There is a tectonic shift happening under our feet right now, and that is the huge move from the big cities to rural areas like Sequim, Washington. It’s real. I’m seeing a number of data points that show us the move is taking place. I want to share that reality today, and I want to share my perception of what this means for homebuyers in the Sequim area or surrounding areas in the great Northwest.
Government statistics are not available yet on the massive move from the cities to rural areas around the U.S. Those will be lagging indicators we won’t have for one to two years after the fact. But now we have already seen evidence developing. The rental of moving trucks from the city to rural areas is about ten (10) times that of renting a moving truck to go the other way. Don’t believe it? Look at this U-Haul chart:
| Size Van | 26 Foot Van | 20 Foot Van | 15 Ft Truck | 10 Ft Truck |
| Seattle to Boise | $2,112.00 | $1,584.00 | $1,056.00 | $1,003.00 |
| Boise to Seattle | $119.00 | $117.00 | $104.00 | $103.00 |
Why the disparity? Because companies like U-Haul have to hire people to drive the vans back to the cities. San Francisco reports an incredible number of moving vans loading up and leaving the city. [Source Video: San Francisco Exodus]
What Does This Mean for Retirees Moving to Sequim WA?
We’ve seen desperate Californians in past years, but nothing like this year. Californians are leaving their state with a sense of crisis and stress, and they are buying homes and horse ranches in the rural areas, like Sequim, Washington. This has increased demand, reduced the inventor, and it has driven prices up.
It means if you are searching for your ideal retirement home in the Sequim area, you are going to have to work much harder than in past years, and you will have to be more patient, because what you’re looking for may not be on the market right now.
It also means you need an experienced, professional, and knowledgeable Exclusive Buyer’s Agent to represent you. You’ve never needed one as much as now. Things are changing rapidly, almost weekly, so this is not like your parents buying a home, and it’s not even like when you bought your last home 10 or 15 years ago. This market is full of traps for the unwary, and frankly, I don’t know how Realtors do it without having decades of experience, including real estate law practice. I use 100% of everything I’ve learned for my buyers when I help them. There are so many bumps in the road, so many little mistakes that can easily be made, so many critical issues and deadlines.
For example, searching for and identifying the ideal home and arranging a viewing is no longer simple. Because of Covid-19, and because buyers are making offers sight unseen, this has become much more difficult. Drafting an offer has become far more challenging, and you’ve got to know what price to offer, whether to use an escalation addendum, and what terms to include. The due diligence necessary has become far more of a trap for the unwary, and unless you have a seasoned professional who is absolutely loyal to you, you may end up with a nightmare scenario, and many do.
Be careful out there. It’s dangerous. And while your looking, may I suggest you just hire me as your Sequim Buyer’s Agent? I often save my clients a lot of stress, a lot of money, and help them get through a labyrinthian process full of traps for the unwary to help them reach their goal. And my buyers are very happy I was on board.
Last Updated on August 26, 2020 by Chuck Marunde
