Moving from Frisco, TX to Seattle (Bellevue, Renton: homes, neighborhood, college)

[Tall Traveler]

[quote=tridentsx;34033772]I used this page to compare crime stats

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed/quote]


You're looking at 1 year that is old data (2006) which was the worst year for murders ever in Kirkland. Look at this site's information (City Data) and look at a few years for comparison. Kirkland I think is different than Frisco in that you have a cool downtown and party atmosphere in Kirkland, so not really a typical suburb.

Dallas has averaged about 180 murders per year over the last 5 years and Seattle about 20.

[Bimmerfanboy]

Originally Posted by tridentsx

I got two dogs so a Condo wouldn't work, they also tend to bark when they hear noises, which will come in handy when burglars and car thieves are hanging around my home.

The barking would exclude a town home as well. I will focus my search on east renton highlands, how is the commute from Issaquah to Factoria ? Could Issaquah be an option?

Issaquah should definitely be on your list. Issaquah Highlands is actually building new homes right now that may fit your budget. Issaquah to Factoria is about a ~20 minute drive without traffic. However, driving down I-90 east in the morning you will encounter a lot of traffic. There is an HOV lane that makes the commute much easier if you plan to carpool. There are also buses that go directly from Issaquah Highlands to Eastgate (about a 10 minute walk from the T-mobile HQ in Factoria). The buses use the HOV lanes. I know a few people who commute to T-mobile from Issaquah using the bus actually. By the way, Issaquah Highlands is in the Issaquah School District, which is one of the best in WA state. Plus it is conveniently located right next to the highway. All you amenities are nearby. Costco, Fred Meyer, Safeway, Best Buy, movie theater, etc.


Some other living options include Sammamish (further from the freeway and fewer available new homes) and Snoqualmie (further and does not have great schools). You'd have to drive to Issaquah to do your shopping. I think the east Renton highlands are alright but schools are not as good as those in Issaquah.

Crime is almost non-existent in the Bellevue/Issaquah/Sammamish area.

[RotseCherut]

Originally Posted by tridentsx

I will receive a relocation package from my employer to move to Seattle, I will be working in Factoria Bellevue.
So far I have been looking at homes online and the only thing I could afford in Bellevue is one of those trailer homes, that the realtors call ramblers. Thats not what I want out of life.

I also looked at the crime statistics comparing all the zip codes in eastside to my current home and I am 3 times as likely to get raped even in the best areas in eastside, not to talk about car/propert theft which is 100 x more likely to happen. The murder rate was 10 x as high in Kirkland compared to my current home in North DFW.


I want a new built home for ~500k, the only places I found that could meet my requirements are bothell and east renton highlands.

How do these areas compare? What about future potential for those areas?

When reading forums I get the impression that the commute is 1h+ but when I check online sources such as google maps at peak time the commute is only about 5 - 10 minutes longer. I guess I need to go there and drive around to get a feel for how bad the traffic really is. I have lived in Mexico City, Manilla and Dhaka and I suspect Seattle can't even be measured on the same scale.


Sorry for ranting

Have you ever considered just staying in Texas were you won't be murdered and raped in dangerous places like Kirkland and where you can afford a nice size home and not be stuck to live in those awful half a million dollar hovels so many others are stuck living in..

P.S.
Rape statistics are total bullcrap.. Anything can be classified as rape these days. And, in the politically correct state of WA, if a man whistles at a woman it can be classified as rape.

[tridentsx]

I think I just was unlucky picking a tool that had bad data for crime statistics. It actually looked really really bad for Kirkland and thats one of the better areas.
I am excited to move to Washington State, I am so tired of the Texas summers and the boring non existing scenery in DFW. I grew up in Sweden so I think the climate and nature will be almost like coming home.

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by tridentsx

I think I just was unlucky picking a tool that had bad data for crime statistics. It actually looked really really bad for Kirkland and thats one of the better areas.
I am excited to move to Washington State, I am so tired of the Texas summers and the boring non existing scenery in DFW. I grew up in Sweden so I think the climate and nature will be almost like coming home.

Climate will be closer to Sweden but not quite as cold and winter/summer sunlight extremes not quite as much. Scenery around Seattle is outstanding with mountains and water everywhere. Don't worry about crime here....if you felt safe in Texas, you'll feel even safer once you're here.

[jcastles]

We moved here from Keller, Tx almost a year ago (I've also lived in Frisco). We live near Factoria and I'd really suggest looking in Sammamish, Issaquah, Renton Highlands, or Bothell. Im in Newport Hills near Factoria and the home burglaries are insane here! We had 2 in our neighborhood yesterday and it happens alot here!! Ive never felt more unsafe than I do living here. We're looking into moving when our lease is up at the end of May. And we can't wait to move back to Texas! It's hot here during the summer especially if you have no ac! The rest of the year sucks w/out ac too especially if you have asthma. No filtering in the homes w/out ac and I can't open windows/doors because of my allergies. The humidity here is as bad as Houston. So if you really know Texas you'll know how miserable it will be here. Oh and the food sucks here!!! But the scenery is good!!!

[kaonevar]

Originally Posted by jcastles

We moved here from Keller, Tx almost a year ago (I've also lived in Frisco). We live near Factoria and I'd really suggest looking in Sammamish, Issaquah, Renton Highlands, or Bothell. Im in Newport Hills near Factoria and the home burglaries are insane here! We had 2 in our neighborhood yesterday and it happens alot here!! Ive never felt more unsafe than I do living here. We're looking into moving when our lease is up at the end of May. And we can't wait to move back to Texas! It's hot here during the summer especially if you have no ac! The rest of the year sucks w/out ac too especially if you have asthma. No filtering in the homes w/out ac and I can't open windows/doors because of my allergies. The humidity here is as bad as Houston. So if you really know Texas you'll know how miserable it will be here. Oh and the food sucks here!!! But the scenery is good!!!

After summers with 110+ degrees for 3-4 months of the year, the weather here is NOTHING like North Texas. Last summer, it was between 75-84 for 2-3 months. We opened the windows (even with my allergies, which are MUCH less here than North Texas because there is much less pollution and the ocean breeze pushes some of the allergens away from the area) and the ocean breeze cooled the house down considerably. We have no A/C and honestly, didn't need it at all. Ceiling fans do wonders for air flow if it is a concern. There was 1 week were we got a weird hot streak and the temps went up to 92 for 1-2 days. That was it. And while it was very humid and hot for those 1-2 days, I would pay that annually with ease for the gorgeous weather we get here.

It was gorgeously sunny most of the summer and for the first time in 20+ years, I spent most of my days outdoors--either at the beach or walking through the woods or going to Mt. Rainier or other outdoorsy things. It was cool enough to do so--no 110 degrees with a dead lawn.

Our first spring here had temps mostly in the 50's and 60's. You do not need an A/C for that. Open the windows and enjoy. A lot like being at home for you. Fall is more of the 60's transitioning to 50's and some 40's as you approach November. Again, no A/C needed.

Winters are mild. Mostly 40's and 50's and very rainy. Not much snow. Some weeks in the 30's here and there, but mild. In fact, my friends and family in North Texas had more snow and ice this past winter than any area in Seattle. In the winter, we open our windows for 10 minutes every month or so to help with the airflow a bit. Not having central heat (we have the baseboard heaters in our home) does make it stuffy at times. But again, it's not a huge deal.

And I love the food here. Everywhere has vegetarian options, which makes me very happy.

We do live less than a mile from Puget Sound, so our temperatures are a bit different than Eastside (Bellevue, Issaquah, etc.). But not too much variance.

[jcastles]

It's 52° today and I have my window units on because the humidity sucks. I personally do not like to feel sticky!

If you've lived with ac your entire life it will bother you to not have it. Especially if you have asthma. I never had asthma problems in Tx like I do here. Here I'm on all sorts of inhalers to help me just breathe.

As for opening windows I personally can't. 5 minutes outside absolutely kills me. Believe me I'd love to.

I just want to give this person my point of view.

And without real Mexican food here....the food sucks!

[kaonevar]

Originally Posted by jcastles

It's 52° today and I have my window units on because the humidity sucks. I personally do not like to feel sticky!

If you've lived with ac your entire life it will bother you to not have it. Especially if you have asthma. I never had asthma problems in Tx like I do here. Here I'm on all sorts of inhalers to help me just breathe.

As for opening windows I personally can't. 5 minutes outside absolutely kills me. Believe me I'd love to.

I just want to give this person my point of view.

And without real Mexican food here....the food sucks!

I spent my entire life living in the south with A/C. I do not miss it. I also have allergy induced asthma. My asthma and allergies were 10x worse in Texas than here. *shrug*

That being said, if the allergies bug me on a particular day, I don't declare the entire city crap and try and convince others that they should stay in Texas. I'm sorry it is worse for you here, truly, but I think it's a bit silly to try and talk someone out of moving here because it didn't work out for you. Sort of reminds me of the Seattle Sucks thread that was on here where someone blamed the city because they didn't like the rain or something. Seattle is what it is. It's not for everyone.

It's 52 today and there is no need for A/C at all. I think you have health issues that make this the wrong area for you. :/

For someone from Sweden (isn't that what the OP said?), 52 is no big deal at all.

[jcastles]

Maybe not...but maybe it's important to someone that reads this. I sure as hell wouldn't have moved here if I'd known that I'd be sick way more here than in Tx.