I suffer from the irrational assumption that “normal” prices for a particular item are permanently set by the going rate  when I first started purchasing that item.  Butter should be $1/lb.  A dozen eggs should be less than $2. And the first apartment that I lived in was a (decent) 1 bedroom for $375 a month, and that was shared with someone, so I was only paying half of that.  Therefore, struggling to find “a studio for less than $900 a month” in the U District strikes me as obscene. Granted, in terms of my ability to pay, half of that one bedroom was far more of a struggle for me than where I currently live.  This is the first time in my life where I don’t have to worry about food or bills bringing my checking account below zero, and habits of the poor person die hard.

But even if I’m now an example of the fact that Seattle has enough high paying jobs to keep rent prices where they are at, until very recently I was still a student and really only qualified for those part time, little experience and no degree jobs.  With those options, $375 is far more attainable than $900. Housing prices, while not the most important factor, were a part of why I decided I didn’t want to go to college in Seattle, despite UW’s excellent reputation in computer science.  Mostly for other reasons, but for that one too, I have been quite pleased with my choice.

I also very much agree with Kilbourne’s observation about the ferociousness required to find a place and then get your application in before it is snatched up by someone else. I didn’t know it at the time, but our search also coincided with the lowest percentage of vacancies since 2000.  I sent out my email of interest in the place that we ended up renting at 1:30 am, very shortly after the ad made it up on craigslist, an instance when being a night owl paid off, if not in the monetary sense, significantly.