What advice can you give about the following areas as a place to live: (yes, I know Gig Harbor doesn’t quite fit the group)
-Maple Valley
-Gig Harbor
-Issaquah
Are you going to have to commute to another area, or will you be retired? Traffic is bad, I would live where you work.
EK makes a good point. If you plan to commute to the major employment centers, only Issaquah would marginally fit the bill.
Will be working…but probably not for more than 3-5 more years.
Issaquah is great if you want access to the mountains/skiing/etc. It’s a rough commute into Seattle proper (as is Maple Valley) but there is good bus service. Gig Harbor is beautiful but isolated by the need to use the bridge.
What about areas norh of the city: Bothell, Woodinville, Lynnwood? These are fairly well served by nice, comfy commuter buses. Community Transit runs double-decker buses that are so cool to ride!
“Will be working…but probably not for more than 3-5 more years.”
Okay, but what area will you be working in? It makes a huge difference. For example–Gig Harbor is beautiful, but if you’re working in Bellevue, or downtown Seattle, no way. I agree with Bunsen, there are nice, reasonably priced places north, but what area will you be working in?
If you arent familiar with the region, I would rent in the area you will be working in, before you buy.
I’ve spoken to several people recently who have relocated from the east coast and midwesr, and they bought places in neighborhoods they are now looking to move from.
Good advice, ek!
Bring a big umbrella.
Finally, it rained!!! 
Still raining here.
Dog goes to the bottom of stsirs, turns around and comes back.
Ive been waiting for it to lghten up for hours.
I have a commuting question about Seattle – I know a few years ago they added a toll to 520. Has that eased the commute on 520 at all? I have heard more traffic was pushed down to 90, but am wondering if 520 is still gridlocked in spite of the toll.
I can be at times, especially around the U due to the construction, but most of the time it is a breeze! Tolling is supposed to hit I-90 at some point on the future though…
Actually will work near Federal Way, so would that be “opposite” most traffic? (and why the northern suburbs were not as appealing)
I rarely venture outside my neighborhood, but my impression is that major centers of employment, are no longer limited to Seattle, or Tacome/Everett.
Which means traffic all the time, every which way.
I am sure the Seattle residents are more in the know, but I just got back from a week long scouting trip for my upcoming move to Seattle, and traffic is just nuts. All the time, every which way from what I could tell.
Traffic seems much heavier than it used to be. Maybe because the economy is growing so much around here. However, I generally do not choose to drive in traffic often. I stay away from rush hour traffic (particularly in the wrong direction), and I’m careful how and when I go downtown. It’s definitely not everywhere, all the time.
Okay understand, Federal Way. Don’t know if these are still decent places, but Kent and Auburn are nearby, maybe Renton. Issaquah could be a painful commute. What you definitely want to do is drive to your place of work from different locations during your commute times and see how long it takes. There are some more rural areas further east, also.
I see why you are not looking north. Definitely not Issaquah then! You should rent, I agree. I don’t know how tolerant you are of the drizzle and gray skies, but some transplants from sunnier places just can’t take it. It usually takes a year to figure out if you like the local weather. So my advice is the same as EK’s: rent, get used to the local everything (including traffic), and then decide if and where you want to buy.
Some areas of Federal Way are nice, like some neighborhoods around the Aquatic Center. Another area to potentially consider is South Bellevue and south from there up to Federal Way (what a sad name for a town, I know!).