[tjr225]

I live in the area as well and I think the reality is that Seattle is going through a massive change due to densification.

Nobody expects to be able to buy a single family house in NYC- and that will probably soon be the case for cities like Seattle and SF...however this is a relatively recent development for us and therefor a much harder pill to swallow.

I came from the midwest (born and raised) - to respond to the other commenter...home ownership is cool, but I like it out here a lot more. Also, I make WAY more money here. Like 50% more, and I'm at the bottom of the engineer food chain. I make more money than any of my more experienced senior engineer friends back in the midwest. The amount of outdoorsy opportunities, interesting companies to work for, and boom/bust culture is just too exciting. Midwestern cities also experience a lot more violent crime (check out any top 10 list of dangerous cities). I think I heard gunshots almost every night that I lived in Kansas City, MO.