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New House Shopping, Good Sound Criteria?

iridium

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amirm

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Coming late to this thread.

First, warm welcome to coming to our town. Like you, we moved from California to this area. We did a lateral move on house cost and as such, our new home here was three times bigger! :D Even came with a theater which at the time was a big deal.

First things to make sure you get is a super airy, and bright place without much trees around you. Winters are dark here and you don't want any shading from trees. During summer they look fantastic but don't let that mislead you. Make sure there are tons of windows, tall ceilings, skylights, lots of lights, etc.

On construction, you will find the homes here superior to a lot of what was in California so it would be a step up no matter which way you look at it.

On basements, we don't have true basements. Instead, what we have are "daylight basements" which is created by having homes on hills and so one side is level with the second floor but the other, with the basement. They are not usually damp but make sure the dirt behind the basement is not too high as that will push moisture into that floor.

On audio room, you would need to step up in square footage to have a dedicated one of course. The larger the room the better. Dimensions and such are not that important.

PM me and I will give you my phone number and we can chat more.

Again, welcome. This will be a big change but one that we don't regret at all.
 
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watchnerd

watchnerd

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Coming late to this thread.

First, warm welcome to coming to our town. Like you, we moved from California to this area. We did a lateral move on house cost and as such, our new home here was three times bigger! :D Even came with a theater which at the time was a big deal.

First things to make sure you get is a super airy, and bright place without much trees around you. Winters are dark here and you don't want any shading from trees. During summer they look fantastic but don't let that mislead you. Make sure there are tons of windows, tall ceilings, skylights, lots of lights, etc.

On construction, you will find the homes here superior to a lot of what was in California so it would be a step up no matter which way you look at it.

On basements, we don't have true basements. Instead, what we have are "daylight basements" which is created by having homes on hills and so one side is level with the second floor but the other, with the basement. They are not usually damp but make sure the dirt behind the basement is not too high as that will push moisture into that floor.

On audio room, you would need to step up in square footage to have a dedicated one of course. The larger the room the better. Dimensions and such are not that important.

PM me and I will give you my phone number and we can chat more.

Again, welcome. This will be a big change but one that we don't regret at all.

Thanks!

Next week is moving week -- the packers come Tuesday and the van Wednesday. We're shipping my wife's car and the cats, then she, the dog, and I are driving the bigger car on a 2 day road trip.

We're going to be in corporate housing for 90 days while we put our CA house on the market and start shopping for a new home...

Regarding the rain, I've heard there are some pretty big differences in micro-climates and rainfall depending where one lives. Any thoughts on that?
 

amirm

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Regarding the rain, I've heard there are some pretty big differences in micro-climates and rainfall depending where one lives. Any thoughts on that?
The Olympic mountains do create a "rain shadow" and that does determine how much rain each region gets.

Problem is, rain is really not an issue. What is an issue for here is the short days and cloudy days for 3-4 months during winter. We had a vacation house on Whidbey Island which gets less rain from Seattle area due to above reason but it made no difference whatsoever in livability of the place. Ditto for where we live now where it is supposed to get more rain. Rain here is light and just a jacket with hood takes care of it. No one even carries an umbrella here. It is the gloomy weather during winter that is a problem.

The key is to develop good hobbies you can do indoors during winter, or break them up by traveling to somewhere warm in the middle of it. And because you live indoors much more than California, then you want the house to be bigger, brighter, and generally a lot more usable to have space for hobbies and such. I would not do a lateral move in square footage for example. The big benefit here is that you can get a much larger, newer home for similar or less money than California. So take advantage of that.

As an example we moved from 2000 sq foot in Silicon Valley to 5,200 square foot home here at the same price. Of course we filled the darn thing and now can't live in anything smaller! :D

On temp housing, I have done that a few times and learned that it is horrible. You live in an apartment with a lot of transients (people who are doing what you are doing) without any of your stuff. After a week or two you wind up having to buy stuff you have in storage again. It seems like a great money saver but from comfort point of view, it is a terrible thing. Also, unless your company fully grosses up the taxes, you would owe that because it will be considered ordinary income to you. I imagine the market is hot down there and if so, once you have a solid contract on your home I would be in good hurry to find something up here and buy.

Adding on, I hope the company is giving you a bonus to cover tax burden. A corporate move is great in all the things they pay for but little of that is tax deductible and you wind up with paying a third of that in taxes out of your pocket. Even when they "gross up" the taxes, that money becomes taxable again! I moved with Microsoft and the total move must have cost $50K or more. They did gross it up which was nice. Moved to San Diego without it and almost got killed. Just imagine the realtor fees they pay and you having to pay taxes on it.

Anyway, don't want to dwell on the negatives :). Overall, there are a lot of great things here. You will for example find the people here much more friendly and easier to make connection with. Take me for example. I could not be nicer as you have already seen. :D The air is always fresh and clean. Summers are to die for. Temps have been in 70s and low 80s for weeks now without any rain. With a 1-2 hour trip you can be next to a mountain, with a gorgeous lake with either no one beside you or a just a few. California is a great place to but when it comes to accessible natural beauty, it is way behind Washington state. And Oregon is just 3 hours down and it has its own wonderful scenery to offer.
 

RayDunzl

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The air is always fresh and clean.

helens_page06_15.jpg
 
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watchnerd

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Adding on, I hope the company is giving you a bonus to cover tax burden. A corporate move is great in all the things they pay for but little of that is tax deductible and you wind up with paying a third of that in taxes out of your pocket. Even when they "gross up" the taxes, that money becomes taxable again! I moved with Microsoft and the total move must have cost $50K or more. They did gross it up which was nice.

Yes, it's both - a tax gross up on the moving expenses and a six figure signing bonus.
 

amirm

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Oh, if that is the case and you are not stuck on "city life" I would look to houses on the "east side." (Anything east of Lake Washington) You have many options with nice square footage. It is unfortunately a seller's market but if the same is true in CA, then you should be OK.
 
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watchnerd

watchnerd

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Oh, if that is the case and you are not stuck on "city life" I would look to houses on the "east side." (Anything east of Lake Washington) You have many options with nice square footage. It is unfortunately a seller's market but if the same is true in CA, then you should be OK.

Yeah, the average DOM for my neighborhood of the SF peninsula is 10 days.
 

NorthSky

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NorthSky

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Palawan Island, Philippines:

PALAWAN-ISLAND.jpg


palawan%2Bisland%2Bsnorkelling.jpg


o-PALAWAN-PHILLIPINES-900.jpg


For complete and relax retirement, with the natural music of the ocean and wildlife, plus the views to accompany the good food and clean bathing water, it would suit me just fine. What a paradise!
 

amirm

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It is 1000 degrees with 200% humidity Bob. :) And the rest of the time it rains including monsoons!

See https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-...sland:Philippines:Weather.And.When.To.Go.html

"Travelers seeking to spend time in Palawan should know that there is a long rainy season during which it is best to avoid heading to the area. The only drawback to heading to the area during the dry season is that it is also the hottest time of year in the area and there is frequently high levels of humidity which make the area uncomfortable. Travelers should also know that the rainy season lasts longer on the eastern side of Palawan than it does on the northern, southern and western sides of Palawan so if the eastern side is raining, try heading elsewhere to get out of the rain.

The rainy season begins in June and marks the time of the year when it is strongly recommended not to head to the area. For the first three to four months of the rainy season, the area is struck by heavy monsoons. There are also some threats of tropical storm damage at this time, usually affecting the northern part of Palawan the most. Starting in approximately November, the rains calm down to tolerable amounts, except in that eastern part of Palawan . The rains continue on through the beginning of March. Early March is an excellent time to plan for a trip to Palawan , because the weather is not yet unbearably hot but the rains have tapered off."

It is a good place to go and visit during the perfect window but not to retire in.
 
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watchnerd

watchnerd

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Palawan Island, Philippines:

For complete and relax retirement, with the natural music of the ocean and wildlife, plus the views to accompany the good food and clean bathing water, it would suit me just fine. What a paradise!

Looks pretty bad for home audio...free-field anechoic environments are a bitch without PA systems.
 

NorthSky

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Oh, I did not know what was attached with the world's best island.
Then I'll try to stick with the island I'm on; best climate year-round for sure...in all Canada. Plus the trees, ocean, killer whales, ....all that jazz.
And Seattle is just a quick boat ride away... three hours with the Clipper:

seattle-to-victoria-ferry.jpg


http://www.clippervacations.com/sea...to Seattle&utm_term=victoria to seattle ferry

It is 1000 degrees with 200% humidity Bob. :) And the rest of the time it rains including monsoons!

See https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-...sland:Philippines:Weather.And.When.To.Go.html

"Travelers seeking to spend time in Palawan should know that there is a long rainy season during which it is best to avoid heading to the area. The only drawback to heading to the area during the dry season is that it is also the hottest time of year in the area and there is frequently high levels of humidity which make the area uncomfortable. Travelers should also know that the rainy season lasts longer on the eastern side of Palawan than it does on the northern, southern and western sides of Palawan so if the eastern side is raining, try heading elsewhere to get out of the rain.

The rainy season begins in June and marks the time of the year when it is strongly recommended not to head to the area. For the first three to four months of the rainy season, the area is struck by heavy monsoons. There are also some threats of tropical storm damage at this time, usually affecting the northern part of Palawan the most. Starting in approximately November, the rains calm down to tolerable amounts, except in that eastern part of Palawan . The rains continue on through the beginning of March. Early March is an excellent time to plan for a trip to Palawan , because the weather is not yet unbearably hot but the rains have tapered off."

It is a good place to go and visit during the perfect window but not to retire in.
 
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