It's not certain that the younger generation would place much of a premium on having their primary residence be located within walking distance of pubs, boutique shops, farmers markets, etc. We're talking about the generation that is too lazy to even leave the house, opting to get Taco Bell delivered by Uber Eats even if they happen to live a block away from multiple good restaurants. It's mainly the Baby Boomer generation of Seattle that I hear talk about how they'd love to have a small house in Madison Park.
Many people of different cultural backgrounds largely represented in the Seattle area have money to buy houses and mostly care about (1) size of house, (2) newness of house, (3) garage space and (4) being within some minimal distance to freeways and city centers. Notice that things like walkability or views are not on that list.
It's not certain that the younger generation would place much of a premium on having their primary residence be located within walking distance of pubs, boutique shops, farmers markets, etc. We're talking about the generation that is too lazy to even leave the house, opting to get Taco Bell delivered by Uber Eats even if they happen to live a block away from multiple good restaurants. It's mainly the Baby Boomer generation of Seattle that I hear talk about how they'd love to have a small house in Madison Park.
Many people of different cultural backgrounds largely represented in the Seattle area have money to buy houses and mostly care about (1) size of house, (2) newness of house, (3) garage space and (4) being within some minimal distance to freeways and city centers. Notice that things like walkability or views are not on that list.
Several points touched upon here.
You raise a good point about those features that "younger generations" might find particularly desirable in choosing housing locations and particular houses specifically. The ones I know tend to mention access to the outdoors, hiking trails, bike trails, and things like the mountains, lakes, ocean, the Sound, skiing, a variety of running routes, etc. I hear this a lot. And the hope is that their locale be within an hour or two drive of several of these, and even closer for things like access to several local tracks and running routes and clubs.
The other thing I hear a lot from millennials about where they choose to live is the local job market for the kind of work they do and want to progress within. And some mention quality of the public schools.
Perusing articles pertaining to this, it would seem that what millennials want in a city are Amenities (access to a variety of restaurants, shops, recreation options, and entertainment options) and good public transportation, among other things (just like everyone else).
Of course, within any given city, the more specific considerations like house size, garage, newness, etc. will be valued and prioritized.
A former boss, years ago, moved his family out of Seattle to a smaller eastside suburb, just about 25 miles away.
He said it seemed like a good idea at the time, but in the first day or two he woke up in the middle of some comparatively dead, dull, listless suburb and he said the first thing that came into his head was what the hell did I just do?
I literally have the same reaction when I come to seattle ("why am I in this pathetic dirty city with ugly women")
It's not certain that the younger generation would place much of a premium on having their primary residence be located within walking distance of pubs, boutique shops, farmers markets, etc. We're talking about the generation that is too lazy to even leave the house, opting to get Taco Bell delivered by Uber Eats even if they happen to live a block away from multiple good restaurants. It's mainly the Baby Boomer generation of Seattle that I hear talk about how they'd love to have a small house in Madison Park.
Many people of different cultural backgrounds largely represented in the Seattle area have money to buy houses and mostly care about (1) size of house, (2) newness of house, (3) garage space and (4) being within some minimal distance to freeways and city centers. Notice that things like walkability or views are not on that list.
Exactly right. The thing about walkability is most of Seattle proper isn't dense enough to be walkable to begin with, and public transit is lacking. So it's entirely car-dependent, but the car infrastructure is also bad, and over-crowded.
It's not certain that the younger generation would place much of a premium on having their primary residence be located within walking distance of pubs, boutique shops, farmers markets, etc. We're talking about the generation that is too lazy to even leave the house, opting to get Taco Bell delivered by Uber Eats even if they happen to live a block away from multiple good restaurants. It's mainly the Baby Boomer generation of Seattle that I hear talk about how they'd love to have a small house in Madison Park.
Many people of different cultural backgrounds largely represented in the Seattle area have money to buy houses and mostly care about (1) size of house, (2) newness of house, (3) garage space and (4) being within some minimal distance to freeways and city centers. Notice that things like walkability or views are not on that list.
Exactly right. The thing about walkability is most of Seattle proper isn't dense enough to be walkable to begin with, and public transit is lacking. So it's entirely car-dependent, but the car infrastructure is also bad, and over-crowded.
I wouldn't fixate on the "walkability" part specifically as much as a more general access to Amenities, as I said in my last post: "...access to a variety of restaurants, shops, recreation options, and entertainment options) and good public transportation, among other things (just like everyone else)."
Of course, within any given city, the more specific considerations like house size, garage, newness, etc. will be valued and prioritized.
But the thing is, if someone hypothetically prioritizes things like a 2-car garage, high ceilings, relatively up-to-date construction, you basically rule out entire neighborhoods of Seattle, where all the homes are built in the early 20th century (or else pay a massive premium), whereas nearly every home in Issaquah would meet their criteria.
Of course, within any given city, the more specific considerations like house size, garage, newness, etc. will be valued and prioritized.
But the thing is, if someone hypothetically prioritizes things like a 2-car garage, high ceilings, relatively up-to-date construction, you basically rule out entire neighborhoods of Seattle, where all the homes are built in the early 20th century (or else pay a massive premium), whereas nearly every home in Issaquah would meet their criteria.
Of course.
Each home buyer prioritizes the relative importance of many factors, of which this would be one.
There is no shortage of demand for Seattle homes. Why is that? They aren't the cheapest, the biggest, probably not the newest, not the best in terms of traffic congestion....
There's clearly a variety of factors at play, which the individual buyer ranks according to their unique needs.
And the issue about school districts raised earlier. Eastside schools districts, some of them in particular, do rank generally very favorably. But the thing about Seattle Schools is that their is a mix, and overall some bring the overall score down, but some are at the top of the ranking. Buyers take this into consideration, and it is not that they would rule out Seattle overall due to a lower public school ranking, they might rule out certain areas of Seattle and instead, favor those with the higher ranked schools. Of course this happens, and it's not even a question. And college admissions personnel most definitely look at the individual schools in weighing the merits of a particular candidate, and also their zip code, for that matter.
It's not certain that the younger generation would place much of a premium on having their primary residence be located within walking distance of pubs, boutique shops, farmers markets, etc. We're talking about the generation that is too lazy to even leave the house, opting to get Taco Bell delivered by Uber Eats even if they happen to live a block away from multiple good restaurants. It's mainly the Baby Boomer generation of Seattle that I hear talk about how they'd love to have a small house in Madison Park.
Many people of different cultural backgrounds largely represented in the Seattle area have money to buy houses and mostly care about (1) size of house, (2) newness of house, (3) garage space and (4) being within some minimal distance to freeways and city centers. Notice that things like walkability or views are not on that list.
Exactly right. The thing about walkability is most of Seattle proper isn't dense enough to be walkable to begin with, and public transit is lacking. So it's entirely car-dependent, but the car infrastructure is also bad, and over-crowded.
There is no shortage of demand for Seattle homes. Why is that? They aren't the cheapest, the biggest, probably not the newest, not the best in terms of traffic congestion....
You're aware average homes in Seattle are less expensive than Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, Issaquah, and now even Mukilteo right? That's not apples-to-apples because the homes are smaller and older, and there are expensive neighborhoods in Seattle, but overall there is not nearly as much relative demand for the location as you seem to think.
There is no shortage of demand for Seattle homes. Why is that? They aren't the cheapest, the biggest, probably not the newest, not the best in terms of traffic congestion....
You're aware average homes in Seattle are less expensive than Kirkland, Bellevue, Redmond, Issaquah, and now even Mukilteo right? That's not apples-to-apples because the homes are smaller and older, and there are expensive neighborhoods in Seattle, but overall there is not nearly as much relative demand for the location as you seem to think.
No, I wasn't aware of that. It would be interesting to see a comparison by zip code since I bet there's quite a bit of variability in Seattle based on neighborhood.
Edit: of the regional townships, it looks like Mercer Island is among the very top, which is not really surprising.
This post was edited 2 minutes after it was posted.
Checking more areas in the area, it would seem that the big price tag area for homes is Madison Park. I love that neighborhood of Seattle. It's a real charmer.
Interesting, too, that it's right across the lake from the other high priced area- Mercer Island.
Both have very good access to the urban hubs like Seattle downtown and Bellevue.
Every area including Mercer Island will go down massively in value over the next decade
There aren't enough doctors and lawyers move here to replace the rapidly decreasing number of people earning $250K+/yr
Haven't you been predicting this since 2010? It's your standard default on all things Seattle and that's too bad. Had you not been smoking your own stuff a decade ago, you might be sitting on a property goldmine right now. Getting attention is always more important than making savvy financial moves in your mind.
Go visit OKC before you decide to move. Even a short visit will provide you with a general feel for the place and ask a lot of questions while you're there.
Must have been a long time ago... The eastside suburbs are way nicer in practically every way
Good to know. It was a long time ago. About 1998.
Edit: what he missed in particular were the neighborhood amenities within walking distance of their house, things like the landmark Larsen's Bakery, etc.
I've always wondered why people live in Seattle. I imagine it was different in 1998, but now I picture it as a crime-ridden dystopia. I live in the eastside and rarely go to Seattle. I'm lounging in my bedroom now, and I see beautiful trees out my window with Lake Sammamish in the distance. One of the top-rated elementary schools in the state is a mile from my house, and top middle and high schools aren't much farther. We can walk to a playground which is safe, clean and filled with other kids. I can let my three year old play in the front yard without being worried about anything other than traffic - and since we live in a cul de sac, that's minimal.
There are no bakeries within walking distance. I would like a bakery within walking distance. But not enough to put up with the crime, traffic, noise, trash and other Seattle annoyances.
To the original poster, OKC wouldn't be my first choice, but if you're young, go for it. When you're young is a great time to move around and live in different places and see the world. I would just be cautious about taking a pay cut; you don't want to make it impossible to come back to a HCOL area. Also, make sure you invest the money you're not spending on housing and whatnot in Seattle. Don't just spend it.
Must have been a long time ago... The eastside suburbs are way nicer in practically every way
please explain how the eastern suburbs are way better for music, art, entertainment, bars, restaurants, education, social groups and outings?
I guess those things aren't really what I'm into. I do enjoy going out to the ballet occasionally; PNB is better but more hassle so we sometimes go to Seattle for PNB and sometimes go in Bellevue. I have almost zero interest in bars but will occasionally go out to a bar on the eastside with friends. There are lots of great restaurants in Bellevue and on the eastside in general ,but since I have young children, it's NBD to drive wherever compared to the hassle of getting a sitter. Education is way, way better on the Eastside - check out the Issaquah, Lake Washington and Bellevue school districts. Seattle schools are a complete disaster and the #1 reason I wouldn't live in Seattle now that I have kids.
As for outings, I enjoy skiing, running, cycling, hiking, etc. All of those are more plentiful on the eastside. In case you haven't noticed, most road races have moved out of Seattle. Cycling is generally safer on the eastside, though I will occasionally cycle around the lake. And we're generally closer to most skiing and hiking out here.
I also like having 2/3 of an acre and seeing only trees, Lake Sammamish and occasionally wildlife in my backyard. That would be impossible in Seattle unless I was super rich. I also don't lock my door half the time.