Westward Expansion?... (Seattle, Port Angeles, Aberdeen: transplants, 2015, renters)

[Truth11]

In 2015 after quite a bit of searching we finally landed a rental near Port Angeles where we'd been looking...in Forks. That was the closest we'd gotten and now apparently witnessing a rapid increase in desire of many to move this way also.
Rentals have gotten so competetive and tight that most rentors are becoming more discriminating. Requiring insane down payments,and very restrictive pet policies etc.
From what I've been researching,this also seems to be becoming the case all along the 'western I-5 corridor' expanding to the coast. I can't tell if it's from the Seattle housing burst,driving many away from the area out this way,or the continuing 'California exodus' where people are getting priced out of that state also.
The closest area from here that I've seen rentals advertised that are still normal is the eastern part of the state and Idaho,but not Boise...that seems to be another growing area.
Either way it's not looking good for the competition here. I've never experienced anything like this on the east coast.

[StealthRabbit]

I've never experienced anything like this on the east coast.

Westward Expansion?...

Yup, since the 1700's

Our county in western WA has been getting 250+ new residents per month for 30 yrs. (CA and OR refugees contribute to over 1/2 of that number)

Westward Expansion?... Brought me to WA from Colorado nearly 40 yrs ago. Tough to go much further west than Forks.

I prefer my renters with pets, go buy their own places. A single pet can cost me ~ 5 yrs earnings. (I am the one with a few hundred thousand dollars in capital property risk / exposure. other tenants complain, fight, are bothered... Do the landlord a favor and BUY a place for your pet (or emotional support companion animal (not legally a PET).)

Good luck, glad you found something, keep it paid up!

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Truth11

In 2015 after quite a bit of searching we finally landed a rental near Port Angeles where we'd been looking...in Forks. That was the closest we'd gotten and now apparently witnessing a rapid increase in desire of many to move this way also.
Rentals have gotten so competetive and tight that most rentors are becoming more discriminating. Requiring insane down payments,and very restrictive pet policies etc.
From what I've been researching,this also seems to be becoming the case all along the 'western I-5 corridor' expanding to the coast. I can't tell if it's from the Seattle housing burst,driving many away from the area out this way,or the continuing 'California exodus' where people are getting priced out of that state also.
The closest area from here that I've seen rentals advertised that are still normal is the eastern part of the state and Idaho,but not Boise...that seems to be another growing area.
Either way it's not looking good for the competition here. I've never experienced anything like this on the east coast.

Rents are still "normal" in SW WA, too--the Willapa Bay Area, & around there.

[CrazyDonkey]

Considering that the supply of rentals in Forks likely hasn't changed much, it wouldn't take much "slop-over" demand from a "full-up" Port Angeles, to drive up rents west of there, even in Forks. A commute from Forks to PA is theoretically doable (1hr/10min) .

California transplants enamored with living close to the Pacific Ocean are in for a rude awakening, once the reality of 120" of annual rainfall hits home. By comparison, Port Angeles, only 56 miles away, but inside the Olympics' rain shadow, gets only 25 inches.

[Jiff]

Originally Posted by Truth11

From what I've been researching,this also seems to be becoming the case all along the 'western I-5 corridor' expanding to the coast. I can't tell if it's from the Seattle housing burst, driving many away from the area out this way,or the continuing 'California exodus' where people are getting priced out of that state also.
.

Yes, westward expansion continues. The Northwest now filling up. Where to escape to now? My forefathers came here in the 19th century for economic reasons. Now add "escaping inhospitable places" to that reason. My street on Camano has ten houses, only mine and two other houses contain natives. The rest are inhabited primarily by CA natives, either direct or by way of a Seattle suburb.

I'm just thankful my ancestors had the opportunity. Had an Asian country discovered the US west coast and populate it like the Europeans did the east cost, Seattle would be New Shanghai by now.

[Truth11]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

I prefer my renters with pets, go buy their own places. A single pet can cost me ~ 5 yrs earnings. (I am the one with a few hundred thousand dollars in capital property risk / exposure. other tenants complain, fight, are bothered... Do the landlord a favor and BUY a place for your pet (or emotional support companion animal (not legally a PET).)

Sounds like too many irresponsible pet owners out west...another thing I've not experienced much of out east. We've had up to 4 dogs at a time,no problem...some people even have exotic pets no problem.
One would think the further west the more tolerant of animals...not so apparently.

[Truth11]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Rents are still "normal" in SW WA, too--the Willapa Bay Area, & around there.

I don't know...I've found pretty similar in the Aberdeen area also. Apparently most don't care about the reputation of that area,alot of drugs etc.

[Truth11]

Originally Posted by Jiff

Had an Asian country discovered the US west coast and populate it like the Europeans did the east cost, Seattle would be New Shanghai by now.

That may also be happening in the Seattle area...it's being said that investors from China are buying up in BC as well as Seattle and that may be another reason for skyrocketing prices.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Truth11

I don't know...I've found pretty similar in the Aberdeen area also. Apparently most don't care about the reputation of that area,alot of drugs etc.

A bit of gentrification has come to those out-of-the-way places, too. Retirees are discovering them, as the last cheap RE in WA State.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Truth11

I don't know...I've found pretty similar in the Aberdeen area also. Apparently most don't care about the reputation of that area,alot of drugs etc.

Aberdeen/Hoquiam/Cosmopolis form a real metropolis, ~26,000 pop., larger than Port Angeles (~20,000 pop.) with a robust supply of legacy houses, but with little "new" being built, which means a relatively small increase in demand can bump up values.

There does seem to be more "quality" houses coming onto the market:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...?fullpage=true (classic house)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7...?fullpage=true (neat house)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...?fullpage=true (wow, wow, wow)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3...?fullpage=true (ignore the awful paint job)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3...?fullpage=true (take the furnishings out and burn them, but wow)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...?fullpage=true (surrounded by trees, huge deck, sauna, hot tub, Mad Men's wet bar, two fireplaces, giant walk-in closet, office, shop area)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...?fullpage=true (43 acres!)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...?fullpage=true (wow, again)

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...?fullpage=true (horse property)