moving to Oregon (Portland, Eugene, Salem: spring break, for sale, insurance)

[vpray99]

[quote=ConnieandFrank]My family is from Arizona and we would like to live in Oregon. We would like somewhere we can have a small ranch (horses,a cow,etc)(few). We want to live in the outskirts of a city whith good schools and very close access to a University. (15miles or less). We were thinking about perhaps close to Salem or Medford maybe even Eugene. What would you Oregonians (hope we spelled that right) recommend? Keeping in mind the lowest crime rate possible. We hear about Salem being 2 hrs away from everything (mountains, ocean, desert) is that true? How is the weather there in Salem? Is crime rate bad there? Please advice. Thank you.[/QUOTEOO

OOPS! I also forgot to mention that it is only an hour from Medford and there are PLENTY and I mean PLENTY of ranches and places for horses, etc.... The side of town with the most ranches and land etc...is in the Henley school district. The Henley school district is a very good, very small district with very few problems. But even the worst school district (klamath Union) is no bad at all. I went to Klamath Union growing up and it is nothing. Very few problems for anyone there as well. I believe the schools would probably compare favorably to schools in eugene, medford, salem, and anywhere else you may be looking. Also, I forgot to mention that the midgees are just annoying little green bugs that come out in the late evening and die off by morning (so if you live by the lake you wake up to little pools of dead green bugs on the outside of your windowsill.). You arent bothered by them unless you either live or decide to drive around the lake in the late evening during the summer months.

[yayakats]

Can anyone give me more data on this city? We are looking to relocate as well...

[tiffela74]

I live directly on the coast, I can about toss rocks into it, and we've never had a tsunami. Well, no, i take that back. We did have one not too long ago, it was measured in at almost 2inches. lol Theres more of a danger of drowning from the rain than a tsunami imo.
Bend is wonderful if you can afford it. Very clean and beautiful.
Estatcada is beautiful as well, we used to live in Mulino (prob. wont find that on a map!!) you might look into West Lynn/Ore. City too. There are some places w/land and you wont be too far from urban living. But I suppose a bit of a commute to a university. bummer.
Personally, i like Salem. And there are smaller communities around there to get a larger piece of property for less $$. I dont think youre going to have much luck getting acreage 15miles from the university, but enlarge that circle a bit and you might like your options. Very pretty, just get used to the wet.
Good luck!
Tiffany

[kathrynevans]

We live in Redmond where median prices for houses jumped to $250K and going up. Bend is much more expensive where the median price is now $355K and still rising. Houses are less expensive in both Prineville and Madras but won't be for long. Even LaPine is getting expensive and there is absolutley no industry there at all.

The bad part is that there are no jobs that pay the kind of money people need to buy these houses. Most of the people who buy these expensive homes are retired Californians or people who aren't in the market for a job.

There are business around here who are begging for workers but don't pay the kind of wages that enable people to buy a home. The unemployment rate is just a little over 4% and these are people who don't want a job.

Bend is a tourist town, plain and simple, and that is who they cater to. Skiiers in the winter at Mt. Bachelor and people who like to go white water rafting, rock climbing, and fishing in the summer so most jobs are service jobs that pay minimum wage.

I have lived in the area for over 50 years and this has been the biggest problem with the area for as long as I can remember.

[momof5]

though a small town in March last year 165 children came into care due to METH. It is a high high meth area. Not enough foster homes to help all the kids coming into care because if it. I would guess that would bring crime etc.
We are getting out of the NW due to rain. My hubby is from the carribean and I from the midwest and we are ready to move.YOu really have to deal with clouds 24/7 for at least 9 months of the year... not to mention rain rain rain... then our poor son has seasonal allergies that use to start in May now start in February and go through July... we are heading someplace sunny... even cold is better than rain to me. Also schools out here have high teacher student ratios.

good luck with your search.

[fastfilm]

Shoebox, before you lash out at opinions, perhaps consider facts. LAPD.org will have crime maps, updated daily, of all of Los Angeles. Lotsa murder, robbery, assault, blah blah everywhere. The criminal activity is widely distributed throughout the entire L.A. basin, an area of close to 10 million people (the 3.9 million is just L.A. city area proper.) That's one of the factors that indeed makes L.A. a more dangerous urban area than others: we don't have "bad" pockets, we have bad widespread, with little "safe" pockets of the ultra-rich.

I've spent over 50 years in Los Angeles, and have watched it change from a place of middle-class opportunities, with aviation industry, affordable bedroom communities, etc. into what is is today: a haven for the tiny minority of ultra-rich cocooned in gated mountain or Malibu estates, and the rest of everybody, who are struggling to withstand a wildly overpriced area filled with career criminals/gang thugs, illegal aliens who disobey every law that exists, with very few English speakers. People who've lived in a variety of places claim Los Angeles is the least liveable regarding real quality-of-life issues.

The nanosecond my husband retires with pension, we're outta here like rockets.

[RockyMtnr]

As I was searching the OR site trying to find out a little about pests (bugs) in OR, specifically, the southern half, I came upon reference to Midgees. What's a midgee - and how are the bugs? I imagine there are fleas (none in WY), roaches if you don't watch out, etc. Can somebody fill me in?

[Waterlily]

Originally Posted by RockyMtnr

As I was searching the OR site trying to find out a little about pests (bugs) in OR, specifically, the southern half, I came upon reference to Midgees. What's a midgee - and how are the bugs? I imagine there are fleas (none in WY), roaches if you don't watch out, etc. Can somebody fill me in?

I've lived more than one place in Oregon and the bugs can be different. I believe those Midgees are a gnatlike fly.
Here on the south coast there seems to be more bugs than other places in Oregon. Brrr...it's cold today but it doesn't freeze a lot plus a lot of rain makes for more bugs.
I don't expect there would be too many roaches where you are going (Oakridge). It's not really too damp and it does freeze. Plus you get a few inches of snow. I didn't know there was any place that fleas did not exist when you have animals in the mix. If Oakridge is like a lot of other places then you can expect to see some spiders around September.

[Cornerguy1]

Everywhere in the world (save Antarctica) has bugs of some sort.

The Klamath Basin has those annoying summer midges which don't bite, but do make a satisfying "Splat" on your windshield when you take that romantic drive down by the lake in the evening. Nothing the local car wash won't cure, though.

Summer also a brings an impressive crop of hungry mosquitos around water sources like irrigation ditches, etc. DEET handles the little buggers quite nicely.

If you're buying a frame house without a concrete basement and foundation, make sure you have it inspected for termite infestation before closing the deal.

My favorite Oregon-specific critter is the impressive but harmless Banana Slug, so named because of its shape and yellowish stripes.

Think ordinary garden slugs on steroids.

Nothing can quite match the experience of barefoot encounter on your patio deck with one of these fellows. LOL

[RockyMtnr]

WATERLILY & CORNERGUY - Thanks for the preview! And now that I know almost everything one can know about Oakridge without actually stepping out of the LEM, the focus has shifted to central-coast ... which pretty-much changes everything! So, I've been reading what I can find onsite about Lincoln City - and notice I can't find pics of town - just of the beach! Even did the Google thing and no pics came up.
Well, at over 30 below the past few days (part of why we don't have many bugs - 7000ft elev. is another reason), thawing frozen pipes and bustin' up 4 ft drifts, I think I'd smile at a Banana Slug and maybe even a "midgee" if they're not too annoying (like our no-see-ums). Peace.