Real Estate Relocation Guide To Washington

Relocating from Chicago to Washington is a major move. You’re crossing state lines and heading 2,000 miles to find a new home in a different community. By familiarizing yourself with the local real estate market, whether your destination is Seattle or Spokane you can get a good idea of the Washington landscape and locate the best area for you and your family.

We’ll start with the big picture… Washington has an estimated population of 6.4 million* and around 66,500 square miles of land. The total number of housing units is 2,699,658, of which about 1.6 million are owner-occupied and 851,800 are inhabited by renters. Roughly 227,600, or 8.4 percent, of the residences in the state are vacant. The median home value in Washington is $267,600 and the median household income is $52,583. For an idea of how this sizes up with national averages – the median home value in the U.S. is $185,200 and the median household income is $48,451.

Statewide figures provide a good overview of Washington, but when you’re planning to relocate to the region, knowing what types of housing are available is the most important thing. So here’s a breakdown of what Washington real estate has to offer…

About 51,900 homes in Washington are new construction, developed in 2005 or after (another 253,900 were put up between 2000 and 2004). Washington has its share of vintage charm as well with 316,700 residences built prior to 1940. The total number of detached, single-family houses across the state is 1.7 million, and there’s also a good selection of multi-unit residences and condos. Most homes have 3 bedrooms, but size varies greatly depending on where you look. And, in case you’re wondering about how your budget will pan out in The Evergreen State, monthly mortgage costs in [Alabama] generally hover between $700 and 2,000+.

Relocation Resources

Bellingham Washington Real Estate
Complete database of homes, condos and commercial properties listed for sale in the Bellingham Washington area and vicinity.

Seattle Real Estate
Set-up your own search for properties in the Seattle Washington area and the Pacific Northwest and receive daily updates of newly listed homes.

Gene Smith (USAF-Ret)
Helping clients Buy and Sell Real Estate (http://www.genesmith9.com) in Eastern Washington (Spokane, Stevens and Pend Oreille Counties) and Northern Idaho (Bonner and Kootenai Counties) http://www.team-spokane.com

Seattle Real Estate, Search Every Home on the Market!
Buy, Sell, Invest, Relocate; Find Fixers, VA Homes and HUD Homes

Spokane Real Estate - Liberty Lake Real Estate - Newman Lake Real Estate
Real estate in Spokane, Liberty Lake, Newman Lake, Spokane Valley, Mead, Coeur d'Alene, and Spokane County. Search the MLS and find buyer and seller tips!

*All statistics are from the 2006 American Community Survey as shown on the U.S. Census Bureau website.
Sources: factfinder.census.gov and www.city-data.com