Need Help Seattle Suburb Home Purchase

[Mohit Mathur]

Hi ,

We are planning to move to Seattle from Boston and looking at buying a house, we can use help in deciding on how to move forward .

1- I work from Home for now and only need to travel to Seattle downtown maybe 1-2 times a month.

2- We have no kids its just me ,my wife and our dog , we prefer house with nice yard and if possible views ...the american dream.

3- Looking to buy something between $ 350-450 K budget.

4- Prefer a neighbourhood that will not crash in property value as we are putting our savings into the home, an investment that can appreciate well over time.

Any help or advice in terms of which all neighborhood to search is much appreciated, ideally a nice suburban house with brilliant views

Thanks again .

[Greg Bishop]

I recommend finding a buyer's agent that focuses on the outlying areas for Seattle and Bellevue. Just so you know, 60 - 70 mile radius provides many options and variety for house values as well as for surroundings, such as island living or mountain foothills. The downside is that even a 15-mile commute into Seattle can take 45 mins one way and the further out you are, you could be looking at 1.5 - 2 hour commutes one way depending upon location and time of day. There are increasing options for public transportation via light rail, train and bus, which can help in this regard, though.

Buyer's agents for Snohomish County, Pierce Counting, and Kitsap County (if willing to commute by ferry) would be best to find. King County where Seattle and Bellevue are is pretty large and you can find pockets that will meet your criteria too, but it's a more competitive market. Give good criteria to the agents that you find and you will be fine.

Expensive, more upper income areas besides Seattle are Bellevue, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Redmond. Those will be tough areas to find unless you are looking for small, older condos and fixer homes. Bainbridge Island tends to be higher nowadays as well but is still a little more affordable since it is across the Sound. Snohomish, Everett, Lynnwood, and Marysville areas are more reasonable in Snohomish County. Tacoma, Auburn, Kent, Des Moines, and Federal Way are more reasonable in Pierce and South King County. Neighborhoods can vary greatly in quality and safety, which affects price, so be very specific about what you are looking for with your agent.

I hope this helps.