Frustrated by the low end of the SF home market

[ira s]

Oneperson, Prices are dropping at al levels, including the lower end of the Sf market. Like others here, I'd recommend renting for a while, and also maybe be willing to look at other neighborhoods. While I would never live near the King/Pierce border and consider Federal Way to be hell/the end of the earth, there are some reasonably priced neighborhoods that are south, but not too far south and at least worth visiting, like Upper Rainier Beach in Seattle, and just slightly south of there in Lakeridge, Bryn Mawr, Earlington, all neighborhoods in the 98178 zip which surround Skyway, which is not such a good place to live. All very convenient to downtown Seatle and Bellevue. There are decent houses in that price range right now( in that zip code), but I'd still wait for further price drops.

[one.person]

[one.person]

[mukoh]

If you are making $85k a year, and having a real problem with paying $25,000 in a mortgage payment a year, then you have bigger problems ahead of you.

Further more, there are a lot of homes right now in the 1700 square foot range brand new in Lynnwood that builders are dying to get rid of for low $300's. All you need to do is look.

[crucifiction]

one.person -

You are not going to like this answer, but if previous bubbles around the country are any indication then you won't see the bottom in Seattle until something like 2011. Its a long way out there, so you are going to have to hold tight if you don't want your savings evaporated in a down payment. This is the very beginning, so I wouldn't even look for a house until at least next year if you don't want to be really frustrated.

[mike2]

[ira s]

There are back roads to he Eastside, so you don't have to take 405..I often take Lake Washington Blvd, which is slow but scenic, and it moves( unlike 405).

[Ubersalad]

There isn't any local routes left in Bellevue...every road is filled with you out-of-owners!

[Markor]

[Markor]

[Alan]

Markor,

Am I remembering correctly that you used to be a pretty strong housing bull a few months ago?

[Markor]

[one.person]

[sniglet]

[Markor]