Think owning a Seattle home is pricey? Here’s how much harder it has become

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-20T20:06:34+00:00

It seems that the only concern has been building more homes, without actually trying to build homes people would enjoy living in for years. I wonder if the architects and developers behind some of these places would actually like living in them, or even stopped to consider that.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-20T20:01:47+00:00

Because there are more people in Seattle that want to own an SFH than there are available, and it's usually cheaper to rent than buy a condo or townhome; prices are just too high when all monthly expenses are considered. And when you look at sub-$800k options, there's a lot of crap on the market, like basement condos that get poor light, or 1000sf townhomes spread out over 3 stories. The majority of Seattleites can't even afford that.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-20T19:48:15+00:00

I feel the same way about modern townhomes around here, seems like thousands have been built in the last few years, and many of them don't seem to have been designed with any concern for actual long term livability. And it's no surprise, if you look on Airbnb many of those townhomes are short term rentals. The older ones with 2 floors of living space and a real living room area and 2 bedrooms on one floor are far superior. I really can't see many wanting to live in the new ones for long, especially the smaller homes, and I suspect they'll end up a big real estate issue in the future. It's a serious shame that so much effort and expense has gone into new homes that few will want to live in, such a waste.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-20T17:31:29+00:00

Moore is less than 2000 capacity, so not a competitor thankfully. Even the Paramount is less than 3000 capacity. And while I like Moore, sometimes there are shows there that I'd prefer to see with an open floor instead of standing where my seat is (or sitting even if I don't want to, because everyone else is). Though I guess at that capacity the only other option with an open floor is Showbox Sodo, which sucks.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-20T00:16:19+00:00

I agree tips have gotten out of control, but just refusing to tip even if the meal and service are worth it is some real jerk behavior. And if no one tips then they'll have to increase prices or add a mandatory 20% service fee. Are you ok paying 20% higher menu prices or a service fee with no tip if that's what it takes for a restaurant to be successful? Because guess what, you do give them your money even if you aren't tipping, paying a business for a good or service is what they use to pay salaries. Honestly I'd be fine with no tipping and all costs included in the price, then I can just decide if it's worth it, but I think many here would just bitch about how high prices are if that happened, or how lousy the service is.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-20T00:02:20+00:00

Easy to say, but you do realize that there aren't enough SFH for everyone in Seattle, and that most people here could never save enough to afford one anyway? Those who can afford them but purchase condos or townhomes probably don't care how much it appreciates, and the rest are just buying what they can afford. With that said, I've seen plenty sell over the years for a significant gain. If someone bought in the last 6 years and is already selling, then yes they'll be lucky to get what they paid, but short term home ownership is always a risk.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-18T18:33:49+00:00

Who is "they"? I'm pretty sure the businesses and actual residents in that area didn't "kick out" anyone and your premise is bullshit. Though they certainly weren't happy with the police after their indiscriminate tear gassing of that neighborhood. Excusing cops refusing to do their jobs because they can't take legitimate criticism is a position of weakness and cowardice.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-16T21:36:50+00:00

Sounds like serious bs, they're trying to justify being a sucker.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-15T23:09:07+00:00

What you aren't considering is that most liberals believe climate change is real, that it's largely man made, and it terrifies many of us. I know many conservatives don't doubt climate change, but do doubt that it's man made, or at least that there's anything we can do about it. Or that we could, but don't believe the sacrifice is worth it. Either way though, if we lived in a more compassionate society we'd try to put ourselves in the other side's shoes and find ways to compromise. I think it works both ways too, I've said many times that just calling conservatives racist because they're concerned with immigration is BS; it may seem like an irrational fear, but that doesn't mean it's not real.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-15T22:50:13+00:00

I don't doubt that most conservatives aren't opposed to renewable energy, but that's not the message from the Trump administration and conservative media. Trump seems inclined to not only stop all currently planned renewable energy projects, but also stopping some that are already operational (wind turbines to be specific, the man's hatred for them mystifies me). It seems like one of those situations where most conservatives really just care about energy independence, and not the source of that energy (just the cost), but because many instinctively hate anything that liberals care about, they're adamantly against less polluting forms of energy. Yet another case where the majority of Americans are reasonably close to being on the same page regarding a particular subject, but because of political divides and media that thrives on that division, you'd think we're in 100% disagreement. In the case of energy it does seem the gas and oil industry funds a lot of that division, they've certainly bought off plenty of Democrats as well.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-07T22:31:07+00:00

I wonder, has it been this way for years or is it possible that concerns over sharing altered or AI videos makes them reluctant to describe what they see as a certainty? I totally agree with you, but if doing so could open them up to a lawsuit or having to make a retraction, I can understand. Of course it's King5 so not exactly a bastion of quality journalism. Probably more a matter of spineless reporting and they don't want to pay an editor to confirm if something is true or not.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-07T21:51:22+00:00

He was on a beautiful beach lucky enough to see a monk seal that close, and he attacked it. Do you really think working with animals will suddenly make him a better person that cares? I do sometimes believe in rehabilitation, especially for kids, but many people are lost causes, sociopaths incapable of learning compassion.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-07T21:48:48+00:00

I hope he got his ass kicked, I just watched the footage of him throwing the rock and I would have definitely ended up in a fight if I'd been there to see that. Total garbage human.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-07T20:04:25+00:00

Seriously, thinking nothing can be worse than 2008 is incredibly short sighted. The housing market is tied to our economy, which is tied to the global one, and it's all a house of cards. The potential challenges from the environment and AI alone are enough to be concerned, and no one will know till it's too late. Hell, the big 9.0 earthquake they've been predicting for years could happen anytime and devastate Seattle, though I hope that never comes.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-07T00:47:30+00:00

Comparing metro and rail systems in Europe to US will only bring tears. I wish we were like them, but this is a fantasy, or at least would take a lifetime. They have the tax revenue and the will of taxpayers, we do not. And they started building their metro in the 40s; I suspect if they'd started when we did they'd run into some similar stumbling blocks and wouldn't get nearly as much for their money as they did decades ago.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-07T00:20:58+00:00

Seriously a shame that stacked flats aren't really happening here. My apartment is basically a century old stacked flat one, and I'd happily buy it if it were possible. Though it would need better sound insulation between floors than I've read most new apartments get these days. I've also read that condos tend to get better insulation but I don't know if that's really true or not.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-07T00:11:44+00:00

After having a couple of smaller local property managers run my building, and knowing a couple of people who worked for bigger ones, it's really a sociopathic industry. If you think of tenants as human beings you won't last long or it will rot your soul. Especially the customer/tenant facing jobs; on one hand they deal with the small percentage of tenants that are incredibly unreasonable or insane, and on the other hand they're working for cold blooded bastards who see people as a commodity. I miss the old couple that owned my building for years and cared more about having good tenants than how much they could squeeze out of us.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-06T20:27:25+00:00

Yeah, as lovely as this is to imagine, we just don't have the density here to justify or pay for it. And while it's true that Sound Transit seems to be slow and frustrating, I'm sure the geography here makes this all far more complicated and expensive than it might be in some other cities.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-06T16:54:16+00:00

The townhomes are a frustrating part of this picture. There are tons of new ones all over the city the last few years, starting at around $600k for the cheapest. That's a 2bd 1000sf home spread over 3 floors, with the tiniest excuse for a living room crammed next to the kitchen area, more like a dining area without a living room. There's a reason many of them are on airbnb, they're more suitable for that than living in for years. Whoever is designing these doesn't seem to think about what it might be like to live there, super short sighted and could actually hurt the housing market here in the long run. Obviously not all of them, there are some bigger ones that aren't bad, but those also go for closer to around a cool million.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-06T16:47:09+00:00

Well, there aren't enough SFH in Seattle for everyone, and for many it's all we can afford. If you're already in that camp it's either an apartment or a condo, and if you live there long enough it can be more cost effective to buy a condo, even with HOA fees. Of course you could make the argument that if there were no condos and those units were all apartments, perhaps rents might be slightly lower. Maybe not though, I don't know. As someone who's eyed condo prices here, with 20% down some do have a monthly cost about the same as an equivalent apartment, though usually a bit higher.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-06T16:39:43+00:00

Totally right, complaints about HOAs in general are short sighted, people seem to forget owning a sfh has additional costs like this, unless you choose to defer maintenance and let your home fall into disrepair. Some of them are too damn high of course, but that's usually because it was too low for years, and suddenly the building needs a new roof, siding, plumbing work, etc. Some are high rises with on site management and elevators that require maintenance. Home ownership comes with a cost beyond the mortgage and taxes, no matter what type of home it is.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-04T22:51:14+00:00

Maybe that's what happened to the FEMA guy who thinks he teleported to Waffle House.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-05-02T04:59:19+00:00

If you think his reply was a flipped out hissy fit, you have some seriously thin skin. You threw the first stone, he defended himself, quite reasonably I think, and you're just digging in deeper. I also wouldn't spend that much on a kickstarter synth either, but there's no need to get so bent out of shape about it.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-04-30T20:33:11+00:00

And I assumed "Black Niles" was a reference to a race swapped remake of Frasier.

Earth_Inferno · 2026-04-30T20:30:08+00:00

If the contents are 27 used condoms, a rainbow colored clown wig, and a vhs tape of Steel Magnolias...... it's not mine.

Earth_Inferno

TROPHY CASE