Working in Kirkland - where should family of 4 live? (Seattle: for sale, apartment)

[pjanewood]

Hi! We are Texans considering a job in Kirkland, WA. Would love any information you have about where to live. Do we need to live in Kirkland because commutes are so bad or are there better places for a young family nearby? We have a 3 year old and a 1 year old, I'm a stay at home Mom and we'd like to rent. Thanks in advance.

[CrazyDonkey]

Budget? House or apartment?

[Diana Holbrook]

The closer your hubby can be to his work, the more free time he will have in his life. I would certainly start there and move the circle out until you find something. A couple hours spent in the car every day adds up.

[pjanewood]

$2500 a month? Is that possible? We would like to rent a house because we do have a small dog!

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by pjanewood

$2500 a month? Is that possible? We would like to rent a house because we do have a small dog!

The dog eliminates a lot of choices, but a member of the family, right? Lot's of demand in Kirkland/Bothell area, not as competitive further north. Best bet might be in the Mill Creek area:

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_ren...08_rect/12_zm/

Another possibility is N. Seattle/Shoreline:

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_ren...43_rect/12_zm/

[Thom52]

Originally Posted by CrazyDonkey

The dog eliminates a lot of choices, but a member of the family, right? Lot's of demand in Kirkland/Bothell area, not as competitive further north. Best bet might be in the Mill Creek area:

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_ren...08_rect/12_zm/

Another possibility is N. Seattle/Shoreline:

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_ren...43_rect/12_zm/

Both of those would be nightmare commutes to Kirkland.

Check around North Rose Hill and Totem Lake, as long as you are ok renting an older, modest house, built in the 70's. So many people seem to need New Construction these days and then wonder why prices are so high.

[CrazyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Thom52

Both of those would be nightmare commutes to Kirkland.

Check around North Rose Hill and Totem Lake, as long as you are ok renting an older, modest house, built in the 70's. So many people seem to need New Construction these days and then wonder why prices are so high.

There are only three 3bd/2ba houses that take pets in the Kirkland area renting for $2,500 or less, none in Bothell/Woodinville. There are a few more in Kirkland and a couple in Bothell if you drop down to 1ba.

Briercrest, Parkwood, or Richmond Highlands might not be an easy commute to Kirkland, but I wouldn't call it horrible. Mill Creek would have to run the 405 gauntlet.

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by pjanewood

Hi! We are Texans considering a job in Kirkland, WA. Would love any information you have about where to live. Do we need to live in Kirkland because commutes are so bad or are there better places for a young family nearby? We have a 3 year old and a 1 year old, I'm a stay at home Mom and we'd like to rent. Thanks in advance.

I live there. So, you'll want to rent a house presumably. $2.5-4K/month, Eastside anyway, if you can find one. This is the season that all heats up, so better decide immediately. These warm weekends are when the for sale and open house signs come out, I've seen a bunch. You'll need to make a recon run out here and decide while you're here depending on what you find.

Schools don't matter yet, but will at some point. There are some good ones in Kirkland and Eastside. Maybe want to look into that.

I wouldn't want to live too far away from Kirkland if commuting in. Since nothing was mentioned of budget in the OP, I'll assume it isn't a problem, and suggest you find something Eastside.

If looking for "affordable", might direct you to Monroe, Maple Valley, Renton, Auburn, other ghetto parts of town. 98033 is one of the nicer zip codes around. Up near the hospital is gentrifying rapidly, won't be much there that is lower priced too terribly much longer. They blew up the hooker motels and scummy mall, now they're putting in retail more appropriate to consumers moving into the area.

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by pjanewood

Hi! We are Texans considering a job in Kirkland, WA. Would love any information you have about where to live. Do we need to live in Kirkland because commutes are so bad or are there better places for a young family nearby? We have a 3 year old and a 1 year old, I'm a stay at home Mom and we'd like to rent. Thanks in advance.

Kirkland is great if you can afford it (my son lives there with 2 kids about the same ages as yours). If you can't afford Kirkland, then Bothell is excellent and maybe you could find something in Woodinville at that price point on the edges of Woodinville which is a really excellent community.

[CrazyDonkey]

For more choices, including in Kirkland and Bothell, raise the budget to $2,850-3,000.