for a somewhat colder, snowier winter in this area. Likewise, sometimes during certains summer conditions, this area will be sunnier and warmer than the areas closer to the Sound as they are inland and not influenced as much by the cool water.