@Robert MotchI don't limit my property search to one or two municipalities. 

If you are only living in Seattle for a year or two, I wouldn't buy.

At least in my opinion, Tom, you live two hours too far away to be self-managing.

Hi everyone, I moved overseas and hired a big name management co ( Two letters and one number in their name) in Riverside to handle the property.

Does anyone in the Seattle are have the process for converting the single utilities into two? 

The two closest companies gave me soft estimates of roughly $5000, which sounds absurd to me.  

Different rate environment, but the rent-by-the-room is the quickest way to buy and save toward the second, third, fourth. 

Whenever you see a retail strip with a for lease sign in it, jot down the company repping it, do a quick google search to see if they are third party brokerage or owner/operator.  

Pay attention to @Jonathan Greene; slow down, sell a couple, two-three, take a deep breath, take the family on a vacation, and regroup.  

In a different area in the Panhandle, If there 300 beaxhfront two and three bedroom condos within a 1/2 mile then they may pull $60k while a 5 bedroom with a private pool 1/4 mile from the beach might pull $225k while purchase price is only 20% more and no hoa fees.5.