Moving to Seattle in June (Bellevue, Redmond: best city, rental homes, new home)

[Momofmad]

My husbands job is moving us from Dallas to the Seattle area as soon as my daughter is out of school in June. I have been doing lot's of online research, but it is quite overwhelming! He will be working in Bellevue so we are looking into living in Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond and possibly Issaquah. We are hoping to purchase at least a 3 bedroom, 2 bath around 2,000 square feet or a little more if possible. We are hoping not to spend more than $625,000. Is this even possible? Are there other areas we should be looking at as well? Our daughter will be entering 3rd grade in the fall, so good schools are very important to us! Any advice is greatly appreciated!

[debyne]

Originally Posted by Momofmad

My husbands job is moving us from Dallas to the Seattle area as soon as my daughter is out of school in June. I have been doing lot's of online research, but it is quite overwhelming! He will be working in Bellevue so we are looking into living in Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond and possibly Issaquah. We are hoping to purchase at least a 3 bedroom, 2 bath around 2,000 square feet or a little more if possible. We are hoping not to spend more than $625,000. Is this even possible? Are there other areas we should be looking at as well? Our daughter will be entering 3rd grade in the fall, so good schools are very important to us! Any advice is greatly appreciated!

That's easily possible. There are brand new, beautiful homes in Issaquah that are $3,000 sq ft in that range. If your husband will be working Bellevue, my advice would be to stay in Bellevue or Issaquah along I-90. The schools are probably the best in the state, and his commute will be easy.

I know Bothell is cheaper and it does have good schools (especially the Northshore school district), but the traffic going into Bellevue and coming home will be really bad.

The Lakemont area is very nice but is also kinda pricey; Cougar Ridge Elementary up there is top notch. I will however warn you that the people are definitely snootier up in Lakemont since quite a bit of money (or people pretending they have money) is there. My wife, 2 boys and I lived there for 3 years.

We now live in the Eastgate / Spiritridge area and love it. It's cheaper than Lakemont but doesn't have houses that are as new. Spiritridge Elementary is an incredible school and I sometimes feel like it's better than a private school when comparing experiences with our friends who send their kids to private schools.

Woodridge is another great area to live with an amazing location that's central to where you want to be right near I-90 and I-405. However, it's a little pricey but you should find some housing options within your price range and expectations. Your husband's commute to downtown Bellevue would be incredible.

Once you start getting out to Issaquah Highlands, Khlahanie and Sammamish, I'd be careful about your husband's commute since tons of families live out there and the rush hour traffic gets really bad. You will, however, find housing to be a bit cheaper than the places on the Eastside I mentioned above. I suppose there are always trade-offs. My wife and I agreed that once you go east of Exit 13 (Lakemont Blvd) along I-90, the commute gets exponentially worse. For us, we would rather have less of a house and a much better location, so you'll have to decide what's most important to you.

[Ira500]

I'll agree that it's easily possible. Within Bellevue it generally won't be something newer for that price. I'd also consider Newcastle. Newcastle is split into two school districts, but one of them is the Issaquah school district. Maybe Sammamish? People like living there. It also is split into two school districts. The southern part of Sammamish is in the Issaquah district, and the northern part is the Lake Washington school district, which also includes Redmond and Kirkland.

[Hemlock140]

There are new homes in Sammamish starting not much more than your budget, at $675,000, such as the Woods at Beaver Creek, 2,700 sf.

[Momofmad]

Thanks everyone for your input! It really helps. We don't mind areas where the houses aren't new. Are current home was built in 1950 and we updated it before we moved in. Glad to know we should be able to find a home that meets are needs within our budget. Thanks again!

[Tall Traveler]

All 4 cities are excellent and you will be able to find something in any of the 4 at that price. To differentiate the 4:

1. Bellevue- most established and has an excellent downtown area and a large variety of housing from old to new. The best city if you can afford it. You will have to go smaller or older to live in Bellevue.
2. Kirkland - Similar to bellevue and equally well positioned on Lake and access to Seattle on 520. Smaller and less expensive than bellevue but still nice. Both older and newer housing available.
3. Redmond - newer city and less of a developed downtown but still very nice area. With MS headquartered here, a company town.
4. Issaquah - Newer city and has better housing for the $$ than the others. Only disadvantage is the commute and less of a downtown area.

[Momofmad]

Thanks so much for the description of each city. That really helps! Does one have a better sense of community than the other? We are currently in a very tight knit community and at an elementary school with many parents able to volunteer during the day. I'm stay home, so it would be great to be around a few other parents that also stay home! Thanks again everyone!

[Blondebaerde]

Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond and possibly Issaquah are great areas. (I am biased: chose to buy in Kirkland, couple years ago, after examining just about every other Seattle metro option.)

My opinion is ask a lot of questions, but be prepared to rent for awhile. Yes, two moves is a big bummer, though at the least the second will be local. However, each neighborhood has a different charm (or lack-of) and it may take a year or three to find the time for exploration.

Or if now is the time, take your chances. Must say, money is certainly cheap and that is a big draw to ownership. If this is "a good time" to buy a home is a can of worms question. Prices are way down from peak end of 2007, for whatever that's worth (what they "should" be is another question).

Median home prices by zip code (Zillow or etc.) should help your decision, if now is the time. $625K will get a lot of house in a good area in the four places mentioned: so-called Eastside, with the satellite city of Bellevue as the epicenter. Do that and commute will be relatively short. A lot in Seattle metro is based around commute times and your tolerance level.

Or if you want to try for even more house, a bit further out, consider Mill Creek (north) or Newcastle (south). Adds commute time to Bellevue.

Likewise Seattle and neighborhoods like (but in no way limited to) Wedgewood, Wallingford, Ballard, Queen Anne. Not exactly my part of town, but your budget could get you into something at least tolerable.

#edit: "community." Hmm, separate subject. See "Seattle Freeze" on this forum and elsewhere! My neighborhood is the opposite of a close-community, people mind their own affairs more than anywhere I've seen yet. Could be disturbing to social people. I am not sociable, and unapologetic: paradise for me, though adds icicles to the "freeze" from someone else's perspective, presumably.

My offhand opinion is Eastside isn't super-friendly or amenable to strong sense of community, though Kirkland has lots of opportunities for city volunteerism for-sure. If you live close to downtown in that particular city, lot of that going on during the warmer months (observation, not experience. I am quite close to downtown).

[Momofmad]

Thanks so much for the area info and on sense of community! I have heard that about the area and am somewhat concerned about that factor and the weather. At least in both areas, I know what to expect and won't be surprised by it, and maybe it will be better than I anticipate!

I have really liked what I have read about Kirkland and the houses I've been able to find online. Thanks again!

[DisRunR]

My husband received job offer in Woodinville, so he is leaving next week, my daughters and I (16 and 7) will join him permanently beginning of June also.
Although we are visiting later this month which I am excited about...I've been concentrating on areas within the Northshore and Lake Washington school districts.
Rental homes I have been looking at via iPad are : Redmond, Woodinville, Kenmore, Kirkland and Bothell.
Any input from anyone would be sincerely appreciated.... Momofmad, thanks for starting this thread!