Where's the best place to live in WA state

[katfzl]

The gulf has shopping, and you're only an hour or so from New Orleans if you're in Mississippi. I've lived in many, many great places, and I love Washington, but the gulf is one of the best. You can buy a historic home in Mobile for $200,000. Air bus is going in, so homes should appreciate. The area is full of culture and amazing food. Mobile isn't as affected by hurricanes as it's in a bay. Ocean Springs is a great, artsy town in Mississippi.

[emeraldine]

Hmm. I don't know if you can find any "real" warm weather in Washington. The climate of the western part of the state will be similar to that of places in northern Europe that are near water. The temperature range is narrower than in many other areas, but it isn't warm unless you go east(and then, it's an 100 degree desert, and still has snowy/frozen winters).

I wonder if you might like St. Augustine, Florida. You'd have the historical, cultural vibe, and weather stays more or less above freezing(you might see two freezes per year, but they're so brief that even citrus trees are safe). It rains profusely in summer, but it stays hot while it rains(honestly, rain makes it even hotter). Winter is the dry season - you might have no rain at all throughout the months of Nov./Dec./Jan. - so, you'd have lower humidity, and you wouldn't "feel" cold. It's possible to walk around at night, in 35 degree weather, wearing short sleeves.

There are plenty of good homes in good neighborhoods in your price range, if not cheaper(maybe far cheaper). A fairly high percentage of these homes(40-60%?) are older homes that have been restored - some are very pretty, and also located in historic neighborhoods. You'd need flood insurance, though - private homeowners' insurance doesn't cover anything important there - and, in Florida, I would suggest not buying directly on the water.

If you do move to Washington, you probably want to go as far to the southwest as you can...maybe even slightly inland for a warmer summer. Even there, though, warmth will be more "relative" than actual - and there won't be much sunlight.

[PrincessoftheCape]

I'm going to throw my hat in on Anacortes. It's a beautiful little town, but has the advantage of not being a tourist trap, instead deriving its economic support from real industry. The town is all-around beautiful, not outrageously expensive, and far enough removed from Seattle to feel like its own place. Now, if only they could take down those horrible, insane cut-outs on the side of the buildings in downtown, it'd be damn near close to perfect.



Yeah... see? I wasn't kidding. Who was conned into giving the green light to put those things up? And they're everywhere.

[tropicgirl]

OMG - what IS that thing?! I agree, it's just silly. I am considering Anacortes as well. Or Port Townsend.
Thanks for your feedback.

[TrueTimbers]

Originally Posted by tropicgirl

OMG - what IS that thing?! I agree, it's just silly. I am considering Anacortes as well. Or Port Townsend.
Thanks for your feedback.

What's "decent shopping" stated in your first post.?

If that is big box stores or chains. Port Townsend is not the place for "shopping".

The town prides itself in keeping it local...

Also the population is under 10,000 and outside of town it is very rural... (Gun rack in back window of truck rural..)

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by TrueTimbers

What's "decent shopping" stated in your first post.?

If that is big box stores or chains. Port Townsend is not the place for "shopping".

The town prides itself in keeping it local...

Also the population is under 10,000 and outside of town it is very rural... (Gun rack in back window of truck rural..)

And, Port Townsend will not have much for $200k, the rain is less than Seattle but still 20" a year, and gets below freezing at times but rarely above 75 even in summer. I would not consider it sunny by any means, it will still be overcast when other areas get rain, and maybe sun for an hour or two in the afternoon. It is historical and somewhat tourist/artsy, but not with cultural ambience.
Think redneck meets hippie.

[TrueTimbers]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

And, Port Townsend will not have much for $200k, the rain is less than Seattle but still 20" a year, and gets below freezing at times but rarely above 75 even in summer. I would not consider it sunny by any means, it will still be overcast when other areas get rain, and maybe sun for an hour or two in the afternoon. It is historical and somewhat tourist/artsy, but not with cultural ambience.
Think redneck meets hippie.

Hey! Watch it there.... We got cultural ambiance...

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Tropicgirl..

Get on the internet and read the local paper, look at the cities web site, come on out and visit.. You do not even say where you are from, so it is real hard to judge what might be a good town for you.

I mean, "tropic" in your user name, makes all of us automatically think it would not be a fit. It is perpetually 50 degrees, basically the same temperature as the ocean, which is not tropical.