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Things to Know Before Moving to Kirkland, WA

Nestled on the shores of Lake Washington, Kirkland is a suburb located east of Seattle that is known for its waterfront parks, among many other things. In fact, no other area in the whole region of Puget Sound boasts of as many waterfront parks and beaches as this charming city. It was once home to the Seattle Seahawks, and also used to house the corporate headquarters of Costco; the multinational retailer’s Kirkland Signature brand pays homage to the city. Kitchen interior of a home in Kirkland, WA

The area around Lake Washington was first settled by native Americans, then in the latter part of the 1860s, English settlers arrived. In 1886, British-born steel tycoon Peter Kirk moved to Washington after hearing of news of iron deposits found in the Cascade Range. He thought that if a town was built near the water, it could serve as a freshwater port to the sea while also supporting any prospective mill.

In 1888, his venture Kirkland Land and Development Company bought acres of land in what would later become downtown Kirkland, and the company set about constructing a new steel mill. However, several issues arose and Kirk never saw his dream of turning Kirkland into the “Pittsburgh of the West” come into fruition. Still, Kirkland gave Washington its first ever wool mill in 1892, and in 1905, it was incorporated as a city.

Since that incorporation, Kirkland has grown nearly twelve times in terms of geographic boundaries, and almost doubled in size in the 1940s and in the 1960s. Through several annexations of neighboring towns, Kirkland grew in population and size, and today, it is home to more than 93,000 people, according to its 2019 census.

Kirkland is bordered to the west by Lake Washington, to the north by Kenmore and neighboring areas, to the east by Redmond, and to the south by Bellevue. Kirkland is accessible via Interstate 405.

What to Know Before Moving to Kirkland, WA

Interested in moving to Kirkland? In this section, you can arm yourself with all the important information that you need as you search for homes and brush up on the real estate market conditions in the area to make the best possible deal.

The Washington Housing Market

The coronavirus pandemic leveled nearly every vertical in the United States and all over the world, but real estate is not one of them. The market in Washington, in particular, continues to be hot as homes sold as quickly as possible at the asking price for almost every case.

In fact, according to Bankrate’s Housing Heat Index, Washington ranked 7th on its list, which measures key data points, such as home appreciation rates, job growth, and taxes. The state saw “a lot of full cash offers, multiple offers over listing price, extremely short supply of listings and buyers making risky concessions in their offers”, according to a spokesperson for Washington Realtors.

Across the state, home values rose by 13.7%; whereas a typical home would sell for $417,000 in January 2020, its price in January 2021 rose to $470,000. This increase also did little to dissuade people from moving into the state, according to agents, as Washington saw a growth of almost 80,000 residents between the middle of 2019 and the middle of 2020. Redfin also reports that, as of March, home prices rose by 19%, but the number of homes that got sold also increased by 16.6%.

Kirkland’s real estate market is also not lagging behind. NeighborhoodScout.com says that it is among the top 10 cities in Washington state that saw the highest appreciation rates since 2000. Real estate in the city appreciated by more than 107% over the last ten years, with an annual average appreciation rate of almost 8%. This lands Kirkland among the top 10% in the whole country in terms of real estate appreciation.

Kirkland has a median home price of $763,546, according to NeighborhoodScout.com, and Redfin reports median sale price in the city at $975,000. This is a 6% increase compared to last year, as of March 2021, and homes in the area usually sell in as short as 6 days. Ten of the highest appreciating neighborhoods in the city are as follows:
  • Rose Hill
  • 132nd Ave NE/NE 70th St
  • City Center
  • Houghton
  • Northwest U/108th Ave NE
  • Firloch/Lake Washington Technical College
  • Finn Hill
  • Juanita
  • 132nd Ave NE/NE 136th Pl
  • Oskams Corner
When it comes to types of home, single-family detached homes are the most common housing type in Kirkland, as they account for more than 55% of the housing units in the city. They are followed closely by large apartment complexes and high-rise apartments at 32.78%, duplexes, small apartment buildings, row houses, and attached homes. Properties in the city are also primarily three or four-bedroom dwellings, and more people (62.50%) own their homes rather than rent them.

As far as architectural styles are concerned, Kirkland homes predominantly have that “Brady Bunch” look that was all the rage from the 1970s to the 1980s, as most of the housing in the area was built between this time period. Some homes, however, are more modern, built in 2000 and even later, which are pegged to comprise about 17% of the properties in the area.

If you are raring to move in soon, you would be happy to know that its active inventory of listings continues to increase from month to month. One catch, though: homes in the area sell fast! In fact, according to Redfin, Kirkland scores 89 out of 100 in its competitiveness scale, as many listed homes typically get multiple offers, even some with waived contingencies. They can also sell for more than 10% of their listed price, and on average, homes sell 5% more than their asking price.

There are multiple reasons for this interest in Kirkland. First off, the real estate market conditions in the area are comparable to those of its neighbor Seattle, which has one of the hottest markets in the entire state. This makes it appealing to real estate investors, as future projections remain to be positive well into the next year.

Additionally, Kirkland is considered by many to be one of the best places to live in. Livability.com ranks it among the top ten best places for three categories: best for techies, best for STEM workers, and best for recent college graduates. In the next section, we’ll get into more reasons to move to Kirkland.

Reasons to Move to Kirkland, WA

Kirkland is a medium-sized city with a population that predominantly works in white-collar jobs, at a whopping rate of 90.03%, which is beyond the national average. More people that live in Kirkland work in computers and math than 95% of the other places in the United States. Similarly, more than 60% of its adult population has a college or advanced degree; the national average across all areas in the country is only 21.84%.

Per capita income in the city, according to data from 2018, was $63,135, wealthy relative to the entire state and even the country. Many of its residents are young and single, educated, and upwardly-mobile in their careers. Some neighborhoods with the highest income growth over the last 5 years are:
  • 132nd Ave NE/NE 70th St
  • Rose Hill
  • Feriton
  • Juanita Dr NE/NE 138th Pl
  • 132nd Ave NE/NE 136th Pl
  • 90th Ave NE/92nd Ave NE
  • Houghton
  • Oskams Corner
  • NE 116th St/120th Ave NE
  • City Center
English is the most common spoken language, with a few spatterings of Spanish and Chinese. Those who call it home enjoy the following and more.
  • A Thriving Economy

    Unemployment rate in Kirkland has decreased since the beginning of 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, in the city, unemployment rate is only at 3%, which is better than the national average of 3.7%. The job market also saw an increase in postings by 2.6% since last year, while future projections sit at 38.4%, again higher than the average for the entire United States.

    This is largely due to the establishment of branch offices in the city by well-known giants such as Google, Microsoft, and IBM. In addition, local businesses keep market conditions positive, and the average median income in the city is pegged at almost $50,000, which is almost twice as much as the national average. For a resident, the median household income is more than $90,000; the average in the whole country is a little over $53,000.
  • Great Education

    If you have children, Kirkland has the distinction of having not only one, but two, of the top ten best school districts in the entire state of Washington for 2018: Lake School Washington district and the Northshore High School district. This is according to metrics gathered from the US Department of Education, college data, individual ratings, and test scores.

    According to BestPlaces.net, Kirkland spends more on each one of their students than the majority of the other areas in the US. Kirkland schools spend more than 15K on every student, while the national average is only at about 12K. There is a mix of public and private preparatory, middle, and high schools in the city, and it is home to Lake Washington Technical College and Northwest University. The best Kirkland schools by neighborhood, as per Neighborhood Scout, are as follows:
    • Firloch/Lake Washington Technical College
    • 132nd Ave NE/NE 70th St
    • Rose Hill
    • City Center
    • Juanita Dr NE/NE 138th Pl
    • Finn Hill
    • 90th Ave NE/92nd Ave NE
    • Juanita
    • NE 116th St/120th Ave NE
    • Oskams Corner
  • Opportunities for Recreation

    A separate report in 2018 listed Kirkland as one of the 20 best small cities in America, and one of the biggest reasons why is its access to recreational opportunities for residents. First off, the city’s close proximity to Lake Washington accords residents with breath-taking views. Then there’s the waterfront park, which comprises 25% of the beachfront property and allows residents to enjoy a variety of activities.

    If you move here, you also don’t need to travel out of the city for outdoor activities, especially from July to August, the most pleasant months in the city. The city’s park system connects residents to the Bridle Trail State Park and its acres of forested wilderness, replete with 25 miles of trail for horse-riding and hiking. Kayaking and paddleboarding are possible through the waterfront parks, and the Lake Washington Loop and Cross Kirkland Corridor are both available to bicycle enthusiasts.
  • Proximity to a Major Metro

    Kirkland is also only thirty minutes away from Seattle, so residents are treated to all the conveniences and comforts of the metro without actually living with the hustle and bustle of one.

    Lastly, when it comes to safety, Kirkland is ranked safer than 26% of US cities. Some of its safest neighborhoods are the following:
    • Juanita Dr NE / NE 138th Pl
    • 132nd Ave NE / NE 70th St
    • Finn Hill
    • City Center
    • Rose Hill
    • Houghton
    • Oskams Corner
    • 132nd Ave NE / NE 136th Pl
    • Firloch / Lake Washington Technical College
    • Feriton

Buying a Home in Kirkland, WA

If you’re looking for a home in Kirkland, there is no better time to buy than now, as mortgage rates are at an historic low of 2.97%. Freddie Mac projects that rates will average 3% throughout the year, so anyone who wants to make a sound real estate investment in Kirkland, WA should do it today!

However, expect competition to be tight as inventory levels continue to be steep. In fact, as of March 2021, Kirkland has only about a month’s worth of inventory for home listings, which means that homes sell as fast as possible and interested home owners must be quick in snatching up a property. To make your home shopping successful, consider these tips.
  • Come prepared

    A seller’s market, such as the current condition in Kirkland, is one that accords a lot of power to people who are putting up their homes for sale. These are the people that you need to woo and win over, if you want to make a successful deal. One of the best things to do to ensure a good fighting chance is to prepare well for the process, starting with fulfilling all your financial requirements.

    First, assess your financial capacity and vet whether you can afford a house right now. Your debt-to-income ratio will factor into your mortgage application approval; if it’s not as good as it needs to be, work on it. Additionally, secure a mortgage loan as soon as you can so that your seller knows that you are the next worthy owner of their house that is for sale.

    Even better, if you can pay in cash upfront, let your seller know. This will be effective in edging out the competition and securing the deal for you.
  • Request house tours

    Once you have found some listings that you are interested in, don’t forget to request house tours. This will give you an opportunity to examine the house for sale more closely, and thus help you determine whether it is something that you truly want.

    During a house tour, ask the seller or their agent any question that you may have about the listing, such as its history of repairs, its current condition, the possible cost of future maintenance, etc. Also, you can ask for pointers on the best schools in the neighborhoods, or where to go to dine, etc.
  • Ask for professional help

    Finally, don’t go through the process by yourself. Enlist the help of agents, brokers, and other professionals who have specific experience with helping clients successfully find deals in the area. Doing so will not only ensure that you get good listings, but you can also get personalized guidance to make sure that you can achieve your specific home buying goals.

    One of the best brokers that you can work with is Kevan Brooks of Brooksview Northwest. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Kevan brings over three decades of experience in helping both home buyers and sellers. He is skilled in home valuations, negotiations, sales and marketing, and even photography! With him as your trusted professional partner, you are assured of getting the Kirkland home that you want.

Start sorting through listings for Kirkland today!

You can choose among a great selection of listings that you can sort according to price, status, listing date, type, and more. Brooksview Northwest also has properties for sale in other areas in the state such as Bellevue, Seattle, Tacoma, and Puyallup. Visit our property search page to start your quest!