Seattle question

[Janeway]

Just asking...

 

My husband's product has moved to Seattle. His boss and his boss's boss both say they would give him a glowing recommendation to go there. However, when I look up Seattle and Redmond specifically, the property values are so high, it just seems impossible. And, there is a ballet place there for taking classes that is supposed to be amazing, it is in Seattle Proper (not sure if they call it Proper in Seattle, but it is near the Space Needle). 

 

After looking at realtor.com, I told husband that I doubt we could make it work. Then I thought I should run it by here in case there is something I am missing.

[NorthwestMom]

Redmond is an expensive suburb to live in, but there are less-expensive options. It would depend greatly on where you live and where your husband would be working. 

 

Pacific Northwest Ballet is amazing, and there are other good ballet schools here too. 

[Plateau Mama]

Housing prices are insane. Depending on where you are moving from it can be hard but you should also be given a salary adjustment if the COL is significantly higher than where you are coming from. Redmond and anywhere on the Eastside is going to be crazy expensive, you might have to go farther out like Fall City, Duvall, Carnation. Those areas are nice and not too far out.

 

There are good ballet schools on the Eastside. I know PNB had a school on the Eastside but I'm thinking it closed. (I don't have a dancer.). One of my friends does her classes ion the Eastside and both her girls have danced in the PNB Nutcracker several times and done several shows for the big companies so you don't have to go to Seattle to get good instruction.

Edited November 5, 2016 by Plateau Mama

[Janeway]

Redmond is an expensive suburb to live in, but there are less-expensive options. It would depend greatly on where you live and where your husband would be working. 

 

Pacific Northwest Ballet is amazing, and there are other good ballet schools here too. 

I guess I found some houses in northern Seattle that would be about a 20 minute commute to Redmond and about same to PNWB and were affordable, if his pay were the same as it was now, or last week anyway.

[Plateau Mama]

I guess I found some houses in northern Seattle that would be about a 20 minute commute to Redmond and about same to PNWB and were affordable, if his pay were the same as it was now, or last week anyway.

I would not live in Seattle if I worked on in Redmond. (Well, honestly I wouldn't live in Seattle.). Traffic will not be 20 minutes. During rush hour to cross the bridge it will 45-60 minutes if you are not a carpool. Plus the tolls are outrageous.

[LucyStoner]

Nothing north of Queen Anne (which is adjacent to the Seattle Center where PNB is located and where homes are 750k to well more than a million) is a 20 minute commute to PNB unless you are going in the middle of the night. Nothing at all in North Seattle is a 20 minute commute to Redmond unless you are right near the 520 floating bridge (and most of those homes are +\- 1 million) and even then, traffic at peak times makes that commute more than 20 minutes. We are in a near-in northernish burb and it takes about 20-25 minutes in light traffic to drive to my husband's job which is not located in a busy area. In the morning rush that is 40 minimum and in the later afternoon or early evening 1.5 hours would not be at all uncommon. He can consistently beat that on the bike trail or even in the bus.

 

So aside from housing costs there is the issue of traffic. Traffic is really heavy and our rush hour is expanding to fill the whole day.

 

Houses for under 300K:

 

Slim pickings, small,

In need of work and in further out burbs.

 

Houses for under 400k:

 

Same as above but may need less work and be more recently updated.

 

Houses for under or around 500K:

 

This is a starter house closer to the city or on the edges of the city.

 

Most anyplace that is 20 minutes from PNB in the day time is now about 600-700K to get into. My friends just sold their modest house Seattle nearish to Seattle Center on a through street. They got 700k and the buyers thought it was a deal.

 

We are cheap for people coming from San Francisco or similar and expensive for most everyone else.

 

That said, a lot of families rent here, especially if they are on 1 (even high) income. I know many families who have a high quality of life while renting an apartment or small multi family unit. Most families I know who are able to buy into this market and in the city or on the east side have two earners pulling in fairly high paychecks, or a sizable nest egg, or one earner with an executive level salary.

Edited November 5, 2016 by LucyStoner

[LucyStoner]

If working in Redmond, you will get more for your money going east/north to the outer burbs than west to the city and the traffic will be better.

[Loowit]

When DH worked in Redmond for about a year his pay rate was higher to compensate for the rise in the COL.  it would have been enough for us to get a rental house in some of the surrounding areas, but I would never want to live in Seattle, like others I would go north or east.  Our problem was that we couldn't get our house sold where we live so DH rented a room and commuted home on the weekends.  Eventually he was able to get a job closer to home and didn't end up moving.  But when we were looking at opportunities for the kids, including DD who is a dancer, there was a lot available.  The area is nice, but too far from my family for me to really want to move there unless we needed to for a job.

[Lawyer&Mom]

PNB has a school in Seattle and a school in Bellevue on the east side. The Bellevue location is in a temporary site this year as they rebuild their school in a new location. (The old location was in the path of the light rail construction.)

 

There are definitely more affordable suburbs, but they will be farther out and commuting time is a factor. But don't think you will have to go into Seattle for ballet. PNB is staying in Bellevue.

[gardenmom5]

there are less expensive areas in the greater seattle area.  just be realistic.  (you couldn't pay me to live in seattle.)

all commutes are measured in time -not distance.

if he's working in redmond (what part? it's really quite spread out.) - absolutely do not live in seattle.  the *worst* commute right now is seattle to the eastside. and all transportation options are still designed like everyone lives on the eastside and goes to seattle.  that's not what the actual numbers say.

 

I'd use redfin.com. it started here, and I liked it better than realtor.com or zillow.com when looking at houses for my daughter.

 

when you say there is a good ballet school near the space needle (overrated - better views from the columbia center observation deck.  the food isn't very good), I'm going to assume you're talking about the PNBschool.

PNB also has a school in bellevue.  (francia russell center - temporary location while they rebuild their new site) but there are other good ballet schools.

[FaithManor]

Will he get a raise? If you are moving to a higher COL from a lower one, it is not out of line to ask for a significant raise if one is not offered.

 

There are a lot of good reasons to move to the Seattle area.

[LucyStoner]

Will he get a raise? If you are moving to a higher COL from a lower one, it is not out of line to ask for a significant raise if one is not offered.

 

There are a lot of good reasons to move to the Seattle area.

He was laid off so that may be a factor in his bargaining position.

[LucyStoner]

While some people in the area won't live in Seattle, many others won't live outside of Seattle if they can help it. I grew up mostly in the city limits and truthfully the prime reason we are in a suburb now is housing costs. We do most of our homeschooling and other stuff in Seattle so I wouldn't rule out living in the city entirely. Redmond can be a rough commute. Some of the employers, especially Microsoft and some of the hospitals run employee shuttles.

Edited November 5, 2016 by LucyStoner

[Jean in Newcastle]

I don't think that living in Seattle is that bad. I've lived in Queen Anne and West Seattle. It's definitely city living. There are pros and cons.

 

 

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[gardenmom5]

 Redmond can be a rough commute. Some of the employers, especially Microsoft and some of the hospitals run employee shuttles.

MS does have their own shuttle/bus service called "the connector" (they have full size tourist buses on some routes, and in between to mini-van sized.) if you are an actual MS employee - vs - a vendor/contractor/other (and there are a lot of people who work *at* MS that are not MS employees) you can use the shuttle.  if you are not an actual MS employee  - you can't use the shuttle. 

 

mass transit here is iffy.  some places are convenient to use, others are a joke.  it actually motivated 1ds to get his license when he started his first job.  two hours with transfer and one mile walk ONE-WAY, or 20 minutes up the freeway.

 

but first you want to know what exact geographic area he would be working.   businesses in redmond are very spread out (there are at least three office/business centered areas) and that would affect whether going north or east would be the most practical -both from housing cost, and commutes.

[LucyStoner]

I don't think that living in Seattle is that bad. I've lived in Queen Anne and West Seattle. It's definitely city living. There are pros and cons.

 

 

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If it was bad, it wouldn't be that expensive. People want to live there for a reason. As a child at different times we lived in Fremont, Queen Anne, Ballard and West Seattle. As a young adult I lived in the University District, the CD, Beacon Hill and Ballard. We later bought in Lake City. There's nowhere in the city that is bad but there are places where the commutes are awful and there are a lot of places ordinary middle class people can't afford to buy in now. Most of the middle class homeowners in popular Seattle areas have been homeowners for a long time. Edited November 5, 2016 by LucyStoner

[LucyStoner]

MS does have their own shuttle/bus service called "the connector" (they have full size tourist buses on some routes, and in between to mini-van sized.) if you are an actual MS employee - vs - a vendor/contractor/other (and there are a lot of people who work *at* MS that are not MS employees) you can use the shuttle. if you are not an actual MS employee - you can't use the shuttle.

 

mass transit here is iffy. some places are convenient to use, others are a joke. it actually motivated 1ds to get his license when he started his first job. two hours with transfer and one mile walk ONE-WAY, or 20 minutes up the freeway.

 

but first you want to know what exact geographic area he would be working. businesses in redmond are very spread out (there are at least three office/business centered areas) and that would affect whether going north or east would be the most practical -both from housing cost, and commutes.

Transit is very downtown and, to a lesser degree, UW centered. If I am headed downtown or to the UW, busing is more attractive than driving. If I am heading to someplace closer but not on the line that goes from where I am to downtown or to one other transit center taking the bus could eat 1/2 the day. Edited November 5, 2016 by LucyStoner