Seattle has buses. (Really, they're throughout King County, and reach into the neighboring counties, too.) Use them! In which case you might as well find a place to live along a line. One line at a time. Here's the next one, selected at random for the fun of it.
It may take more than an hour for Route 102 to make it from Fairwood, through Renton, into SODO, and finish in the bus tunnel, but that can still be quicker and definitely easier than having to drive off the hill, past the S-curves, up MLK, and into town. The right neighborhood can be a good reason, too.
↑ How about a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house with 1,460 square feet for $324,950? It's been remodeled, so it doesn't look like 1955 anymore. It's from when big lots were big things, which is probably why it has 0.82 acres and enough room to park RVs and boats, plural. When it was built, most of the locals probably commuted to Boeing's Renton plant. Now, the bus gets you to Seattle and beyond. Just make sure you leave enough time so you can mow that lawn when you get home.
↑ Copy and paste the price, $324,950; but not the era. The lot is smaller, 4,366 square feet; but the bedrooms (3), bathrooms (2.5), and the size (1,610 square feet) are almost the same. The big difference? 2001 versus 1955. The lot size fits the modern era, though it leaves a lot less room for gardening or parking. Nature is close, though; because the yard backs to a greenbelt. Greenery without maintenance or trips to the garden center. It's more modern, so there will be fewer mysteries about construction, systems, and appliances - but find the story about the tiny door up a blank wall in the tall foyer. A hiding space only your parrot can appreciate?
↑ Not quite a copy and paste of the price. This house costs an extra $50, $325,000. At least that's a tidier number. WIth 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and 1,500 square feet, not much is different; but as they say in the listing, it is a DIY that could use some TLC. Some TLC and some paint and elbow grease. The house was built in 1988, older than the first house, newer than the second, with a lot size in between too, 0.41 acres. As much as it can be easy to poke fun at it, get there on a sunny day, get some lights inside, and it will already look better - maybe even add an extra $50 or more to the value.
↑ Add about 1.5% to the price of the other houses and get about $329,950, the price for this 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath two story that has 2,680 square feet. That's bigger on all the interior measures. The lot size in an intermediate 0.3 acres, and the house was built in 1963; so the landscaping should be mature. You also get a solarium, or at least a room with more windows than most. Catch that extra sun on the greyer days and that extra feature is worth a lot. Aside from that, either appreciate the innovative paint scheme or bring your own paint after you get the keys.
↑ It is amazing how tight the prices are in the area, but that can be a good thing for someone shopping in that range. This house price is nudged up just a bit to $345,000. The higher price probably has less to do with the 4 bedrooms, 3 baths,and 1,800 square feet and more to do with the 9,583 square foot lot being bordered by the fairway of the Fairwood Golf and Country Club. Think of it as a very manicured greenbelt with occasional cries of "Fore!". The backyard cedars are shedding on the deck, but they may also be saving the windows from slices. Walk onto the course from your backyard, there's a luxury for a golfer.
· Route 102 [Metro]
· Fairwood Golf and Country Club [FGCC]
· All Bus Tours coverage [CS]
Written by Tom Trimbath