Observation

[rentalbliss]

My oldest son is starting kindergarten this year and I just spoke with the school to find out enrollment has dropped and there will likely be no afternoon session. My sister who's children are 9 and 10 are in the same district and just a few years ago, held lotteries for allday enrollment. So not only is there not enough kids for a lottery, now there is not enough enrollment for afternoon calsses. I have read on other national blogs this happening in other overheated markets. So is this proof young families are priced out of this area or just an anomaly? This is in Lake WA school district which is supposed to be one of the best in the state. Most of the young families I know or hear about tend to be moving to Snohomish, Lake Stevens and Marrysville, will this trend keep up or reverse itself in time?

[deejayoh]

I read an article that said Mercer Island, which is also generally considered one of the best school districts, is importing high school students this year - because they don't have enough students on the island to secure their funding.

I wondered if it was the same issue with housing costs.

[Jazen]

I know little about the SEattle area so I am just hazarding a guess and please don't get offened, but perhaps along with affordability, those areas also have better schools?

[deejayoh]

least affordable

hit this and click the heatmap button.

look for the red and bright yellow areas on the east side of the lake

[phinneygirl]

Most of Kirkland and parts of Redmond (the LW school dist) are very expensive...

I grew up in "old Kirkland" (the area north of Kirkland Parkplace, and east of Market street) and you can't find any family homes under $600k in that area. In my recent housing search, we found we'd barely be able to afford a place in Juanita, and what was in our price range were dilapidated, uninspiring 70's style houses.

Having grown up in the nicer area of Kirkland, back when I was in school we considered Juanita the "ghetto" of Kirkland. Now I can't even afford that area! Yes, how times have changed in 15 years

[mike2]

From what I remember, the academic areas where Snohomish, Lake Stevens and Marrysville excel are in Truck liftin' and teen pregnantin'.

[Jazen]

[phinneygirl]

No, my parents were neither. They bought their 70's house in old Kirkland in 1978 for $70k, which at the time was a stretch for them. My dad was an investigator with a moderate salary, and my mom a stay at home mother. When they moved to Kirkland in the 70's, it was the sticks (I think my mom even recounted how there was one blinking stop light in downtown Kirkland). They sold that house in 1994 for $300k, and on zillow the same house is now valued at $700k. Too bad they didn't hold out a little longer till the current housing boom....
....but hind sight is 20/20.

[Jazen]

So the saying is true, to buy now or be priced out forever.