Wanting to relocate to Seattle Area, from Phoenix and lost on area to pick. (Tacoma: home, neighborhoods)

[Denice Rochelle]

Seattle and suburbs are really so large that it's difficult to answer questions about ... I'm moving from xx to xx can you help me with some neighborhood referrals? I work as a Realtor here and really the best way to narrow down your options is to do an exhaustive amount of internet investigation and then actual trips to the neighborhoods that you choose. Cull the list down from there. Good schools can be found all over the place and really depends a lot on what your child is wanting to study. For example, Garfield has an excellent music department. Some schools are known for their exemplary departments and the schools aren't limited to one or two neighborhoods or cities. Rental prices are starting to go up in our area, so be aware of that. For looking around the Renton/Bellevue area, you can decide how much of a suburban experience you want. Are you looking for a newer planned community, an older established community, a country place, more of a city feel, etc. I wish I could recommend something simpler but searching for a home from a distance inherently takes a bit of time and travel. Hope that helps. http://cbbain.com/denicerochelle

[*hinalea*]

Originally Posted by scubashawn

And by the way....Schools are excellent in Socal and Phx....

You're being facetious, right? SoCal is no worse than anywhere else but Phoenix has a reputation for very poor education. Even the colleges here aren't ranked very high. There are probably some good programs at ASU but it doesn't compare to the University of Washington. If you have school-aged children, Arizona is not the state to live in!

[wamommy1]

Actually, ASU is much higher in the rankings for the business school. Everything else at UW is higher. I know that the subject matter is much harder at the U than ASU, but ASU is ranked much higher. It's pretty bizarre, but true.

UW is one of ther best schools in the country. ASU so so. I agree that overall the schools for k-12 are better here. We lived in AZ for 5 years and most likely would have sent our kids to private school for that reason.

[Bossanovawitcha]

Originally Posted by *hinalea*

You're being facetious, right? SoCal is no worse than anywhere else but Phoenix has a reputation for very poor education. Even the colleges here aren't ranked very high. There are probably some good programs at ASU but it doesn't compare to the University of Washington. If you have school-aged children, Arizona is not the state to live in!

Hinalea - you are either misinformed, or had a bad experience yourself. I will categorically disagree with you about avoiding an entire state 'if you have school-aged children.' Kinda silly.

ASU has a very strong and reknowned busines school that has grown even stronger over the past few years, and U of A has an above average reputation overall. U of A's academic reputation is pretty much on par with U of W.

ASU is trying to shed its rep as a 'party school' and has been cracking down across the board. I'd say its improved quite a bit the last decade or so, and a rep increase is in order. I believe academically (outside of a few programs) its rep lags slightly behind U of A and U of W. But its also highly accessible across the Valley, especially to adult or 'lifetime' learners, and is more affordable than either U of A or U of W, altho tuition has been going up, like it has everywhere else in the country.

I wouldn't have a problem sending my kids to ASU or U of A, if that is where they wanted to go. And while there are certainly poor school districts in AZ, there are poor school districts in any major metro area. There are plenty of good school districts in Gilbert/Chandler, Scottsdale, NE Mesa, Kyrene (Tempe), Peoria, etc just to name a few.

I attended Mountain View High School in Mesa, which has been ranked 'statistically' in the upper echelon of high schools nationally since it opened in 1976 or so. What does this mean? Absolutely nothing. I don't think I really learned much of anything. But this was because I didn't really care about school, and my parents were too busy with life crises to really keep me on any track. That is the key no matter where you live - active parenting. However, if it is ratings somebody is shooting for in a school, there are plenty of nationally rated schools in AZ.

One thing I've noticed while researching schools in WA is that there aren't many with gifted/accelerated programs for elementary age children. Does this mean WA schools are all terrible? I doubt it. At least, I hope not. Like many states, AZ has challenges when it comes to education. However, every school I attended in AZ growing up, from the sticks of Eager/Springerville, to junior high / high school in AZ, has had an accelerated/gifted program. My kids currently attend a Gilbert public school, and there is a program for them here.

Also, ratings based on statistics can only really guarantee you a certain level of 'affluency' for the area. You don't need school ratings to tell you this. You can get that type of information about any area by zip code in a neighborhood search, if that is what you are looking for. What you end up with in any school 'rating' system is inevitably schools are forced to teach kids how to score well on one stupid test, instead of worrying about kids getting a good education. 'No Child Left Behind' is a joke, an excuse for our current administration to make public schools look bad in order to push his school voucher / privatization agenda, and a prop to pretend they care at all about the average joe student.

[Seattletony]

Sorry to everyone looks like I created a monster with this topic. I didn't mean to come off being haughty or arrogant due to my obvious bias for the Seattle area. I based by assertions off of polls, publications, and money spent on education. Obviously these don't tell the whole story

[wardhoard]

Originally Posted by northernexposure

pleased to read your post, since I'm looking and seriously looking into a move to Seattle area. So much is said about the weather, I personally like overcast/rainy days compared to what Mobile,Al has to offer. Here it it's either HOT and I do mean HOT and humid or when it rains-it pours. Along with thunder,lightening,flooding and power outtages. Add the hurricanes to that and you get a very unpleasant place to live. The traffic is worse than any I've seen in the many places I've visited. I do hope you can move back to your beloved Seattle in time.
Can you give me your thoughts of the Gig Harbore area?

The Gig Harbor Peninsula is unmatched in natural beauty among Western Washington areas. Where Seattle has a far off view of Mt. Rainier, Gig Harbor and Fox Island road offer picturesque vistas of the 14,000 foot peak and also views of the snowcapped Olympic Mountains. The City of Gig Harbor has a population of 6,500 with 40,000 living on the Gig Harbor Peninsula and Fox Island. Google pictures of the area and you'll forget Seattle/Bellevue. We hate driving to King County. The traffic there is horrific compared to the Gig Harbor area. The second Narrows Bridge opens this August and the city has many waterfront parks for kids and adults. We are getting a Costco and a full service hospital. It is THE BEST area to raise a family. The city council is maintaining the home town feel while planning for the future. All seven of our children fourished in the Peninsula School System. Two of which are currently in colleges here on acedemic scholarships. Compare its two high schools with Seattle's dozens.

[anyone101]

Another compromise in that area (on basis of your lifestyle) is to look for housing in Burien (not a great area although), Des Moines (getting better), or Kent. They are located between Renton and Federal WAy and he can attend his classes down at the Federal Way campus instead.

The housing are those areas are considerably cheaper (en-climbing) then Bellevue itself. You can probably find a descent house for around $250,000-275,000 around Burien and Des Moines, and down in the Kent Valley. Perhaps more in the upper east hills of Kent (east of hwy 167). So that could be an option too. Other up and comming areas are further south from Kent at Auburn too.

[Bossanovawitcha]

I just moved into a nice new home in Bothell. We are currently renting, although we found a nice situation where we can buy at any time, however I won't be buying anytime soon. I would not buy in any of the fringe Seattle areas, as the housing slump hitting the rest of the nation is going to hit these areas of Seattle first. It is inevitable that we'll start seeing YoY appreciation % slowdowns this year, and likely we'll start seeing some decreases, according to actual economists (don't listen to real estate / mortgage brokers who are 'rah rah buy buy', they have a vested interest and often have rose-colored glasses in this regard). My advice would be to find a nice place to rent in an area you wouldn't be able to afford to buy, and enjoy the area. We've been in Bothell/Woodinville for a month now, I'm a mile from my office, and we have been having a great time living close to so many amenities, trails, parks. We are very pleased with Kokanee elementary school so far. Our rent is $1500/mo less than what our mortgage payment would be + property taxes (!!!). That's a lot of coin just to say 'the bank owns our home, and we're making payments on it.' Puget Sound seems great, but c'mon, its overpriced. Corrections will be in order in the coming years.

[AZ_singlemother]

[quote=reinkingsrus;48902]Hello,
My husband, Myself and our two children ages 8 years and 7 months, are planning on relocating to the Seattle area.

I'm currently in the Phoenix area but am a Washingtonian so will try to answer as much as I can.

Federal Way is more affordable than Bellevue. I would rather commute from Federal Way to Renton than from Bellevue to Renton, but either way, the traffic is horrible.

In Arizona, the public transportation system is limited; however, it is much utilized in Western WA and especially King County because of the extreme traffic congestion. Car pooling is also an option.

Summer months are very short but the state is abundant with outdoor activities. Winter is good for skiing.

Crime in some areas are higher than West Phoenix, such as the Tacoma area. It's advisable to play it smart. For schools, check out www.greatschools.com for the stats.

[AZ_singlemother]

Originally Posted by Bossanovawitcha

I just moved into a nice new home in Bothell. We are currently renting, although we found a nice situation where we can buy at any time, however I won't be buying anytime soon. I would not buy in any of the fringe Seattle areas, as the housing slump hitting the rest of the nation is going to hit these areas of Seattle first. It is inevitable that we'll start seeing YoY appreciation % slowdowns this year, and likely we'll start seeing some decreases, according to actual economists (don't listen to real estate / mortgage brokers who are 'rah rah buy buy', they have a vested interest and often have rose-colored glasses in this regard). My advice would be to find a nice place to rent in an area you wouldn't be able to afford to buy, and enjoy the area. We've been in Bothell/Woodinville for a month now, I'm a mile from my office, and we have been having a great time living close to so many amenities, trails, parks. We are very pleased with Kokanee elementary school so far. Our rent is $1500/mo less than what our mortgage payment would be + property taxes (!!!). That's a lot of coin just to say 'the bank owns our home, and we're making payments on it.' Puget Sound seems great, but c'mon, its overpriced. Corrections will be in order in the coming years.

Remember, she's going to work in Renton. Renton is a bad enough commute, but to commute from Bothel to Renton, I would not wish on my worst enemy.

Besides the fact I myself would personally love to live in Bothel.