Relocating NOW to Seattle Area (Tacoma, Bellevue: how much, new house, neighborhood)

[shlingdawg]

I'm currently living in Utah and start my new career on Tuesday (1/1) in Western Washington. I'll be moving with the help of a relocating company, so all I really need to do is find the right place for me and my family. I will be working out of a home office and I need to be within an hour of SeaTac.

What we like:
- Quiet neighbors (barking dogs are a HUGE pet peeve) - no pun intended
- No airplanes buzzing overhead (lived near Hill Air Force Base for 5 years, we're done with the jets!)
- New House - or very near new
- Good "Family" city/neighborhood
- Small town feel is fine, but we're flexible
- Good school system - kids will start in a couple of years (we're a young family)
- Trees are good. Hills are good too.

What we don't like:
- Barking Dogs
- Noisy neighbors (nosey neighbors are fine - to an extent)
- Drug deals going down on the front lawn
- My car being stolen from my driveway
- Flood waters or lava floes taking my house out

I'm not one of those "I'm hoping to move to Western Washington". We're coming, ready or not. I've done many a search on different areas of interest. Port Orchard for the cheaper housing and larger lots; Olympia seems to be good for families; schools seem to suck south of Seattle (Spanaway, etc.); Pricey homes are around Bellvue.

We're willing to look everywhere to find the right place but your opinions help as we're native Utahans.

I do have one specific quetsion though: how long does it really take to cross the sound on the ferry from Southworth to Fauntleroy. If I lived in Port Orchard and wanted to get to SeaTac - does it really take the 2 hours, 21 minutes to go 25 miles that Yahoo Maps says it does? Ouch!

Thanks in advance for reading all of this and helping a newbie out.

[scirocco22]

Hmmm, I'm trying to figure out what you're putting in Yahoo maps.

I just quickly put in Port Orchard to Seatac in Yahoo maps and it gave me the directions which would take you across the Tacoma Narrows instead of using the ferry. Using that route, it's 47 miles and 53 minutes Yahoo-driving time. Yes, during the rush-hours, it will take substantially longer.

The ferry crossing from Southworth to Fauntleroy is approximately 40 minutes in itself so I'm questioning how much time you'd save. I'll put that into Yahoo and get back to you.

[scirocco22]

Port Orchard to Southworth is 8.3 miles and 19 minutes Yahoo-driving time.

Ferry from Southworth to Fauntleroy is 40 minutes.

Fauntleroy to Seatac is 12.6 miles and 22 minutes Yahoo-driving time.

Totals: 20.9 miles with approximate time of 1 hour and 21 minutes ...this is not counting the time you'll obviously have to spend waiting on the ferry dock.


During off-peak hours, you'd definitely save time by driving around through Tacoma. I'm even betting it will be less time even during the rush hour. And, taking your car across on the ferry every day gets expensive. Oh wait, you won't be doing it every day but if you were, I'd still suggest skipping the ferry.

Let's see what others have to say.

[shlingdawg]

Here is a screen print of my Yahoo Map. If you click the purple line and move it over the ferry route, it changes it all for you.

[shlingdawg]

In Utah, we have one ferry that I know of and it's down south on Lake Powell from Bullfrog marina to Halls Crossing. I have cognative ferry disfunction syndrome.

As a drug rep, I'll have plenty to do when waiting for a ferry and riding on the ferry. I wouldn't be able to do this if I were driving. Not to mention the aggravation and rage of the road.

I do appreciate the input though. Keep it coming!

[mthomson]

I live and work about 15 min from Port Orchard, in Gig Harbor, and it takes about 35-40 min to get to SeaTac...so 50-55 from Port Orchard. That is driving the HWY 16 to I-5 rather than taking the ferry. Ferry would be longer time wise, less driving. I think they crack down on drugs pretty heavy on the ferry system though :-)
As a native Utahn as well (lived in Park City from '76-'93, my parents are still in Heber) and a twice a year visitor to Lake Powell (Bullfrog, Wahweep, Lone Rock), I can say that our ferries are nothing like what you've experienced.
I think Olympia may be a bit far for you (could be about an hour from SeaTac). Spanaway/Frederickson is going to put you right under McChord AFB, so it'd be Hill revisited.
Some parts of Port Orchard are pretty rural and you will deal with the dogs, but many parts are quite nice...the South Kitsap school district is not super highly rated though. I'm always partial to Gig Harbor...great town, great location, great schools, but home prices can be an issue. I've got a fun community blog that you may be interested in for Gig Harbor.

[woodinvilleguy]

You may want to think about the eastside for your needs. Each neighborhood has its own personality. For example I live in Woodinville, the lots tend to be larger with big houses and big trees. It is more established so not a lot of brand new houses (can be good or bad). Sammamish has smaller lots but newer houses. Redmond is a mix, Bellevue as well.

Optimally, what is your price range, optimal house size, and lot size?

[shlingdawg]

Originally Posted by woodinvilleguy

Optimally, what is your price range, optimal house size, and lot size?

Thanks for the input. Our price range is mid 300's to lower 400's. That puts me out of B'vue, Woodinville, Redmond and most of Sammamish and the area.

House size - preference is greater than 2200 sq ft with 4 bedrooms, adequate baths and a den/office would be a huge bonus. 3 car garage is every mans dream.

Lot size - the bigger the better. I see houses on the peninsula with 2.5 acres and whatnot. The draw for me would be that bigger lots means greater distances to your neighbor, and their dogs. Woof.

[woodinvilleguy]

Originally Posted by shlingdawg

Thanks for the input. Our price range is mid 300's to lower 400's. That puts me out of B'vue, Woodinville, Redmond and most of Sammamish and the area.

House size - preference is greater than 2200 sq ft with 4 bedrooms, adequate baths and a den/office would be a huge bonus. 3 car garage is every mans dream.

Lot size - the bigger the better. I see houses on the peninsula with 2.5 acres and whatnot. The draw for me would be that bigger lots means greater distances to your neighbor, and their dogs. Woof.

There are areas in Woodinville that might work but you'd most likely be further out. Bothell may fit that price range. I have friends in the Renton area that are happy there as well. I'd take a visit with a good realtor to get a good tour of the area to figure out where things are.

[LMB]

We're in Poulsbo, which is farther north on the peninsula than Port Orchard. My husband and I work from home too, but when going to SeaTac we've found it's quicker and more reliable to drive around and over the Narrows bridge than take the ferry. It's generally a 90 min drive from Poulsbo in traffic, but we've made it in as little as 75 min in light traffic. There's also a shuttle bus called the Bremerton-Kitsap Airporter that serves Kitsap Peninsula and makes several runs per day, but we haven't used it yet.

I agree with MThompson that Gig Harbor would be a good choice, but take a look at Poulsbo too. Really nice small town feel, picturesque waterfront and very welcoming people. I think houses are a bit less expensive here than GH, but it is further from SeaTac. Also, Silverdale is an option if you want to be near shopping--it's between Bremerton and Poulsbo. That's where the mall is--also Costco, Fed Ex/Kinkos, the big box stores, chain restaurants, etc.

WA is very dog-friendly, so it might be difficult to find a dogless neighborhood anywhere--even if it's dogfree when you move in, it might not stay that way. Just have to hope for quiet, non-vocal dogs.

Hope you find the perfect place!

Lynn