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Out of curiosity, have you looked at the housing market in Seattle since the post-pandemic real estate boom? I did a quick smoke test with the following family/

Out of curiosity, have you looked at the housing market in Seattle since the post-pandemic real estate boom? I did a quick smoke test with the following family/commute friendly criteria: * 2000 square foot house * 7500 square foot lot for backyard * 7/10 or higher GreatSchools * Built after 1980 (older houses have much higher lead content which is terrible for young children) * 3 bedrooms/2 bathrooms * 30 minute commute to Amazon or Microsoft HQ I couldn't find a single home under a million. Central Austin is pretty similar, and Boulder is even worse. Portland's slightly more affordable, but homicides in Portland have also quintupled from last year, so families aren't exactly running there.[1] By comparison I can find a house meeting those criteria in Gainesville, FL for under $400k. That's why remote is such a better deal than commuting for people with families. [1]https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/anarchists-and-an-increase-in-crime-hijack-portlands-social-justice-movement/2021/05/28/d49ee1b6-bf1a-11eb-a55f-4871b8ac676f_story.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/anarchists-and-an-in...

aikinai 5y ago
Someone looking for a 2,000 square foot house with a 7,500 lot is not someone who's prioritizing an accessible location or short commute. The median house in Seattle is 1,460 ft², the median lot is 3,893 ft², and the median home age is 53 years. What you're describing is an actual mansion in any populous city; of course you're going to pay mansion prices. I lived in Seattle for a long time and know plenty of large families living in comfortable homes close to work on regular non-FANG salaries. They don't live in estates, but they don't need to. The people who do want that either need to be rich or drive an hour; there are a lot of those people too. And I'm sure the ones who drove an hour are thrilled with work-from-home.

aikinai 5y ago

Someone looking for a 2,000 square foot house with a 7,500 lot is not someone who's prioritizing an accessible location or short commute. The median house in Seattle is 1,460 ft², the median lot is 3,893 ft², and the median home age is 53 years. What you're describing is an actual mansion in any populous city; of course you're going to pay mansion prices. I lived in Seattle for a long time and know plenty of large families living in comfortable homes close to work on regular non-FANG salaries. They don't live in estates, but they don't need to. The people who do want that either need to be rich or drive an hour; there are a lot of those people too. And I'm sure the ones who drove an hour are thrilled with work-from-home.