All Forum Posts by: Chris Williams

Tricky business in our area. I would describe this whole area, in terms of real estate, as nothing less than hellacious. I myself will not buy here.

Nothing at all wrong with networking, but many of our fellow investors here look for the same thing. If she's serious about buying, I would suggest the "driving for dollars" approach. A search on the forum will give you plenty of details for this.

Is she here on BP? She should post. I don't know of any REIAs in our area (I'm in Fremont) but we certainly have other people around!

@Vaughn K. Are you a future version of me who got stuck in the past? This is eerie! 

I personally considered the Spokane area as well for the same reasons. Its climate and relative isolation work against the girlfriend's health & profession though.

Vaughn, appreciate it. Rather a dose of cold water now than a flood later!

I'm much like you - a business-friendly, live-and-let-live kind of guy. I don't plan to hold too many properties in WA, but use it more as a 'home base' while I build.

You're correct in that I'm trying to get to a less-insane area for a while. I don't plan to remain on the West Coast in perpetuity...we're figuring on 5-8 years max. I did know about the state's higher taxes, but having on-the-ground input on the business climate is super-valuable.

Hot climates are unfortunately out; my girlfriend doesn't do well in them for health reasons. Otherwise I'd ask these questions over in the Texas forums!

Where are you headed, by chance?

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Good to hear the area's doing well. I'd expect as much, but since I've only driven through once years back...!

I do have a current co-worker who moved down here from Puyallup. He liked the area, and even had a good job (Gates Foundation). He wanted a change though, and didn't want to commute up to Seattle. I don't blame him.

@Aaron Brooks, if you don't mind me asking, why the move back? As I understand it Tampa's a nice place, with good investment potential.

I'm trying to escape Silicon Valley, myself. This place is insane!

Hey folks! 

I'm looking at one of two areas for a 2020 move - Vancouver and Tacoma. The former due to its growing nature & proximity to Portland; the latter due to the fact that it's not in Seattle!

The plan: I plan to buy a property for a house-hack, plus AirBNB if possible. This I'll leverage into some straight investment properties, possibly out of state.

I confess to having less information on the Tacoma area. As such, I'm doing some research before taking a trip up there to sniff around. That includes checking here on BP!

Since it's been a little quiet this month, let me kick-start some discussion with a few questions:

• What would you say is the Tacoma area's economic status?
• Is the local RE market as hair-on-fire crazy as Greater Seattle?
• I know Tacoma has some industrial areas...are the suburbs a better choice for investing?
• Any 'regional red flags' of which I should be aware?

Thanks!

@Kent Nielson A friend who used to live there recommended it to me, a while back. We visited a few months ago and found it a pleasant area. If the job situation works out for me, it would do nicely.

We met with @James Dishongh, who kindly took a day & showed us around. We saw some very nice properties. James did a great job hunting up properties that suited our needs.

Hello Kent. I'm considering the Vancouver area for a move next year (escaping Silicon Valley). If we decide on Vancouver, I'd look for an SFH or small multifamily with RV space. Good springboard for more deals later on.

I've spoken with a couple locals here on BP, and even met with one (local agent, good guy) when we visited a few months ago. I'll tag him if he doesn't respond himself.

Dang, that's a heck of a score. Glad to see you end the year on a high note.

@Patrick Britton Pullman, you say? College town? Color me intrigued.