What a shame, but perhaps finding a position with my current agency will be easier in the Tacoma/Olympia area anyway. Its too bad how everything is so over-priced. It'll be interesting to see it all turns out.

If your agency is housed in one of the (2) federal buildings in downtown Seattle, then you could look at Bainbridge Island as a possibility. Lower cost than Seattle, and the federal buildings are very short walks from the ferry terminal where the Bainbridge boats dock. Huge commuter run, second most scenic commute in the USA (after the Staten Island ferry IMO.)

Downtown Tacoma has had quite a renaissance in recent years, and the sorts of tree-zy neighborhoods you're talking about are plentiful in Tacoma (look at the Proctor and Ruston neighborhoods.) Olympia has a small-town feel to it, with a reasonably vibrant downtown due to all the reasonably well-paid State bureaucrats (state capital) who live around.

I believe that until recently you could find a small single-family home in that price range in Kitsap County (a ferry ride away from Seattle) or parts of South King County (Maple Valley, Black Diamond, out toward Enumclaw). However, with recent increases in housing costs here, those may not exist any more. But it is worth asking an agent.

Depending on your federal agency, you may find work available in outlying areas such as Bremerton (which to the astonishment of locals was picked as "most liveable city in the US" by some magazine a few years ago. My former secretary lives there and has a nice little (800 sq.ft.) home with a decent-sized yard. And there may be other communities with similar offerings, if you are willing to look at older homes rather than brand new.

Full disclosure: According to www.weatherbase.com, January is statistically the wettest, most cloudy month in Seattle. Bright side: No matter what you encounter during a January visit, the rest of the year will be better (statistically). I have seen three solid weeks of blue sky in January.

Was that in Mexico, Bob? :-d

I think you could still find a house in that price range out in Enumclaw. But that's not exactly where I'd send a middle-aged single female. Kind of out in the boonies as far as cultivating a social life in a new place.

As a side note, I don't consider the real estate in Seattle "over priced". If it wasn't worth it, people would not purchase it, and things would go down. It's high because people are willing to pay more to live in Seattle.

That's a rather circular argument, don't you think, Sue. There are plenty of people who arrive here for job interviews, take a look at the prices and turn around and go home. I can't give you statistics, but I know of two such people. One was offered a good job at Amazon. He and his wife visited and looked at housing a few times and decided they could not afford it and chose not to move here.

What is overpriced? To me, it's when my children aren't going to be able to afford to live here without our help. And that is reality, at least until they make their first million... :-)

I'm judging by things like a building of expensive condos being 100% sold out *before* the construction is even complete...

But I guess things can be considered "overpriced" even if people are buying them
:-)

I've lived in the Seattle area for almost 48 years, Orcas. The law of averages does work.

Bob, So are you saying prices are coming down?

Well to be a little controversial, its not just Seattle being overpriced. Its happening all over America. I personally believe one reason for it is greed by the banks and sellers. I also think some neighborhoods stay overpriced to keep 'perceived' undesirable people out of them. I'm not speaking of Seattle, but making a more general statement.

And by the way I'd be fine with an older home. I think they hold up better anyway.

katolb90,

I think there are other reasons why the cost of housing is so high in Seattle. Like San Francisco, there are major bodies of water around the city. The entire west side is Puget Sound, and Lake Washington straddles the east side. Access to the city is limited to only a few major highways and a couple of bridges. At rush hour, the highways are very congested. A lot of the housing towards the center commands a premium.

Plus, being on the west coast, we have people moving here from California, where prices have been quite high for some time, so these new residents have a lot to spend on housing. And, you had the high tech boom that affected real estate for several years.

I don't think its so much seller's greed that you mention. Sure the sellers take what they can get, but there have been bidding wars for desirable houses in Seattle for years with buyers willing to pay more than the asking price.

I don't think anyone keeps prices up to keep "undesirables" out. I honestly don't know who would be considered "undersirable." Everyone's dollars are just as green and you need plenty of them to get into even the most basic home in Seattle.

Seattle is not that kind of place imo, at least within the city proper. Most neighborhoods HAVE all kinds of people. The only potential 'undesirables' would be those who can't keep up the mortgage perhaps.

The condo below me sold last year for $4000 above asking price, in just a couple days. I don't think that shows owners greed. Doesn't matter how much a seller would want to ask, unless someone's willing to pay it, doesn't matter. I truly don't see how greed on the part of individual home sellers drives the real estate market in a city. Would you put your home on the market for less than it is worth?

I was referring to the communities all over the country in general, not particularly Seattle. Has there been a slow down in the housing market there? Many parts of the country are in an upside down market. I'm not a homeowner right now, but I have been in the past.

<Has there been a slow down in the housing market there?>

Nope, there has not, nor is it predicted anytime in the near future.

Orcas, for heavens sake!!! I posted that I had seen three weeks of sunshine in January, and someone asked if that was in Mexico. My reply TO THAT POST was that I have lived here long enough for the law of averages to deliver three weeks of sunshine. How did that get transmogrified into housing prices???

bob, I knew what you were referring to, but it was the location of your second post (after several discussing housing prices) that made it confusing.

I'm just wondering katolb90, when I go to sell my house in the San Francisco suburbs, would you expect me to take less than people are offering, as in, "I'll pay you $2.0 million for your house", "Oh no, don't do that, I'll give it to you for $1.5 million" :)

I think I'll try that economic theory at Macy's next time I want a pair of shoes I think is overpriced :)

Bobmrg, that is pretty funny. It was the location under all the talk of housing prices and I was struggling to figure out what the heck you were talking about. It would be nice if housing prices did come down, though. As for the weather, where's the sunshine, is what I want to know.

I'm not Orcas1 for lack of a password. Maybe I'll have mine back soon.

if you love sunshine and perfect weather check out San Diego.

I have lived in SD for 40 some years and i have to say, i love Portland, Ore. I fly up every 6 weeks or so to visit my granddaugher and kids.

I think Portland is such a dynamic and exciting city - that I never even notice the weather. There is too much else going on.

Consider Boise - not as big, but actually interesting, and no rain. Have to like the outdoors, but they aren't without culture. Must live in the city, not burbs.

There is no answer to your question. It is of the kind of which Tevye famously said, "Would cross a rabbi's eyes."

Currently 71 with a blazingly blue sky today in the Seattle area.

Count me as one of those who's never seen the "weeks on end" overcast/rainy weather. A stretch of days maybe, but certainly not weeks. Personally speaking, January is the only month that I absolutely hate weather wise with November being the runner up. Oddly enough, we tend to get gorgeous and clear days more often than one would think in December. I'd enjoy them more if it wasn't so bloody cold without clouds. :)

I'm sold. I live in Raleigh, NC. If you want trees, trees, and more trees, to the point of not being able to see a darn thing, Raleigh is your town. Trees and concrete. I'm done. I'm in my 50's and I want mountains and water and I want to SEE something when I get to where I'm going. For me it was between Denver and Seattle. I've been researching for 2 years. Fifteen minutes ago I just made up my mind. Seattle won. I love gray, overcast skies. I flourish in "gray". Sunshine is way over-rated if you ask me and I have a son who flies for US Air so I can visit Hawaii or Florida when I need a yearly dose of sun. I can't wait to move. I'm not buying, I'm renting. I'm a closing coordinator for a commercial real estate firm and my husband is in the hospitality industry. If we can find jobs, we're coming. Well, we're coming anyhow and we'll worry about jobs when we get there. Thanks to all of you who posted and helped me make up my mind. Life is too short to be living somewhere you hate.

C'mon.....er, up! We're waiting for you!

Can anyone let me know what area to look for apartments in Seattle that has the best view of the mountains? Or IS there a view of Mt. Ranier from anywhere in Seattle??

I will let those who actually live in Seattle proper give you advice on neighborhoods.

I would like to say that while Mount Rainier is The Mountain and it seems to follow one like the eyes in a painting, it's not the only one. With the Cascades to the east and the Olympics to the west, this area is literally surrounded by mountains and on clear days, you can see them from anywhere that has an open vantage point. You can't escape 'em. :)

Sure, there's a view of Mt Rainier from loads of places (my apartment on Capitol Hill for one of them!) when it's "out" (it's covered in clouds many days).

Throw in the entire Cascade and Olympic ranges and plenty of apartments, condos, and homes look at one of these beautiful sights.

For rentals in great neighborhoods, located centrally, I'll recommend: Capitol Hill, First Hill, Central District, and Madison Park are ones I personally like best.

A bit further out and somewhat more urban-suburban in feel but still convenient: Madrona, Leshi, Greenlake, Fremont, Wallingford, Ballard, Ravenna, West Seattle.

Thanks to all who are giving me these great suggestions.

Sorry, I've been gone so long. Been kinda busy and also planning an Alaska vacation for next year. Thanks for the many replies. Dmlove, I feel ya. I would take what I could get for my home too. I understand that. I think my point is that many people have been priced out of homes and that is the unfortunate side of this price boom. And I refuse to be one of those people who can't do anything but stay home. I happen to have a travel habit that's like cocaine. These days they (housing market analysts) say you can get a 'bargain', but to me a bargain is not 1000 sf. home (not new) for 400,000. Like someone said, what about our kids? (Not that I have any). All of us aren't going to make a million or even half a million or a quarter mil to buy such homes.

Anyways, I haven't got my plan set up yet as to where I would work. I work for the DOD and I like it and will have to concentrate my search based on that. A trip out there in January should help me decide what to do. All I know is that Metro Washington (northern va) is not for me.

Thanks for the update, good luck with your move, to wherever!

p.s. You can rent a nice small 1-bedrom apartment on Capitol Hill in Seattle for ~$850/month.

kat, good luck with your move (if you do it). I know exactly what you're saying because I DO have almost-adult (well, they really are adults, I just don't think of them that way yet) children and they lament the fact that they couldn't afford to live in the town they grew up in. That part is sad.

Thanks suze, but I don't think my dogs would understand that. LOL. I'll figure something out.

right-o, with multiple dogs you would likely prefer to live outside the city a ways. i'd missed that in your posts.