Homesteading in Seattle area?

rdhdstpchild · #1 12/04/11, 08:15 PM

Those of you in Washington (now or past!): Need your help!

I've been head hunted for a job opportunity in Seattle. DH and I looking for good areas outside of the city to consider for our next homestead. Commutes around an hour are fine, it's what I do now though less would be lovely.

What areas do you recommend? What info do you wish someone had shared with you when you first arrived?

Should also mention we would be moving our farm critters with us: dogs, cats, 40 chickens, pygmy goats, flemish rabbit, etc.

TIA!

goatlady · #2 12/04/11, 08:56 PM

I sure hope you are truely aware of the high cost of living in that area AND the extremely high prices still on properties. IF you have a low 6-figure income you might be able to find a place for yourselves and your animals. Lived north of Seattle for many years, and 3 of my 4 kids still live in that area. The kids have been pushig me to move back there and I've been checking land prices for myself. No way could I afford to buy anything rural within 50 miles of Seattle with land for my goats and chickens!

Molly Mckee · #3 12/04/11, 09:46 PM

I don't know where in Seattle you will be working, but the traffic is really bad. You may not make it very far from Seattle in an hour, or even out of Seattle. I would ask if my job is at _____ in Seattle, where can I drive to in an hour, most of the time.

We moved to the PNW from the Houston area, IMO Seattle traffic is worse than Houston.

oregon woodsmok · #4 12/04/11, 09:51 PM

Traffic on the freeways is crowded, but Seattle is a lovely area to live.

You can go onto Craigslist Seattle and look at rentals and real estate for sale. Also, every realtor in the area will have a website, and there is Realtor dot com to check prices.

PNWest · #5 12/04/11, 11:34 PM

There are semi rural areas approx. an hour from Seattle. The area between Seattle and Olympia, the Pluyallup area, Maple Valley area, Monroe area. We live 80 miles north of Seattle and that's a 1 3/4 hour drive to city center during the commute.

If I were you, I would sell my animals and buy others when you get here. This region abounds in animals, and Craigslist is full of them.

If you come without animals there is not the terrible pressure to 'get something' right away just to make the animals comfortable. You open up many more options that way.

Wags · #6 12/04/11, 11:41 PM

As others have already said it is EXPENSIVE to buy property in the greater Seattle area and traffic is some of the worst around.

I can understand moving pets, and even the goats, but it makes no sense to move the chickens you mentioned.

stamphappy · #7 12/05/11, 08:41 AM

We live about an hour, a little bit more, away from Seattle. We live on the Kitsap Peninsula which is west of Seattle. To get to Seattle, you'd either drive around and take the Tacoma Narrows Toll Bridge or you'd take a ferry. My husband commutes 3 days a week and it takes about 1.75 hours each way. We have been searching actively with an agent for 10 months for a rural house. It has been very difficult to find a decent house on decent land.

Here most everything is wet and is considered wetlands and has a bounty of restrictions on it due to animal and flora/flauna rights. For example, if you have any wetlands on your property, you must not have any livestock within 200 feet of the wetlands boundaries. Also, be very aware of what type of property you purchase (rural, urban, etc...) as there are also animal restrictions involved with that--such as no animals or animal enclosure within xxx feet of another home. Finally, many CCRs do not allow animals on property.

It has been an expericence trying to find dry, usable property with it's own well and a decent house. We started at $200k and have now slowly crept up to the $400k range. We're finally seeing houses that are not dumps but are having a hard time justiying $400k+ in light of the economy. We are amazed when we see houses sell that we've looked at and are in horrible shape (black mold, water damage, wasp infestations, etc...) sell for $350k. DH & I think that is absolutely ridiculous for a 'fixer'----and I'm not talking a coat of paint and some trim.

It is true that Seattle was one of the last areas affected by the economy but we are now seeing a downturn. It seems as though the housing market has yet to make the downward adjustment. We thought this would be a great time to purchase (low interest rates and many foreclosed homes) and are still waiting to find the 'dream'.

Please go to Redfin and learn about the price per square foot for the area you are interested in. Also be sure to know our land code restrictions. Finally, get an agent who is expericenced with rural homes not just city homes.

There's a sweet gal here on HT, lorichristie, who is an agent in our area. Perhaps she'll chime in on this thread to give you more professional advice.

Good luck to you as I'm sure you'll find your house just as we eventually will!

prairiedog · #8 12/05/11, 09:14 AM

We lived north of Seattle in the Marysville area. Loved it. The cost of housing is fairly high now but has went down in the last couple of years. I keep a good check on the market as I would like t go back. I recently saw a three bedroom on a little under an acre for less than 50,000. Getting more in my price range. Big drop in just the past year with the economy the way it is.

Pink_Carnation · #9 12/05/11, 01:01 PM

It will depend on what part of Seattle you will be working in for commute times. For the south end there are rural properties on the outskirts of Kent, Renton, Maple Valley, and Auburn. A lot of the land has a high water table and lots of rocks. Flooding and soggy ground are also problems you might encounter. One of the realtors I worked with had a geo-hazards map which was nice since some properties can have old coal mines under them which means the ground could sink. For property with a house prices will probably be $400k and up. Further north you might find something in Fall City, Carnation, Duvall, or Issaquah.

Goat Servant · #10 12/05/11, 01:28 PM

Yep, an hour commute into downtown is going to be more like two. Each way.
You will grow web feet, live on coffee and need sunglasses for the least amount of light.
Be prepared for winter blahs & squish squish when outside.
Our feed & hay prices are through the roof compared to most places.
But there is a great "buy local homegrown" movement going on if you can plug into it. I hear of $7+ for a dozen eggs at the markets. They are high on chevre too. Literally & figuratively.

Trisha in WA · #11 12/05/11, 02:03 PM

Pretty much what others have said. An hour commute from Seattle and homestead don't really happen together. Traffic is the worst!
I would suggest a trip to visit and see what is here before signing on the dotted line. Arrange an appointment with a real estate agent to show you properties that would suit your needs to get an idea of the market.
Anything we can tell you about our own experiences won't prepare you for the reality of Seattle.
We just moved to the east side of the Cascades a year and a half ago because we couldn't afford to live over there. We lived between Tacoma and Olympia (in Thurston county) where land prices are MUCH less than those in King and Pierce counties.

airotciv · #12 12/05/11, 04:23 PM

Living in the Northwest, I wish I knew where you are moving from. I live in Oregon and my son lives in Washington the other son in Montana. I would sell the farm animals and bring the dogs and cats with me. Just remember to have all Vet records with you. Now where in the Seatle area you should live? Come rent for a few months and go driving around the area. I never thought 38 years ago we would rent a house in a new state and buy a house with 4+ acers a year later.

Edit: In a small town of 350. 38 years later the town has grown to 550+. We still have more cow/goats than people.

goatlady · #13 12/05/11, 05:37 PM

The OP'ers location is shown as Tennessee I do believe, so they are in for a shock at the prices in WA state.

rdhdstpchild · #14 12/05/11, 07:48 PM

Wow! Thanks for all the input so far. I have learned the company is in Tacoma not Seattle! So... What do y'all know about Tacoma? Lol

boundarybunnyco · #15 12/05/11, 08:45 PM

From people I know who live in Tacoma, the word is that the crime rate is really really high.

Trisha in WA · #16 12/05/11, 09:17 PM

Depends on what part of Tacoma. I lived in the area for 25+ years. You can get to Lewis county via I-5 in an hour. Property in Lewis county is MUCH cheaper HOWEVER you have to watch for wetlands. There are good places to be had and you would be amazed it the difference in price. OH and the traffic is way more tolerable than Seattle.
The South Hill area of Puyallup towards Graham (Pierce County) still has a few small pieces of acreage available but they'll be a little more expensive. We lived in Yelm (Thurston county) for about 7 years and you can get a few acres there for a lot less than Puyallup/Graham and their isn't as much wetlands to deal with.
Feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions. I know the area very well and I would be happy to help.

Pink_Carnation · #17 12/05/11, 10:33 PM

I would add to check for the lahar areas in case Mt Rainier becomes active. If you do look at Graham make sure you do not have to drive on Meridian. That road has major traffic problems through Puyallup.

eruehr · #18 12/06/11, 10:35 AM

We used to live in Seattle (Des Moine - worked in Seattle). If you haven't been there - you simply cannot imagine the traffic. And then imagine it twice a day, every day. It's also not simply a matter of having to drive long distances, but the actual insane volume of cars on the road. The beautiful natural wonders of the Puget Sound region make it tough to put in infrastructure - the result is that there there aren't enough freeways, etc. to handle the loads that are currently on them. Working in Tacoma might help because you can live further away from Seattle (to the south). Real estate prices are astronomical - and, like others have posted, most of it is too wet/rocky/steep or protected to do anything with. Like anywhere, the closer you are to town/city, the more convenient it is to get to work/shopping, etc. the more expensive it's going to be. In the case of Seattle - WAY more expensive. The dangdest thing I found moving from the midwest was having to deal with drought - almost every year. It doesn't really rain that much in Seattle (seriously - compared to most other places) and most of that is in the fall/winter. During the growing season it would constantly be so dry that the leaves on the bushes would curl up - crazy dry.
Seattle is a beautiful place to visit - but living there - ugh. Unless of course you're a bajillionaire - then it's just fine.
If you're serious - get rid of all the animals (except dogs/pets) and like someone else said - rent a place for a year or two and see what it's like.

Zuska · #19 12/06/11, 10:46 AM

I live a tad over an hour north of Seattle. When I'm visiting family south of Seattle and am going back home in rush hour, my hour and a half commute becomes an hour 50 - 2 hours max. So just an extra 20 - 30 minutes. The land/home prices here are very high, but this is a buyers' market, not a sellers' market and so there is room for negotiation on prices. One thing I'd say is yes, there are rural areas an hour away from Seattle, but Seattle has creeped out in all directions, so it's more like pockets of rural that are filling up with houses and developments. I've lived in Washington for over 30 years and have seen lots of changes. I live in a farming community, but we also have had lots of development. Not as much as what is happening closer to Seattle, but we still see the effects. At some point, my husband and I will be moving to the other side of the state. It's getting to packed over here!

Common Tator · #20 12/06/11, 11:00 AM

I was raised in Washington State. Loved it, back then but (and some folks will want to spank me and send me t General Chat here) it is EXTREMELY LIBERAL in Washington. It will effect you in many intrusive ways. Not the least of which is property taxes are very, very high. My parents bought a fixer upper house on 3 acres in 1973 for $32,000. Their property taxes on that house now run about $7,000 per year. In California, I pay about half that for my house in the burbs of Orange County, AND my 42 acre ranch in the mountains, combined.

They can't cut down trees on their own property or clear back the blackberries. Blackberries have become the PNW's version of kudzu. Non native, and spreading, consuming everything in it's path. There are severe restrictions of the use of their fireplace. The government is in their wallets, and in their faces and care not a bit about individual property rights.