Sammamish

There's a good chance anyone thinking about buying a home in the affluent Seattle suburb of Sahalee works for Microsoft or Nintendo of America, both of which are based nearby. Or maybe they're just drawn to the quality schools, natural amenities, world-class golf course, diverse restaurants and unique retail options. Sahalee is based in Sammamish, which U.S. News & World Report ranked as the second wealthiest city in the nation in 2023. <br><br>Locals most commonly identify Sahalee Estates as the defining neighborhood of the Sahalee area. In this gated community, most houses range from $1.2 million to $3 million and overlook the greens and fairways of the 27-hole Sahalee Country Club. This private club has hosted the 1998 PGA Championship, the 2002 World Golf Championship, the 2010 Men’s Senior Open and the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. It is set to host the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. “The highly rated golf course is a treasure of the area, and it’s a big draw for homebuyers,” says Stephanie Hunziker, a lifelong resident of Sammamish and agent for Windermere Real Estate<br><br>In the Sahalee area, there is a wide selection of homes outside the gated borders of Sahalee Estates. A 1980s four-bedroom traditional-style home with an attached two-car garage is valued at $1.35 million. A 1990s four-bedroom with a backyard patio and a gas fireplace is listed for about $3 million. There are 1990s four-bedrooms with back porches overlooking Lake Sammamish valued from $3.5 million to $7 million. <br><br>Many local children attend Margaret Mead Elementary School, which has an A Niche rating, an 88% reading proficiency and an 81% math proficiency. Evergreen Middle School also has an A Niche rating and an 18-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio. Tesla STEM High School has an A-plus Niche rating and requires applications for enrollment. U.S. News & World Report ranked Tesla as the best high school in Washington in 2022. Many teens also attend Eastlake High School, which has an A-plus Niche rating and a 93% graduation rate. <br><br>“When you’re living in Sahalee Estates, you’re still surrounded by options that make you feel connected to the rest of Sammamish,” says Hunziker. Locals shop for groceries at Safeway and Trader Joe’s. The area also has a McDonald’s and a Starbucks. People buy stuffed and fried turnovers at Rocky’s Empanadas. Pomegranate Bistro offers comfort classics like burgers, fried chicken, plates of fish and tacos. Residents dine on kabab entrees at Tanoor, an authentic Lebanese restaurant. <br><br>The area has no shortage of retail options. Anali sells embroidered items like towels and cocktail squares. Rosenfield Flowers is the place to purchase roses, dahlias, snapdragons, sweat peas and sunflowers. JCT Quilting offers courses that teach locals the art of patchwork. The professional quilters there assist locals by putting the finishing touches on their homemade quilts using an edge-to-edge machine. <br><br>Sammamish has multiple bus routes. Residents can also use the city’s on-demand shuttle. Some residents drive 23 miles to Seattle via I-90 for work or amenities. “Most folks drive,” says Hunziker. “Public transportation in general in the area is not robust like it is in other metro areas.”<br><br>Evans Creek Preserve offers 213 acres of meadowlands, forests and wetlands. East Sammamish Park is next to Margaret Mead Elementary School and offers barbecue grills, a playground, space for soccer, a picnic shelter and tennis courts. The 40-acre Marymoor Off-Leash Dog Park allows dogs to roam freely through woods and high grasses 2 miles from the Microsoft campus. Permit applications are required.

Inglewood-Sammamish is a Seattle suburb with abundant natural amenities as well as access to dining and retail. The community borders Lake Sammamish, where residents enjoy swimming, fishing and boating. “The community has a quaint small-town feel, but it has all the amenities,” says Stephanie Hunziker, a lifelong resident of the area and agent for Windermere Real Estate. “You can go to the mountains, you can go to the city, but you’re still removed enough that you don’t feel like you’re in the hustle and bustle of the city.”<br><br>Seven miles away, Redmond is home to the Microsoft headquarters and Nintendo’s American headquarters. “The area is great for accessibility to the strong tech industry in western Washington,” says Hunziker. “A fair amount of the folks here work in tech.” The Microsoft headquarters employs tens of thousands of workers, many of whom live in Inglewood-Sammamish. The Seattle Times has reported that Nintendo’s Redmond building houses 650 employees. <br><br>A 1970s three-bedroom, three-bathroom ranch-style home with an attached one-car garage can be valued from $680,000 to $900,000. A 1980s three-bedroom with two-and-a-half bathrooms can be valued at $1.37 million. Homes with a waterfront view of Lake Sammamish are generally valued between $1.8 million and $9 million. A 1944 three-bedroom home with a gazebo, pier, boat lift and beach is valued at $3.7 million. It’s common to see pets walking the community’s network of sidewalks with owners trailing at the other end of leashes.<br><br>Elizabeth Blackwell Elementary School has an A Niche rating, and the student body is about 460 strong. Renaissance School of Art & Reasoning is a nearby public middle school with an A Niche rating. The school features an arts-based curriculum and applications are required to enroll. Inglewood Middle School has an A Niche rating. Students who attend are 88% proficient in reading and 86% proficient in math. Eastlake High School has an A-plus Niche rating and a 20-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio. Central Washington University opened its Sammamish campus in 2017. <br><br>When locals need to grab a snack on the go or get a coffee, they have immediate access to a McDonald’s and a Starbucks. Sammamish Café & Spirits is a popular spot for its breakfast quesadillas, chicken clubs and cozy stone fireplace. At Big Fish Sushi, residents dine on colorful plates of nigiri, sashimi, chicken teriyaki and ramen. When locals decide to cook at home, they often purchase ingredients at Metropolitan Market. Residents take I-90 to travel 20 miles to Seattle if they search for big city amenities or commute to work. <br><br>K2 Strength & Fitness Training offers personal coaching for locals interested in improving their health. Residents also exercise in YogaSix, a yoga studio providing sound baths. Facials Organic provides residents with facials and other skin care services. Locals shop at Mud Bay for their pet supplies. Angelic Care Adult Family Home provides specialized attention to seniors. <br><br>Many locals play golf at the private Sahalee Country Club. The club will host the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. The club has hosted the 1998 PGA Championship, the 2002 World Golf Championship and the 2010 US Men’s Senior Open. Residents also enjoy biking, walking and running on East Lake Sammamish Trail, which winds along the lake for 11 miles. The 19-acre East Sammamish Park is located next to Margaret Mead Elementary School. Residents of the area go to the park to enjoy the picnic shelter or to play soccer, tennis, baseball and softball. Inglewood-Sammamish is full of cedars and Douglas firs.