Seattle: housing

Jfool · 01-28-2009, 10:52 PM

Might be moving there real soon. Where can a family live in the Seattle area for reasonable price (<$200k)? Is it possible to get 3 bedrooms / 2 baths in the city in this price range, in a liveable neigborhood? Don't mind ditching the car as long as we can walk, bike or hop a metro to the store.

**Rainer.** · 01-28-2009, 11:24 PM

Like, more in the suburbs, or actually in the city proper?

The public transit in Seattle is great, you can basically get anywhere on the west side of King County with one or two buses.

I'm not sure about what housing is like lately, though.

mulletman · 01-29-2009, 12:25 AM

Once you get out of the city a bit, things do get cheaper....

SccHarpGirl · 01-29-2009, 01:27 PM

Public transit in Seattle itself is pretty good - no metro, but the bus service is reliable once you know how it works. Which I've never managed to figure out. There are some nice neighborhoods in North Seattle or West Seattle where you could probably find reasonable housing if you wanted to live in the city. It makes sense that you'd find it a little less expensive (or get more property) in certain suburbs - Renton, Bellevue, Issaquah, Kent, Auburn, Maple Valley, etc. I would recommend a car, if you aren't living in the city though - as taking the buses can be a real pain.

**Rainer.** · 01-29-2009, 07:53 PM

Yeah, in Seattle proper, busing is excellent. Outside of the city, busing is a hassle, except to get into the city. Nearly every population center in the Seattle area has a major bus route that goes to and from that area to downtown, it's very reliable, and is very flexible. In other words, commuting from a suburb is not much trouble at all.

I live off taking the bus from place to place, and I find it very convenient and simple.

Hopeful · 01-29-2009, 09:05 PM

For that price, you will not find anything decent, unless it's a fixer upper or something that is bank owned. I bought a house 12 years ago for about $200,000 that was new, but I live about 25 miles out in Maple Valley (SE of Seattle). At the last assessment, it was valued at $435,000. I couldn't get that price today. Here's one way to look at it. At a 50% loss in value, a $200,000 house today would have to have been priced at $300,000 in 2006/2007. There weren't that many homes, even condos, in that price range at that time and values have not dropped by 50% at this point. Your best bet would be in the suburbs, even further out than where I live. But then, bus service diminishes. I used to catch the bus into Seattle years ago, and it's okay, but service has not improved much since then. Going to the eastside from where I live is not as convenient.

Jfool · 01-30-2009, 12:14 PM

Hey, you guys just had a quake! How you doing?

**Rainer.** · 01-30-2009, 12:41 PM

We did? I must have totally missed out.

SccHarpGirl · 01-30-2009, 03:14 PM

Yeah, I heard about it on the news! It was like early this morning over in Kitsap County (Bainbridge island area)...actually hit near Kingston. I have family up around there, and they said that they didn't feel anything, haha.

I'm actually heading over there now...let's hope for no aftershocks, esp while i'm on the ferry. TSUNAMI!

Hopeful · 01-30-2009, 08:08 PM

I didn't feel it either. But, then, I'm in LA at the moment.

I'll check in with the family.

**Athanasius** · 05-21-2009, 10:59 PM

Jfool - did you end up moving to Seatown?