Need relocation advice from Northwestern Washingtonians!

[iris lilies]

Why do you need 3 Bedrooms?

[Selah]

Good question! Both DH and I work for the same company, and we are often scheduled at the same time to do recorded voiceover narrations for news pieces. But sometimes, one of us is scheduled to work (at the same time) doing "moderation," which involves banging on the computer keyboard and making too much noise to be in the same room while the other is recording. Both of us often work very late-night shifts doing moderation or narration, which means it would keep the off-shift spouse awake, which precludes us from using the bedroom as an office. So, the setup we have now is, we have one bedroom for us to sleep in, a second bedroom we've made into an office (where both of us use our computers and keyboards), and a third bedroom as a recording studio.

We could get by with two bedrooms if we moved our "office" into the living room--a drag, but it might have to be done. The most important thing is that we have at least one space where we can do our voiceover work in QUIET, which is ideally removed enough so that the one not narrating would be able to walk around the apartment (on tiptoe, of course), go to sleep. And a bedroom, of course.

[profnot]

I live in NW WA. Like others, I suggest Everett, Marysville, and Anacortes. Best places for jobs.

Sedro Woolley (sp?) is lovely but there's only low-paying jobs there. Same with Whatcom and Skagit counties.

If you have medical skills, Bellingham is good. They have a huge medical campus because Canadians in BC who do not want to wait for medical attention in socialized-medicine Canada get treated in Bham. There's also a university, community college, and tech college there. Public transportation is cheap.

I don't think you can rent a house for the price you want in a community that has job potential.

Take a look at CraigsList.org for both rentals and job offerings to get an idea of what's available.

Another great demographic research tool is ZipSkinny.com You enter a zip code and get buckets of info about population, industry types, etc.

There's jewish temples all over NW WA, especially in the larger towns I named.

Oak Harbor is too long a drive to Seattle, even if you take the ferry route. And the wives of navy guys fill the job market.

Very artsy Friday Harbor is a ferry ride from Anacortes. Plus you could take a ferry from Friday Harbor to Victoria, Canada for fun excursions.

Good luck!

[lhamo]

Good question! Both DH and I work for the same company, and we are often scheduled at the same time to do recorded voiceover narrations for news pieces. But sometimes, one of us is scheduled to work (at the same time) doing "moderation," which involves banging on the computer keyboard and making too much noise to be in the same room while the other is recording. Both of us often work very late-night shifts doing moderation or narration, which means it would keep the off-shift spouse awake, which precludes us from using the bedroom as an office. So, the setup we have now is, we have one bedroom for us to sleep in, a second bedroom we've made into an office (where both of us use our computers and keyboards), and a third bedroom as a recording studio.

We could get by with two bedrooms if we moved our "office" into the living room--a drag, but it might have to be done. The most important thing is that we have at least one space where we can do our voiceover work in QUIET, which is ideally removed enough so that the one not narrating would be able to walk around the apartment (on tiptoe, of course), go to sleep. And a bedroom, of course.

It sounds to me you have been spoiled a bit by comparatively low housing costs in Israel, which seem to get you a lot of bang for your buck. Given the extremely high cost of housing in the Seattle area, I think you may find it pays to think creatively about what kind of space would function appropriately for your work requirements. First of all, have you considered how your change of time zones is going to affect your work pattern? Presumably you don't work 24/7. Maybe with a move back to the US there will be less need for the late night work. Also, how does the scheduling work and do you have the ability to decline certain assignments if there is a conflict? If you have the ability to pick and choose, then maybe you can just refuse work that creates this kind of hassle. The difference in cost between a 2 or 3br and a 1br might make up for the loss in income.

At any rate, a 3br for two people seems excessive in this situation, and is going to be very costly anywhere within reasonable commuting distance of Seattle. Some other alternatives might be:

1) A place with an attic, basement, closed-in sun porch, outdoor shed or garage that could be fixed up a bit and used as a studio
2) A place with a large eat-in kitchen or a separate dining room that can be closed off and used either for moderation or voice over
3) A place with a large walk-in closet (with a door -- can be added if there isn't one already) that can be used for the voiceover work. You could then use master as main office space, and the other person can sleep in second bedroom if you have one or on the couch when needed if all you can afford is a one-bedroom
4) Earplugs. I'm actually not joking. This might be the most cost-effective solution of all.

Since the trend in what people are looking for in housing is now leaning firmly toward "open concept" you might want to focus your search on older houses/apartments that are more likely to have smaller, closed off spaces. Might help to bring prices down, too, if you are looking for something that others don't really want.

Depending on where you end up, you might also find it more cost effective to rent separate office space so that you can keep your living space private/quiet/separate. A separate office would be a clear business expense and deductible for tax purposes, whereas it is always a bit tricky to deduct a home office unless it is a 100% dedicated space.

[Selah]

Good points, Lhamo! The only thing I would disagree with you on about Israel is that we have low rents here--they are eye-wateringly high for this part of the world in general, and we do not have large salaries at all. We are paying more for our old, crappy, literally-falling-to-pieces, one-bathroom apartment, for example, than we were paying for a gated community apartment in Boca Raton, Florida, before we left. But you're right, Seattle rents are high, high, and we're going to have to compromise on all sorts of things: square footage, layout, amenities, location, etc. And you're right...we figured out that if we got an apartment that had a master suite with a walk-in closet, that could be our narration booth. Since we'd be working in the daytime, we'd both be awake! Hallelujah!

Fortunately, I've also been doing some research online about other general costs of living in the Seattle area (food, CSA's, the beauty that is Craig's List, utilities, car expenses, etc.), and, as they are MUCH lower than they are in Israel, it turns out we can afford around $1500 a month instead of $1,000 a month. That gives us a lot more wiggle-room. We've found a few houses for rent in the Mountlake Terrace area (which is our ideal spot, since it's where my stepmother lives), and around Lynnwood, that are nicely chopped up into smaller bedrooms, which might work, as you suggest. Truth be told, DH is far more fussy than me about this stuff--he demands comfort in his living space, period, so he's really going to have to have the final say.

Yes, if we move back, we'd love to benefit from the time zone difference: no more 2 a.m. shifts, and it would allow us to do something in the evenings besides work--like make friends and take classes! Right now we've become somewhat socially isolated, as many of our friends are retirees. They seem to plan events either when we're working, or when we're recuperating from late night shifts. The truth is, we don't (well, at least I don't) have a lot of time to socialize anyway, and since this is a very relaxed beach community, lots of get-togethers are planned at the last minute. Since we have to put in our availability to work a week in advance, it's only rarely that we happen to be off-shift when these little events happen.

Interesting idea about renting an office space. It might work, depending on the things you mentioned. Problem is, we both love working in our pajamas, and having the cats and the laundry and the kitchen right where we work! That's where we have definitely become spoiled--I never want to commute any further than a bike ride away to any job!

Thanks again for your thoughtful reply, Lhamo!

[Selah]

UPDATE: Well, things keeps changing again and again. DH left for America over two weeks ago to do a "reconnaissance mission" in NW Washington to check out communities in Seattle, Everett, and in-between. He was going to stay with my stepmother in Seattle when he first arrived, but she wasn't ready to receive him, as he'd arrived a few days earlier than expected. (He'd bought a car on eBay, flew to Chicago to pick it up, then drove it out to Washington.) So, he stayed with my mother and stepmother in Bellingham.

To my astonishment, he made the unilateral decision to not even look at communities that he'd agreed to investigate, but rather to pick Bellingham as a place to live. He also chose not to return to Israel, leaving me to sell everything, pack up, and close the place down. It has been a very stressful time and we have been fighting a lot about his "choices" and the fallout from them.

Not that Bellingham is a bad place--it's really come on a lot since my mother moved there over ten years ago. So it'll be OK. We found a two-bedroom apartment with a walk-in closet that we can use as a recording studio for $975 a month, in a great location very close to my mother and stepmother. Another great thing about it is that my stepsister and her partner are already living in the same apartment complex! So we'll be close to family, and if we want some big city entertainment we can always go to Vancouver or to Seattle.

So, now it's all systems go for getting this place closed down, over and out. Time to ditch the flip-flops and stock up on Gore-Tex!

[lhamo]

Sorry it has been a stressful transition for you but I'm sure you'll love Bellingham! A bit far from family for us to consider it as a place to settle, but otherwise I'm sure I'd love it. Amazing mushroom hunting in the N. Cascade foothills, too. Jealous!

[catherine]

So sorry that something so dumb (the people at the Ministry of Health) is turning your whole lives upside down.

As far as Crohn's treatment--it's not simply a choice between anti-inflammatories and marijuana, you know. What about biologics? There are several indicated for Crohn's: Cimzia, Remicade, Tysabri all have indications for CD. Have you talked to your doctor about those?

[rodeosweetheart]

Selah, apartment sounds ideal, and so close to family--that will be very nice.
I don't know much about medical marijuana but it sure seems easy to get in Washington state!

[tetrimbath]

Medical marijuana has been readily available for a long time. WA also just legalized recreational marijuana; and Bellingham had more shops than Seattle for a while.