can u guys help my mother out (Seattle, Bellevue: real estate, apartments)

[Anders15]

hello my mother plans on moving to washington some time down the line. I told her to first visit but she wants to know some basic questions. I know they are not detailed but anything is better than nothing. She will become a nurse soon however she has already worked in a hospital for about 5 years. She was wondering what the pay for a nurse there is. We've tried looking the numbers up and none are toll free. Not only that but im sure they would not discuss such information over the phone. We were wondering what the usual price of living there is. We're from Richmond, VA. I realize there are many variables such as where she wants to live but she does not know they yet either.

Just if anyone has any information on how it is living here as a nurse with a toddler and a teen it would be helpful. Also I heard that people don't really live in Seattle they just travel there to work. If not seattle where do most people live with children in a good neighborhood?

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by RonMaverick804

my mother plans on moving to washington some time down the line... She was wondering what the pay for a nurse there is...

Hi, Ron! Welcome to the idea of moving to the beautiful Pacific Northwest!

About nursing, these links can give you a good start on your research.
Nursing Jobs Seattle | Public Health Nursing Jobs in Seattle
and NWSource, a combined Classifieds from the two leading newspapers in the Seattle area:
Seattle area jobs, employment advice and information | NWjobs

Costs of rentals (apartments and houses) can be researched on NWSource at
http://rentals.nwsource.com/rentals/

For-sale info seems to be almost completely covered in this area by MLSonline -- the link is:
http://sea.themlsonline.com/home
That should give you a start on information.

Originally Posted by RonMaverick804

I realize there are many variables such as where she wants to live but she does not know they yet either.

A great resource for photo and word info about all the different areas of Washington state is the state's official tourism site, which is massive!
The Official Site of Washington State Tourism: Home Page (http://www.experiencewa.com/v5/home/default.aspx - broken link)
Washington state west of the Cascade Mountains is green and often rainy; east of the Cascades is desert in many places and much drier and sunnier. Use Mapquest or Google maps with the aerial view to see what areas look like.

Originally Posted by RonMaverick804

I heard that people don't really live in Seattle they just travel there to work. If not seattle where do most people live with children in a good neighborhood?

Actually, lots and lots of people DO live in "Seattle" -- the city limits are geographically pretty wide. Some people live in downtown Seattle in high-rise condos and apartment buildings (like in New York). Others live 10 to 30 minutes from the middle of downtown in high-rises or single-family houses. The closer one lives to downtown Seattle, the more expensive the real estate is and so the more expensive the housing is. The population of Seattle city is 582,000. The consolidated metro population is 3.8 million.

But there are also many, many cities and towns a half-hour or an hour or more from Seattle where tons of people live, because they are also very desirable living locations, close to the mountains, or the ocean, or forests, or farms, and certain of those places are also expensive.

A mother with a teen and a toddler could find the best schools east of Seattle (Bellevue, Redmond, Issaquah), and north (Shoreline, Bellingham), but most of the schools and communities east and north of downtown Seattle will be comfortable and quite acceptable.

It would be a good idea to search for Seattle WA on Mapquest or Google maps, and then roam around the map to see what is there and look up those places on Experience Washington, and on City-Data for statistical info at
Washington Profile

Have fun researching!

[sean98125]

RN pay where I work in Seattle ranges from $24.04 to $44.20 per hour. There are shift differentials and other premiums that can add a buck or two to that.

[Anders15]

thanks a lot, i know it may sound like i've done nothing to help myself but the fact is i have.. the numbers are not local and it is just impossible to tell what living is like there when you're over here. Thanks again for the links ill send them to her asap!

[toughguy]

Seattle is not like one of those sunbelt cities where the downtown area vacates after 5 PM. There are several neighborhoods directly adjacent to downtown (Belltown, Capitol Hill, First Hill, Beacon Hill, Queen Anne) that have large residential populations. First Hill is where the major hospitals are located, and the rents are actually (comparitively) pretty reasonable.

[Anders15]

oh haha thats how it is here, one minute you're surrounded by buildings the next you're driving past corn fields and farms.