Looking to relocate from AZ to WA (Seattle, Spokane: low income, foreclosure)

[bhaz413]

Hey everyone! Looking to relocate from AZ to WA state....been here for over 12 years, kids are graduated and moved on, wife and I need a change of scenery / retire. Tired of the HOA brown walls and 120 degree's. I currently manage a dispensary here in Phoenix, so obviously looking to use my skills up North, but not sure of the best area to move to.

Thoughts?

[CrazyDonkey]

Look at eastern Washington for better housing costs, less density/traffic, less crime, and dryer weather: Wenatchee, Ellensburg, Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, Spokane.

[PartIrish]

I split my time between WA and AZ, so here are the questions that in my experience are good to ask yourself:

1. Why WA? Other than a change of scenery, as you mention. Are you interested in outdoor activities? Want to be near water? If so, lakes or the sea? If it's the sea, you will need to get used to a lot of rain, drizzle and grey skies. If you prefer lakes, you can consider the central/eastern part of the state but the cost will be lots of snow in the winter.

2. Do you plan to rent or to buy a place to live? Home prices and rents in WA are considerably higher than AZ. What is your budget, as that may determine locations open to you.

Beyond these questions, I can say that WA is a welcome change from AZ in many ways. As you know, the expanded hot season in AZ has shut down most outdoor activities other than swimming for at least 6 months of the year. Summers in WA are spectacular--you can enjoy the outdoors during the part of year with the longest days.

[bhaz413]

Originally Posted by PartIrish

I split my time between WA and AZ, so here are the questions that in my experience are good to ask yourself:

1. Why WA? Other than a change of scenery, as you mention. Are you interested in outdoor activities? Want to be near water? If so, lakes or the sea? If it's the sea, you will need to get used to a lot of rain, drizzle and grey skies. If you prefer lakes, you can consider the central/eastern part of the state but the cost will be lots of snow in the winter.

2. Do you plan to rent or to buy a place to live? Home prices and rents in WA are considerably higher than AZ. What is your budget, as that may determine locations open to you.

Beyond these questions, I can say that WA is a welcome change from AZ in many ways. As you know, the expanded hot season in AZ has shut down most outdoor activities other than swimming for at least 6 months of the year. Summers in WA are spectacular--you can enjoy the outdoors during the part of year with the longest days.

1. Looking for a change of weather, scenery, no hoa block walls, hot summers, cannabis friendly since its the industry I am in. Totally prepared for the weather, I grew up in the North East.

2. Buy. Going to sell our home in AZ, looking to stay under 280k. Looking to downsize from a 2 story 2000ft house to something 1200 or so.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

Look at eastern Washington for better housing costs, less density/traffic, less crime, and dryer weather: Wenatchee, Ellensburg, Tri-Cities, Walla Walla, Spokane.

Unless you do really want to avoid high summer temps. If so, you'd probably prefer Western WA. More rain, though. You've heard about the rain? But the weather's getting drier in W WA, too; drier summers that last longer than they used to.

[jacqueg]

Originally Posted by bhaz413

1. Looking for a change of weather, scenery, no hoa block walls, hot summers, cannabis friendly since its the industry I am in. Totally prepared for the weather, I grew up in the North East.

2. Buy. Going to sell our home in AZ, looking to stay under 280k. Looking to downsize from a 2 story 2000ft house to something 1200 or so.

You'll have a hard time doing that in the more popular areas of the state.

And a lot of the less popular areas of the state are not necessarily marijuana-friendly. Be sure you understand the latitude that the Washington law gives to municipalities when it comes to siting your shop.

Also, the last I heard, there are too many dispensaries for the market in some areas. Good for buyers like me. But maybe not for you.

You might want to check out these folks for business info - https://mjba.net

[Hemlock140]

Our next door neighbors moved here from AZ about 4 years ago. It was interesting to see how they were so afraid of the 80-100' tall fir and cedar trees. In fact they had two in their yard taken out after the first big wind blew one of their 25' branches into my yard. Other than that, they have been very happy here in Sammamish with their two boys. Their house was a fixer foreclosure and they got it for just under $500k, now valued at about $800k.

I would look north of Seattle, to more affordable places that have more "customers" like Everett, Marysville, Burlington.

[MechAndy]

I am sorry to say this but ,
420 is a cheap low income way of life up here unless you are a bootlegger.
So get ready for minimum wage.

I’m not a hater,
Some of my family does that stuff in the emerald triangle in NorCal.
They actually make good money at it but they are bootleggers.

You are actually not allowed to even grow a private personal garden here.

If you have management skills you might use you skills for a different source of income.

Once again I am not a hater but you gotta know the real deal.
Big money if you are illegal.
Square money here if you use your skills legally.

Most legit people here that are not techies have to work hard for their living and wear several different hats here to make this work.

Unless you are well off enough not to need an income you might have to wear several different hats to make ends meet.

Also what is your budget?
Anything nice is expensive.
No ifs ands or butts about it.
It just ain’t cheap .

You want a cheap trailer with yucky neighbors that lack in dental care?
Well yes...that is doable.

You want a good life with decent neighbors?
It is going to cost a bit more than where you came from.

Good luck to you.
All the best.
Andy

[Diana Holbrook]

You can still find places under $300K if you are willing to be out of town, perhaps in a MFH, perhaps South of here in Lewis County, or West of Rochester along Highway 12 toward the ocean. Lots of very affordable housing in Grays Harbor County. You'd have to want to be fully immersed in the change in climate. The ocean is consistently cooler, wetter, and greyer than it is inland, even.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by bhaz413

2. Buy. Going to sell our home in AZ, looking to stay under 280k. Looking to downsize from a 2 story 2000ft house to something 1200 or so.

Look in Shelton, Aberdeen. Maybe Forks (though it's a conservative area, that may change) and on down the coast from there. A better approach to finding what you want might be to research your industry and find locations where others are doing something similar. If it's even doable in WA; according to Mech Andy, it isn't, legally.