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Pacific Northwest

Started by Lillycache, July 15, 2012, 02:11:08 PM

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Lillycache

Particularly for Louise..  I think I recall you mentioning you are from there.  I am tired of Chicago.  I am tired of 100+ with 99% humidity in summer to the other extreme of 10 below zero with 3 feet of snow in winter.  The older I get, the less I can take those extremes.   During this latest heat wave, I was looking at the weather map.  The entire county was deep red... for H O T..    All except the Northwest... a nice cool green blue.   I was wondering what the weather and the extremes were there.   I like the Seattle area but I'm concerned about the cost of living.  It's really pretty country the Pacific Northwest..  Can you tell me something about it?  Like where is the weather temperate but doesn't cost an arm and a leg to buy a house..   Or live...   ???

luise.volta

L – Sure, I will be glad to share about my experience. I come from Michigan, so I know what you're up against. I have lived in Northern CA., Northern Oregon and Western Washington since 1954. Eastern WA is high dessert and, to me, worse than what you are trying to get away from.

Where I live is: www.WarmBeach.org . There are rentals only here and your have to buy in unless you qualify for low income housing like I do. There's a five-year wait.

I have lived in Seattle but it is too dense for me. The energy there is too fast paced. I live in the woods but my town is Stanwood. Before that I lived on Camano Island. (Same zip code the last I knew.) There are foreclosures available  because of the recent economy that offer incredible buys, from a little place in town to one on the island (which we reach by a bridge.)

Real Estate -

http://www.iforeclosureslist.com/stanwood-wa/?gclid=CJHDhpT-nLECFSUbQgodIzEvdA

Weather –
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/98292

Regular Real Estate - http://www.johnlscott.com/officedetail.aspx?io=1125126

Let me know what else you'd like me to address.
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. Dalai Lama

Pen

Astoria, OR...no winter snow, no summer heat, gorgeous Victorian houses for very reasonable prices.
Respect ... is appreciation of the separateness of the other person, of the ways in which he or she is unique.
-- Annie Gottlieb

Lillycache

Love that weather map Louise!!   70's and sunny!!  My kind of summer!  It's going to be 100+ today and tomorrow in this area.  I can't take this heat.    I would be definately looking to buy property.  I have 2 houses to sell here first.  So it would be and enormous undertaking.   I love the idea of a big victorian home Pen.   I have one now out by the Mississippi.   I also would like some land.  Not a huge amount maybe just an acre would do me fine. ... and a big fenced in area for my animals.  Pen.. what is the cost of living like there?  What could I get for around $200K to perhaps $250K?  I have no concept about this area.  I like rural, so perhaps Seattle is not the place for us.  My DH is getting all excited about this too.  Maybe it's not just a pipe dream.  I'm going to have to do a lot more research.

Lillycache

I've just looked a little bit online.  It appears that living anywhere near the coast is cost prohibitive, and would cost  mega bucks to get what I want.   I think I need to look at places more toward the central or western parts of the states...  any suggestions?

Footloose

Hubby and I live in metro Atlanta and u talk about HOT!  YUCK!  Our family/ jobs brought us to the south and we have been here most of our lives.  We went up to Maine for a vacation and absolutely love the summer there.  We also plan to travel to the west coast in WA as well.  I would suggest that before u chose another climate, u visit at least twice, once in summer and again in winter. 

We have a pop up camper that we will begin using often.  Nature is our favorite setting!  Medical care is also important as we age and for me as I will need prosthetic care for life. All I need to do my full time job is a phone and a computer connection so hey, I could take my calls in Yosemite Forest if I wanted to.   

Not being tied to my DS and his family really takes a lot of pressure off.  I feel as free as I ever have and have to say I am liking this part:) 

luise.volta

There are wonderful buys around. Astoria, OR is close to the coast. Once you get excited...feed it by making a trip out here and sniffing around! Then you can go home with a tangible dream and some solid information! :-)
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. Dalai Lama

Smilesback@u

I also am from PNW.  Mt Vernon is north of seattle and far enough out of the big city to have affordable senior living areas.  My GF lived in an over 55 community and loved it.  Another area that is beautiful and suburbs is Carnation.  So don't give up on Seattle because you get away from the city and prices drop (like everywhere else).  Even in Bothell which is not far from Seattle, there are 2 b 2b condos that are short sales, or foreclosures for less than $125K.  Happy hunting!  The weather is not that bad...overcast skies is mainly the issue all year round.  Not too hot, occasionally a week of 80s in the summer if you are lucky.  You have the ferries that are inexpensive to take to the San Juans, Kingston and the views are fantastic.  No many lakes around and services for tourism, little shuttle buses for day tripping to Mt Rainier, Mt St Helen's, the tulip fields in Mt Vernon etc.  I love Seattle, but we plan to retire in Hawaii, where I graduated from in h.s. I love swimming and the water is cold in lakes and Puget Sound. 

Pen

I'm getting the bug now, lol. By the time DH & are ready to move on who knows where we'll feel like living? It's fun to research and dream  :)
Respect ... is appreciation of the separateness of the other person, of the ways in which he or she is unique.
-- Annie Gottlieb

Lillycache

I would love to take a week, fly into Seattle and rent a car.  We could spend the week driving down the coast looking at different neighborhoods and perhaps talking to folks.  We could fly back from Portland.    This heat has really got me feeling awful.  I'm headachy and irritable and I just plain don't feel good.  I can't handle it like I usta could.. lol!!   I'm also not able to handle the snow in winter.  I am more and more fearful of driving in it.  Cold however doesn't bother me as much as heat.

Smilesback@u

Sounds reasonable.  Look at ziprealty -- for seattle condos in bothell.  Nice area just to give you some info.  The 520 bridge has a toll now, so beware.  It crosses Lake WA from Bellevue to Seattle.  Can go around on 405 north or south, though.  If you like boating, going north to Mukilteo and Everett and you will find housing close to the ferry.  I also love Federal Way and Black Diamond area -- views of Mt Rainier.  ENJOY!

luise.volta

Isn't it fun to have a plan forming? Whee! (It got way up to 75 degrees yesterday here and we were all nearly wiped out! LOL!) We are on a bluff above Puget Sound. Val and I used to have a teacup view of the water from our first apartment. You can smell the salt water in the air, our evergreens are over 100' tall and we have eagles up in them, right on campus. We have deer that sometimes come into our yards, raccoons that entertain us and coyotes that sing to us at night. Come Spring, we stay off the trails we walk in our camp next door until the bears coming out of of hibernation with new cubs settle down. :-)
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. Dalai Lama

Footloose

Luise,  Can't wait to visit up your way!  We so LOVE nature:)

Elise

I considered moving to the NW when I retired. Visited there and loved everything except the lack of sunshine so many days a year. I expect one adjsuts to that though.

luise.volta

I love it. We have many days that have a light, misty kind of rain and we pretty much ignore it. I have lived here  for 53 years and only one winter was too dark for too long for me. I got one of those lights and I was fine. Not so for a salesman friend of mine who moved here and was unable to work, due to depression. My DS and DIL lived here all there live and both of them are adversely affected by the lack of long, sunny days. They moved to Kauai.
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. Dalai Lama