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Quite a few people have been bailing from Seattle, because of the skyrocketing real estate/rents. The thing is, for every one person who leaves, several others seem to be trying to take their place. You can thank a booming job market that continues to attract new residents, and simply not enough housing to meet current demand for this dilemma (As well as outside investors purchasing what they can). I would go as far to argue that the rapidly rising COL is the #1 problem Seattle is facing atm. Traffic/inadequate transportation infrastructure is probably #2.
The city is going though some serious growing pains, that's for sure! And things aren't going to get better any time soon. Unfortunately, it's simply a fact of life that it costs a lot of money to live here now.
That being said, if things get reeeealllly bad, and Seattle ends up becoming SF: Part 2, then I see a bright future for places like Tacoma and Everett. At that point though, I'd probably just consider moving to another high COL metro area with better weather/more urban amenities.
My situation is very different. I'm very much a minimalist: I have relatively little 'stuff', and have no interest to own a house. Unfortunately I have two older cats which limits my options somewhat. I'd actually like to live in an Apodment, but they don't accept pets.
Probably in about 2-3 years when my cats are gone I'll have more options, but right now I feel obligated to see them through their journey - unfortunately.
Meaning_Is_Elusive, thanks for your initial question about whether Seattle rents are prompting relocation from the city. It's one that I've also been considering. Our stories are very similar. First, I applaud that you honor your responsibilities to the cats. I've also got one rescue (who "rescued" me) whose needs/preferences also drive the decision to stay put until he has passed on. Once the kids left the nest, it was frightfully fast and easy to downsize what little remained, travel the country and live out of the truck (along with the cat) until "settling" in Seattle (a decision prompted by the desire to live near some family who transplanted here years ago, who I actually rarely see!). I've got a lovely balcony apartment surrounded by nature, close to downtown that is reasonably-priced by Seattle standards. Like you, I'd probably seek a smaller space if my cat wasn't with me. (Our current space welcomed him without exorbitant fees nor additional monthly charges). The rent was just raised over 10%, the highest increase since arriving here a few years ago. I sense these increases will continue, especially since learning that rents in nearby apartment buildings currently begin at a higher cost and with fewer amenities.
Another factor in the mix: Work has been downsized substantially. For now, it's been decided to remain here for a bit, see if work picks up and just appreciate all the natural beauty and experiences that unfold. I'm depending on the inner compass to direct whether or not to pick up and move on and to what location. All in all, I feel these decisions and apparent "problems" pale greatly in comparison to what some endure in respect to housing situations (and lack of). And while I am deeply grateful for these recent years spent in Seattle, the cost of living, commuting and general lack of community (which I've experienced; YMMV) makes the idea of "retiring" here in a few years more and more difficult to imagine. It will be interesting to see how it all develops.
Another factor in the mix: Work has been downsized substantially. For now, it's been decided to remain here for a bit, see if work picks up and just appreciate all the natural beauty and experiences that unfold. I'm depending on the inner compass to direct whether or not to pick up and move on and to what location. All in all, I feel these decisions and apparent "problems" pale greatly in comparison to what some endure in respect to housing situations (and lack of). And while I am deeply grateful for these recent years spent in Seattle, the cost of living, commuting and general lack of community (which I've experienced; YMMV) makes the idea of "retiring" here in a few years more and more difficult to imagine. It will be interesting to see how it all develops.
I'm in a similar situation. I have a decent public sector job that enables me to work about 25 hrs/week and still get by. Unfortunately, a recent rent increase might necessitate working more hours.
While my situation is still decent, I definitely won't be retiring here. All other things being equal, I'd prefer to live in a mid-size city like San Luis Obispo, Bellingham, Olympia, or Santa Fe (if I can afford it).
Seattle has just gotten we too crowded and crazy for me. I know it's not nearly as crowded and chaotic as mega-cities like NYC, LA, and SF, but it's still too crowded for me. Seattle used to have a good balance between urban amenities and the more relaxed, communal feel of a smaller area; now, it seems like just another generic big city.
Yes, but not due to the cost of living. I'm considering it because 300 days a year of grey or rain, blows.
Planning to head to Portland. The weather isn't really any better, but at least it is much more bike friendly.
(Longer term, hoping to end up in San Diego)
I've visited a good friend who lives in Portland several times. I like it a little more than Seattle, but not enough to make the switch. Some things are better, others worse. The traffic is getting pretty bad too, and it's not as diverse as Seattle either. Downtown PDX is much better though: fewer cars, more local businesses, and more relaxed.
The weather is basically the same though; if that's your primary motivation, you definitely need to leave the PNW. I really like Boise's weather: It's a mild seasonal climate, with much less rain. It gets a bit colder in winter, but not it's not intolerable.
I've visited a good friend who lives in Portland several times. I like it a little more than Seattle, but not enough to make the switch. Some things are better, others worse. The traffic is getting pretty bad too, and it's not as diverse as Seattle either. Downtown PDX is much better though: fewer cars, more local businesses, and more relaxed.
The weather is basically the same though; if that's your primary motivation, you definitely need to leave the PNW. I really like Boise's weather: It's a mild seasonal climate, with much less rain. It gets a bit colder in winter, but not it's not intolerable.
Agree the weather in PDX is no better than SEA, but I have family in PDX, hence the reason I'll spend a couple years there, before I finally end up in a much sunnier place near the water (probably San Diego, though I have a lot of friends living in Hawaii now -- so that is another appealing place).
I left Seattle in October in large part because of rent and house prices. I'd rented an apartment at below-market for a couple of years, had to move as my unit was being taken off the market, looked around and wasn't willing to pay what it would cost to stay in the parts of town where I wanted to live (and where I'd been renting for the past two decades.) Also want to buy at some point, and Seattle is ridiculously, hopelessly out of my price range for a house + yard. Of course, there were other reasons for moving, but the cost of housing provided the immediate impetus.
But Houston may turn out to be for me, because my business has locations there to...but there is a difference between Hot and "HOOOOT!" weather.
Quote:
Originally Posted by victorianpunk
It is hotter here in Summer then it is in Texas, for one reason: ALMOST NO ONE HAS AIR CONDITIONING! Businesses actually have signs that say "we are air conditioned". Huh? Back on the East Coast a shop that had no AC was as common as a house that still had an out house. So what if it's only 80 or above a few days out of the year, when there is NO ESCAPE FROM THE HEAT UNTIL NIGHTFALL it doesn't matter.
Hate to burst your bubble, but Houston isn't THAT cheap anymore for what you get. When everyone flooded there during the recession, prices went up. It is sprawling, hot, humid, flat, featureless and frankly boring as hell. I was stuck there for 12 years, so I know what I'm talking about. Yes, housing is generally cheaper, but you won't be living in the core of the city for the cheap prices. House prices in the city are not as much as here, but still pretty pricey considering where it is. The same goes for rents. Rents in the city core have gone up considerably. My friend just bought a 2 bedroom townhouse a few miles east of downtown for $350,000, which is pretty decent, but only because their 2 bedroom apartment in the heart of the city had gone up to $2200 a month. Granted it was a newer place, but that isn't THAT much different than newer 2 bedrooms here. The biggest problem with Houston is that there is no zoning and the crime is so pocketed it's hard to find decent places in the safer areas since obviously everyone wants to live in those places. Of course, this only applies if you want to live in the city. If you don't mind living in the surrounding area, it's so much cheaper. But it's also endless strip malls and just boring with no quality of life in my eyes. It's for families.
It is no where near as hot here as it is in Texas - even when it gets to 100. Yeah, I miss AC too, but it's a drier heat here. In Houston, it can be only 80 and feel like absolute hell with the humidity and even having the AC, it can still feel 'damp' and slightly ineffective. It actually rains quite a bit in Houston too, but it's more it'll rain more days but only for a short time. However, one year, the entire month of July it rained non-stop! There are definitely weeks of gloom in the winter too, just not as long as the usual winter here. Also, the power goes out quite a bit during the summer due to thunderstorms and also due to rolling brownouts because of the load on the power grid from AC use. Remember that electricity costs are high too due to this. It's also deregulated, so you find yourself having to 'lock in' the lowest rates for terms and switch constantly. Winter bills would be around $50-60 per month and Summer bills around $90-$120 per month - so you have to factor that into rent too. Also, you have the threat of tropical storms and hurricanes. My mission to leave Houston started way before Ike blew through in 2008, but that sure as hell cemented it since I didn't have power for over a week in early September - one of the hottest times of the year. It was absolute hell. Of course the chances of this happening are fairly slim, but with changing climates who knows if they will be more frequent.
Anyway, just saying that pretty much any city nowadays is seeing increases in housing costs. You just really have to look at what you enjoy and move to a city where you don't mind paying a little extra to be close to those things.
Hate to burst your bubble, but Houston isn't THAT cheap anymore for what you get. When everyone flooded there during the recession, prices went up. It is sprawling, hot, humid, flat, featureless and frankly boring as hell. I was stuck there for 12 years, so I know what I'm talking about. Yes, housing is generally cheaper, but you won't be living in the core of the city for the cheap prices. House prices in the city are not as much as here, but still pretty pricey considering where it is. The same goes for rents. Rents in the city core have gone up considerably. My friend just bought a 2 bedroom townhouse a few miles east of downtown for $350,000, which is pretty decent, but only because their 2 bedroom apartment in the heart of the city had gone up to $2200 a month. Granted it was a newer place, but that isn't THAT much different than newer 2 bedrooms here. The biggest problem with Houston is that there is no zoning and the crime is so pocketed it's hard to find decent places in the safer areas since obviously everyone wants to live in those places. Of course, this only applies if you want to live in the city. If you don't mind living in the surrounding area, it's so much cheaper. But it's also endless strip malls and just boring with no quality of life in my eyes. It's for families.
It is no where near as hot here as it is in Texas - even when it gets to 100. Yeah, I miss AC too, but it's a drier heat here. In Houston, it can be only 80 and feel like absolute hell with the humidity and even having the AC, it can still feel 'damp' and slightly ineffective. It actually rains quite a bit in Houston too, but it's more it'll rain more days but only for a short time. However, one year, the entire month of July it rained non-stop! There are definitely weeks of gloom in the winter too, just not as long as the usual winter here. Also, the power goes out quite a bit during the summer due to thunderstorms and also due to rolling brownouts because of the load on the power grid from AC use. Remember that electricity costs are high too due to this.
Here's the average summer highs and lows in Seattle and Houston, per Wikipedia:
Seattle:
Jun- avg high 70 low 52
Jul- avg high 76 low 56
Aug- avg high 71 low 56
Houston:
Jun- avg high 91 low 74
Jul- avg high 94 low 75
Aug- avg high 96 low 75
On top of the temps, the humidity takes things to a whole different level.
I'll take our mild, pleasant, and short Seattle Summers without AC over Houston's summers with AC any year. (and I do like Houston in a number of ways, even the weather during some months)
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I've also got one rescue (who "rescued" me) whose needs/preferences also drive the decision to stay put until he has passed on. Once the kids left the nest, it was frightfully fast and easy to downsize what little remained, travel the country and live out of the truck (along with the cat) until "settling" in Seattle (a decision prompted by the desire to live near some family who transplanted here years ago, who I actually rarely see!). I've got a lovely balcony apartment surrounded by nature, close to downtown that is reasonably-priced by Seattle standards. Like you, I'd probably seek a smaller space if my cat wasn't with me. (Our current space welcomed him without exorbitant fees nor additional monthly charges). The rent was just raised over 10%, the highest increase since arriving here a few years ago. I sense these increases will continue, especially since learning that rents in nearby apartment buildings currently begin at a higher cost and with fewer amenities.
