Washington/NW USA TCSers - advice please

joanne511

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Hi all! DH and I grew up in Kitsap Co, went to WWU, and lived in King Co for a short time, but we've been living in San Diego, CA for the last 3 years. We decided we want to come back to WA and purchase a home. As far as areas we're pretty flexible - would like to stay in the Puget Sound area - and we know that the real estate market has changed a lot while we've been gone. Do you have suggestions of decent areas that aren't insanely expensive? (Median home prices here are over $620,000, so we aren't in the market here!
We'd like to spend under or around $300,000.) Do you have a realtor that you really loved? Is our target price realistic? It's sometimes hard to tell by looking at online home listings. Any other suggestions, tips, etc would be greatly appreciated. If you would rather not post here please PM me.

While we have enjoyed San Diego, we miss our families and the nice, laidback, diverse people of the NW.
We hope to be back by about March. Thank you.
 

hissy

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There is a place near me, I would love to have. 160 acres, 3 barns, 2 homes, timber, grasslands, all fenced for livestock- They want 1.6 million dollars for it-

Homes here in Oregon are going for top of the mark prices. Your best bet is to locate a realtor the works the pacific northwest and go from there
 

katl8e

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Originally Posted by hissy

There is a place near me, I would love to have. 160 acres, 3 barns, 2 homes, timber, grasslands, all fenced for livestock- They want 1.6 million dollars for it-

Homes here in Oregon are going for top of the mark prices. Your best bet is to locate a realtor the works the pacific northwest and go from there
Gee, Hissy, when did you move into the high-rent district?
 

sashacat421

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hi ya! Welcome to the land of sticker shock and inflation - King County. We are working with a great realtor and taking our time, as we refuse to cow-tow to all the price gauging and over-bidding. We're in east, east King County and would like to stay in the Ravensdale/Black Diamond area and there are deasl under 300k but you'll need some sweat equity and the ability to pounce on them the moment they list. The median here in KC is $374k

But --If you are flexible to the entire Puget Sound area, you will do just fine! The house down the street from us listed at $295k last week and it's gorgeous. What a steal - so good things are available. If you can stay away from King, Pierce county and Kitsap on the Peninsula would be your best best. If you are that flexible you will do great! Do you want a house in a development - new construction where you buy your lot and base model and then choose all the extras, or do oyu want a home on acrerage, stand alone no development, existing home?

We are working with a good freind of mine of many years, and he has lived here her whole life. May I send you her information? She's wonderful and has a good eye and she's honest and ethical too.
 
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joanne511

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Oh geez, we don't want that much land!
A 3bd/2ba would be just fine for us! In comparison to here though, your dream property sounds like a bargin. Near where I work homes don't go for less than $1M and they're wedged up next to each other.

I was hoping someone here might be able to suggest a realtor they trust in the Puget Sound region. We actually considered the Portland area for a time, as we have good friends that live there, but we ultimately ruled it out for a variety of reasons.
 

sharky

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Spokane is growing and not wuite as high in the prices ... I live in North Idaho... and am not encourganing anymore folks move...lol.. our house has nearly double in value in 3 yrs..
 
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joanne511

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Originally Posted by sashacat421

hi ya! Welcome to the land of sticker shock and inflation - King County. We are working with a great realtor and taking our time, as we refuse to cow-tow to all the price gauging and over-bidding. We're in east, east King County and would like to stay in the Ravensdale/Black Diamond area and there are deasl under 300k but you'll need some sweat equity and the ability to pounce on them the moment they list. The median here in KC is $374k

But --If you are flexible to the entire Puget Sound area, you will do just fine! The house down the street from us listed at $295k last week and it's gorgeous. What a steal - so good things are available. If you can stay away from King, Pierce county and Kitsap on the Peninsula would be your best best. If you are that flexible you will do great! Do you want a house in a development - new construction where you buy your lot and base model and then choose all the extras, or do oyu want a home on acrerage, stand alone no development, existing home?

We are working with a good freind of mine of many years, and he has lived here her whole life. May I send you her information? She's wonderful and has a good eye and she's honest and ethical too.
Yes, please do send me her info! Thank you! As far as what we are looking for, we don't need a lot of acreage. (DH would love it, but I think it's unrealistic at this time and would be a lot of work.) We have been married for just over a year and would like to have 1 or 2 children in the next 2-5 years. My only hesitation is about manufactured/modular homes. Several of my friends bought into that and have had nothing but problems. I grew up in a subdivision in Kitsap, which I liked because of the community feel that a subdivision provides, but really, we just want a safe area with a reasonable commute to where the bulk of jobs are (King, Pierce Counties).

Thank you again! I'm loving these responses!
 
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joanne511

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Originally Posted by sharky

Spokane is growing and not wuite as high in the prices ... I live in North Idaho... and am not encourganing anymore folks move...lol.. our house has nearly double in value in 3 yrs..
I've been told that! My best friend is from a tiny town outside of Spokane and she is trying to move back to that side of the state because as a teacher she can't afford to live where she does currently on the west side of the state. She would like to be able to buy a home on her salary before the market goes through the roof in Eastern WA.
 

arlyn

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Just keep in mind, King County taxes are the highest in the state, this includes property taxes.
 

pat

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I think your best bet will be Elizabeth's realtor. I can tell you that housing prices are going through the roof in my area - Tacoma/Puyallup/Auburn. Homes in our block had trouble selling for $140,000 in the past two years, in the past 6 months the asking price in our neighborhood is now approx. 200,000.

Way too much development here - homes that begin at 250,000 or 300,00 and are jammed next to each other with postage stamp backyards, no side yard and little front yard. Horrendous.

Best bet, imho, is an older home constructed when some space between your home and your neighbors and a bit of property with your home was a given, not a luxury.

We've been considering moving down to within a hours commute of Olympia - there are some more rural areas there with lovely homes, not yet built up, such as Montesano which is east of Olympia.

Good luck in your search!
 

gratefulbear629

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I think housing prices are going through the roof everywhere! We have been wanting to move for a while and I have been looking at different apartments... how depressing!! To live in a nicer area it will cost me more and the apartments are smaller.

We looked into possibly buying a house and there's no way we could possibly afford a house in a neighborhood we would actually want to live. Houses in the ghetto in Trenton are going for $100,000 - 125,000!!!!

Joanne, good luck in your search! I hope you find a house both you and your husband really like!
 
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joanne511

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Thank you, everyone, for the advice and good wishes! It's amazing how much real estate has boomed in the short time we've been gone.
 

waddle

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Originally Posted by kittylover4ever

Oh my goodness, I can't imagine spending over $100,000!!
Wow, you must either live in a very rural area, or haven't looked into buying a house lately.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by Waddle

Wow, you must either live in a very rural area, or haven't looked into buying a house lately.
3-4 yrs ago where I live now you could get a reasonbley nice 3/2 house
 
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