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Old 06-12-2019, 01:08 PM
 
1 posts, read 1,121 times
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DH & I are looking to move up to WA this summer. He has the opportunity to work remote, as long as he has a really good reliable internet. We're having trouble deciding which area we would move to. Possibly Vancouver (midway access to both Oregon & WA Islands), Gig Harbor seems nice, I love Bainbridge but too $$, Juanita area is nice but $$. We don't mind being out a bit to get what we want. There are probably other areas that I am just not aware of.

Things we're looking for:
Housing under $400k (not a giant house but a good yard with room for chickens/veggie gardens). We will rent at first, but this would be our desire down the road.
Daily mountain biking access
SAFE (most important to me)
Just general access to water, hiking, mountains, exploring, kayak/canoe.
Decent access to farmers markets/natural grocery stores but also Target & Costco.
Commutable to somewhere with Software Dev jobs, if DH had to find a new one.
A tad more on the conservative side is always good with me.
No downtown type stuff, more suburb/rural is better.

Thanks!
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Old 06-12-2019, 01:28 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,063 posts, read 106,896,974 times
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Have you looked at the Olympic Peninsula? It has the water sports access you want, biking, farmers' markets (it's farm country), and you can find housing within your budget. Try: Sequim, Port Angeles, Port Townsend (has a bike club), Port Hadlock and Port Ludlow. You might also try Camano Island and Stanwood. There's a development in Port Townsend near Fort Worden Park, that has cozy 2-br. homes within your budget. They're actually classified as townhomes, even though they're single family detached homes with yards. They're well-designed with nice woodwork, and a cast iron stove for a fireplace. Designed as "affordable housing". You may've to wait for one of them to come available. Good internet in all those locations, AFAIK.
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Old 06-12-2019, 01:48 PM
 
Location: PNW
1,660 posts, read 2,671,051 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth View Post
You might also try Camano Island and Stanwood.
This a great suggestion, except the commute through Marysville and Everett would be terrible to an area with software jobs. There are nice places with room for a garden and chickens in Stanwood/Camano area in that price range, and there are farmer's markets and a short commute to big box stores. Camano Is. has lots of trails and some boat launches for kayaking. Some developments have private beach access as well on Camano. The area is on the conservative side. The Stanwood area is one of the nicer ruralish areas north of Seattle that's till commutable. Arlington is another possibility, but it is more sprawly. There's a natural food coop about a half hour north in Mt. Vernon, which OP might look at, too.
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Old 06-12-2019, 01:53 PM
 
21,988 posts, read 15,608,858 times
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OP should consider looking at Eastern Washington. Lower COL and many of the other things on the list plus it's more conservative.
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Old 06-12-2019, 02:35 PM
 
Location: Rochester, WA
14,314 posts, read 11,792,535 times
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Well, I would suggest South Thurston, Lewis, or Mason county. I live and work in this area, have most of my life. There's a number of small towns you could live rurally near for daily gas/groceries/bite to eat and community, while still being commutable to Olympia, Tumwater, Lacey, or Centralia for either major shopping, like Costco, or for a job somewhere up the I-5 corridor.

Olympia/Lacey/Tumwater is getting a lot of press for it's homeless camp problem.... and it IS a problem in town, but I do think it is significant and important to acknowledge, that the overall economy in Olympia, and in the whole surrounding area, is very good. The homeless issue in this area, like many other parts of the country, is a drug problem. There aren't widespread poor or dangerous areas, but there are camps and places right in town where they are living in the woods. IMHO, you can quite easily avoid any direct contact with them. I have no need to ever go where they are. The major shopping areas of Tumwater and Lacey are clean and very safe.

I live in Rochester, a small town 10 miles south of Olympia. We have a farm here with horses and goats and chickens and such. There are many nice homes and small acreages out here for between $300-400K. I might suggest Shelton, Tenino, and also Rainier and Yelm. There are others too. Most are growing. All the small rural communities around here are a little more conservative and libertarian than Olympia.



Check it out.... I'm sure there will be more discussion
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Old 06-12-2019, 02:52 PM
 
Location: Rochester, WA
14,314 posts, read 11,792,535 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Seacove View Post
OP should consider looking at Eastern Washington. Lower COL and many of the other things on the list plus it's more conservative.

And an entirely different climate.

An important question, is what kind of environment the OP is looking for. Washington is thought of as green and damp, but that's not the whole picture, is it... We have everything here, somewhere, rain forest, big timber, wet snowy mountains, dry mountain pines, high desert, lowland flatland agriculture (lots more of this than people realize!), wine country, hills, flats, ocean beaches, inland bays, rivers, canyons.

I think we are a small sampling of most of the geographies and climates found in the US.... we've got everything but palm trees. Not many of those around.
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Old 06-12-2019, 02:57 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,063 posts, read 106,896,974 times
Reputation: 115814
Quote:
Originally Posted by mayfair View Post
This a great suggestion, except the commute through Marysville and Everett would be terrible to an area with software jobs. There are nice places with room for a garden and chickens in Stanwood/Camano area in that price range, and there are farmer's markets and a short commute to big box stores. Camano Is. has lots of trails and some boat launches for kayaking. Some developments have private beach access as well on Camano. The area is on the conservative side. The Stanwood area is one of the nicer ruralish areas north of Seattle that's till commutable. Arlington is another possibility, but it is more sprawly. There's a natural food coop about a half hour north in Mt. Vernon, which OP might look at, too.
The OP said no commute would be involved, unless her husband had to find a new job. Let's hope that doesn't happen. Working remotely is ideal.
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Old 06-12-2019, 02:59 PM
 
Location: Rochester, WA
14,314 posts, read 11,792,535 times
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Read again Ruth..... it might be part of the backup plan...


Commutable to somewhere with Software Dev jobs, if DH had to find a new one.
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Old 06-12-2019, 05:11 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,063 posts, read 106,896,974 times
Reputation: 115814
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook View Post
Read again Ruth..... it might be part of the backup plan...


Commutable to somewhere with Software Dev jobs, if DH had to find a new one.
I know. Read my post again. I mentioned this statement of the OP's, and said, "let's hope that won't be necessary".
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Old 06-12-2019, 05:32 PM
 
Location: Rochester, WA
14,314 posts, read 11,792,535 times
Reputation: 38447
OK - I answered too soon... your follow up wasn't there yet.
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