Moving to Seattle...help me find right location please! (Everett: fit in, condo)

[rachelmpc]

Sad to be leaving my town in Ohio with acreage and best cost of Living but my husband will be working downtown.
He is willing to ride on the train/ferry and can work while doing so maybe up to an hour.
We love the city and all the diversity but for our home base we are looking for
-small school for my little boy who is use to a whole grade with 100 kids.
Maybe a Christian school as an option(not catholic)
-around $350,000
-as small town vibe as possible
-we are pretty conservative and don't need a whole town to have our view but
Don't want to be the only republican around

Thanks so much for your help. Trying to make the most of it!

[amaiunmei]

Here's the problem:

You really can't afford the vast majority of the area, and you will be pushed out to the fringes such that the commuting expectations will need to be adjusted. Wide swaths of King, Snohomish, and even parts of Pierce County will be unaffordable to you, so an hour's commute is -- frankly -- the minimum you can expect as far as a commute is concerned.

My understanding is that Maple Valley may still be cheap enough for you to afford. That would put you about 1 hour away, each way, from downtown.

Another option would be to live in Kitsap County -- Bremerton -- and take the ferry. Keep in mind that the time spent in transit on the water is 1 hour, so any commute via ferry will be in excess of one hour by definition.

[rachelmpc]

If we could increase our budget what is the ideal spot for what I'm describing?

[Seacove]

Originally Posted by rachelmpc

If we could increase our budget what is the ideal spot for what I'm describing?

It sounds like you are trying to make Seattle look like a different place than it is. He could have an hour commute within the metro. He could have an hour commute coming from Everett.

While we have a few Christian schools, Seattle is not particularly religious. We are tied for least religious along with San Francisco and Portland.

11 Least Religious Cities in the US: List

We are not particularly conservative either, we were one of the only states to pass gay marriage by vote.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Referendum_74

Here are the results by county and notice the difference between Western Washington and Eastern Washington

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washin..._by_county.png

As for housing costs, this is not Ohio, the cost of housing is much higher

Home prices soar again; some buyers camp out to lay claim to a future condo | The Seattle Times

Maple Valley often gets recommended and it is nice but the population there is more like 25,000

Maple Valley WA : About Maple Valley

If your husband is considering a job here, realistic expectations are important. Don't look for tropical beaches in Alaska.

[tobester]

Originally Posted by rachelmpc

If we could increase our budget what is the ideal spot for what I'm describing?

What's your maximum budget? The median house in Seattle is around $600,000.

[rachelmpc]

My husband has been telecommuting and traveling out there for about seven years. He has a job already. I think we could do 550, 000 if I decided to work as well. I have seen many in that range looking online, but only having spent time in the city, I don't have a feel for neighborhoods. Just looking for maybe a little pocket area where we may be comfortable.

[flyingsaucermom]

If he's willing to do an hour commute you'll be fine! Puyallup has a ton of options for less than $400k! Fall City, Carnation, North Bend, Monroe. I suppose you could try some of the Islands... I know a conservative family that moved from Issaquah to Gig Harbor and enjoys it a lot.

[rachelmpc]

Originally Posted by flyingsaucermom

If he's willing to do an hour commute you'll be fine! Puyallup has a ton of options for less than $400k! Fall City, Carnation, North Bend, Monroe. I suppose you could try some of the Islands... I know a conservative family that moved from Issaquah to Gig Harbor and enjoys it a lot.

Thanks for the encouraging words!!

[Gardyloo]

I have plenty of Republican friends (well, nobody's perfect ) who live on the east side of Lake Washington and in south Snohomish County. I'd look at Monroe, Bothell, Woodinville, or farther south around Duvall, Carnation, Snoqualmie and North Bend; or Issaquah and Maple Valley southeast of the city. Even Renton and the Kent-Auburn areas might feel right. There are good Christian schools throughout the region, but I'd be careful about school fees on top of a limited housing budget.

[bluehorseshoe]

Your budget is way way off if you want to live anywhere near Seattle, you need to double it. I also don't think your views are going to fit in here. You want to be way outside of Seattle, at least an hour outside if not more. I have yet to see a Trump sign, thankfully.