Is there something wrong with Renton, WA? (Seattle, Bellevue: rental, crime rate)

[jlillywh]

We are considering a move to Washington for a new job I have in Issaquah. We have noticed that Renton is a little more affordable than Issaquah but a friend that lives in Puyallup told us that we should "stay away from Renton". I checked crime rates it does seem to be higher than many other cities I've looked at. We have 4 young children and are interested in a good school district. Is it true that we should stay away from Renton in our search? What part of Renton might be better for us?

PS - A $300,000 home is probably our limit, financially.

Thanks!

[Capo]

Some of the bad press around Renton is a bit dated. N.E. Renton, which borders Bellevue and Issaquah, is actually a pretty nice area. There is even part of N.E. Renton which is a part of the Issaquah school district.

Unfortunately, $300k will not get you into Issaquah nor, more than likely, the part of Renton you'd be interested in. Bellevue will also be out of your grasp at that price point.

What part of Issaquah are you working in? While Bellevue and Issaquah typically have the reputation for the best schools, there are still plenty of other areas with good schools, even if they're not "the best."

[seattlenextyear]

Do you need a house that's bigger than 2000 sqft?

[Ira500]

You should not stay away from Renton. You might want to stay away from those parts of Renton that have bad schools and from some small areas that are kind of slummy. Most of Renton is safe, but the school district in general is meh. There are some decent elementary schools in the district, such as Hazelwood and Kennydale and Maplewood Heights.
And then there are parts of Renton that are not in the Renton school district. Some of the eastern Renton Highlands is in the Issaquah school district, and some of southern part of Renton is in the Kent school district ( those schools are considered very good) and a tiny slice of Renton is in the Tahoma ( Maple Valley) district, which is a great school district.
as far as which parts of Renton to stay way from? Some streets in the residential part of Renton called North Renton are a bit scuzzy ( while a block or two away are really nice), part of the western part of the Renton Highlands, and some parts of Renton very close to Martin Luther King Way.
Renton is diverse, culturally and economically. There are million dollar houses, and there are run down hovels, and a lot of in between.
I live in Renton, and have for almost 13 years. I've never been a victim of crime here, which doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I think the reason Renton's crime rate is considered high is that there is crime at the Renton Transit center in the evening( and the neighboring block or two), in the western Renton Highlands, and the MLK area, and that it's mostly concentrated in those areas.
Renton has a lot of very good things going for it, apart from lower housing costs. Nice parks, good places to eat, the Cedar River trail, Coulon Park on Lake Washington, and the diversity which means there are Russian groceries, Mexican grocers, Indian groceries, Vietnamese groceries, Japanese groceries, and Safeway.

[Capo]

Another option to keep in mind is renting. Unless you are confident you'll be in that location for 10+ years and/or you just really, really want to own, renting may open up a lot of doors for you.

In most areas around here, you can rent a home for significantly less than it would cost to own it. If schooling is your absolute #1 priority, consider renting in Issaquah or Bellevue for a few years and then save the difference for a future down payment.

[JesseJB]

"...a friend that lives in Puyallup told us that we should "stay away from Renton"

Repeated for hilarity.

[swerver]

Originally Posted by JesseJB

"...a friend that lives in Puyallup told us that we should "stay away from Renton"

Repeated for hilarity.

I was thinking the same thing but didn't wanna say it.

[Hemlock140]

Some of the best area schools are in Bellevue, and there is still a part of Bellevue with homes under $300,000. You will have to consider being a little cramped as most are small, and they are not much to look at,
most post-war flat topped and showing their age. I'd guess that if the economy ever gets better people will buy them up cheap and tear
down for new homes. Look in the area between Northup Way and I90, from 156th Ave to Lake Sammamish. The mods will not allow actual ads
to be posted but here are examples without details:

$229,000 4 br 1 ba 1,300 sf
$289,000 4 br 1.5 ba 1,380 sf
$268,000 4 br 1.5 ba 1,340 sf (some of these as fixers under $200k)

[Ira500]

Both Capo and Bisjoe bring up good points:
When you're talking a large, expensive house, renting is going to be a lot cheaper than mortgage payments. When you're talking a 300,000 dollar house or less, it's closer to break even. There people buying less expensive homes in the Seattle are now and renting them out for a positive cash flow. The risk is that home prices will continue to decline, and if you have to sell in a few years and prices have dropped another 20%, that positive cash flow won't have made that much difference. I don't expect prices here to drop another 20%, but it's certainly possible.

There's a lot of different factors in deciding where to live. You could live in a small older house in Bellevue that likely needs work, and you'd be in a great school district. You could live in Maple Valley in a less than ten year old home with 2000 square feet, for less than 300 thousand, also in a very good school district. Maybe a little further than Bellevue to Issaquah( not by much though), and it's certainly quieter, and some people prefer the design and feel of older homes. But you have a bunch of pretty good options, all in all, I think.

[mrsincredible]

Originally Posted by bisjoe

I'd guess that if the economy ever gets better people will buy them up cheap and tear down for new homes.

I've actually had this thought brewing in the back of my mind as the route I'd like to go eventually. So it's not too uncommon then? If I bought a ramshackle $200k property somewhere with a lot and location I liked, would it be possible to build a 2500 sf home at or under $300k? Anybody know how the financing would work for an endeavor like this?

I love the rental we found in Kirkland. The home is spacious w/ tall ceilings and lots of natural light and the location is great. Since we just moved in April, I wasn't really thinking about planning another move again but we unexpectedly sold our house with 3 weeks of listing so I am entertaining thoughts of buying again... not in any rush though. I think I'm willing to wait another year or two, enjoy this house and the school (great so far), research a ton and pinpoint exactly what I want and where so we can swoop in when the time and the house is right.