Ft Lewis Advice--pcs/looking to buy a home soon

[isolated1523]

Hey guys, just found out that i'm goin to lewis...lookin for any advice on where to buy a home when i get up there. Anyone have one for sale, know someone who does, or just have any advice on buying my first home? Thanks!!!

-Adam

[Chester]

Search the MLS listings for Fort Bliss, TX :naughty:

[isolated1523]

I thought the whole "sendin a unit to ft bliss" thing was still a rumor?

[low_level_flier]

We have a lot of guys that live in Pyuallup, Lacey and Yelm. Pyuallup, being the most expensive of the 3, is a little crowded for my taste but most people who live there enjoy it a lot. Everything is close by that you would need, but from what I have seen you have to figure out the least painful way into work due to traffic. It is about a 25-35 min drive from the airfield depending on where you go.

I live in Lacey right now, prices vary depending on where you live. The area I am in you are looking from about $250+. I bought into a new development and love it. The houses, like Pyuallup are right on top of each other but it is quiet and everything I need is 5 mins away.The drive to work is about 25 mins, and can be as little as 10-15 to the gate depending on what part you live in.

Yelm is growing but has the cheapest housing of the 3. Not sure what the prices are but they have newer high end developments or country livin'. I have heard anywhere from 15-30 mins coming in depending on what area you are in.

Dupont, right outside the gate, is the most expensive. Pretty much everything there was around the
$280+ mark and rising quick when we left. The nice thing is you can go home after PT and for lunch if you choose. I could leave my house and be at the airfield in about 8 mins.

Some chose to live in Tumwater near Olympia. The only thing I caution with that, is time it right going to work or you get to experience the wonderful hospitality of WA drivers along I-5. Oh yeah, and 40 MPH drive.

There are a lot of opportunities to buy around there, but I warn you about sticker shock when you look. It is expensive as hell depending on where you are coming from. I will be PCSing on return and am going to be putting my house up soon. Not sure how the market is holding there but it doesn't sound like it has dropped much if at all since we left.

Good luck and welcome to 4-6. Any questions you can PM me.

[pigtown6]

Dupont is good, worth a look for sure.

[F-U BUCZKO]

Low level flier doesn't know anything about the area. Lakewood is by far the best. You can get a 1 bedroom apartment for something like 500 dollars a month and then spend the rest of your bah on wheels for your Escalade. Way more smarter than buying a house. That's what I did when I was a PFC there. My wife and 4 kids didn't mind too much because our truck looked PHAT!

[noslack5d]

I lived in Lakewood and the Lakewood PD is a regular on COPS

In fact they are proud of that.

[Magnum]

Suggest you don't buy a house yet, talk around the watercooler is that a few units are moving but methinks alot of it is politicing at the division and bde level. Kinda like how carson is moving to riley when it was planned for FY11. Even if your unit doesn't move you might wish to take a bit more time and rent first before jumping into a mortgage. Good luck

[isolated1523]

Thanks for the input guys. We were worried that since we have 4 large dogs, that buying was our only option. However, most of the rental houses around there seem to be very pet-friendly, so i think we're leanin towards renting for at least the first 6mo-year, then buying later. Thanks again for everyone's help!!!

-Adam

[[][][][]]

Fill out a DD Form 1800 when you get here and keep it updated. It will make it easier when the OHs move to Milesville, South Dakota

[padmonster]

Yelm or Clearwood.

[isolated1523]

I've found a couple of places in yelm that look promising....but is their a south gate for ft lewis? all of the online direction take you all the way around the west side and list the drive as about 40 min just to the gate. Obviously i'd be drivin a ways through post, but just wondering where the gates are located. Thanks.

[bug]

Think of home ownership in cost of economy....Mid to south east is the best investment today. They all incure the least amount of home electric, heating, or gas prices....therefore, will become the residence of choice...ie Savannah, GA

[noslack5d]

The vast majority of gates are along I-5freeway on the west side of post...there's 1 or 2 gates on the East side, but those are off a 2 lane highway that gets crowded fast, plus another single lan road to post. Yeah, you'll drive a ways from Yelm.

[Raider]

So I know that many would disagree with me, but I've been at Lewis since 2005, and I love the University Place area. If you are buying a house, UP has the best school systems around. The neighborhoods are established, so you won't run into the buying into a still developing sub-division woes you may see in the Puyallup and Dupont areas, and I have a 20 min drive to work along the Puget Sound with no traffic. Yeah, you'll hear some bad things about the Tacoma area, but I've never ran into any issues. University Place is definately worth a look.