Is Washington by far the best state in the country? (Seattle: sale, real estate)

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by hamellr

SR, I've called you out on this again and again regarding both Washington and Oregon. NAME COMPANIES THAT ARE FLEEING!! If there are "hundreds" then this should be easy.

There is absolutely no problem to find Companies and Farms that are fleeing. I am a WA&OR SB counselor who deals with them everyday. Have you ever heard of Boeing? (no longer WA based).

You can verify via public records @ WADOR, and WADOL

Check out the immigration of WA and OR (and CA) businesses to CDL and Boise.

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

There is absolutely no problem to find Companies and Farms that are fleeing. I am a WA&OR SB counselor who deals with them everyday. Have you ever heard of Boeing? (no longer WA based).

You can verify via public records @ WADOR, and WADOL

Check out the immigration of WA and OR (and CA) businesses to CDL and Boise.

OK, for those of us who are not familiar with those page, please help us get that information.

[Hemlock140]

I have been to over 40 states and WA is still my favorite, followed by Oregon. The biggest problem here is the state government, all the other problems come from there. The diverse natural beauty and climate are hard to beat. I agree with the OP except for reasonable cost of living in most of the state, I guess geographically that is true, but the populated areas are among the highest cost of living in the country, as is typical of the west coast.

[jm31828]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

There is absolutely no problem to find Companies and Farms that are fleeing. I am a WA&OR SB counselor who deals with them everyday. Have you ever heard of Boeing? (no longer WA based).

You can verify via public records @ WADOR, and WADOL

Check out the immigration of WA and OR (and CA) businesses to CDL and Boise.

It's true Boeing moved their headquarters to Chicago for several reasons, but it's not like the company relocated- their main presence is still the Puget Sound area, as it has always been.

[skrude1]

I've been to a few different states, some east coast, also hawaii, and guam. Sans the last 2, WA definitely is the most chill and doesn't have that rat race go go go vibe to it. I like talking to the salespeople that transplant here. They're amazed that in WA we just let customers roam the store without actually pushing them towards a product within the first minute or two.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Why would you tell them that? Tell them they will like Florida better.

[Blondebaerde]

- Major City in the state

15th largest metro area in the United States. Interesting to note Seattle Metro contains about half the state's population. Get north of Everett, or south of Oly, becomes rather rural rather quickly. Not a ton going on Peninsula-side or Cascade foothills, either.

- Unparalleled beauty

The mountains east of Marblemount on Hwy 20 are as spectacular as any I've seen. Was in Montana last fall, Glacier National Park, and while also spectacular I thought the vistas from Hwy 20 matched or exceeded some of it.

The arid central and east WA are a bit blah.

Personally, I think California has the greatest natural beauty of any state, from the most blasted (and gorgeous) desert dunes in Death Valley to soaring mountains of the Sierra Nevada and the (very) rainy northwest (Eureka, Crescent City). And much more.

- Not too overcrowded but not desolate

See above: easy to get away from it all here. California, you have to work a bit harder to escape.

- Pacific Ocean AND Puget Sound

Can't argue with that, though the water's cold. Cold in CA, too.

- Borders Canada giving WA residents the option of a weekend trip up to world-class Vancouver

'Betcha!

- Live-and-let-live attitude

(Chuckle): not compared to San Francisco, where I lived seven years. This place is a police state compared to there. Ups and downs to that, in my opinion (the order vs. chaos argument). Now that I own property and have stuff to lose, a little more police is good. When footloose and fancy-free in CA, I preferred "real" freedom.

- Mild climate compared to to some other areas of the US.

Some, not others. Hot and wet or hot n' dry parts of the country have an appeal, too. Parts of WA are like that, too, but more high-desert (cold, but dry, in the winter).

- Tons of outdoor activities

In-season, yes. Out of season, it's wild country. Venture deep in the Cascades during winter at your peril (violent storms, raging rivers). Rather spectacular, the latter, when viewed up-close-and-personal.

- Even reasonable cost of living in most of the state

Most of it. Seattle metro, not so much. Depends on your employability, I suspect. If you are employed, with plans to stay that way, it's a paradise.

I like it here, and I'm staying (15 years and counting). I'd live in SF Bay Area if money were no object, most likely, or perhaps central coast. Other than NY State, however, few if any states are as woefully mismanaged as CA. Back when I had little, squeezing blood from a turnip was if-anything rather amusing: I made OK money (professional), lived without much reserve, and had a steady job for seven years. Left with not much more than I arrived with, which was a bummer. Now, however, I have lots to lose and will not be taxed to death by Socialists and their cronies. CA is heading for a fall, but when...we know not.

All that considered, WA State is indeed one of the garden spots in the U.S.: agreed.

- Any MORE reasons?

Abundance of both clean air and fresh water. Water will be an increasingly scarce commodity worldwide in the coming decades. We're in a good place.

[PS90]

Originally Posted by Blondebaerde

The arid central and east WA are a bit blah.

I really hope this is a general consensus. The worst thing that could possibly happen to Eastern WA would be to ruin it with too many people.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by PS90

I really hope this is a general consensus. The worst thing that could possibly happen to Eastern WA would be to ruin it with too many people.

Most certainly you don't want VOTERS from We_tside who can't read a ballot statement and discern the truth / implications to WA economy.

Just keep them AWAY, by requiring a 'rationale' test to cross the pass.
No sense, no entry!

I don't think you have much to worry about, (except for CA and OR transplants, and the hoards of illegals who now come to WA for Driver's license, since OR got TOUGH (er).)

[cjg5]

Originally Posted by PS90

I really hope this is a general consensus. The worst thing that could possibly happen to Eastern WA would be to ruin it with too many people.

Don't worry, TONS of people on this side dislike Eastern Washington as a place to live. I am not one of them. Would LOVE to call Eastern WA home! What is REALLY ruining Eastern WA are the vacation home owners, building mcmansions and driving up land prices and building on nature just to spend a weekend or two of the summer there a year.