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Yes, budget is definitely increased. We can afford between $450k-$600k depending on taxes. What about areas to avoid, are these pretty much correct?
And we are willing to adjust our lifestyle. We’ve never lived in the city, but are willing to learn and are open minded about things. As long as we can feel safe and people are reasonably friendly then we’re good. What we don’t want is to have to worry about violent crime (nonviolent crime we don’t want either but if given the choice between an area with high violent but low non-violent vs high non-violent and low violent crime then we take the high non-violent.)
And some privacy in the way of a fenced yard would be nice.
I still think your best bet would be in Lake Forest Park. The lots are bigger, better chances of getting privacy with mature trees on the lot, and it's a nice area within an easy shot of the hospital. You could even bike to work on the non-rainy days, on a dedicated bike trail. Your money will go farther, there. I think that's the wisest course; with an increased budget, you could get a bigger house than in Seattle, and certainly more yard space. Anyway, if you're paying a visit to to the area, you can check it out.
I looked at listings in the other nabes you mentioned, except Sand Point. You can't afford any of them. What you can afford, is Maple Leaf, which is north of the University, and south of the Northgate Mall area. It's a nice, quiet little neighborhood of family homes and parks with a reservoir in the middle. Not a difficult commute to your job. Good schools. There are a few listings currently in your price range. I didn't check taxes, mortgage. Most listings are beyond your price point.
P.S. Ballard is too far away. In town, but at the opposite side of town from your work. And you keep mentioning Chicago comparisons. Forget about Chicago; the two cities aren't even comparable. Worlds apart. You'll see, once you arrive and get settled in. Forget about crime (comparatively), forget about the big city ghetto, the industrial look of much of Chicago. What people complain about in Seattle is homelessness, but many of the neighborhoods don't have it. Downtown & the U District are a different story.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 10-02-2017 at 06:42 PM..
Please consider that our only experience with a big city has been Chicago, so comparisons between Chicago and Seattl are helpful in understanding what daily life is like there.
Much of the city of Seattle - outside of the immediate downtown area, and high-density neighborhoods like the University District or Capitol Hill (or several others) - will look more like the Chicago suburbs than the city itself. Historically, the city grew by engulfing suburbs - which were really rural areas - to the north and south, so narrow lots and row houses a la much of Chicago (or San Francisco) are basically unknown. In most areas, the smallest single-family lot size is 5000 square feet, i.e. 50 x 100, with many areas outside the central part having 7200 SF lot minimums. With houses of under 2000 SF in footprint (at the largest) that leaves the biggest part of the lot as yards. With fencing and planting, it's not difficult at all to achieve a great deal of privacy.
The downside to this kind of development is that it requires one to rely on a car more than you'd find typical in Chicago or other Midwestern or Eastern cities. It's a tradeoff in lifestyle, but one that most people find quite acceptable, especially given that the same car can take you to some of America's most beautiful outdoors areas in no time at all - mountains, islands, lakes, national parks, other splendid cities...
So you might need to commute by car (or find a vanpool, of which there are many.) The transit system is good, but the universal problem of the "last mile" - the distance and time needed to get from home to the transit stop, or from the transit to work - is a big issue in many parts of the region.
I love Chicago (despite having an ex-wife in the western suburbs ) but comparisons between Chicago and Seattle are risky; they're very different places.
Forget about Chicago; the two cities aren't even comparable. Worlds apart. You'll see, once you arrive and get settled in. Forget about crime (comparatively), forget about the big city ghetto, the industrial look of much of Chicago. What people complain about in Seattle is homelessness, but many of the neighborhoods don't have it. Downtown & the U District are a different story.
Well that's good, I really hate Chicago, particularly due to the issues you mentioned. I'm sure we will have to adjust, just as we did when we moved from the Chicago area to Champaign. Champaign is only 10 miles from one side of town to the other and can easily be traveled in minutes, yet once we were down here for a while like everyone else we started say "I don't want to go all the way over there!" LOL
Thank you for the guidance and insights. We are excited to visit (hopefully soon! waiting on references) and see Seattle for ourselves. As far as commute times, what's normal for Seattle? When we lived in the Chicago area, a 15 mile commute could easily be 1.5 hours of travel time. I consider 30-45 minutes from leaving my driveway to clocking in at work to be acceptable in general.
The more research we've done the more my wife and I feel like we would love living in the Seattle area. From what we have seen so far it seems to be a gamer / geek / intellectual paradise (comparatively speaking). People seem to be more tolerant of others up there too, is that true?
Will definitely look into considering those areas.
In all fairness I forgot about Sand Point. See, in the last two years, my daughter has moved 3 times, from 19th in U-dist to Woodland Park Drive in Fremont to the Ave.
19th was great. No probs.
Fremont had people in tents right on the side of the bridge. How brazen how irregardless of sanitation to live right off 38th ave.
Now she has garage poopers on the ave. They poop on the garage wall. Everyone's afraid to clean it, and rightfully so.
Everyday I see people who are ruining Seattle neighborhoods like Cap Hill, U dist, you know where they are I'm sure.
They're dirty filthy people and they don't need to be outside. They won't go in because they have to abide by rules. Enough said.
I know I'm sort of disdainful of these people. I love the Pac NW. I (used to)love LOVE Seattle. They are disrespectful of my city, and I'm mad. They urinate dwntwn in the waterfall. They poop on the city streets. They leave syringes where they drop them. Nobody says anything. I do, with feracity. I care, I really do,but I'm outnumbered by people who don't. It's seeming more and more this is the new reality, apathy and ruination.
So, do you know the way to San Jose?
Would you believe this is now happening in University Place ? I would ever have thought it would come down to that but people are doing all of the above ON PEOPLES CARS HERE !!!!! and bushes too . Last week I had a half tank of gas stolen . It's simply spreading out . I have to order a locked gas cap ( for mine) so in the meantime i'll only keep a 1/4 full . I loved (and still do )Seattle too and not ok with being priced out this far but this is too much . Being able to "adapt" to that as some suggest is not on my list of things to do . I agree it's sad and terrible .
. As far as commute times, what's normal for Seattle? When we lived in the Chicago area, a 15 mile commute could easily be 1.5 hours of travel time. I consider 30-45 minutes from leaving my driveway to clocking in at work to be acceptable in general.
We've suggested areas that would be an easy commute for you. That's why we keep saying you need a neighborhood that's close to work. The Lake Forest Park area is also an easy commute, though farther away, because you can avoid the freeway. So what more typical commute times for the greater Seattle area are is irrelevant. Seriously--don't ask. You don't want to know, or need to know.
OK, I did a little more research. I felt bad that you couldn't afford some of the nice areas near the UW, suggested earlier, so I found you some more options. If you want to be IN Seattle, your choices are all north-end neighborhoods: Maple Leaf, Lake City (considered somewhat iffy, crime-wise), and Pinehurst (good area). Here's a listing in Pinehurst, that has a basement rental, for potential income. You won't necessarily get privacy at your pricepoint, in town, but maybe with a little luck... From Pinehurst, you have a couple of commute route options, both of them pretty easy. We're not talking a commute from out of town, or across town. Easy commute from one NE neighborhood to another. https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-32660#photo15
Here's a good deal in Maple Leaf, but it looks like it doesn't have much of a back yard. This is the problem; at your price point, you'll get odd properties on small lots, maybe a previously sub-divided lot, with either no front yard, or no back yard, if you want to be within the city limits. If I were you, I'd arrange to see a realtor on your visit, and spend an afternoon looking at what your price can buy you, and where. Be sure to include Lake Forest Park for the agent's search, so you can see the contrast between how much bang for your buck you'll get, just by going outside the city line. https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-57171#photo15
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 10-03-2017 at 12:34 PM..
So what more typical commute times for the greater Seattle area are is irrelevant. Seriously--don't ask. You don't want to know, or need to know.
Point taken....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
OK, I did a little more research. I felt bad that you couldn't afford some of the nice areas near the UW, suggested earlier, so I found you some more options. If you want to be IN Seattle, your choices are all north-end neighborhoods: Maple Leaf, Lake City (considered somewhat iffy, crime-wise), and Pinehurst (good area). Here's a listing in Pinehurst, that has a basement rental, for potential income. You won't necessarily get privacy at your pricepoint, in town, but maybe with a little luck... From Pinehurst, you have a couple of commute route options, both of them pretty easy. We're not talking a commute from out of town, or across town. Easy commute from one NE neighborhood to another. https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...-32660#photo15
Please don't feel bad. Seriously the "budget" we have to work with is still entirely hypothetical except for our current debts. We have about $1000 per month in student loans, and another $500 per month in car payments. We try to keep our total debt under 35% of our net income. Even then, depending on taxes and what not it could vary quite a bit until we really know what our income out there would be. Adding my wife's salary as a nurse definitely helps.
Its funny because I actually came across that exact listing the day before yesterday, so we're on the same page for that. Its definitely a balance between privacy, commute time, and price. I definitely appreciate the help you have given. I apologize if I annoy by asking something more than once, I tend to have ADD and am quite forgetful as well, so I may ask more than once not realizing I already asked that (even if I go back and read the posts, having toddlers means starting a post and finishing it 2 hours later, even if its only a couple of sentences! )
Please don't feel bad. Seriously the "budget" we have to work with is still entirely hypothetical except for our current debts. We have about $1000 per month in student loans, and another $500 per month in car payments. We try to keep our total debt under 35% of our net income. Even then, depending on taxes and what not it could vary quite a bit until we really know what our income out there would be. Adding my wife's salary as a nurse definitely helps.
Its funny because I actually came across that exact listing the day before yesterday, so we're on the same page for that. Its definitely a balance between privacy, commute time, and price. I definitely appreciate the help you have given. I apologize if I annoy by asking something more than once, I tend to have ADD and am quite forgetful as well, so I may ask more than once not realizing I already asked that (even if I go back and read the posts, having toddlers means starting a post and finishing it 2 hours later, even if its only a couple of sentences! )
That sounds like a lot of debt, still. The potential basement rental in that listing would really help you. I'd aim for the $500K-$550K range, if I were you, given debt, prop'ty tax burden, etc.
When are you coming out for a visit? You might contact the agent handling that listing. It looks like a house I'd have loved to have, when I was in Seattle. It's hard to find that kind of quality in a home at a good price. The only drawback is the small lot size, but the trees make it enticing. The lot's bigger than it looks; there's a driveway on the far side of the photo, that goes to a garage in back.
Otherwise, see, you'll be better off looking just over the city limits. More land, more privacy, like the listing near the beginning of the thread, on 1/3 acre, the house surrounded by trees, screening the property off from the neighbors.
Anyway, let us know how your visit goes. We love progress reports!
Lol yeah, that’s what happens when you have $180,000 in student loans. Definitely will post updates as we get a chance to visit!
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What you can afford, is Maple Leaf, which is north of the University, and south of the Northgate Mall area. It's a nice, quiet little neighborhood of family homes and parks with a reservoir in the middle. Not a difficult commute to your job. Good schools. There are a few listings currently in your price range. I didn't check taxes, mortgage. Most listings are beyond your price point.
) but comparisons between Chicago and Seattle are risky; they're very different places.
