What is island life like on Whidbey Island for families with small children? (Oak Harbor: real estate market)

[Sungirl1952]

My son and DIL just had an offer accepted on a home on Whidbey Island. She is from the Woodinville area, he moved there with her, and they now have a wonderful 8 month old little girl. I would really like to move from Michigan to be able to close to them, but there are a lot of unknowns. That whole island notion freaks me out a little bit, for no rational reason. I am afraid I would feel “stranded”, which I know sounds silly. I live in a pretty densely suburban area now, with every convenience and amenity close by, whether it’s shopping, doctors, or going to visit friends. But, I also don’t want to have to take the ferry every time I want to visit. They will be in Clinton, close to the ferry. And yet, when I went to Bainbridge, it was a glorious day, and I loved it. The other major concern is housing. There is no way I can afford the real estate market there, so I would likely be a renter. Not sure if staying full time with extended family would be good, as it’s not something we’ve done before, and I want to be realistic. And they are the only ones I know there, other than my DIL’s family. I really like them, but don’t know them well yet. Ideally, I would be close by, but not in their home. An adjacent building could work out, but we wouldn’t make a commitment like that without fully exploring it. Having been a mom, I just have some vivid recollections of racing drives to the ER, sliced fingers, broken bones, allergic reaction. But I don’t want to be a worrisome grandma and pester them about these things. That’s what forums like this are for!

[StealthRabbit]

We had a few medical emergencies while raising young active boys while living on a small island in nearby BC Canada.
We (staff) had 7 boys ages 5-7 at a camp... Plus 50+ international rambunctious late age teenagers / early age 20 something.

Everyone survived with only a few scars ... boys / kids get those! (as parents.. the bleeding head wounds were a bit worrisome. )

Whidbey is no problem, it has EMS and medical services.

I would encourage you to build / move in an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit), WA is generally keen on those to reduce infill / building, yet increasing density per acreage.
There are many ways to do this. We have done several options... RV's, apartment above Garage, in Daylight basement, apartment in Shop, Bunkhouse, Yurt, ...

On acreage I prefer adding a shop with apartment and RV hook-ups. Great for MIL, traveling Friends, wayward adult kids, recovering medical issues (in home care) and our future caregivers (or us) may live in the ADU, and rent out the 'big-house'. Big plus for a shop is a place for the kids to play INDOORS! during 280 days / yr of drizzle / overcast.

Consider all the options, Michigan can wait for your return, should you need to do so..

[Hemlock140]

One nice thing about Whidbey is that it's connected by a bridge at the north end, so you are not totally dependent upon a ferry. With a big pantry and freezer you can minimize the trips off Island to go to Costco in Burlington. We had friends that lived in the Cornet Bay area on Whidbey, beautiful area, though close to the Naval Base, they claim to have gotten used to the jets flying.

[Cinema Cat]

The Ring (2002) was filmed at Whidbey Island. The ferry scene, and the farm and motel scenes, I think.

[Sungirl1952]

Thank you for your helpful responses. The ideal would be an ADU. But I don’t think they are ready to commit to mom that close by 24/7. I had hoped to find something to rent online that was an ADU, but there’s not much. And if I am not in close proximity by being on the island, I don’t see the point, because I know I wouldn’t enjoy the ferry almost every day. Because I live alone, I don’t generally stock up on much food wise. A little goes a long way. I prefer to go to the market several times a week, it gives me something to do, and I like being able to buy fresh produce, etc. It would be sad to give up my daily McDonald’s coke addiction. But sacrifices must be made. I would just have to create a new routine.

[StealthRabbit]

1) You can get the Mexico Coke (in bottles) from Costco. (Save yourself a trip to McD)
https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/l...XT:GMB::Clicks
2) You can 'network' to find ADU on a property to rent part time. Consider doing this for active seniors who travel a lot (they are seldom home) or for the 'home bound', you can take them shopping and to appts in exchange for rent.
3) Look for 'caretaker gig' on private waterfront estate (One of my ex-bosses from High Tech industry got a 20 yr + 'retirement gig' on a WA Island as a caretaker... the owners only came once every 2-3 yrs for a couple weeks.
4) Find some 'house / pet / plant / farmsitting gigs. My SIL has done this in Hawaii for high wealth people who travel a lot. She has not had to have her own home during the last 40 yrs - house to house and many have ADU's she can stay if needed.
5) Look for House Sitting gigs for winter time. Many in WA 'seek sun' for winter. Several C-D posters have got free places in WA for 6+ months of winter

[Sungirl1952]

How do you find those opportunities? I haven’t seen anything online. I wondered if perhaps the rental market there is a pretty small field, with a lot of word of mouth rentals. I recently saw the house they lost on when i was online, and it would have been so perfect. Huge MIL unit over the garage. Separate but close; also had an amazing view with a private deck. I told my son that when I come out to visit, I am going to stop by that house, and see if they would be willing to rent it out . He would be mortified if I did.

No, no, no, there is only one Coke worth the health risks, and that’s the fountain Coke at McDonald’s. Nothing else tastes quite the same. I guess it could be an exotic pleasure. That and Starbucks.

[sll3454]

Whidbey has plenty of grocery stores, and even McDonald's.
Rental costs in Oak Harbor, and maybe other parts of Whidbey, are lower than the rest of Western Washington. Check Craigslist in the Skagit/Island/SJI area. Also check forrent.com and facebook marketplace.

[GnomeGnats]

I grew up there and badly want to move my family back! I loved running around the woods and splashing around the beaches and want my kids to have the same opportunities.

Formal educational opportunities on the other hand are somewhat be limited and there’s definitely an anti intellectual streak that deprioritizes such elitism... I graduated from Oak Harbor high school and felt less than prepared when I showed up at WSU for college.

Economically there isn’t that much going on outside of the Military on the north end, Boeing on the south end, and local government elsewhere.

[rkcarguy]

Originally Posted by Sungirl1952

No, no, no, there is only one Coke worth the health risks, and that’s the fountain Coke at McDonald’s. Nothing else tastes quite the same. I guess it could be an exotic pleasure. That and Starbucks.

The Mexican Coca-Cola is made with real sugar, much better than the rest of the stuff with corn syrup in it. Mcdonald's coke is better than the stuff in the can, imo because it's blended with fresh water and bubbly at each location as you fill your cup.

People outside of the big cities in WA seem to have their head in the sand when it comes to doing stuff online, and word of mouth or sale-at-the-curb still prevails.

Primary problem is, as most find out, housing. The earth is gaining a wobble from the tide of people moving here and housing is far from keeping up. Some areas are seeing 10x the people influx compared to newly permitted "units".