Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Where I live in Issaquah has had multiple power outages every year since I moved here. They've lasted up to 30 hours. They happen in all types of weather, including middle of the bright, sunny summer and I rant on PSE and get called out about my "first world gripe". We are particularly susceptible to losing power during wind storms, which frequently happen between October and December. Some of those windstorms have hurricane force: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacifi...west_windstorm
Talk about floods... Issaquah just had record-breaking flooding this week! They had to evacuate an apartment complex. Major roads were closed. Schools were delayed. The fish hatchery was 4 inches from losing millions of baby salmon.
Out in Snoqualmie Valley they are having a heck of a time. Some powerless Carnation residents took up refuge at one of my regular coffee shops when I was there. Read online how Jubilee Farms suffered their 5th flood since October... and they're only expected to get one every 2-3 years...
And you didn't mention wildfire. You were here August and September 2017 and 2018 right? Remember the weeks of smoke? All of us without A/C (that's a lot of us) had to sit in stifling indoor heat without our box fans because the air was too polluted to open the windows.
Which apartment complex? We were looking at Issaquah apartments down by I-90 before we found one on Mercer Island.
Seattle is. It has got lots of diversity and culture, terrific schools and also plenty of activities and museums to research. Like many cities, the most popular areas of Seattle have a tendency to become residential or locations and are located out of the downtown center using commercials. Areas are Ballard, Magnolia Magnolia, Lower Queen Ann Sunset Hill, and Wallingford.
Where I live in Issaquah has had multiple power outages every year since I moved here. They've lasted up to 30 hours. They happen in all types of weather, including middle of the bright, sunny summer and I rant on PSE and get called out about my "first world gripe". We are particularly susceptible to losing power during wind storms, which frequently happen between October and December. Some of those windstorms have hurricane force: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacifi...west_windstorm
Talk about floods... Issaquah just had record-breaking flooding this week! They had to evacuate an apartment complex. Major roads were closed. Schools were delayed. The fish hatchery was 4 inches from losing millions of baby salmon.
Out in Snoqualmie Valley they are having a heck of a time. Some powerless Carnation residents took up refuge at one of my regular coffee shops when I was there. Read online how Jubilee Farms suffered their 5th flood since October... and they're only expected to get one every 2-3 years...
And you didn't mention wildfire. You were here August and September 2017 and 2018 right? Remember the weeks of smoke? All of us without A/C (that's a lot of us) had to sit in stifling indoor heat without our box fans because the air was too polluted to open the windows.
Well, it seems things have changed quite a bit since I lived in Issaquah...
I lived down in the valley off of Sunset Way, in ten years, about 1995 to 2005, I recall very few power outages, maybe one every two to three years, and nothing even close to 30 hours...
Flooding, Issaquah Creek does flood about once a year, there is an old strip mall by Safeway that does get flooded, but the rest of the town stayed pretty dry. I do remember the creek flowing almost over the bridge by Dairygold, but let's not make it sound as though the whole town gets flooded, that's not remotely the case.
You make it sound like we have North Dakota weather.
Which apartment complex? We were looking at Issaquah apartments down by I-90 before we found one on Mercer Island.
I just watched the video of it, it was at the "Creekside" apartments, I could have guessed that, the places that get flooded are usually right next to the creek when it overflows.
The big flood was over off Issaquah/Hobart road, more or less out of town, the water runs off Tiger Mountain, went right through some guy's property to the creek. So I believe we are talking about one house there.
About 4 inches of water running across the road, nothing like floods back east.
It does sound like it might be worse than when I was there, but not that bad and Issaquah has been dealing with that creek for as long as it's been a town.
Definitely not some kind of "deal-breaker," anyone would be very fortunate to live in beautiful, prosperous Issaquah, it's the gem of western Wa.
We have three kids and have begun eyeing the West Coast as a more suitable place to live. We spent a week in Seattle last summer and absolutely loved it. We have friends there that love it, although they said "don't move here, its getting too crowded and is crazy expensive".
But we have grown sick and tired of Midwestern winters. We would also like to take advantage of the outdoors - forests for hiking, and I personally would love to just drive an hour to ski rather than 12 hours to Colorado to ski. It also seems like being near a booming city like Seattle might be good for our kids rather than staying in "flyover country".
I work from home so I could keep my job, and my wife is in health care and could probably get a job pretty easily (probably with a pay bump according to the salaries we have seen online). We know it is crazy expensive, but if it is possible, we would like to strongly consider it.
My questions are:
1. What neighborhoods would you recommend for families? We would send our kids to public school. Our total household income is around $160k/year.
2. Like seriously, how crazy expensive is it? Aside from housing, is everything going to cost more?
3. We are moving away due to weather, but will we regret soggy Seattle winters?
4. We mentioned we were considering moving and the oldest kid (11) was pretty against it. Any advice on helping kids transition with a move? We feel this may be the ideal time as he begins middle school next year and the other two are still pretty young.
5. Alternatively, we might consider Olympia as well since it is more affordable and might be better for my career anyway if I ever leave my job. Thoughts on Olympia? Is it too "small town" (despite being from Kansas, both of us are accustomed to larger metro areas of a million or more)
Thanks for your help! Maybe we'll be neighbors someday?
I kind of overlooked the part about the $160K income, with that I would definitely suggest the Eastside, if you can get that kind of money or maybe even more out here, there would be few places you couldn't afford.
Issaquah is supposed to have a very good school district, I know a lot of people who live there who don't make anything like $160K.
Here is a favorite video from Issaquah Salmon Days, they have this in the first part of every October, what is up to now guys, 150,000 people attend over the two days?
(Videos, as you probably know won't play here, so just click on the link, this vid just says it all to me, it is as nice as it seems, a lot of happy people.)
Oh, and apparently the strike at Swedish medical was because they were understaffed, so definitely check for job openings there!
I would actually look for something on the Issaquah side of Squak mountain, right next to the old part of town, you could probably get a very nice place up on that hill without breaking the budget. It's nice and quiet little neighborhood, kind of convenient to things, but at the same time out of the way, traffic shouldn't be a problem. (you can kind of see it from that vid)
If you like the water, Lake Sammamish is nearby and I bet you could find something on the lake.
And don't forget Google Earth, use the street cam function and walk around and see.
And really, as far as flooding... the one place that really got it each year was a decrepit strip-mall right next to the creek, (an old "Bars, stools n'dinettes" place to be more specific. ) They have had permanent sandbags set up as long as I could remember, they really need to do something with that piece of land, it's worth a fortune!
But fires and floods, these are rare across the whole of western wa, perhaps we will get more fires with climate change, but historically fires are not that common, it is indeed too soggy to burn.
Now, you see that part around the middle with the guy para-gliding?
That's the area that got flooded recently, (as distinct from the old strip-mall actually in town that has always gotten flooded) I believe they said it was actually the guy who runs the para-gliding schools house that got flooded.
From an RE site: "There are currently 137 homes for sale in Issaquah at a median listing price of $815K. Some of these homes are "Hot Homes," meaning they're likely to sell quickly. Most homes for sale in Issaquah stay on the market for 42 days and receive 1 offers. Popular neighborhoods include Montreux, Greenwood Point, Issaquah Highlands, Olde Town, Downtown Issaquah, Gilman, Talus, Providence Point, Pine Lake, Klahanie, North Issaquah, Sammamish Beach Club, Highland Ridge, Squak Mountain, and Newport. This map is refreshed with the newest listings in Issaquah every 15 minutes."
We have three kids and have begun eyeing the West Coast as a more suitable place to live. We spent a week in Seattle last summer and absolutely loved it. We have friends there that love it, although they said "don't move here, its getting too crowded and is crazy expensive".
But we have grown sick and tired of Midwestern winters. We would also like to take advantage of the outdoors - forests for hiking, and I personally would love to just drive an hour to ski rather than 12 hours to Colorado to ski. It also seems like being near a booming city like Seattle might be good for our kids rather than staying in "flyover country".
I work from home so I could keep my job, and my wife is in health care and could probably get a job pretty easily (probably with a pay bump according to the salaries we have seen online). We know it is crazy expensive, but if it is possible, we would like to strongly consider it.
My questions are:
1. What neighborhoods would you recommend for families? We would send our kids to public school. Our total household income is around $160k/year.
2. Like seriously, how crazy expensive is it? Aside from housing, is everything going to cost more?
3. We are moving away due to weather, but will we regret soggy Seattle winters?
4. We mentioned we were considering moving and the oldest kid (11) was pretty against it. Any advice on helping kids transition with a move? We feel this may be the ideal time as he begins middle school next year and the other two are still pretty young.
5. Alternatively, we might consider Olympia as well since it is more affordable and might be better for my career anyway if I ever leave my job. Thoughts on Olympia? Is it too "small town" (despite being from Kansas, both of us are accustomed to larger metro areas of a million or more)
Thanks for your help! Maybe we'll be neighbors someday?
Hi OneKC, Consider Historic North Everett. Charming, relatively affordable homes, waterfront right on Puget Sound, commuter rail right into Seattle, large hospital/medical presence for jobs. If you’ve lived through Midwest winters, it will seem like child’s play out here. About other costs: gas is more expensive, the taxes maintain bridges, roads and the ferry system. Sure, you can spend loads of money at boutique grocery stores, but you can also (like many of us do) shop at Costco, Grocery Outlet, Trader Joe’s and farmer’s markets. You can also drop $100 plus per person on fancy meals and $14 cocktails, but can also choose to have a $6 bowl of delicious pho (Vietnamese soup) in a little hole in the wall place. You could drop hundreds of dollars taking the fam to see a sporting event, or you could pack a picnic lunch and go take a beautiful hike to a NW waterfall for free. I’m a Miami boy originally, here 30 years now. This place isn’t perfect but I love it deeply and it has become the home I love. Olympia is a nice place but a little too far (IMO) from the urban amenities that make Seattle great. You might also have a look at Bothell, Burien and Renton as more affordable options. They all have redeeming qualities, getting a home that is a little older (though well built) can get you more square footage for the price.
2. Like seriously, how crazy expensive is it? Aside from housing, is everything going to cost more?
Other cost of living factors: There's no state income tax, but sales taxes are a little higher (10% or so) than many places in Kansas. You'll probably find utility bills are considerably less than in Kansas; winters are warmer and summers are usually cool enough that few people have central air conditioning. This can make for a significant savings in family-sized homes.
Do you go on vacations? If so do you fly? I ask because the Seattle area is within driving distance of numerous vacation destinations - Vancouver BC and Portland; you can see three national parks from downtown Seattle, or with a long day's drive (or two easy ones) you can be at Yellowstone or into the Canadian Rockies. In June, a round trip plane ticket from Seattle to Anchorage, Alaska costs $50 less than a round trip from MCI to Orlando. There are vineyards east of the Cascades or in the Columbia River Gorge or the lovely Okanagan region of British Columbia. You're forever reminded of our place on the Pacific Rim, with Asian food, festivals and activities galore.
I think a specific location is going to depend largely on how connected you have to be with "downtown" activities. Issaquah is terrific, as is north Everett and Olympia, to mention only a few possible areas. Or there are areas right in Seattle - in the north end, in West Seattle... that will provide immediate access to big city facilities and activities. Some of these might come at the price of some big city annoyances, like traffic, bureaucracy, or having to deal with some of the issues cities are confronting everywhere - visible homelessness, etc. Seattle's no Shangri-La, but we do pretty well in most respects.
Well, it seems things have changed quite a bit since I lived in Issaquah...
I lived down in the valley off of Sunset Way, in ten years, about 1995 to 2005, I recall very few power outages, maybe one every two to three years, and nothing even close to 30 hours...
Flooding, Issaquah Creek does flood about once a year, there is an old strip mall by Safeway that does get flooded, but the rest of the town stayed pretty dry. I do remember the creek flowing almost over the bridge by Dairygold, but let's not make it sound as though the whole town gets flooded, that's not remotely the case.
You make it sound like we have North Dakota weather.
Thx
I also experienced some drastic weather with flooding and days long power outages where everything in the fridge freezer needed to be thrown out. No place is perfect, but if you want to buy a single family home, you really need to know what you are doing. Watch out for places that will flood, or buy flood insurance which can be expensive. Even places that are not in a flood zone can be susceptible to floods. But if you are on a hill, mud slides could be an issue. I had a friend who lost her entire back yard when it slid down the hill. Earthquake insurance is something you may want to look into. Wind can toppel those big evergreen's on your house. Living on a lake is nice, but you probably won't want to swim in those lakes. If you want to leave in the winter for a sunny place, you should have someone around who is willing to go in and start your generator when the power goes out, so you can save your food and your pipes do not freeze.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
