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Old 05-31-2015, 03:19 PM
 
6 posts, read 7,321 times
Reputation: 10

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Hi,

I am moving to Seattle area to work in Microsoft by next Spring.
I have quite a few questions about housing advice in the area. Any further piece of advice related to this will also be welcome.

So here are my questions:

1) I have heard Redmond is quite boring. Also Seattle might not be the easiest transport given that you have to cross Evergreen bridge. With these in mind, I am putting more attention to Bellevue area. Now with the familiarity that you guys have with the Seattle area, what neighborhoods do you suggest that are nicer to live at?

2) On the same topic, I am looking for rentals. Factors to decide are within 20 mi radius of Microsoft with reasonable driving options, safe and beautiful neighborhood. Not too boring but not too crowded. I prefer a community (either houses or apartment condos). Great views (of the nature or possibly some water bodies) can matter too. /i think of $2500 or less for a 1 or possibly 2 BR. Any suggestion that you may have is welcome, whether it's the name of an area or specific name of a community that you have lived in or know about.

3) Finally, for a parallel consideration. Are there any good resources to start researching on buying options? Information like areas, realtors (that you know have a good reputation and have worked on), rough numbers on sample prices (tax, etc), and liquidity of the house market (how easy it is to buy and sell) can help.


Thanks again for considering these questions. Feel free to refer me to any resource about housing in the area that you have found useful. The collection of such resources in this thread might seem useful to future hunters too
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Old 05-31-2015, 03:56 PM
 
1,359 posts, read 2,469,130 times
Reputation: 1221
Quote:
Originally Posted by akm3 View Post
Hi,

I am moving to Seattle area to work in Microsoft by next Spring.
I have quite a few questions about housing advice in the area. Any further piece of advice related to this will also be welcome.

So here are my questions:

1) I have heard Redmond is quite boring. Also Seattle might not be the easiest transport given that you have to cross Evergreen bridge. With these in mind, I am putting more attention to Bellevue area. Now with the familiarity that you guys have with the Seattle area, what neighborhoods do you suggest that are nicer to live at?

2) On the same topic, I am looking for rentals. Factors to decide are within 20 mi radius of Microsoft with reasonable driving options, safe and beautiful neighborhood. Not too boring but not too crowded. I prefer a community (either houses or apartment condos). Great views (of the nature or possibly some water bodies) can matter too. /i think of $2500 or less for a 1 or possibly 2 BR. Any suggestion that you may have is welcome, whether it's the name of an area or specific name of a community that you have lived in or know about.

3) Finally, for a parallel consideration. Are there any good resources to start researching on buying options? Information like areas, realtors (that you know have a good reputation and have worked on), rough numbers on sample prices (tax, etc), and liquidity of the house market (how easy it is to buy and sell) can help.


Thanks again for considering these questions. Feel free to refer me to any resource about housing in the area that you have found useful. The collection of such resources in this thread might seem useful to future hunters too
1) Define "nice".

That is to say, give us more to go on. What are you looking for? Urban(ish)? Nightlife? Tell us.

Also "Evergreen bridge" = "520". No one will no what you are saying otherwise, as no one refers to it as the "Evergreen" bridge (even though that is a name that was more in use back in the 80s).

2) Microsoft has several offices all over the Eastside; I'm going to assume you mean the main Redmond campus (there are campuses in Redmond, Bellevue, Issaquah and Seattle). Reasonable parking might not be an issue in most places (downtown Bellevue is the exception to this statement). Safety will not be an issue for the most part on the Eastside. Once you get an sense of where it is that you will be working, live as close as possible to that address. Due to the Microsoft offices being spread out throughout the area, there is not just one street or another that gets clogged up. The whole Eastside is affected to some degree, and all roads going in to the area get clogged. That's simply a function of volume. There will never be enough roads to accommodate the number of people that work at Microsoft. To that end, if having a short commute is a priority, live as close as you can to work.

3) This board has several realtors on it and I'm sure they can steer you one way or the other. It is a strong sellers' market up here. Multiple offers, offering above list price, etc. are all part of the equation in the more desirable areas. Be flexible, don't get too attached, and bring your A game. You'll need it if you are going to buy!
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Old 05-31-2015, 04:38 PM
 
Location: Eastside, WA
326 posts, read 821,376 times
Reputation: 76
A few thoughts -

A lot of Microsoft employees live in Seattle and take the company shuttle, which has wifi so you can sit and relax or work. So don't rule it out as an option if you prefer city living.

In general, the Eastside (suburbs east of Seattle) are more family-friendly, suburban and a bit more boring. (I say this as someone who lives on the Eastside)

Redmond is sort of boring compared to Seattle nightlife, but it's changing. There are new restaurants and apartments opening in the city center and it has a nice feel to it.

Bellevue is actually pretty big and diverse. There is the downtown area with condos and brand new malls and restaurants. There are also sections of Bellevue that border Redmond and Issaquah that are very family-kids oriented. So bear that in mind if you start your search online - i.e., just because something is in Bellevue, it may not be what you think.

You might consider Kirkland as well. It has a nice downtown area with restaurants and bars on the water front and it is close to Microsoft in Redmond.

If you are being relocated by Microsoft, I would try and get 2-3 months in corporate housing and do your searching then. The rental and buy markets are competitive and are best done in person. That said, Zillow is pretty useful because you can zoom into specific areas.

Good luck
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Old 05-31-2015, 05:17 PM
 
520 posts, read 529,228 times
Reputation: 821
Suburbs in Seattle dont have neighborhoods in the sense youre thinking. I mean it doesnt even really have distinct cities. Its all california like suburban sprawl that spread out throughout King and Snohomish Counties. Most of the cities in their current boundaries are a result of annexation and the growth management act of 1990 which encouraged unincorporated parts of the counties to be annexed by someone. The cities were all tiny and decided how to divy up the land over the years. The closest thing to a neighborhood in the suburbs is a subdivision name. And thats not really a neighborhood. I mean as a native I dont even really get your Redmond Bellevue distinction as if theres some huge distinction. Its just one expanding typical Seattle suburban plot that goes all the way from Bellevue to Redmond. There is no cultural difference or really any kind of difference except that Bellevue now has what you might call a downtown in the part of the city west of 405.
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Old 05-31-2015, 08:44 PM
 
Location: Seattle
8,157 posts, read 8,215,140 times
Reputation: 5957
Hi akm3. Welcome (almost) to town. If your max target is $2500 per month, that equates to about $2900 mortgage payment (after calculating the mortgage interest deduction). Using a mortgage calculator, assuming 4 percent interest, 20 percent down payment and a $575,000 home price, that puts your payments at about $2850.

So, with you working in Redmond and wanting a little life. Here are some options. I'd look at one level ramblers in Bellevue or Kirkland. I have some clients looking for exactly the same thing right now, we are looking about $525K.
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Old 06-01-2015, 08:55 AM
 
6 posts, read 7,321 times
Reputation: 10
Thanks very much for all your replies.
It is all utterly helpful.

As a reply to some clarifications asked by amaiunmei:

Quote:
Originally Posted by amaiunmei View Post
1) Define "nice".

That is to say, give us more to go on. What are you looking for? Urban(ish)? Nightlife? Tell us.

Also "Evergreen bridge" = "520". No one will no what you are saying otherwise, as no one refers to it as the "Evergreen" bridge (even though that is a name that was more in use back in the 80s).
I am looking for an area that is not completely dead after 8 pm, or at least has access (in a short drive) to a place one can walk and dine or some shopping centers, theaters, etc (and nightlife will be good too, I wouldn't mind a longer drive in exchange for not being too near to a loud area that you cannot sleep till 2 am ). In the meantime, I would care about the nature around, the views, possible access to some of the water bodies around. That would kind of describe an ideal neighborhood. And understandably, not all of these might always be in the same place together

As for the specific style of the residence, I was mentioning community or apartments for the sake of possible amenities (gym, pool, etc.).

And I will be moving to Redmond campus. Sorry for not properly mentioning this

With all this, I have to keep in mind that I am moving from Atlanta, GA and hence my conception of areas is about everything being so spread apart

I apologize for the wrong mentioning of the 520. I have only been to Seattle once yet and will be back at least one more time before I come for good. But I shall eventually (possibly with studying the material in this forum and likewise) get myself familiar with names, neighborhoods, and local treasures
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Old 06-01-2015, 08:59 AM
 
6 posts, read 7,321 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by thedogatemyhomework View Post
A few thoughts -

A lot of Microsoft employees live in Seattle and take the company shuttle, which has wifi so you can sit and relax or work. So don't rule it out as an option if you prefer city living.

In general, the Eastside (suburbs east of Seattle) are more family-friendly, suburban and a bit more boring. (I say this as someone who lives on the Eastside)

Redmond is sort of boring compared to Seattle nightlife, but it's changing. There are new restaurants and apartments opening in the city center and it has a nice feel to it.

Bellevue is actually pretty big and diverse. There is the downtown area with condos and brand new malls and restaurants. There are also sections of Bellevue that border Redmond and Issaquah that are very family-kids oriented. So bear that in mind if you start your search online - i.e., just because something is in Bellevue, it may not be what you think.

You might consider Kirkland as well. It has a nice downtown area with restaurants and bars on the water front and it is close to Microsoft in Redmond.

If you are being relocated by Microsoft, I would try and get 2-3 months in corporate housing and do your searching then. The rental and buy markets are competitive and are best done in person. That said, Zillow is pretty useful because you can zoom into specific areas.

Good luck
Thanks,
These are all great advice. I am a bit hesitant on the MS shuttle, bc I believe it works at limited hours in the morning and afternoon and I was hoping to have the freedom over my hours. Ow it all makes sense to use them any time the timing matches.

I think I have been missing Kirkland completely in my search. It looks very much to what I am looking for. I shall definitely look into it further. Is it a good conclusion to search downtown Bellevue and Kirkland given my criteira then?

I believe I have a month of corporate housing guaranteed for now. I will look to see if they can extend it.
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Old 06-01-2015, 09:03 AM
 
6 posts, read 7,321 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Meyers View Post
Suburbs in Seattle dont have neighborhoods in the sense youre thinking. I mean it doesnt even really have distinct cities. Its all california like suburban sprawl that spread out throughout King and Snohomish Counties. Most of the cities in their current boundaries are a result of annexation and the growth management act of 1990 which encouraged unincorporated parts of the counties to be annexed by someone. The cities were all tiny and decided how to divy up the land over the years. The closest thing to a neighborhood in the suburbs is a subdivision name. And thats not really a neighborhood. I mean as a native I dont even really get your Redmond Bellevue distinction as if theres some huge distinction. Its just one expanding typical Seattle suburban plot that goes all the way from Bellevue to Redmond. There is no cultural difference or really any kind of difference except that Bellevue now has what you might call a downtown in the part of the city west of 405.
Correct.
I think I was looking for the distinction of Seattle vs Eastside.
And then in Eastside, I was looking for the distinction of which areas are more on the development to become a city.
And lastly, I was looking to understand the nicer areas near to Lake Washington on Eastside.
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Old 06-01-2015, 09:06 AM
 
6 posts, read 7,321 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by homesinseattle View Post
Hi akm3. Welcome (almost) to town. If your max target is $2500 per month, that equates to about $2900 mortgage payment (after calculating the mortgage interest deduction). Using a mortgage calculator, assuming 4 percent interest, 20 percent down payment and a $575,000 home price, that puts your payments at about $2850.

So, with you working in Redmond and wanting a little life. Here are some options. I'd look at one level ramblers in Bellevue or Kirkland. I have some clients looking for exactly the same thing right now, we are looking about $525K.

Thanks,
This looks like a good starting point and I guess with the ideas from others, I am getting more limit my search to be more focused on Bellevue and Kirkland areas nearer or at least with a reasonable access to Lake Washington.
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Old 06-01-2015, 09:46 AM
 
Location: Seattle
1,651 posts, read 2,767,826 times
Reputation: 3021
Quote:
Thanks,
This looks like a good starting point and I guess with the ideas from others, I am getting more limit my search to be more focused on Bellevue and Kirkland areas nearer or at least with a reasonable access to Lake Washington.
Add Juanita to your list. It's a really cute area north of DT Kirkland. It has just enough shopping and restaurants for when you want to stick close to home, but it's a pretty quick drive to DT Kirkland, Redmond or Bellevue when you don't. It's also a bit quieter, less expensive, but still close to the lake. It's not as convenient to Seattle though, hence the cheaper price tag, but it's not awful for an evening or day out - esp if you're not doing a daily commute.
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