The school is very good, but middle is not so much.I have some cash to invest, but can't decide what route to take.

This website is a nice starting point as you are deciding on what location to choose from.

If you decide to sell, just iron out your tax strategy. 

She actually was a junior attorney in the closing of my house and decided to no longer practice law and become a realtor instead,  her legal knowledge is extremely helpful.When you are buying you can use my strategy. 

You might decide that you absolutely want to own your own residence there and I assume you can afford it since you already own properties elsewhere, likely in beautiful Hawaï.

With RentRedi you are reduced to talking to a "BOT" until an agent decides they want to chime in (still only on a chat window no phone numbers for RentRedit).

And even if I do not get into the renting business I can make some profit if I decide to sell the property at some point.

Then you can rent in Seattle for 1 year or 2 to make sure you want to be there for a while and decide what area you want to live in and eventually buy something there if you decide you will stay. 

@Desiree BoardWhen deciding between investing locally or out of state, and whether to self-manage or hire a property manager, consider your goals, comfort level, and resources.

Meaning that if you fund a $5K EMD and then decide not to close you lose the EMD, or you pay for an inspection up front and risk missing out on the deal while you're waiting for the report.