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      05-24-2009, 12:36 PM   #1
Digital.James
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Areas to buy a house in Seattle?

So my wife and I are going to be looking for a new house in the Seattle area.

Not sure where are good neighborhoods to look for since we're both not from the area. Bellevue and Mercer Island are out, since we're looking at the 300k range :P

Any suggestions? Don't want to look to far north, like Everett, since I will be commuting to Tacoma every day
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      05-24-2009, 12:52 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by Digital.James View Post
So my wife and I are going to be looking for a new house in the Seattle area.

Not sure where are good neighborhoods to look for since we're both not from the area. Bellevue and Mercer Island are out, since we're looking at the 300k range :P

Any suggestions? Don't want to look to far north, like Everett, since I will be commuting to Tacoma every day
Man do I have the house for you! (to rent that is) lol. Seriously Renton was perfect for us. I worked downtown and it was never more than 40minutes to work and my wife worked up in Bellevue and she had the same commute. Still within reach of Tacoma/Kent area since that is going against traffic heading south.

Close to Southcenter, a new mall in the Landing as well and a new theater complex, hella easy back access to Issaquah and I-90.. Issaquah schools (if you got kids that age).. and only 15min to Pacific Raceways!! lol

<This message brought to you buy the Renton City Council> haha
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      05-24-2009, 01:01 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by Septro View Post
Man do I have the house for you! (to rent that is) lol. Seriously Renton was perfect for us. I worked downtown and it was never more than 40minutes to work and my wife worked up in Bellevue and she had the same commute. Still within reach of Tacoma/Kent area since that is going against traffic heading south.

Close to Southcenter, a new mall in the Landing as well and a new theater complex, hella easy back access to Issaquah and I-90.. Issaquah schools (if you got kids that age).. and only 15min to Pacific Raceways!! lol

<This message brought to you buy the Renton City Council> haha
Yeah were looking at Renton as well. What are some good neigborhoods in Renton?
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      05-24-2009, 01:31 PM   #4
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Yeah were looking at Renton as well. What are some good neigborhoods in Renton?
Stay away from Skyway.

I'm on the East Renton Plateau (Septro is even further east), which is very close to the Renton Highlands. The Highlands are nice, if you stay towards the southern border (NE 4th) and head east a little. The Highlands along Sunset has been labeled a "blighted area" by the city. Don't go there!

Benson Hill is nice, as is Fairwood. Cascade Center, not so much. Basically, stay in the 98059 zip code (which includes Newcastle) and 98058.

There is a new small development being built just up the street from me, and they are supposed to be under $300,000. I don't know when they will be ready though.


You can even get new construction for under $300,000 in the Highlands:
Honey Brooke new construction They even claim to have a 4 car garage! It is a development of small homes though (under 1,500 square feet.)
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      05-24-2009, 01:40 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by scollins View Post
Stay away from Skyway.

I'm on the East Renton Plateau (Septro is even further east), which is very close to the Renton Highlands. The Highlands are nice, if you stay towards the southern border (NE 4th) and head east a little. The Highlands along Sunset has been labeled a "blighted area" by the city. Don't go there!

Benson Hill is nice, as is Fairwood. Cascade Center, not so much. Basically, stay in the 98059 zip code (which includes Newcastle) and 98058.

There is a new small development being built just up the street from me, and they are supposed to be under $300,000. I don't know when they will be ready though.


You can even get new construction for under $300,000 in the Highlands:
Honey Brooke new construction They even claim to have a 4 car garage! It is a development of small homes though (under 1,500 square feet.)
Sweet thanks for the advice. Renton would be an ideal halfway point for both of us
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      05-24-2009, 06:18 PM   #6
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You can get a pretty sweet house in Bellevue if you can go up a tad
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      05-24-2009, 11:21 PM   #7
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You can get a pretty sweet house in Bellevue if you can go up a tad
For 300k? Pretty + sweet + house in Bellevue will not be in that range, not even close.
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      05-26-2009, 01:15 PM   #8
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Renton Highland is highly recommended.
15 minutes to Issaquah, Southcenter and Bellevue downtown (once the Coal Creek construction completes)
You can check out the neighborhood around Hazon High School. Really quiet area.
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      05-26-2009, 01:52 PM   #9
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For 300k? Pretty + sweet + house in Bellevue will not be in that range, not even close.
+1

The area is still lacking behind in the downward trend of the national real estate market. Even 600K can't buy you much in downtown Seattle.
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      05-26-2009, 02:10 PM   #10
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yeah i wish i could afford a nice house in bellevue or seattle, but a soldiers pay aint really that much

300k is really our limit. hoping with the way the market is, it can get us in a decent house somewhere close to UW (where my wife will be going next year), or close enough where her commute isnt a killer
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      05-26-2009, 03:05 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Digital.James View Post
yeah i wish i could afford a nice house in bellevue or seattle, but a soldiers pay aint really that much

300k is really our limit. hoping with the way the market is, it can get us in a decent house somewhere close to UW (where my wife will be going next year), or close enough where her commute isnt a killer
Good luck with that.

For me, a resident's salary is not much either, so I have pretty much given up on buying at the moment. We might re-enter the market next year though.

By the way, I'll be working at UWMC starting late next month.
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      05-26-2009, 03:57 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Digital.James View Post
yeah i wish i could afford a nice house in bellevue or seattle, but a soldiers pay aint really that much

300k is really our limit. hoping with the way the market is, it can get us in a decent house somewhere close to UW (where my wife will be going next year), or close enough where her commute isnt a killer

There is a lot of inventory in the Greenwood, Lake City, Maple Leaf (areas of Seattle) that you can pick up at a good price. My wife commutes from North Seattle to Tacoma every day and it takes her about 45 minutes each way. The reverse commute is actually pretty nice (especially since there are lots of ways around I-5 when there is traffic).

They key to getting a good deal on a house is your interest rate anyway. Lock in a good rate ASAP.
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      05-26-2009, 03:58 PM   #13
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You definitely don't want to make your wife drive up to Seattle from the south. That would be killer.
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      05-26-2009, 04:54 PM   #14
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Definitely take a gander at Beacon Hill and Columbia City. They are surrounded by buckets of ghetto, but prices aren't assanine and the commute wouldn't leave either of you in tears. Or else talk the wifey into going to UW Tacoma and a whole world of possibilities open up for reasonably priced housing without either of you having to spend over an hour in the car.
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      05-26-2009, 09:57 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WLS View Post
There is a lot of inventory in the Greenwood, Lake City, Maple Leaf (areas of Seattle) that you can pick up at a good price. My wife commutes from North Seattle to Tacoma every day and it takes her about 45 minutes each way. The reverse commute is actually pretty nice (especially since there are lots of ways around I-5 when there is traffic).

They key to getting a good deal on a house is your interest rate anyway. Lock in a good rate ASAP.
Yeah I figured that the commute down to Tacoma in the morning wouldnt be as bad as her trying to drive up to Seattle from Tacoma. And I leave the house at 5am already anyways.

Yeah weve already had our preapproval letter for awhile, just been waiting for the right house to drop on our laps.
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      05-26-2009, 10:29 PM   #16
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You definitely don't want to make your wife drive up to Seattle from the south. That would be killer.
My commute from the Renton highlands to downtown Seattle never was longer than 45min and that was with traffic. Most days its a 35min commute.
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