HOME: How and Where We Live in the Puget Sound Region
Even if you aren't in the market for a new home, you can't miss all the hype about our region's soaring real estate prices. Experts say the rest of the nation has seen the housing market cool off. But they don't think that's what will happen in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.
The hot housing market makes it very difficult for people on low or fixed incomes. But it's also pushed middle class buyers to rethink where they want to live, and where they can afford to buy. What kinds of choices are people making here? What kinds of choices are made for them? And how does it all effect this region we call home?
From the luxury high rise towers in Bellevue to continuing care retirement communities, KUOW's Special Projects Reporter/Producer Marcie Sillman brings us four different scenarios in her series "HOME".
HOME: How and Where We Live in the Puget Sound Region: Tacoma
Monday, March 20, 2006
It's not breaking news that housing is expensive in the Puget Sound Region. In 2005, prices went up about 20 percent. That pushed the median home price in King County to almost 400 thousand dollars. Bargain hunters have turned their attention to Pierce County, where the average house costs almost 150 thousand dollars less. It seems like a no-brainer, more house for less money. So why isn’t everybody moving to Tacoma? KUOW’s Marcie Sillman has the first report in a series about where and how we choose to live in the Puget Sound region. More »
HOME: How and Where We Live in the Puget Sound Region: Bellevue
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Fifty years ago, fewer than six thousand people lived in Bellevue. Now, almost twenty times that number, 117 thousand, make their home in the Eastside’s biggest city. Like most growing communities, Bellevue has its share of low income residents. But Bellevue is also home to an affluent population. Many live in huge homes on Lake Washington. Thousands more are moving into new condominium towers on the rise in downtown Bellevue. As part of a series of reports on how we live in the Puget Sound region, KUOW’s Marcie Sillman has the story of urban life, Bellevue style. More »
HOME: How and Where We Live in the Puget Sound Region: Lao Highland
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Seattle area housing prices are the highest in the state…and some of the most expensive in the nation. That makes it tough for people with low or modest incomes to find homes here. The government and the private sector have built some affordable projects, but nowhere near enough to meet the demand. A group of Southeast Asian immigrants has taken on its own housing needs. As part of a series on how, and where, we live in the Puget Sound Region, KUOW’s Marcie Sillman has this report. More »
HOME: How and Where We Live in the Puget Sound Region: Continuing Care Retirement Community
Thursday, March 23, 2006
In some cultures, extended families are the norm. Grandparents help care for young children. And the younger generation is there to care for old people when they need help. But in our mobile society, families aren’t always nearby. So senior citizens who need assistance have turned to new options. In the past fifteen years, America has seen a boom in a new type of senior housing. It’s called Continuing Care Retirement Community. KUOW’s Marcie Sillman has the story in the final report in her series on how and where we live in the Puget Sound region. More »
