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But I don't like that area. A house like that is not worth giving up the incredible outdoors lifestyle that the Seattle region offers. I'm happy to live in a w

But I don't like that area. A house like that is not worth giving up the incredible outdoors lifestyle that the Seattle region offers. I'm happy to live in a well-built, quiet condo that I pay a bit more for than "standard" condos or whatever. Don't really need a house. But even these are nearly impossible to come by. There's practically zero inventory.

realbarack 9y ago
FWIW if "incredible outdoors lifestyle" is what you seek and remote work is an option there are a number of better, cheaper places to live than Seattle.
- phillipcarter 9y ago
  What examples? I don’t actually live in Seattle proper, as it’s far too expensive. But the surrounding areas are also absurd in price.
  - realbarack 9y ago
    It really depends what you are looking for but a short list of western cities which are superior outdoor destinations to Seattle at least in some ways (and are much cheaper) is Bozeman, Missoula, Salt Lake City, Rapid City, Reno, Boise, St George. If a city is not a requirement, the list is a lot longer. Your mileage may vary depending on much or little you value things like remoteness, lack of traffic, mountains vs desert vs forest. Yes, if you're a hardcore mountaineer it might be tough to beat the north Cascades but for the rest of us there are a lot of good options.
swiss_beatz 9y ago
To be blunt, wtf are you complaining about then? You don't want to live in a cheaper area, so how can anyone help you? You aren't the only one who wants to live in a nice area at an affordable price.
BeetleB 9y ago
>But I don't like that area. I can summarize a lot of the comments in this thread with: "But I want it!" The city isn't obligated in making areas you like affordable to you. I wrote a bit about this recently: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16926098 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16926098
- phillipcarter 9y ago
  I would argue that the city is obligated to facilitate building affordable housing for everyone. Not just high-end stuff.
  - mmirate 9y ago
    A city's land is a scarce resource. It cannot just be doled out to anyone who "wants it". The whole problem of resource allocation is why we have capitalism in the first place.

realbarack 9y ago

FWIW if "incredible outdoors lifestyle" is what you seek and remote work is an option there are a number of better, cheaper places to live than Seattle.

phillipcarter 9y ago
What examples? I don’t actually live in Seattle proper, as it’s far too expensive. But the surrounding areas are also absurd in price.
- realbarack 9y ago
  It really depends what you are looking for but a short list of western cities which are superior outdoor destinations to Seattle at least in some ways (and are much cheaper) is Bozeman, Missoula, Salt Lake City, Rapid City, Reno, Boise, St George. If a city is not a requirement, the list is a lot longer. Your mileage may vary depending on much or little you value things like remoteness, lack of traffic, mountains vs desert vs forest. Yes, if you're a hardcore mountaineer it might be tough to beat the north Cascades but for the rest of us there are a lot of good options.

swiss_beatz 9y ago

To be blunt, wtf are you complaining about then? You don't want to live in a cheaper area, so how can anyone help you? You aren't the only one who wants to live in a nice area at an affordable price.

BeetleB 9y ago

>But I don't like that area. I can summarize a lot of the comments in this thread with: "But I want it!" The city isn't obligated in making areas you like affordable to you. I wrote a bit about this recently: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16926098 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16926098

phillipcarter 9y ago
I would argue that the city is obligated to facilitate building affordable housing for everyone. Not just high-end stuff.
- mmirate 9y ago
  A city's land is a scarce resource. It cannot just be doled out to anyone who "wants it". The whole problem of resource allocation is why we have capitalism in the first place.