Never been to Bend but moving there in 2 months!! (Redmond: real estate, 2014)

[Sharp926]

Thanks for all the info everyone!!!

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by Sharp926

Thanks for all the info everyone!!!

I hope you will come here for a visit before the move or even a commitment to change jobs.

I also hope our comments helped.

[Sharp926]

My husband will be doing the same job, just a different place.


If we should be looking outside of Bend, maybe you can shed some light
on that for me. Coming from arizona I hope you can understand my desire to be near greenery and trees. Which area outside of Bend would be most desirable. I understand it is high desert but I would like a change of scenery. We also need to be in a good school district.

What do you think Steve??

[Steve Pickering]

I don't think other than the snow capped mountains you are going to find it in Bend. If you look west you will see the cascades. If you look east you will see Tempe. If you get outside of the old city you will be in Maricopa if in a tract. There are places on the west side and south that look like Flagstaff. Coming here first is a must if you are wanting a change. I expect it may not be enough long-term.

[Sharp926]

It isn't really a matter of if we are coming. We ARE coming. I just wanted some info on the areas outside of Bend is all. We are moving to Central Oregon to raise our kids. We've read a lot about the areas, but hearing it first hand is always better. We are a young family. Therefore we struggle financially. It won't always be that way, I am in school getting my masters degree. Once my youngest is in school, I will be able to get a full time job and contribute financially. We are broke in Tempe and we hate it here. Might as well be broke somewhere we will enjoy!!

[BendLocal]

Jobs are hard to come by in this area. I've heard we have one of the most overqualified applicant pools around!

[redguard57]

Here is what I posted about neighborhoods on a thread from a few days ago:

Redmond --The area near downtown east of 6th, south of Antler. Saw more than one meth house there, homeless people squat in any houses that are not occupied. South Redmond near Canal st & 97, south of the Safeway. More meth houses.

Bend - Deschutes River Woods is hit or miss. Some places down there range from okay to nice, but others are trashy places where you see the rusted out cars half taken apart in front.

Imagine a triangle with the points at Kiwanis Park, the intersections of SE Railroad & 3rd, and SE Roosevelt & 3rd. Behind the Grocery Outlet and that series of 2-3 cheap motels. That area I would avoid. Lots of trashy renters. I went and talked to two potential neighbors over there and they were stoned out of their minds.

That area south of St. Charles with lots of multiplexes that appear to receive declining clientele by the day, although it has good pockets and bad pockets.

Any apartment complex that costs less than $950 (I currently live in one).

The problem is not so much the places. Ie: when I first moved in, my complex was decent. Over time, rents went up, and more people started doubling, tripling, quadrupling up into rentals which causes a host of problems.

$900 a month will get you a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment at best. Over $950 will open up some multifamily options, mostly duplexes. Houses will cost $1200 to $1700, and quite frankly that will probably rise by 10% by the end of summer. My crappy apartment complex has been raising starting rent about 5% every 6-8 months since the beginning of 2013.

Your biggest problem is going to be housing cost. If you can figure a way to do it, I think your family of 5 plus 2 dogs will love it in Bend. Bend is a place for families and retirees. Avoid those neighborhoods I mentioned, and you'll avoid crime.

I moved here from Texas. I don't mind the weather. I actually like not needing air conditioning. Heat for 6 months a year is cheaper than air conditioning cost for 11.5 months out of the year in Texas. You literally don't need A/C, unless you really care about the 2-4 weeks per year, that it's going to be hot. Otherwise, open windows at night in the summer and it'll be fine inside.

For me, the main issues with the weather involved having to buy new clothes - more appropriate layers and a much wider array of jackets, coats, gloves, scarves, etc... to compensate for various conditions and big shifts in temperature - especially if you're going to be outside in the early mornings or at night.

Also, winterizing the car - winter tires need to be bought and they are about 2X more expensive than normal tires. You will have to switch from winter to summer or all-season and back every year. All-season does not mean "all" seasons. It means better traction in rain and very light snow - like an inch or two at most. You need winter tires, it's an investment in your safety. I choose studless because I don't like what studs do to the roads.

Oh, and there are not "300 sunny days" in Bend. Propaganda. More like 200, but that is good by Oregon standards.

[redguard57]

I would avoid La Pine. If there is a "ghetto" in Central Oregon - that is it.

Redmond is probably your best bet. Terrebonne if you don't mind driving an extra 10-15 minutes further north.

Madras and Prineville would have decent housing at $900 a month but I don't think you want to drive that far. As for myself, I'm starting to reconsider Madras.

[Steve Pickering]

Any place with housing under $900 for a three bedroom and two dogs is going to be a "Central Oregon Ghetto". It's more of a neighborhood thing than a city.

[Dry Side]

In general the further South West one goes in Deschutes county it becomes colder, snowier, forested. I find the SW part of Bend a happy medium. However the Century West area tends to be the most expensive area of Bend.