Is Aberdeen Washington, a lost cause? (Seattle, Tacoma: real estate, buy, restaurants)

[Diana Holbrook]

If they will be working in Chehalis, there are MANY other communities that are better next-best alternatives for a similar budget than Aberdeen. In fact, you'd drive right through many of them, during such a commute.

[DevanXL]

Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook

If they will be working in Chehalis, there are MANY other communities that are better next-best alternatives for a similar budget than Aberdeen. In fact, you'd drive right through many of them, during such a commute.

I think the main point of concern is the political climate of those communities though. If you look at this election map it shows the closest liberal area west of Chehalis is Aberdeen. I assume to issue with Olympia may be housing costs but that depends on the OP's budget. Longview appears to have some "blue collar" liberal area but the overall vibe still is primarily conservative.


https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...ction-map.html

[Diana Holbrook]

If that's the reason, it makes even less sense IMHO.

If you can't stand the politics of Lewis County.... (And Centralia is actually fairly balanced from your map), then I'd wonder whether you really want to build a life around working there. There's easier places to find work and life.

I’ve lived and worked in all these places enough to think you can find good quality of life in any of them if you try. For the OP, I'd recommend less political map interpretation and internet opinion, and more travel and seeing places in person.

[rkcarguy]

Originally Posted by DevanXL

If you are going to live an hour away I would look in the Olympia/South Pierce County area (like many have mentioned) or just go down to the northern suburbs on Vancouver. Vancouver would be a pretty easy commute taking I-5 all the way north and would be in an area with better schools, more opportunity and overall more things to do.

Aberdeen is always seemed dark and depressing. Not alot of opportunity in the coastal cities unless you are in fishing, forestry, or hospitality. Traveling north from Vancouver in the morning would be pretty easy.

Unfortunately, these opportunities don't even come close to supporting the average listed home price in relative areas of WA. Hopefully the OP will be bringing in cash equity to close that gap or landed a 6-figure position with a hiring bonus.
Aberdeen and many other coastal towns have lost their manufacturing, fishing, and timber industries resulting in a lack of good paying jobs. Meanwhile, home prices and rents have escalated greatly due to a large out of state population influx. Some areas have experienced anywhere from 3-5 new residents per each new bedroom permitted, so it's no surprise prices are going through the roof with that much competition for homes/units.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by 87112

I think anyone over 18 should be able to do whatever they want with vices, its been proven thousands of years over and over that vices will never go away. Just have services available for those who over do it and want out.

Europeans have a clue how to deal with it, Americans never will.

What do you mean? We have WHOLE STATES devoted to vice. Without vice, Nevada would have like 200 people.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

Portland to Seaside = ~75 miles (1.5 hrs or 3 hrs RT).

Seattle to Ocean Shores = ~130 miles (2.5-3.5 hrs or 5-7 hrs RT).

I bet a lot more Seattlites go to the San Juans for weekend vacations than to Ocean Shores though. Closer and nicer. 80 miles to Anacortes plus a nice ferry ride.

[Swoods15]

Just adding another agreement with everyone saying Aberdeen would be an odd and inconvenient choice based on what you mention you're looking for; heading north to the Olympia/Tumwater area is a much better bet, and commute as well (you'd be going the opposite direction of most traffic). I wouldn't recommend going south to Longview.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

I bet a lot more Seattlites go to the San Juans for weekend vacations than to Ocean Shores though. Closer and nicer. 80 miles to Anacortes plus a nice ferry ride.

When I was growing up in Aberdeen in the 1950s, we'd go to my aunt-and-uncles' house in Ballard for Seafair and Christmas. Due to my mother refusing to drive over 40mph, a two-lane highway to Olympia, and no I-5 (just US 99), it would take us four hours to go from Aberdeen to Ballard (Loyal Heights). That's not that far off these days, depending on common traffic conditions, even with I-5 and a four-lane highway to Olympia, and without my mother's 40mph speed-limit.

We went to Westport much more often than Ocean Shores. We'd go to beaches north of Copalis Beach or up on the Quinault Indian Reservation (now closed).

[clegersky]

We've been in Chehalis now since September... We're still looking for the right home. I feel like we missed the mark on buying anything because we keep getting blown out of the water by cash offers or people willing to over pay by 60k. We're buying on a VA loan, have some money saved, we've been through underwriting, we're good and set. But when we *bid* 20k over, and someone comes in with cash in hand for 10k less than us, they get the house.

[Sockeye66]

Originally Posted by clegersky

We've been in Chehalis now since September... We're still looking for the right home. I feel like we missed the mark on buying anything because we keep getting blown out of the water by cash offers or people willing to over pay by 60k. We're buying on a VA loan, have some money saved, we've been through underwriting, we're good and set. But when we *bid* 20k over, and someone comes in with cash in hand for 10k less than us, they get the house.

Thanks for the update and good luck on your search!