Yakima v. Ellensburg or other suggestions. (Seattle, Tacoma: real estate market, low crime, loan)

[cjjohn]

I am looking at purchasing some land around the general area of Yakima, and was hoping to get some answers to some questions and suggestions of other places if you think there is a better option.

Basically what I am looking for is a retreat. I am a computer programmer, and would like some place quiet and cheap where I can be left alone when I am working on projects, but still have access to city or town amenities when I feel like being social or taking a break.

The land I have been looking at has been in the upper hills of Yakima and Ellensburg. Most of the lots appear pretty bare, but have spectacular views. The parcel I am most interested in is northeast of Yakima on the south side of the hills. Here are my questions:

1. Aside from being arid or bare, are there any other reasons why land in that area is undesirable?
2. What are the taxes like in rural WA? Are there personal property taxes on vehicles?
3. If there is electric to the property, is cable or dsl internet usually present along with it?
4. Are there any crazy pests in those areas that I should know about, I can't stand mosquitoes and am hoping that the lack of precip = not too many mosquitoes. I also have a geriatric dog that I don't want to get eaten.
5. How bad is the wind on those unexposed hills?
6. I noticed some people have decent yards amidst the sagebrush, is that just a matter of having water brought in? What kind of soil is present?
7. Does water need to be brought in, or are wells usually dug?
8. What do you know about the area/land that you would want someone to tell you about if you didn't know about it before you bought.

Any other suggestions of areas to look? I am open, my only real requirements are:

1. The land is relatively inexpensive because I don't want to take out a loan, probably $30,000 or less.
2. It should be peaceful with a great view.
3. At least 5 acres, but preferably more than 10.
4. Do not want to be right next to neighbors.
5. Close enough to a town that offers most modern amenities (decent grocery, gym, restaurants, etc.) that a daily drive would not be prohibitive 20-30 min max.
6. I would like to stay within a 3 hour drive of Tacoma or Seattle

Thanks for any help!

CJ

[Hemlock140]

We have spent time and looked at homes in both places for potential retirement, with low prices and large properties priorities. We eliminated Ellensburg because of the wind, Yakima because of the high crime rate. We saw a lot of sketchy activity there and looked it up. Here we are rated 83 of 100 for crime (100 being safest) and Yakima is rated 5. Up in the hills may be better but you still have to go into the city for the other things you want.mas for pests, they do have rattlesnakes in both places though it's not a huge problem. Wenatchee may be a place to consider.

[Tall Traveler]

I pretty much agree with Hemlock on the respective assessments of Yakima & Ellensburg.

I also recommend Wenatchee as a prettier and nicer area. Chelan is gorgeous if you don't mind small town.

We recently went through this exercise and decided on Richland as it's big enough for commercial activity, restaurants, bike trails, river activities, safe and clean, inexpensive, 3.5 hours to Seattle, more sun and warmer than anywhere in the PNW. Biggest negative is the Hanford Nuclear site....we considered it and accepted the risk as it doesn't appear to have a higher rate of cancer than other similar sized cities.

How about Cle Elum? Yes it's small but it's really close to Seattle and is a gorgeous area....just snow to deal with in winter.

[pnwguy2]

As already stated, the wind is more evident in Ellensburg due to the Cascade downdrafts. It also is colder than Yakima year-round.

Crime in Yakima is certainly an issue, but I would suppose this is contained in some parts of the city.

Ellensburg does offer a nice college atmosphere, something Yakima does not.

I would say both have positives and negatives. Just go with what is important to you.

The Tri-Cities, just 65 miles east of Yakima offers a great climate and low crime-rates. Disclosure, it does get hot in the summer with 90+ temps frequent.

[509]

Chelan, Douglas, and Grant Counties just north and east of Yakima County all have had fiber internet for almost 15 years now. You can get 1Gbps service in all those counties and the service includes some rural areas.

The problem is finding land for $30,000 in those counties, though it is possible in some areas. You just have to look long and hard. The good news is that the local Public Utility Districts all have maps showing the areas with fiber service.

However, if land has fiber service is it priced higher in the current real estate market since people are willing to pay much more for property with fiber access.

I would focus my search for property in those counties rather than Yakima.

The landscape is similar, but much more scenic than Yakima County.

[cjjohn]

Is the wind in Ellensburg constant or is it just on particular days/seasons? The huge pros I had for Ellensburg is that it is a college town so I could take one class and have access to high speed internet for work if I couldn't get it at my property, plus colleges usually have decent recreation facilities. I have also heard that Yakima air quality is not the best, I would assume that winds would wash out the air in Ellensburg. Is Yakima air quality poor?

Hemlock - What kind of sketchy stuff did you notice? And was it concentrated in areas or all over the place? My current zip code is 63044, and we have a neighborhood scout crime safety rating of 1, but I have never felt unsafe here. Although, being in an area with little to no crime would be a rather pleasant change. Hearing about crime everyday almost makes one feel victimized in a way. Where did you end up settling on? Did you experience the winds of Ellensburg first hand? Were they extreme, constant, heavy? Will take a look at wentachee properties tomorrow.

Tall traveler - I would love to live in Cle Elum, and have The Brick as as regular hangout! The amount of land I can get for the price is the issue there though. I really want my space with the property I purchase. I will do some searches for Wenatchee and Chelan tomorrow, thanks for the suggestions.

Pnwguy2 - Yeah, I think the Tri-Cities are getting further from Seattle than I want to go, I also hate hot summers, it is one of the big reasons I want to get out of St. Louis. How much colder is Ellensburg than Yakima? I like the sound of that.

Thanks for all the input, it is really helpful!

One note: I'm not looking for a place of permanent residence and don't plan on making large life tying improvements to the property. I just want something simple with low taxes that I will own outright. With my job, I may not be in the Seattle area for a long time, so if I had to leave in 4 or 5 years, I don't want something that is going to kill me in taxes or that I have to stress over while I am not around. I'm thinking of a simple 750-800ft structure with more deck than indoor living space. My primary residence will be in Tacoma for the foreseeable future.

[cjjohn]

Thanks for the info 509! Very helpful!

[American Expat]

My thoughts on Ellensburg is it's a nice little college town. We often stop there for coffee and/or gas and more times than not, the wind is really blowing hard. It would be nice to get the perspective of someone that lived or lives there and maybe there are some areas near there that are blocked by mountains from getting high winds.


My daughter and husband went to Yakima recently for a soccer tournament and they were spooked....she said it didn't 'feel safe.' Like most places, it probably has some nice areas that are great, I just wouldn't put Yakima on my desirable to live list.


Wenatchee would probably be my choice.

[ctr88]

I don't quite get the big draw of Eastern WA just because you can a bit more sun in the shoulder seasons (winter is near as gloomy as western wa and much colder). And summers are so much nicer and greener on the west side with more water. I find the landscape very brown and less attractive on the East side. I guess its all about the additional sun you get April, May, June and Oct, and maybe that makes it worth it.

[cjjohn]

ctr88 for me it is simply cost of land, space and freedom. If I could even afford out of pocket the land size I would want on the west side, that land would probably come with requirements about how big my structure has to be, and all other sorts of nonsense. It would also probably come with a hefty personal property tax bill once I built or made improvements. Aside from the county coming out to make sure my wastewater and utilities are installed to code, and my structure is sound, I don't want to be bothered by them.