Posted on 08/28/2004 3:23:19 PM PDT by Future Snake Eater
Pardon the vanity post, fellow FReepers, but my wife and I will be moving to the fine state of Washington in a few months, and we've started the house-hunt with little luck so far. I'll be stationed at Ft. Lewis in one of the Stryker Brigades, which I believe are in the northern parts of the post.
I've been given the advice to look at Steilacoom and Dupont for good places to live north of Lewis. Do any of you agree/disagree? Is there a good realtor out there any of you could recommend (we're looking for a rental house).
Thanks in advance for your help!
Ping
Are you still at Benning?
I'm going down there for the September IOBC.
I always liked the name of Puyallup.
We lived in Tacoma in 1976...my daughter was born there. Washingtonian babies are all born with webbed feet, you know.
See if the 54th Medical Detachment (Helicopter Ambulance) is still there, if you think of it.
You have FR mail.
Welcome in advance!
Also some links for Steilacoom and the City of DuPont .
Don't get lost before you get there. Dupont is south of Ft. Lewis.
WA ping request -- and a call to the Puget Sound Chapter!
I bet Lacey/Hawks Prairie area, south of the base, has more affordable housing where you'll get a lot more for your buck. Lower density, more homes and duplexes than apartments. Dupont is a little trendy, and you pay for that.
I live twenty minutes south of Fort Lewis, in Tumwater.
My friend is realtor - ex Nam helicoptor pilot. Please FRepmail me your contact info - he would love to work with you. Steilacoom schhols are much better, Lakewood District has had trouble. Tacoma not so good either, depending on the area. Steilacoom may be a bit higher rent, by really cute little town by the water.
DuPont also excellent!
BTTT
Yeah, I'm in my last weeks of IOBC, and I'm starting Ranger on 17 OCT. Are you in the 10 SEPT IOBC? I have a buddy from my ROTC battalion in that class.
I've heard that about the area south of Lewis. I'm just weary of commute times. Right now, it takes me 30 minutes to get to work every day, and it's kind of wearing thin. Steilacoom looks like a nice town and it's also very close to (one of) the Stryker Brigades, so I know my commute shouldn't be that bad.
Do you know if the drive from south to north at Lewis is pretty easy-going? I'm honestly not real worried about rental costs. My wife and I both work, make a good living, and I'm getting some great BAH rates from the Army. I just want my wife to live in a nice place (seeing as how I'll be in Iraq very shortly after reporting in!).
Steilacoom is cute as a bug's ear, very nice little area... it's just kinda trendy and pricier.
Traffic from Fort Lewis Southbound is rarely an issue. There are more cars than there were 10 years ago, but it moves consistantly at 65+ mph. We don't have the traffic slowdowns that you would see heading North out through Tacoma and beyond.
Yeah I'm in 12 SEP class. How is IOBC? And how long do you have until you report to Lewis? I've got 9 months before I'm supposed to report to Bragg, it seems a little long to me.
IOBC's OK. You'll spend one week in garrison, then one week in the field, flip-flopping pretty much the whole time. Mostly it just teaches you how to suck. I was supposed to report to Lewis on 28 FEB, but then I got stuck with a Mech Leader's Course slot until 8 APR--and I'm not even going to be on Bradleys! Nine months does sound like a while, but what with the class dates not being one on top of the other, and the backlog of LTs waiting, even if you're already Airborne-qualified, it'll still be pushing it to get you through IOBC and Ranger in 9 months. But don't worry about it. You still get paid either way!
Hey, FSE, I see you're still on track. IOBC, a few weeks of delay getting all the guys into a Ranger class and then Mortar Leaders course turned out to be just about a year at Benning for my son. He's now with the 25th in Hawaii and will catch up with the Brigade in Afghanistan in about two weeks.
Ft. Lewis with a family may mean you'll have to get an apartment off post. Good luck and Godspeed!
I was stationed at Fort Lewis for 6 years and have been in the local area since I got out in 98. I would definately say the best bargains / least traffic are to the south. The Roy / Yelm / McKenna area is nice, a country feel even though you are still near the city.
Nice places out here for a family and your livestock. ;)
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