Natalia

45 minutes ago, Randyretired said:

Used mobile homes are cheap and many put these on acreage until they can afford to build. Some just keep the mobiles.  Something you might think about sometime in the future.  Many more areas accept mobiles than RV's but there are requirements that need to be researched. Good luck.

Thank you, that is an idea that is definitely worth looking into. Maybe I could even rent to own the one we move into and then have it moved to some land. After discussing it with the others though, we have decided to leave land buying for the future when we have more disposable income. That way, if things go wrong, we will have a back up plan.
Maybe we'll stay in the mobile home park, buy a condo and rent it out. Pay it off and buy another one. Okay. Now I am just really getting ahead of myself. 🤣

1 minute ago, Barbaraok said:

FYI - welders are in demand in the PNW.   There is a building boom in the greater Seattle area (meaning from Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver, BC) and they are hiring.   Also, many biotech firms are locate in areas on the east side of Seattle, like Auburn, Kent, Bellevue, etc.  Still higher priced rentals in those areas, but not everyone has to go downtown Seattle to work in the  area.

Again, your degree comes first - - that is your first priority.  I realize you think that you have it all in hand, but there are so many things that can rear their heads (like your major professor getting a new job and moving) that you need to get your research done and most of the dissertation finished before you start focusing on what type of living arrangement in some far off place you will need.

That is excellent news - then we can both get jobs and contribute to the savings pool. My husband will be thrilled to hear this. I would actually prefer not to have to work in downtown Seattle - my chances of finding a mobile home park closer to work are higher if I am not forced to work right in the center of a giant city. I think this is the option I am going to go with. If we are both working and live in a mobile home for a few years, we should be able to save up for a decent downpayment on a condo away from the city center.
You are right - my degree does come first and no planning in the world can bring me luck if my professor suddenly up and leaves me behind. The good news is, however, that I have already published one paper and will have another one finished not too far into the future. I am very close to submitting my proposal to write my dissertation, so I'm hopeful that not too much will go wrong. My project is a good one and there is plenty to do, so I am lucky. I know it is not always so for many people. I have a colleague who was scooped not once, but twice during his degree and he is now struggling to finish after 7 years. So I do get what you are saying - I am kind of counting my chickens before they are even hatched.
I am not going to wait until my dissertation is almost done before I start thinking about the future though. That is what I did with my master's thesis and my last minute actions made life very difficult for me when I got to Florida. Knowing where I will apply, how I will live, what my goals are - those are important things. They actually encourage us to start thinking about these things early on at my school. It will give me peace of mind if I've decided on a region, what companies I'm interested in, and what mobile home parks are available to me, especially since I don't have the entire US at my disposal like some of my colleagues. In the end, I can always change my mind about anything. But it gives me a sense of security to know what my options are. Since I got to the US, I have also been working on building my credit, so that when the time comes for a mortgage, I will be approved.

Right now I think I am going to start researching mobile home communities, especially those near(ish) biotech companies. I am also trying to convince a friend of mine to come out west with us, to live in the park, so we can all save even more money for a few years. It may be more complicated to build a life in this economy, but we are going to give it our best shot!

11 hours ago, Randyretired said:

Sorry to point out the problems but better to hear about them now.  In a few years the plans that you have may be easier to do and I think there are some positive things about your plans.  Our building on acreage has been positive not only financially but a great place to live.  Our next adventure if we continue on is a home in the mountains on 140 acres adjoining public land.  We already own it.  One problem we have is we know how much is involved and we are not sure our energy at this age will meet the effort required.  It would be a great place for us but...

 

I am grateful for all the problems that are being pointed out. Much better this way than finding out the hard way. The idea of an RV and land is one I can always revisit later in life, once I have more security and stability.
Your life sounds lovely! I hope that one day I will have my own land and home away from it all. My dependency on cities for employment is sad. 
Do you have people to help you develop the 140 acres? A home in the mountains... sounds so dreamy and ideallic. 

11 hours ago, NDBirdman said:

Honestly, in ya'lls current situation, have you thought about staying in the less expensive parts of town and bus it?  How far is say, Kent from where you need to be?  Or one of those areas?  45 to 60 minutes on a bus adds lots of time to your day, but in the end, saves you more than you could imagine from traffic alone.  Have you drove around in the area you want to be in, work in, etc?  My son-in-law, who is from there, now refuses to drive where he works (downtown Seattle) or the roads getting there.  He goes to the bus station and commutes every-day.  Every time I have driven there, which was a week ago, my country boy arse came out pale, hard time breathing and blood pressure through the roof!  When my daughter moved there many moons ago, she soon ditched her car and learned the bus schedules.  She lived away from Seattle and learned to depend on buses.  Say's they are life savers.

I'm not going to re-read all the posts, but I must ask.  Have you ever visited Seattle?  Do you have a very high tolerance for crazy people, lots of homeless beggars?  We have walked downtown Seattle and have had to step around people sitting on the sidewalks shooting up drugs.  Downtown by the bay is gorgeous, some very nice areas but the problem is the ppl in charge think the homeless have more rights than the residents, you will be tripping all over them in an otherwise gorgeous area.  Don't get me wrong, you can go to areas where you don't see much of that, you just have to know the areas to visit, which ones to not.  And not alone IMHO as a woman.  Edmonds is a very nice area, we always stay in a Best Western there and walk everywhere, we love it.  It might be an area to check.  Don't know what cost is there but close enough to the city I bet not cheap.  And there is a train that goes to downtown Seattle as well as a bus station.  And a couple other small towns north of there along the train track.  There are some options but again, if you have not been there, maybe check it out before committing yourself.  Not trying to scare you from going there, by all means do.  Just be well prepared.  My daughter wasn't, it was not a good time in our life.  But, she is still there, happily married and we just got back from seeing our first newborn grand-child.  We will be going back and spending a lot of time there but we have our eyes *wide open* when it comes to there. 

Good luck.

 

Living in a mobile home park will likely place me in a cheaper area probably far from the downtown area and all the homelessness. I probably won't have much to choose from - again, most of the sites online about mobile home parks are lacking in information and are often geared towards Section 8 or retirement communities. I am going to have to do a lot of research to find out where there are units available for rent. Many places only sell the homes, it seems. If there is bus access from where I will be living, I will definitely take public transportation. I have been to Seattle many times and have driven there as well and you are definitely right - it isn't what I call a pleasant commute by car. lol. I don't mind a longer commute if it means I will have a mobile home rent of 600 dollars and can save up to buy a condo. I have tried to look for apartments in that price range, but most of them are strictly Section 8 or unavailable. So I might even have to rent a mobile further out, drive into the outskirts of the city, park and then take a bus. I used to have a 1.5 hour (each way) commute time when I was studying in Europe, so I am used to lengthy travel. It isn't optimal, but it would only be for a few years until I could save enough to make that downpayment on the condo. I would prefer to live in a mobile park as opposed to an extremely seedy part of town for the reasons you listed above. I know some mobile parks are not without their characters, but I know many people who live in them and seem to get on fine, in spite of any undesirable elements. The thought of living in a dive apartment with crime everywhere, homeless people slouched in front of my door and people shooting heroin just a thin wall away from me... well, that sounds less appealing. At least with a mobile home, I have a bit more privacy.
If I find any parks of interest, can I tell you which area they are in to see what your opinion is?
 

3 hours ago, Kirk W said:

While there is certainly nothing wrong with checking out any possible living situation, I really think that the RV probably isn't the best choice. When you buy an RV you will always lose money when you sell it and often it is a big loss. I would expect that to run at least 10% per year of ownership. An RV that we bought new for about $80k was sold after 14 years (12 as our only home) and we felt good to finally get $10k for it. I would hate to see you put most of your savings into an RV that you might later regret purchasing. If you find some rental first, you can hold on to the saved money and still be able to get the RV later if you find it might work but the rental living would at least give you some time in that area to be sure before you spend your hard earned money. 

 

I am starting to agree that the RV idea is not the best plan for starters. A mobile home rental would save me the same amount of money, but offer me much more stability, with the upside of having no depreciation value, since it doesn't belong to me. My main objective was to save money and not lose it. If the RV option will only drain me, then there is no point in clinging to the idea. I need to find an alternative to apartment rentals, but this may really not be the best choice.

1 hour ago, Randyretired said:

The travel trailer you mentioned is probably one of the better insulated units available but RV insulation doesn't begin to measure up to home insulation.  Saving money is something that I understand and the draw to RV's is a thought that comes to some.  My Grandson is in the military and we had a like conversation.  He is stationed in California where the weather is warmer so the cold was not as big of a problem as the heat.  However both are a problem for RV's.  These units aren't built for it.  While staying in a RV for a short vacation a little cold or heat is easily tolerated but it can get pretty old  and expensive after awhile in cold or very hot climates.  The insulation in a RV doesn't compare to a house.  Many RV's have wall insulation of R1 to R8 whereas a house or most mobile homes built today are R19 or more.  The roof and floor numbers are similarly less in a RV.   Double pane windows and 87% or more efficient furnaces are pretty standard in a home but not RV's.  The furnace in most RV's are not very good and are maybe 50% efficient.   Condensation on single pane windows and walls is also a problem.

We stayed in our RV's while building 2 homes on acreage and we are considering doing it again.  Many areas have very strict rules regarding this.  The last home we built a few years ago would only allow it for 6 months.  We were far enough out on 35 acres we kinda just did it for the 2 years it took us to build it.  We were not challenged but in a more populated area I doubt it would have worked.  In the county we live in now they will not even issue a permit to plug in a RV and staying in an RV even up in the mountains of Colorado in this county is limited to 2 weeks.  I don't  like it and we have cheated some but if caught we have options.  There are some counties here in Colorado that allow it but not many and the closer to a big city one gets the less likely it is allowed.

 

Yes, I think that for someone who is planning to work in the cities, the land option is less attractive. If I were retired and/or had other options, it would be a different story, but in my case, I have to have a home within a reasonable commute distance to make it work.
The complications you are outlining serve as further nails into the land development idea.
I have discussed it with my husband and he reluctantly agreed that the arguments do not support the plan.
Thank you for the honest advice.

58 minutes ago, Tee Jay said:

One issue in an RV in WA in winter is moisture control.  You start to get condensation everywhere.  It is less of an issue in a Park Model, and almost no issue in a Mobile or Modular home.  The site CityData has weather stats for any place you would consider, as well as a lot of other data.  

The solution to condensation is double pane windows and ventilation.  That makes the heating bill a bit higher.  Also, depreciation on an RV follows a path that looks a lot like a rock dropped off a bridge.  

Good luck in your research.

 

Thanks for the luck! I will need it, it seems. 
This moisture problem sounds nasty. I am used to the weather up north - but from a house perspective, so I can only imagine what that must feel like in an RV with all this icy cold condensation dripping from the windows.
I am beginning to get a picture of what harsh reality awaits me.
The more stories I hear, the less appealing it sounds and the more I am inclined to search for mobile home parks with rentals.

13 minutes ago, Barbaraok said:

Wait, you have a husband?   Would he also be moving?  What is his field.  You need to slow down and get that degree and then see where  the jobs are.   

 

My husband is going to go to school for welding, but he doesn't have a trade or field yet. He has been working mostly maintenance jobs. He will be moving with me and will try to find work out west. His family is still young and sprightly, so he is willing to leave them so I can spend some time with mine. We both dreamt up the RV idea based on the experiences his family has had in Florida. They have lived both year round in RV parks as work campers and on an acreage, so we assumed this would be possible everywhere.
Apparently we were quite wrong.
Since I already know where I want to move, I figure it can't hurt to plan ahead. Those of my colleagues that are just planning to go where academia takes them don't bother with plans until 6 months before they graduate, but they are also content to accept temporary post-doc positions and move into costly rental units for the years they intend to stay. Most of them aren't buying property or acquiring long term assets until they get tenure and can finally settle down. 
Due to my lack of flexibility, my options are more limited, so I have to arm myself with concrete ideas. If I just wait until I graduate and don't at least research possible arrangements, I am terrified that I will end up in expensive lodging, stuck in some lease that prevents me from building my own future. I have had this experience in the past with some of my more last minute decisions and I am determined not to make the same mistake again. What I need to do is research the biotech companies in Washington and scope out the opportunities, including what kind of RV parks or mobile home parks are located in the vicinity.
The advice I have been receiving here has been very sobering. I am starting to reconsider the RV idea and scrap it in favor of a mobile home rental.
 

25 minutes ago, Roy&Lynne said:

 If your land is not zoned for recreational vehicle living, then you would be living in your camper there illegally. You have to follow the zoning laws of the town your land is located in, and unfortunately, around Seattle you would be hard pressed to find one.  We are in the area, but out in the country and a man was just evicted from HIS land and told he couldn't live there in his RV.  Read the zoning laws very carefully

 

Thanks for the warning - this is something I have heard before and it worried me. The idea of developing my own land is really starting to fade as a potential plan. It just doesn't seem very feasible for someone with no money, just starting out. That might have been how people did it back in earlier times, but these days it just seems like a bad idea unless you have enough money to trouble shoot anything (and perhaps know the people making the zoning laws lol).

1 hour ago, Randyretired said:

Finding a travel trailer that is sufficiently insulated to comfortably stand the cold will be a challenge.  A decent mobile home will be less expensive to heat a likely more comfortable.  There are more choices for better insulated 5th wheels but none that I know of have the insulation of a home or mobile home.  The furnaces in RV's are not very good and terribly inefficient.   Many use electric heaters but these are not cheap to run and the lack of insulation makes it worse.  Drafts in RV's are common and moisture buildup is usually troublesome.  Often times due to problems during cold weather an apartment or rental doesn't cost anymore than a RV and is significantly more comfortable. 

Yes, I was worried about that too. Some of the more solid 5th wheels cost about the same as a downpayment on a condo and the winters up in Washington are far harsher than they are down here where I am currently at in Florida. I got most of my RV idealism from the people I know here - my husband's family all live in RV parks or have their RVs hooked up on acreages. The laws are much more geared towards long term camping here and the weather is more favorable (well, hurricanes aside). 
This was the RV I was considering buying. 
https://cheyennecampingcenter.com/rvs/view/2019-coachmen-catalina-313dbds-bunkhouse-travel-trailer
I saw it for 26K on Ebay, but it is currently the latest model, so I was hoping it (or something similar) would be available shortly before I graduate in a cheaper, used state.
Do you think this RV would weather Washington in the winter or am I crazy? haha. This RV would have to enable me to live cheaply and somewhat comfortably.
Apartment rents are horrendous - the average rent for a one bedroom in Seattle is somewhere close to 2000 dollars. A quick check on apartments.com confirms this - apartments under 1000 a month are very scarce. Utilities are usually nothing to sneeze at either.  With costs like that, I would never save enough for anything - every month, I'd be throwing what should be my mortgage payment away into the pockets of someone else.

I would have to investigate further, but the mobile home rentals I've seen are similar to what NDBirdman quoted below for the RV campsite, roughly 600 a month. I know there are disadvantages to living in a mobile park too (if Florida mobile home parks are any indication of what to expect in Washington), but ultimately, if I want to get ahead and free myself of rent dependency and have any chance at owning property in this economy AND want to be near my parents, I guess I have to be prepared to deal with some hardship. 😞

39 minutes ago, 2gypsies said:

I think this is the best option for you since you're not going to be traveling in the RV and because you're not going to buy a truck to pull it.  Best of luck to you!

 

Yes, I am starting to agree, even though my heart still wants an RV. Ideally I would have loved to keep the RV and buy a truck, but from the looks of it, developing land is unrealistic. And there is very little chance I will have enough money during the foreseeable future to buy something as large as a house to park it next to. I still haven't quite abandoned the idea of living in an RV park and selling the RV once I save enough for a condo, or storing it in Florida with relatives.

6 minutes ago, NDBirdman said:

I was there a couple days ago talking to them about a site.  They are friendly, very nice place.  The good, IF you can get in for a seasonal, $600/mo plus elec.  Cheap for in city compared to stick n brick/apt rental costs.  BUT, if your RV is older than 10 yrs old, they really don't want you there.  They say you are welcome, and they will let you stay at the nightly rate of $50, so $1,500 month... monthly/seasonal price, not a chance in hell.  Even told them my camper has always been covered, it looks nicer than a lot of new ones but was told not a chance.  If you want to go there for longer than a few days, get a newer RV.  We are going to buy a new one this winter so we can visit with our kids more than a couple days.

 

That sounds like the ideal place for me, actually. 600 a month? Wow. That is very cheap for in city. I would make sure to get a newer model RV - my big concern now is whether the cheaper travel trailer types I have been looking at would be able to weather the Washington climate in winter. I am okay with being a bit damp and chilly, but I don't fancy freezing under 10 layers of wool blankets either or running up an electric bill of 1000 dollars. 
I posted a link to the RV I was looking at above - since you have experience in RVing during winter at that very campsite, perhaps you know if this travel trailer will stand the test. What kind of problems do you mostly encounter when you stay at this place with your RV? 

Thank you everyone for your continued input!


 

My budget for the RV is about 20K and I am looking into travel trailers, not 5th wheels. To move it to where I need to go, I will have to rent an F250 or F350 (or equivalent) truck that is capable of pulling it with the proper towing package. I currently do not possess a vehicle like this of my own.
Do you think that this is a reasonable budget or approach? 

I don't know why people on the internet refer people asking people on the internet to the internet. Lol. I have googled many sites and while they are usually quite eager to give you daily or sometimes weekly rates, they are not as free with information regarding annual or monthly charges. Of course I can write a bunch of emails or call people, but since this site has experienced RVers, I came here to ask if any of you have any experiences you might want to share. If you know some places in Washington that have reasonable annual rates and wish to share them with me, I would be very thankful. I am interested in discussing individual campsites with people who have actually been there and can give me tips on what I should be looking for. 🙂 If you don't want to, that is fine as well.

I am starting to wonder if I shouldn't just move into a trailer park and rent a mobile home until I have the money saved. I have heard the rents there are considerably lower than they are in regular apartment buildings and would enable me to be able to put enough money aside. 
I am pretty sure that this is not the right forum for that though.

Yes, that is one of the reasons why I have put academia as "something to try for but not count on" in the job department. Most of the people I know who went on to pursue academia started post docs in various spots around the country. Looking for tenure is another state hopping affair. Nowadays, your chances of getting a tenure position even if you do everything right is under 20%. Many people work post doc positions for 10 years or more.
My parents are older (they had me in their 40s), so I have to make the hard call - either have some time left with them, or not. Were I very serious about academia, I would literally have to choose between it and my parents.
I am going to choose my parents. I will still try to find jobs in academia, but biotech will be more of my focus - another reason why Washington is a great place to plant some roots without having to sacrifice my family life. 
I would have to find an affordable, all year RV park with annual sites until I have enough saved up to make a downpayment on a condo. Does anyone know what the typical monthly rates are in Washington? There is very little information floating around online, so if anyone has experience with some sites that would be great.
When you guys stay in Bellingham, did you by chance catch wind of how much people were paying who stayed long term?

Hi!

By "no address" I was wanting to know if the DMV or banks accept an RV park as a mailing address. I have read conflicting reports on this, so I want to make sure.
I would love to live in Bellingham - my degree will be molecular biology, but I have a BS in basic biology and an MSc in Anthropology. I have heard that academic jobs at universities are difficult to come by due to the high levels of competition, but of course I will be trying to get in regardless. If you have more information about Bellingham that you are willing to share, I would love to hear about it! It is a beautiful place to live and very close to my parents. I could drive up every weekend with ease.
I do plan to stay on the US side - simply because of the industry and amount of jobs available, plus the enormous cost of real estate and generally higher cost of living in Vancouver. It isn't really a place to start from scratch.

Thank you for all the suggestions.
After reading, I find my skepticism about buying land has only grown. My proposal does sound like a bit of a fairy tale, perhaps possible once a upon a time in a distant past, but currently quite impractical. I am beginning to think that living in an RV park like the one mentioned in Tall City might be a more viable option until I have saved enough money for a sizable downpayment on something like a condo or small home. Condo is probably more like it, with prices being what they are. 
If someone here has RVd in Washington for a lengthy period of time and can share their experience, that would be great. I need to know if I would be considered "homeless" (no address), am permitted to stay, what the costs are etc. I have looked at mobile home sites and realized that I also have to be careful about the "55+ community" clause. Apparently, a lot of places are designated for retirees only.
The reason I want to live in Washington is because it is close to where my parents are (Vancouver, Canada). I am a bit restricted in my choice of location due to this factor and ordinarily would pick a less costly region to live in. Vancouver itself is even MORE expensive than Washington, which is why I am trying to find cheaper solutions to getting my foot in the door. 

Hi!

I am a graduate student getting my PhD and I'm a couple of years away from graduating. It is my dream to find a job in the Seattle area, buy an RV and live in it full time. For starters, I would ideally stay in a Mobile Home Park or RV Park, until I have enough to pay a downpayment on a piece of land, then park my RV on that land and eventually build a house. 
I have been reading all kinds of disturbing accounts online, however..... people are saying I can't stay in an RV for longer than 210 days, that I won't be able to get a license or bank account because I have no mailing address, that land is almost impossible to find without HOA fees/restrictions or other zoning complications, unless you want to live hours from your place of employment and be at the mercy of roaming thieves.

I am hoping that someone here will sober me up a bit and tell me that I don't have to kill my dream. If you guys have any suggestions and tips to help me prepare, I would be very thankful. I can't afford to buy a condo or a house - I will be straight out of school with a bunch of student loans hanging over my head. Nevertheless it pains me to throw away what is essentially a monthly mortgage payment in the form of rent.

Thank you!