Salmon Creek vs. Fishers Landing (Seattle, Spokane: hotel, townhouse, landscaping)

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by ohio_peasant

The perfect place obviously doesn't exist, but ideally it would partake of the following attributes:

1. Good long-term investment potential, ...
...

3. ... I'd prefer to be around people who are well-educated and who value education.

4. Politically, ....to be around people who can speak cogently about the difference.

5. Worldly, secular area, rife with "citizens of nowhere",... Lots of foreign-born people, not to mention transplants from other states. ...

You don't want La Center, (or most places in SWWA, to be quite honest)
Maybe Vancouver BC might check more boxes for you? Otherwise you are stuck with liberal college towns (Olympia, Ferndale (Bellingham south)) Metro Seattle

[Wile E. Coyote]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

You don't want La Center, (or most places in SWWA, to be quite honest)
Maybe Vancouver BC might check more boxes for you? Otherwise you are stuck with liberal college towns (Olympia, Ferndale (Bellingham south)) Metro Seattle

Yes, and then, from your description of property you are going to need $$$$$ to compete up in that region.

[ohio_peasant]

Originally Posted by Wile E. Coyote

Yes, and then, from your description of property you are going to need $$$$$ to compete up in that region.

The budget isn't infinite, of course, but I'm far more concerned about income tax than about housing costs. If income tax didn't matter, I'd get something resembling a country house just outside of Vienna, Austria. Or for that matter just settle permanently in Los Angeles (current location). No, I'm not looking at $15M mansions in Brentwood, but there are reasonable smaller properties in the Hollywood Hills.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

You don't want La Center, (or most places in SWWA, to be quite honest)
Maybe Vancouver BC might check more boxes for you? Otherwise you are stuck with liberal college towns (Olympia, Ferndale (Bellingham south)) Metro Seattle

Ferndale is northwest of Bellingham. Lynden, directly north of B'ham, is a conservative community, if that's what Ohio-peasant is looking for. It's beautiful! And has a good school system. It's a conservative semi-rural community, but attracts university and high school faculty from Bellingham, due to the more affordable RE values, though those have been influenced by the proximity to B'ham. It's still more affordable.

Placid, surrounded by farms. Nice residential areas. I don't know about 1/2-acre lots, you'd have to ask an RE agent. I didn't see any when I was there recently, but I didn't venture outside of my host's neighborhood/development. You'd think that in an area of farms, there would be some larger lots. Easy and pleasant drive to Bellingham for university events, lectures, concerts, whatever.

[mayfair]

Yeah, finding worldly, educated, not politically polarized people in rural WA where the houses have privacy is going to be tough. Rural WA exurbia is the antithesis of that.

Plus most of the people moving to those areas have kids and are busy, so it can be difficult to connect if you aren't doing it through kids and schools.

The best place to find your tribe and large lots is Seattle's east side, Bellevue, Redmond area. Lots of people are foreign-born, educated, well-travelled- but wealthy. There are large lots out in the country. Very, very expensive though.

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by ohio_peasant

The perfect place obviously doesn't exist, but ideally it would partake of the following attributes:

1. Good long-term investment potential, even if that means that today the housing prices are comparatively high.

2. Suburb/exurb or semi-rural, with houses on at least 1/2 acre, up to ??? Emphasis on privacy. Definitely not in a HOA! Ideally, no sidewalks. A score of "0" on walkability.

3. I'm child-free (and a tad militant about it), but schools matter, in so far as I'd prefer to be around people who are well-educated and who value education.

4. Politically, some mix of Nelson Rockefeller and Adlai Stevenson. More Gore Vidal than Bill Buckley, but with a grudging respect towards both. Despite the preference for acreage, more Hamilton than Jefferson... but in particular, to be around people who can speak cogently about the difference.

5. Worldly, secular area, rife with "citizens of nowhere", to paraphrase former British PM Theresa May. Lots of foreign-born people, not to mention transplants from other states. Continuing the British reference, the sort of people who voted Remain, whose kids studied or worked in continental Europe, before the Brexit fiasco.

North Shore area of Massachusetts. You do have an income tax, but not outrageous like California. Here's a comfortable looking house, needs cosmetic updates, on nearly 3 acres. Walkable score is 5 out of 100, haha.

https://www.redfin.com/MA/Newbury/13...operty-history

You'd have a bucolic local environment, but with reasonable access to a large city. I expect you'll find a more eclectic mix of locals than in rural Washington. Over the past 20 years Mass. has had two Democratic governors and two Republican governors. I've never lived there, but it's on my list of places to check out.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Ferndale is northwest of Bellingham. Lynden, directly north of B'ham, is a conservative community, ... university events, lectures, concerts, whatever.

Whoops, my bad... Thinking Fairhaven, typing Ferndale (Polar opposites)

Fairhaven is a very appropriate community for the interests mentioned.

Once you find your spot, you can tailor your hunt for approriate properties. There are always some bargains lurking, you just have to find them BEFORE the realtor or prospective buyers do. Once listed FS as a public offering, bargain hunting and fair pricing is out the window.. Ask my assessor... "Of course EVERYONE buys via a realtor". Wrong, not in 38 of my 40 transactions. Assessor claims all those are 'non-market pricing and valuations'. They are in fact, actual valuations. Price agreed and paid. That gets me an incremental valuation subtraction for a couple yrs, it = about $0.50 property tax savings in the long run. (and a lot of work preparing to contest assessor valuation. )

Very few areas in WA meet the posted criteria, but there are a few and that will vastly simplify the search.

Being near BC has a lot of benefits. Huge international community and events + wonderful, pristine recreation. Can escape via land or sea or air (Many direct flights to Asia and Europe).

[ohio_peasant]

Folks, I was looking at the Vancouver area for the following reasons:

1. Close proximity to water.

2. Somewhat milder climate than regions further north, and especially, further east.

3. Benefits of Portland (such as pubs and ethnic grocery stores), without the urban travails.

The suggestion about Massachusetts is interesting, but (a) the winters are too harsh, and (b) if I were to go that route, I'd first consider New Hampshire, starting in 2027, whereupon their state capital gains tax will be abolished.

[Wile E. Coyote]

Originally Posted by ohio_peasant

The budget isn't infinite, of course, but I'm far more concerned about income tax than about housing costs. If income tax didn't matter, I'd get something resembling a country house just outside of Vienna, Austria. Or for that matter just settle permanently in Los Angeles (current location). No, I'm not looking at $15M mansions in Brentwood, but there are reasonable smaller properties in the Hollywood Hills.

CA does not translate easily to the PNW. But, good luck. You would have a transition period that may end with your departure back to Cali.

[ohio_peasant]

Originally Posted by Wile E. Coyote

CA does not translate easily to the PNW. But, good luck. You would have a transition period that may end with your departure back to Cali.

... Except that I'm not originally from CA, or even from the US.