Originally Posted By: DCC
Yeah...many things to consider, I wonder how the people feel who are already where those leaving here will go? It's a good guess that the locals will generally resent the housing prices being driven up and that taking the general cost of living up with it, I 'spose it will be much like the local Washingtonians felt about the Cali invasion 20/30 years ago, staying ahead of the curve can be the goal but an unintentional consequence will be a deterioration of someone else's lifestyle.
I am choosing to stick around and attempt to make my surroundings better, just bought 14 acres in Pierce Co and am planning to kill a few brain cells in dealing with county and building barns and a house and living happily ever after.... I guess we will see.



And that's where I'm torn, as I still love this state, or what I remember it once as. We've also thought of just moving North or NE a couple of hours. Family/friends are still prevalent, the property is considerably cheaper, and the towns are smaller but still have the required amenities for us.

And I do feel for you guys in the highly taxed regions on the West side, especially when you don't get any direct benefit from some of the mandatory taxes (light rail). My monthly property taxes are right at what my 1st house payment was when I bought 27 years ago here (just P&I). Crazy! On the flip side, my current place with 4 acres has quadrupled in "street value" with today's insane real estate market. That's in 21 years of ownership, but who knows if a correction is looming?

We've also looked at selling, and just moving to the other side of town and building our final place (1 acre of flat ground). Totally cost-prohibitive in the big picture, as once we'd sell the current and buy the ground and build the house, we'd just be trading dollars. So, if we stay, our current plan is to build a new house on the adjacent 2 acres. Once completed, then sell the house and the 2 acres it's on. The parcels are separate anyhow, so no paperwork is needed and the move would only be about 150 yards. Nice to have options at least.