Why do people say that Washington State is not a nice state anymore? (Seattle: house, neighborhoods)

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by grega94

So far in Western WA we haven’t had any issues with Smoke, I went hiking up at Sunrise on Mt Rainier yesterday and it was clear blue skies as far as the eye could see. That being said I wouldn’t be surprised if the smoke comes rolling in mid august and will probably last until mid September once the start of the rainy season washes out the haze. July is probably the best month to visit WA at this point if you want warm sunny days with no risk of smoke

I don't mind rainy days. Maybe early October would be best. Thanks for your response.

Though in the past, there have been heat waves lasting into October, haven't there? *sighhh* It's all so unpredictable nowadays...

[SeattleCat]

I made the move to WA from AZ 27 years ago. Moved to Seattle with nothing but a beat up pickup truck, a couple grand saved up, and a few personal belongings. I'm thankful every day I made the move both professionally and for quality of life. Arizona has its own beauty, but the Sound, the mountains, the beaches, blow anything in AZ away. I occasionally miss the sun in the winter but that's it. Politics don't really bother me too much either way, but I see how people can be frustrated by the homeless issues and COL increases. Not sure there are easy answers to either though.

[grega94]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

I don't mind rainy days. Maybe early October would be best. Thanks for your response.

Though in the past, there have been heat waves lasting into October, haven't there? *sighhh* It's all so unpredictable nowadays...

Even if there is a string of nice warm sunny days in October as was the case last year, there is like 0 chance of smoke, I think the wind direction changes or something by that point. But yes last year our October was glorious, if it pans out to be similar this year I would definitely recommend it, probably best to try and make it in the first half of the month, although last year I think it wa the end of October that ended in a bang, I remember going out to Ruston and the Tacoma water front on Halloween and it being very sunny that day.

[pnwguy2]

Tri cities has avoided smoke so far this summer. 2019 and 2020 not so much. The location of this years fires combined with little wind has spared us here. Of course there is a long way to go in fire season this year.

[josie13]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Nothing to do with natural beauty....just impossible to stay... for many who slaved and invested to make the state great, and a High QoL for others.

Are you a WA farmer, builder, employer, business owner? (with a high capital investment?).

Legislation has made it nearly impossible to do the above. When that is your livelihood, you may need to leave WA to remain profitable.

If you are a previous long-term WA resident and now retired with minimal or no income... you may be forced to relocate due to high property tax increases and zero income.. my property taxes were 1/100th my income when I retired. They are now 1/3rd of my total enabled income. That leaves little remaining $ for food, insurance, and none for entertainment or such necessities as gas. (Fortunately my fuel is free homebrew).

Many nice places to live have been ruined for those who invested their lives to make it so.

Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Colorado.... Poof, gone for locals, no longer home. Politics is a whole nuther story...

In King County, if you were born in 1959 or earlier and your income is less than $58,423, then you are eligible for significant, permanent cuts in your property taxes. There are other programs for property tax deferrals/reduction in King County for other types of eligible homeowners.

Does your county offer similar tax relief programs?

https://kingcounty.gov/depts/assessor/TaxRelief.aspx

[dogflower]

I’m curious…does the wildfire smoke really linger at the western edges of the OP? I would think that the westerly winds keep the air pretty clear, not like Central Oregon these past few summers.

[pnwguy2]

It is a crapshoot. It has everything to do with wind direction. It’s like a lottery, you take your chances.

[MechAndy]

It is indeed a crapshoot but in my area the wind normally comes from the west.
I have only seen it smokey here once in 3 years but those couple of days were duzzies.

[Botev1912]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

Tri cities has avoided smoke so far this summer. 2019 and 2020 not so much. The location of this years fires combined with little wind has spared us here. Of course there is a long way to go in fire season this year.

Interesting. Seattle area had no smoke at all in 2019.

[Mopac1980]

Originally Posted by Botev1912

Interesting. Seattle area had no smoke at all in 2019.

We had very little smoke in Eastern Washington back in 2019, it was a return to norm after the Summers of 2017 and 2018.