Starting All Over (Seattle, Tacoma, Federal Way: apartment, rentals, credit)

[Keep2]

Hello Everyone,

So I'm new here to the Washington Thread and in a bit of a dilemma. I recently reapplied to a job stationed at SeaTac Airport. I choose this location after a few failed attempts at other smaller duty locations being in rural area with limited to no short and long term housing. I know I won't have that problem in the Seattle and surrounding areas. However, could any of you recommend any good areas that's isn't expensive in commuting distance from SeaTac Airport?
If it's of any help I'd like to live in a small quite area that more suburban/small town than urban.

[homesinseattle]

Hi Keep, Welcome! Would you prefer a house or an apartment? What's your budget? Burien is close to SeaTac airport, has a small town feel. Olde Burien has cool buildings and neat little cafes/coffee shops/pubs.

[Keep2]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

Hi Keep, Welcome! Would you prefer a house or an apartment? What's your budget? Burien is close to SeaTac airport, has a small town feel. Olde Burien has cool buildings and neat little cafes/coffee shops/pubs.

Thanks for the reply, sorry that I was short on details in my initial post since I was pressed on time. My original duty selections were small isolated city's with no more than 10k population and geographically in area that get all 4 seasons. I chose those location to get away from the big city and it's urban sprawl (SoCal) to see and experience a different type life. I wanted the ability to see the stars at night, not have to worry about traffic, noisy neighbors, all the urban type things. However, long and short term rentals are tough if not impossible to come by.

Are there any areas that fit what I'm looking for or even close that isn't more than 30ish miles from SeaTac Airport? I prefer a rental for starters just to see how well things work for me at SeaTac and if I like everything. I would prefer to stay within the 800 to 1k range but I could do up to 1400 as well. I just need a single bedroom place (studio or not isn't an issue).

[Kayela]

Puyallup might be doable - esp if you can commute at off times. Black Diamond is probably too far, but that's immediately what your description made me think of.

[jrpaulson]

If 30 minutes meets your commute requirement, then you can find rural areas in and around Maple Valley, Covington, Auburn, the western part of Issaquah, and, as mentioned, the northern part of Puyallup and maybe even Milton. Each of these areas also has their suburban areas, as well, but it is pretty easy to tell the kind of area a house is in by looking at aerial maps of the area.
I'm not sure that there are any areas within a short commute to the airport where you won't have to deal with traffic to some extent. Maybe not around the house, but certainly as you get near the airport. Also, the days of leaving your front door unlocked or anything of value out in the yard are all but gone around here.
If I go with your 30 mile comment, you can consider Orting, Graham, Buckley, Black Diamond, Enumclaw, North Bend, Fall City, and even Carnation and Duvall. But the commute times from some of these places can easily reach or exceed an hour. This is a good-sized geographic area, though, which should offer you some interesting rental choices.
Don't expect to find a rental house for $800. You will be spending a minimum of 1,200. You mentioned that a 1 bedroom studio would be acceptable. I haven't seen these in rural areas.
Get a feel for commute times to each of these cities using Google Maps.

[XoXSciFiGuy]

If you work at the SeaTac airport and try to live SOUTH of the airport, you will be sitting in traffic each day. But if you live NORTH of the airport you won't get any of those nice perks you mentioned you wanted.

Here is the solution:

Live SOUTH of the airport, but on the Highway 99 corridor. Anywhere from Milton to Des Moines. Then you'll be fine. You won't have to take I-5 or the Valley Freeway (Hwy 167) to get to work. Don't listen to anyone telling you Puyallup or Tacoma, or Maple Valley, or Auburn, to the airport is a great commute. It isn't. Both I-5 and 167 are a parking lot every weekday morning. Auburn will work northbound if you avoid the freeway and just cut up the hill to 99.

[therese marie]

You can buy this cheaper than rent
https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sal...ct/9_zm/0_mmm/

[StealthRabbit]

If you want a longer, but peaceful commute (via Ferry), consider west of airport (Southworth region). (Even better if you can work 'off-shift' 3 or 4 times / week)

Or... if you can deal with alternatives...(some of these restrict rentals, or if allowed are for temporary qtrs)
There are some smaller co-housing groups near airport that are pretty sweet.
Puget Ridge Cohousing | The Cohousing Association
Duwamish Cohousing | Seattle Cohousing Community in West Seattle
Vashon Cohousing – Island Alternative Living

ic.org (worldwide)
or WA only
Listings - Fellowship for Intentional Community

and co-ops
List of cooperative residences | Seattle Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia

Then there is House / plant / pet sitting My SIL has done it for 38 yrs in EXPENSIVE Hawaii, LT house sitting (usually free or paid if pets). no house required.
People in PNWe_t are pretty fed up with winter !
We (retired) travel 50 - 80% of time and have 'boarders' (Private living space (1800 SF) but shared laundry / occasional common meals) way less than 1/2 of market rents, lots of benefits. Many people near Sea-tac are in similar situation. (these will not be advertised publicly, but you can dig them up using various sources (senior newspapers / groups / churches / volunteer org)

Another SIL found a retired couple in Seattle who rented out their daylight view basement for $400/ month. HUGE rent discounts / credits for running occasional errands, home maint / dr delivery.

[homesinseattle]

Pretty much no place that close to SeaTac you'll be seeing the stars at night. Keep in mind, traffic is a real issue here. There are some parts of Federal Way that might work for you. Burien would still be my first choice for you. It is near the water and has some nice parks.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

Pretty much no place that close to SeaTac you'll be seeing the stars at night. Keep in mind, traffic is a real issue here. There are some parts of Federal Way that might work for you. Burien would still be my first choice for you. It is near the water and has some nice parks.

You are also likely to experience the noise of jets taking off and landing, anywhere that close to the airport.

SEA Noise Contours