Relocating... Looking for Advice on City, Area? (Eugene, Burns: low crime, credit)

[Misty Panda]

Hello,

Hopefully someone can share some advice. We are looking for a new place for this point in our lives. Seems everyone is moving everywhere these days. We aren't set on any particular city or region, just floating the idea out.

Things we love and look for, tech centers (lots of tech geeks), very diverse people, real mom & pop shops everywhere, unusual restaurants, very low crime, excellent school system, excellent cost of living standard, a young-minded populous.

We would choose a quaint locally owned organic grocery over a supermarket, a real hometown hardware store over Home Depot or OSH, a m&p general store or wacky thrift store over Costco or Walmart. We want a place with "real" values not "showy" values. A city with a physically active outdoors scene would be very important, running, biking (good bike lanes), volleyball in the park or beach, many unusual places to take walks.

We aren't really interested in new developments, cookie-cutter tracts, McMansions, stripmalls, etc. We're looking for an older home (Bungalow or possibly Victorian) that would be outside of the downtown or historic districts, maybe even something a bit out in the countryside surrounded by other similar homes or open spaces and farmland.

Now that property values are dropping across the country things are looking more promising for buying something nice and getting good value. We aren't interested in overpaying, but we don't mind spending a very good amount.

Thank you and we look forward to your response.

[WorkinStiff]

Property values ain't droppin in OreeeGone....Too many refugees moving here, from California, Mexico, Asia, the East & Midwest etc.....

[Misty Panda]

Hi WorkinStiff,

How do the property values compare to salaries? Are things getting ridiculous, like California?

[orygun]

Eugene fits some of your criteria with high-tech and the outdoor stuff. Might find a nice bungalow. Prices aren't cheap though. In comparison to salaries, I would say it depends on your profession. Home continue to go up in price as Oregon becomes North California. Maybe that is why the other poster called it Oreee Gone?

[Misty Panda]

Hey orygun,

Good one! North California. Guess Oregon is out for the time being. We don't need to move to a overpriced CA part 2. Does your market lag others, like CA? Maybe yours will start tanking in the next year?

Every market in the country will probably decline given the poor economic conditions of the credit market, along with inflation. When will Oregon be affordable again?

[orygun]

Originally Posted by Misty Panda

Hey orygun,

Good one! North California. Guess Oregon is out for the time being. We don't need to move to a overpriced CA part 2. Does your market lag others, like CA? Maybe yours will start tanking in the next year?

Every market in the country will probably decline given the poor economic conditions of the credit market, along with inflation. When will Oregon be affordable again?

I suppose it is cheap compared to California from what people tell me. But it is expensive from an Oregon point of view. I don't see prices in Oregon ever returning to reasonable as long as Californians are being pushed out of their state. Unless there is some little remote corner of Oregon that isn't very desirable. Maybe Burns?

But, maybe we could think positive. Maybe Oregon will get hit with so much rain that all the Californians go back to the sunny state. Who knows. As long as Californians have money and Oregonians don't and want it, then the prices will keep going up. Personally, I think for the price, houses in Oregon aren't put together very well.