My wife and I may move to Corvallis...advice? (Portland: for sale, foreclosure)

[AndyLoosbrock]

My wife and I are from Southwest MN, and we are fallig in love with Corvallis...on paper!

We love that it has an LCMS Church, Zion Lutheran, in town.

We love that they have a school (although we don't have kids yet).

We love that it is pretty much right between the ocean, Eugen, and Portland.

We love it's population. We live in a town of 135 right now.

We love that there should be jobs there for me, a banker, and her, an experienced paralegal AND government worker.

We love that Albany is close by....further job market!

The only thing we don't love, is the housing price.

We are looking for a nice house, 3-4 BR, 2,000+ Sq Ft.,
under $300k, walk-in master closet, and my hopes of a fenced in back yard and jack/jill master bath sinks. And, above all, QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD!

Does this house exist in Corvallis?

[Brenda-by-the-sea]

Originally Posted by AndyLoosbrock

We are looking for a nice house, 3-4 BR, 2,000+ Sq Ft.,

That's a BIG house. If you want a mansion, you can find one in Corvallis provided you have the financial resources of a mansion buyer. But you're not going to find something that palatial for much under 400k. Why do you want such a big house? Most people these days are looking for an energy-efficient house with a compact footprint -- the Toyota Prius house, not the Cadillac Fleetwood house.

[AndyLoosbrock]

Originally Posted by Brenda-by-the-sea

That's a BIG house. If you want a mansion, you can find one in Corvallis provided you have the financial resources of a mansion buyer. But you're not going to find something that palatial for much under 400k. Why do you want such a big house? Most people these days are looking for an energy-efficient house with a compact footprint -- the Toyota Prius house, not the Cadillac Fleetwood house.

Well we need space for all of our stuff and future kids!

[Zombiestare]

Check out Redfin.com for a good listing of homes for sale / sold.

zillow.com also has decent price estimates, though some of their estimates are low depending on the neighborhood, since some neighborhoods rarely have homes come on the market.

If you want to live a little south of Corvallis you can find what you're looking for in one of the recent housing developments. Northwest also has what you're looking for, but you'll be in the 300 - 400 range. If you're good with a fixer, then no problem, will just take some time to find the perfect place.

Oh, and don't forget walkscore.com to check out whats close to any home you like.

[AndyLoosbrock]

Thanks for the info!

[Nell Plotts]

Do not let 'stuff' rule your world. Your children will not be deprived and your pocket book will be lighter.

[jjpop]

Yes, and when you get to Corvallis you'll find that the overall vibe is pretty much non-materialistic.

[AndyLoosbrock]

I looked it up, and the average square footage of a house built in 2007 was 2600 sq ft. And looking for a 2000 is a McMansion? We're hoping to have 3 kids, need some room to grow.

[Smiled]

The average house built in 2007 is now a foreclosure. I drive past them every day. Figure into your calculations that while taxes are lower, wages are about 10-20% below average, and government isn't hiring (though OSU is right there). People here take part of their pay in scenery.

[oregonamy1972]

I would encourage you to consider North Albany. My husband and I had lived for a long time in Corvallis in a townhouse. It was affordable and we raised our two boys there for 5 years. But then it was just too small. What we could afford didn't buy us anything much larger...so reluctantly I agreed to look in North Albany. We were able to purchase a brand new home with 5 bedrooms for the price of a small fixer-upper in Corvallis. I work in Corvallis, it's only a 15 minute drive. It's something to consider.