Help with where to live in Seattle area

[michelea6]

My husband has the possibility of a job with Boeing and would be working at Boeing Field.  I have never even been to Washington other than a layover at the Seattle airport so I do not even know where to begin.  We have 4 kids.  We are planning to homeschool some if not all (right now 2 are homeschooled and 2 attend school).  I want to homeschool them all but he's not quite on board with that yet.  So, I guess we should be looking somewhere that the schools are ok as well or if there is a Catholic school option.  Would any of you be able to help?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Wallingford is a nice area.  West Seattle can be ok but you need to be away from WhiteCenter (high gang activity).  There is a Catholic school in West Seattle.  If you are willing to commute across Lake Washington then the schools tend to be better.  Bellevue has some nice Catholic schools and the school district is top notch.  A lot depends on what you can afford.  This is a  high cost of living area and you really do get what you pay for.  

[Jean in Newcastle]

Holy Rosary - that's the one!  I blanked on the name.  

[Wolfmeis]

My husband has the possibility of a job with Boeing and would be working at Boeing Field.  I have never even been to Washington other than a layover at the Seattle airport so I do not even know where to begin.  We have 4 kids.  We are planning to homeschool some if not all (right now 2 are homeschooled and 2 attend school).  I want to homeschool them all but he's not quite on board with that yet.  So, I guess we should be looking somewhere that the schools are ok as well or if there is a Catholic school option.  Would any of you be able to help?

 

Homeschooling in Washington state is GREAT!   We've been here for 9 years now (Pierce county for 8 1/2 of that) and you're going to have a lot of fun with that. 

[msjones]

How much money do you have to spend on a house? 

 

 

[msjones]

Also, which Boeing?  Everett?  Renton?  Or South Seattle?  

[michelea6]

We're military so we'd rather rent (if we can) since we'll be there 3 years at most unless we decide to retire there (almost time to make that decision :001_smile: ).  If he gets this job he'll be working at Boeing (at the King Co. Airport).  To add complications we are moving from overseas (Japan).  He will have some co-workers that he'll be able to talk to about where to live etc. once we know for sure that we are going there.  Thank you so much for all of your help so far.  I would like to homeschool all of the kids but I still need to convince DH of that.  He is just worried that it is too much.  Our kids are 11, 9, 7 and 4.  We will get BAH (basic allowance for housing) to offset housing costs but I don't know how much that is yet.

[Mom in High Heels]

So is he going to be stationed at JBLM?  Is he army?  I'm confused.

[michelea6]

He's AF and I'm not sure how it is going to work.  He would be working on the new tanker program.  So, I don't know if he'd technically be assigned to JBLM and just work over at Boeing Field.  Hopefully we'll get an official answer soon about the job and then again hopefully I'll know the answers to some of your questions.  Thanks!

[gardenmom5]

My husband has the possibility of a job with Boeing and would be working at Boeing Field.  I have never even been to Washington other than a layover at the Seattle airport so I do not even know where to begin.  We have 4 kids.  We are planning to homeschool some if not all (right now 2 are homeschooled and 2 attend school).  I want to homeschool them all but he's not quite on board with that yet.  So, I guess we should be looking somewhere that the schools are ok as well or if there is a Catholic school option.  Would any of you be able to help?

is he an engineer?

first piece of advice.  boeing runs from Everett to kent.  just because he's at boeing field (south seattle), doesn't mean he won't be somewhere else later. my bil started across from boeing field.  he's been everywhere from Everett to currently kent.  He lives in Redmond, leaves very early, comes home early and misses the worst of the traffic.  he also works an extra 30 mins per day and has every other Friday off.)  when he moved here, I told and told and told my brother buy somewhere in the middle.   he didn't listen (he also wanted turn key fancy.  not in his Midwest price range, though there were homes he could afford that needed updating and polishing.). . . . . he bought up in mill creek because he worked in Everett.  then he was commuting to kent.  it  wasn't pretty.  (three+ hours a day in a car in heavy traffic.)

 

commutes are measured in time, not miles.   the biggest obstacles to commutes are hills and lakes. 

 

if there is even the remotest chance they will have time in public school - my advice is stay out of seattle schools. 

school districts:

northshore

Bellevue

lake Washington (huge district - bothell, Woodinville, Redmond, kirkland)

Issaquah

 

all have good schools.  as in any district, some are better than others.

 

there are some good catholic schools.  there is at least one catholic high school on the eastside in Bellevue. and another in seattle that kids commute to.

 

the further from the "center of the storm", the less land prices are, so lower average housing costs.  you will make that up in commute times and wear and tear on your car.  so, either way, you will pay.

 

my dd bought a house last week - and her agent can win a multiple offer house.  the best houses do not last more than a few days.  redfin.com get's the mls listings the day after they hit.  I was stalking it.  we toured it the same day it hit redfin and she put in an offer than night. I may have found the house (the agent's info was on automatic and came out once a day.  I was stalking)  - but her agent won her that house with how she wrote up the offer in a three-offer sale that was accepted before the weekend when there was an average of 10 tours a day and multiple more people who wanted to put in an offer.  (the listing agent took the lockbox off to keep people out.)  there are decent houses that are not priced well that end up sitting, and if you can knock them down in price, you can keep an option open.

 

I would suggest you go to redfin.com (which is the best non real estate agent site for this area), and set up your search parameters to get an idea of what you can afford and where.

if you want to contact me off list, I'll give you the agents contact information, and a fabulous mortgage broker (so says dh who started in auditing and has seen a lot of them in his career.)

[mamatohaleybug]

Well, I lived in Burien (near White Center) and wouldn't recommend it. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't ideal. We ended up moving to Issaquah. LOVED living there even though my commute to Ballard was a pain. Issaquah has great schools and is a lovely place to live. There are many wonderful areas to live in the Seattle area.

 

When you know more be sure to update. :)

 

 

[msjones]

Be prepared for some unbelievably high rent rates.  I wouldn't want to be renting in this area right now -- sorry.

 

If my husband were going to work at the S. Seattle Boeing Field (a.k.a. King County Airport) I think I'd aim for the Normandy Park area.  Short commute and some really lovely but modest neighborhoods --close to some nice parks on the water and not  too far from all the stuff to do in the city.

 

I would not want to go from JBLM to S. Seattle each day.  That would be a horrendous commute of at least an hour each way.  

[vonfirmath]

is he an engineer?

first piece of advice.  boeing runs from Everett to kent.  just because he's at boeing field (south seattle), doesn't mean he won't be somewhere else later. my bil started across from boeing field.  he's been everywhere from Everett to currently kent.  He lives in Redmond, leaves very early, comes home early and misses the worst of the traffic.  he also works an extra 30 mins per day and has every other Friday off.)  when he moved here, I told and told and told my brother buy somewhere in the middle.   he didn't listen (he also wanted turn key fancy.  not in his Midwest price range, though there were homes he could afford that needed updating and polishing.). . . . . he bought up in mill creek because he worked in Everett.  then he was commuting to kent.  it  wasn't pretty.  (three+ hours a day in a car in heavy traffic.)

 

I worked for Boeing for 5 years (plus another ~2 as a Kelly Temp).  Started down in South Renton, moved over to across from Boeing Field. Then back to Central Renton. Then North Renton. Then my job went away and I started a new job up at Everett.  Lived in Bellevue the whole time. The commute across the bridge to Seattle-Boeing wasn't too bad. (at the time. A new toll on 520 could have changed the whole picture). I had an hour commute each way to Everett. (Luckily, I drove against traffic each way.) I learned to LOVE audio books.

 

A bedroom community in the area that isn't a whole lot farther away, but tended to have cheaper rents at the time was Newcastle. (its often overlooked. But if you find Bellevue too expensive and renton too far away its worth a look. Nice community, quiet. They were putting a new KCLS library in across from our rental opening shortly after we left.

 

Oh the King County Library system is AWESOME.

[Mnemosyne]

If he does end up working closer to JBLM, DuPont and Steilacoom are amazing areas with pretty good schools.

[Cafdog]

Former West Seattle resident here - I lived in the "Junction" neighborhood, and loved it!  (It broke my heart to move down to CA.)  The Alki neighborhood is wonderful but spendy.  The further south you go toward White Center, the higher the crime...but the houses are much more affordable.  The public schools are nothing great, but Holy Rosary is a good private school.  I would love to be back in West Seattle - jealous of your move!

 

[Lanny]

I second what PP(s) wrote about they might move his project to another location! The first time I worked under contract to Boeing Aerospace, my group was South of Seattle.  It was South of Seattle, on I-5.  Much more relaxed there and I was staying in that area. About 20 or 30 minutes from Boeing Field,  if it wasn't rush hour...  Then, they moved our project to Boeing Field...   

 

On a recommendation of a friend who was living with her family North of Seattle, I got a masseuse (with a "SECRET" clearance). She was also working at Boeing Field and she lived in Federal Way, which is farther South from Seattle. 

 

I also worked under contract to Boeing in Everett, which is North of Seattle. There is a Navy base in Everett, but I think you wrote that your DH is AF.

 

As others have written, it is a high rent area. And, costly to buy there.  GL 

 

P.S.

I was once on a flight from DFW to Seattle and passengers seated nearby told me that the company they worked for (not Boeing) gave the employees a "mental health day" off, if it rained for 30 consecutive days...  Boeing doesn't do that...

[Jean in Newcastle]

Former West Seattle resident here - I lived in the "Junction" neighborhood, and loved it!  (It broke my heart to move down to CA.)  The Alki neighborhood is wonderful but spendy.  The further south you go toward White Center, the higher the crime...but the houses are much more affordable.  The public schools are nothing great, but Holy Rosary is a good private school.  I would love to be back in West Seattle - jealous of your move!

The Junction is a good neighborhood.  Alki is spendy but . . . depending on where you live,  you might have to deal with cruising (even though it is illegal and there are patrols).  I lived technically in W. Seattle but on the very border of West Seattle and WhiteCenter.  I had a high speed car chase end up in my yard and heard multiple gunshots from drive-bys every week.  It was a huge stretch financially but we ended up moving to the Eastside from there and haven't regretted it one minute.  Our neighbors here on the Eastside commuted to Holy Rosary for school so it does have a good reputation.  Forest Ridge is a Catholic school with a good reputation in Bellevue.  

[TrixieB]

P.S.

I was once on a flight from DFW to Seattle and passengers seated nearby told me that the company they worked for (not Boeing) gave the employees a "mental health day" off, if it rained for 30 consecutive days...  Boeing doesn't do that...

 

Assuming the passengers worked in Seattle, they're still waiting for that day off.  There hasn't been a stretch of 30 consecutive rainy days since 1953.

[gardenmom5]

. Issaquah has great schools and is a lovely place to live. There are many wonderful areas to live in the Seattle area.

 

When you know more be sure to update. :)

 

Issaquah - old indian word meaning speed trap.  ;p  says a friend who grew up there. 

what side of 90 are you?

 

Oh the King County Library system is AWESOME.

yep.

how do I turn my emotcons back on?  I hover, they show, I click, and nadda.  I think it's my browser . .  . .

[michelea6]

Thank you so much for your help thus far.  As soon as I have more details I'll be back with more questions I'm sure!

[LucyStoner]

Seattle is an extremely safe city on the whole for its size and while the rental market is tight there are pockets of affordability. There are lots of Catholic K-8 schools. I've lived all over around here and never felt unsafe. Beacon Hill is a less expensive neighborhood I haven't seen mentioned but is worth looking into and is well located for where you say he would be working. Leschi, Seward Park, Columbia City and parts of West Seattle are places I would look besides Beacon Hill. Further north, Ballard, Queen Anne, Fremont and Wallingford are nice but pricey. We lived in Ballard for a long time but it's kinda a commute PITA. I could walk from my office in Wallingford to our apartment on the far end of Ballard faster than the bus in rush hour because the routes into the neighborhood are so congested. Lake City, Olympic Hills, Greenwood are less expensive options in north Seattle. Shoreline is even more north and the schools are good and not in the Seattle system.