Investable areas between Seattle and Tacoma?

[Tim S.]

I'm thinking about buying some property in the general area <$200k. I want to avoid the bubble of Seattle proper.

I'm a little bit familiar with Tacoma, it's a possibility, but wanted to know if there is an area in-between that is up and coming. Some place with a central Mini-urban shopping/restaurant cluster, or a nucleus that can grow into one. Some place that isn't just boring suburbia.

Maybe I'm looking for the impossible, I'm sure you'll let me know. Some place that in the next 5+ years will grow into something interesting, an area that people might want to live where it's cheaper than Seattle, but still a commutable distance away, and has some central area of interest.

Any candidates for such a place? Or maybe I should be looking in another direction from Seattle?

Des Moines maybe?

Thanks

[Tom G.]

I close a couple properties a month in Olympia and Tacoma. I buy distressed properties, rehab them and put renters in them. I then refi them at up to 75% of value and establish a permanent income property. i never put any of my own money into these deals. The trick is to have agents that hustle and give them accurate tools for analysis. I have simple calculators that i use and if my total expenditures including rehab are 75% of the end value or less I do the deal. i have over 70 doors now all under this formula. You can make this work in any neighborhood. A neighborhood that is realizing an increase in values or increase in rents is just a bonus, frosting if you will, and not part of the formula. All of Tacoma, north south and east have properties that work. Everyone has their own program and strategy, this is mine and it works!