Advice on moving to Seattle

You're not likely to find a significantly different market in Seattle.  Prices have soared, and you will encounter the same multiple-offer/cash-offer issues as here. 

It's a lovely area.  I loved living there, but daily life is very different depending on the time of year.  Summer days are long, given how far north it is; winter days are short, and I found it very difficult to go to work in the dark and come home after sunset on a "normal" work day.  Maybe not that much of a concern if you're working remotely, but I was surprised at now deeply it affected me.

Signed, Berkeley Boy

As a long-term Seattleite who loves living here, I want to welcome you to the Pacific NW, if that's what you decide to do.  Since I moved here many years ago, the housing market has gotten pretty tight and competitive.  House prices in the in-town neighborhoods are expensive and usually get bid up.  You'll be used to that, and I'm sure it's not as bad as the Bay Area, but it may be harder than you imagine to find what you're looking for.  People who live here complain about the high level of homelessness, which has gotten dramatically worse during the pandemic.  We have our share of traffic and city problems, so depending on what you're looking for, you may not find it here.  But there are many great and walkable neighborhoods, lots of beautiful nature (both in city and easy day drives), thriving communities with families, farmers markets, museums, etc... Lots of local grumbling about schools, but the public school district still has a lot to offer.  If you are looking for space, you might consider looking in suburbs of Seattle--Issaquah, Shoreline, Edmonds, Renton.  Housing will still be expensive, but houses are bigger and have more yard space, and some of the city issues may not be as bad. I'm not sure from your post what kind of advice/information you're looking for, but there is a lot to be found here in Seattle, along with its fair share of problems.  

I live in Ballard, Seattle and the East Bay. I’m not sure if you’ve secured housing there, but it’s very similar to Oakland-Huge outbidding wars on even the outskirts of Seattle. If you can, I’d recommend looking further out. Tacoma, Bellingham, Mount Vernon, or the Eastside if you want really good schools and have $1.5 million or more for a house. Although I love Seattle and grew up here, when people find out that I’m also living in California they get really standoffish- or will straight up tell you to gtfo.  California people started gentrifying it in the 1990s making housing impossible. I love the honest grungy culture of the northwest. But if you want friendly/welcoming, it’s not the best place. Also watch out for the winter “suicide” months. Lots of people move up here after only visiting in the summer.

We just moved to a rental in Seattle and are realizing we really like Tacoma better! The schools are good, the houses are more affordable and the people aren’t as rude/pretentious. Watch out for the suicide Seattle winter!

all i can say is my very open minded way lefty oakland native friends who moved there three years ago are in a panic.  they tell me downtown is a virtual hell hole and they don't feel safe going out anymore.  they have a small craft furniture business and the break ins, sidewalk violence in front of their once nice area store and also around their home is beyond the pale. in just three years its gotten this bad and they regret every single day they bought their house and moved their young family there.  every. single. day.  they think about moving back to oakland but when they visit think its almost as bad and on the same trajectory.  they are likely heading to salt lake city or austin for a more family friendly town where they can still both work in their fields...  and feel safe. neither of those cities are as blue as they are, but they're at the point that they are willing to live in a more conservative place than deal with the stress of pushing a stroller and worrying about dealing with drug addled crazies on the streets with not a cop in sight.  and yes, they have rethought their stance on defunding the police. "we didn't think that one out to the end... it's a failure."  maybe the seattle burbs.  i visited them in 2018 and we saw open shooting galleries on the streets and homeless along the freeways... i don't know what the solutions are, but letting this go on is horrible for everyone.  the homeless, the drugged, the housed and the undrugged alike.  i love that seattle it has broken my heart wide open.

I grew up in Seattle/PDX so half of my family is in each respective place. I return to both cities often. I’ll leave PDX out of this but even after recently  living in Seattle for a total of year, while taking care of sick parents for the course of 3 years and my husband signing a contract for a great job, we decided to explore other areas. My two sisters oversee my parent’s home in Seattle and it’s in a wonderful area. Unfortunately there’s no plan, nor is there funding, to adequately deal with the multi-layered homeless crises in Seattle. It felt very much like parts of Oakland to us but not the “good” parts. My time there was exhausting and each time I return, I get glimpses of the city I once loved but now think it’s a stranger to me. 

I am very progressive and found living in Mississippi was more my speed over Seattle when it came to dealing with the day-to-day and safety...(although I can’t stand the south due to their collective values). I don’t know if Seattle will come back for awhile. I would actually recommend Bellingham, WA and Tacoma, along with the Eastside of Seattle. I wanted to not like it over there since my sister moved there in 1996, but it’s pretty great. If you don’t have kids, I think Seattle is easier to live in than with any school-age kids. Speaking of schools - they are a bit difficult to navigate, but not quite as hard as the Berkeley
/SF systems.

The income tax savings is nice but the depressing weather trade off might not be worth it.