Is Oregon the Place For Us and If So - Where? (Portland: for sale, homes)

[VistaCat]

My husband and I have lived in Northern NJ for 25+ years and we are looking to leave for a place that better suits us as we head into retirement. We are looking to move in the next 3-5 years and at that point we would be in our early - mid 50's. More about us:

- No children. School systems not an issue.
- Non-religious.
- Employment not as much of an issue as we would consider ourselves semi-retired and work could be reduced to being mostly online and/or part-time retail.
- Hate the cold/snow/ice. If we never saw it again we would be thrilled.
- We are kind of liberal/libertarian in nature - we are not fans of government rules and regulations micro-managing our every move and being property-taxed to death but we believe in helping fellow citizens when they are truly in need and believe in the principle of universal health care.
- We volunteer and support animal rescue efforts.
- Prefer organically-grown foods and access to healthy eating options. Usually not into fast food or chain restaurants.
- We like heavy/alternative music and would be nice to attend a concert/show every now and then.
- Like to have interesting shopping options other than big box chain stores. Prefer to support local retailers whenever possible.
- We would be eager to develop more interest in hiking and fishing. We're not boaters or beachy people and don't have to be near the ocean.
- We do have some pollen allergies that show themselves in spring and fall.
- Prefer a single family home, where we can have our pets and a little land, but not too isolated. Here in NJ - we are so crowded. Our home lots are tiny - 50 X 100.
- Would spend up to $750K on a home but if it can be cheaper, even better. I have a feeling what you get for your money in Oregon is much more than New Jersey.

I have been looking around the forums initially thinking about northern California as a place to go but then thought why not Oregon? So with that - what do you think?

[hamellr]

Except for the allergies, Oregon and either Portland, Bend, Eugene (possibly,) Ashland should be for you.

Go to your doctor and get the Pacific Northwest Allergy tests done.

Either way though, you really need to visit here, especially in the Winter to decide if you can handle the weather.

[Steve Pickering]

You will be fine since you don't need a job. In fact you will love it.

[Billy_J]

As you get older, the parts start to go out!

With that said, large medical facilities; Portland, Corvallis, Eugene.

More of everything in Portland, but also more traffic.

There are all sorts of very nice rural homes surrounding the above cities. Small farms or ranches. Some have creeks running through them.

I would suggest spending a week here if possible. Get good maps and a compass/GPS. The roads wind round and round in the rural areas - easy to get lost. But drive all around the outside areas of the above cities. See which areas you might want to live in. Then keep an eye on properties for sale in those areas.

Or maybe find realtors in those areas. Have them send you listings as they come available.

I can't recommend any specific area because there are very nice homes hidden away, all over the place, between Portland and Eugene.

You can drive the back roads from Portland to Eugene and see quite a bit! That would be the following route...
Portland
Gresham
Sandy
Estacada
Molalla
Silverton
Stayton
Scio
Lebanon
Sweet Home
Marcola
Springfield
Eugene

[VistaCat]

Thanks for the replies.

I was in Oregon once about 13 years ago on a business trip starting in Portland and ending up on the coast (forgot which town). I was so impressed by the natural beauty and the vast, green forests I drive through to get to the coast. I know my husband and I do need to come out and see it together for ourselves and he is up for the trip. It will be fun to explore. I wish we were closer to actually being able to make the move. We are so mentally checked out of where we live now. Crowded, property taxed through the roof, corruption, traffic, competitive people, no family here anymore - it's just not a happy place for us. There are also some very bad memories here where we feel we need a change, a positive fresh start. We have some good friends, and if I could take them with us, I would. But the thought of staying here into our future actually makes me cry.

I've already been looking at homes online to get an idea of what's available where. I've liked a lot of what I've seen. Your money definitely goes further.

hamellr that was I good suggestion about running PNW allergy testing. The thought never occurred to me that this was something I could do.

Billy_J thanks for the reminder that we are getting older I did think about access to medical facilities and I assume that will be more important to us in the future. We try to stay away from doctors as much as we can, except for routine checkups, but there may come a time where we won't be able to do that anymore.

[Minervah]

Here is an example of Northwest Allergy Testing panels and what they test for. Please have this done if you have allergies and especially asthma. If this won't be a bother to you, I think you will like the larger Oregon towns.

Inhalant Allergy Testing Panels (http://meridianvalleylab.com/food-allergy-testing/inhalant-panels/ - broken link)

[Smiled]

Mostly we have grass pollen... for which I have a solution: a neti pot.

[Billy_J]

I used to need to take many allergy pills and allergy eye drops during the spring, but then I started taking once a day Zyrtec (Cetirizine) and that does the trick.

You can buy that over the counter and Cetirizine is generic and less expensive. Usually right next to the Zyrtec.

[Nell Plotts]

50 x 100 is the standard Portland lot size but on the hills the lots were created based on accessibility. It is possible to find larger lots, however.

You should have no problem finding a home that meets your desires even within the city of Portland. Portland is a city with neighborhoods many with a 'village' vibe. Take a look at the www.movingtoportland.com website.

As a healthy retiree myself keep in mind that health care issues can manifest themselves in a nanosecond, as they did for me a few weeks ago. Also, while driving 20 miles is a slam dunk in your 60s living where public transit isn't an option will become an issue 15+ years later. You don't have adult children who are available to be your driver when the day comes.

[VistaCat]

I've started to check out that link - thank you.

Oh yes I know in an instant your health can change. It is in the back of my head that what if one or both of us become ill - how would we manage if we were further out from a town center? And because we'd be new - we wouldn't have the social support that we do here, at least not for awhile. At 49 and 53 for my husband, it seems a little premature to be thinking about this but one friend just got a pancreatic cancer diagnosis this week (3-6 months to live) and another has an ovarian tumor that is suspect for cancer. At some point one of us will have a major problem of some sort as we get older and we do have to consider this in our plan.

Interestingly, although we are surrounded by people and crowded, we have to drive a minimum of 2 miles to get to any type of store. There is no way to get there except by car (and bicycle if you are brave enough to maneuver through the traffic). There are few sidewalks so forget about walking. There is no public transportation to bring people into town - it's primarily for NYC commuters. I love the idea of walking to what we need, but having a little more land around us. Suburban homeowner-association ruled, cookie cutter developments don't excite me anymore. I do like our actual home and if I could bring it with us I would. Just far away from here...