Pro and Cons on relocating to Bend (Portland, Eugene: real estate, housing)

[Balco9]

I heard it's a great place to raise a family with great schools.
How is the weather and how much snow? Is it congested with
traffic and how is the job market for finance. Thank you...

[Ducky]

Education: I would say "good" schools due to the rapid growth but most of the teachers are very dedicated. I would check participation in the school's PTA to pick a neighborhood as parental involvement is the single best determining factor for quality of education. (Just a hint: you will find better participation on the west side of town.) We are also slowly expanding higher education offerings in the area.

Weather: I grew up here, but I could not tell you what a 'normal snow year is'. Last year we had some early season heavy snows and much more rain than normal. But there have been years where we have hardly any snow at all. What you should know you will experience quite a bit of cold, dry weather during the Winter. Spring is probably our worst season as we get little hints of warm weather followed by more winter. It is not uncommon to have freezing temperatures well into June. Summer weather starts about July 15th and lasts about 2 1/2 months. It can get hot (90+ degrees) but usually drops into the 40's and 50's at night. Beside the occasional late afternoon thundershower, it rains very little.
The Fall is my favorite time as we still get the warm weather, but cold nights keep the bugs away. Also, the locals basically have the lakes and forests to themselves.
Traffic: Depends what you are used to and where you live and work. If you can find a house on the same side of town as your job, the commute is generally no big deal. Even if you have to cross town, traffic is nothing compared to the big cities. The trend is for "mixed use" neighborhoods which place homes near employment centers. Check out North West Crossing as a really good place for this setup. If you can afford it, the neigborhoods surrounding Downtown are ideal as you are close to everything.
Employment: I think there are jobs available in your field, but I would make sure you secure employment prior to moving.
Raising the Family: Kids can ski, hike, fish, swim, waterski, rock-climb, play in neighborhood parks, join parks&rec teams and do most any activity they can do anywhere else. Again, it depends what activities you participate in to know if this area is right for you.

Bend has grown quite a bit recently which has certainly created some challenges with cost of living, strain on infrastuctures, etc. However, the larger population has also allowed us to expand our cultural, dining and recreational opportunities. Bend's vibrant downtown is the envy of almost every town around the nation. I love the area, but I know it is not for everyone. I would just suggest you do your research and make an informed decision.

Good Luck

[Balco9]

Thank you for the well informed infomation on Bend.
Everything sounds idea except for the weather. Very
cold weather until July is not promising...

[Ducky]

I didn't mean to scare you away with comment about the cold weather, but I wanted to be realistic as it does surprise people. It is not always cold from April-June, as there are many really warm days but there always is a chance for a late season snow storm or overnight freeze. Those of us who have lived here a while have become used to it and it does give us really good spring skiing at Mt. Bachelor.
Gardening around here is a real challenge both due to the short growing season and the poor quality of top soil. People have to really work at it but they do and have amazing results.

Also, even though Bend has grown and received quite a bit of press over the years, we are still quite isolated. (Of course, this is why some people come here in the first place.) Bend is over 120 miles from the nearest Interstate Highway, 4 year university, international airport and major metro area. On the plus side, Oregon St. has started a branch campus offering 4 year degrees. Also, the Redmond Airport (13 miles to the north) now has direct flights to Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, LA, Salt Lake and Denver. So if you need to plan ahead if you want to see a Broadway Show or a "Big Name" concert (we only have "Medium Name" concerts).

[Steve97415]

Negatives: For 2006, Bend had the highest single-year home price inflation in the nation...yes, #1 in all of the U.S. -- including every town in California. So that suggests the possibility of buying in at the top of the real estate bubble and seeing your home lose value over the course of the next several years. Bend has been hit hard by an exodus from California and is growing too fast for its own good. That makes it more difficult to get established in (both in finding employment and finding housing -- lots of competition). The town is somewhat isolated. For gardeners, the growing season is rather short. Future water suppy is a concern (volcanic soil).
Positives: It's an attractive city with more amenities than you might suspect for its size. Most of the populace is well-educated and values education. Air quality is very good. Historically, Bend has been one of Oregon's better school districts, but note Ducky's comment above. Local government is quite good, and not as broke as most other cities in Oregon. Outdoor recreation opportunities are top-notch. While isolated, it is well-connected by roads to Eugene and Portland.

I can't put climate into either category, because it depends on what your preferences are. Bend is a dry basin-and-range climate on the lee side of the Cascades with a traditional 4-season climate. If you like cities along the Front Range of Colorado, you'd probably like Bend. It isn't really a mild climate by Oregon standards, but there is more winter sun and few damp and clammy days. If you are a skier, then you would probably see Bend as having the best climate in Oregon.

[Balco9]

Thank you for the great Infomation Steve...
Nice new homes are still affordable in Bend in the 350k range, as for Medford had problems finding that.

[buzzkirk]

I beg to differ on the air quality of Bend - eight months of the year, yes, it's pretty good. but for about four months, at least when I lived there, the combination of car and diesel RV/truck fumes (the former from all the tourists and the latter from the incessant development), along with the naturally occurring desert dust and of course the two or three forest fires per season - and all of this in combination with Bend's location against the mountains, creating an inversion effect - made the air hard to deal with, at least for me being a road cyclist. I guess if you just drive around in a car it's all right.

[Balco9]

So if you have young child who is asthmatic, then i should be concerned. I contacted a realtor about Steve's negative comments and he refused to provide me with his feedback and basically changed the subject. I suppose that means that Steve is dead on about his comments. I always had problems with realtors. Too many bad one's make a bad label. To me they are worst than an used car salesmen.

[Ducky]

I forgot to mention air quality, as it doesn't bother me much but it does others. This past summer was the worst I have ever experienced as far a pollution from smoke. Several fires burned around Sisters and the wind shifted in the late afternoon sending smoke into Bend. The visibility was dropping to around 200 feet and it smelled like we were living in a campfire. Of course, in the morning the air would clear out. The joys of living in and next to forest land! I am not aware our air quality due to motor vehicles is any worse than other areas.

The other concern you may have is Juniper Pollen which takes over in the spring and early summer. Again, it does not bother me, but it disables many people.

Hope this helps.

[bobmulk]

Balco: You might want to consider some of the smaller local communities such as Redmond or Prineville, both of which are delightful. Sisters is wonderful, too, but housing prices there are astronomical.

As for jobs, the economy is booming in Bend and there is a shortage of workers in practically every field. This was just recently reported in the press. Unfortunately, as is with the case in many rapidly growing cities, many jobs don't pay enough for someone to afford an average home that costs $350K. Nevertheless, the economy is humming.

Real estate is slowing down. If you were to relocate there, perhaps it would be wise to rent for awhile to see what happens.

Good luck!