Affordable Real Estate near the ocean.. (Olympia, Bremerton: homes, safe neighborhoods, good schools)

[Rastaman74]

I am a former dweller of WA state (see other post). Anyway, I will be looking for work in the field of education next summer or possibly this summer. I absolutely love Gig Harbor and I have fascinated about moving there for years. However, I realize now that the entire Gig Harbor area is out of our price range. We'll be looking for a 3 bedroom home in the $175-$225K range. I want to be somewhere near the ocean. I also need it to be a place that is big enough so that my wife could find a decent job. The place needs to have good schools and a safe environment.

The following are placed I am interested in and my presumptions about those places. I would welcome feedback from anyone who is familair with these places or could suggest a new place.

Silverdale/ Port Orchard/ Poulsbo: These towns intrigue me. They seem to be just the rigth size. However, unless my research is wrong, Silverdale and Pulsbo are now too pricey and Port Orchard is not too far behind.

Olympia: It looks like Olympia has some affordable, safe neighborhoods. Lacey has some scary parts according to what others have told me. How about Shelton? This place looks like a great place to live and is in commuting distance from Olympia.

Bremerton: This place seems to still be affordable. Are there nice homes in safe neighborhoods for under $225K? Any chance of getting a home in this range with an ocean view? According to Money Magazine, Bremerton is a great place to live. Any downside worth mentioning?

Thanks for your feedback and advice!

[Sean_Harrington]

What about Aberdeen maybe?

[KidBlue]

Ryan has posted some excellent information about the Grays Harbor area. I think this is the most affordable area from my research. You might want to read the posts in the "Wanting to Retire..." and Relocating to Western WA" and similar threads.