Whaleshead beach resort-living there full time (Eugene, Medford: lease, condo, mortgage)

[Jazzorama]

My question is for Steve, if you are still monitoring this thread. I too was thinking of Whaleshead Resort or the Brookings-Harbor area for retirement. My curiosity was roused by the same issue: why were there so many units available at Whaleshead? I understand more now that I've read this forum. My question is, are Brookings and Harbor in the same sinking boat as non-incorporated areas in Curry County? Will services be restricted to incorporated areas or not available at all? Thanks in advance for any enlightenment you might provide.

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by Jazzorama

My question is for Steve, if you are still monitoring this thread. I too was thinking of Whaleshead Resort or the Brookings-Harbor area for retirement. My curiosity was roused by the same issue: why were there so many units available at Whaleshead?

There is quite a bit of property turnover in Curry County generally. You have to remember that this area has one of the highest average-age quotients in the country, so between people dying, moving on to an area with the health-care specialists they now need, moving to be closer to kids and grandkids, etc., it takes a lot of newcomers just to keep the population base stable. When the Great Recession hit, vacation homes became a much less attractive investment than they had been, and that's mostly what the Park Model prefabs at Whaleshead are -- vacation homes. Being five or six miles north of Brookings, Whaleshead is also a bit isolated. People who live there tend to be car dependent as there isn't really any place to walk to other than the beach, and Whaleshead lacks the amenities of a city. Many Whaleshead residents are people who are on the road in their RVs for a good portion of the year.

Originally Posted by Jazzorama

I understand more now that I've read this forum. My question is, are Brookings and Harbor in the same sinking boat as non-incorporated areas in Curry County? Will services be restricted to incorporated areas or not available at all? Thanks in advance for any enlightenment you might provide.

There are only three legitimate municipalities in Curry County: Port Orford, Gold Beach and Brookings. If you live within the city limits of any one of those three, then that city is your entity of local government and it preempts county authority for most things other than collection of property taxes. Any other place name is simply a name that locals apply to their unincorporated spot of urbanization (often taken from old surveyor maps). So while people often talk about living in "Deer Run," "Harbor," "Pistol River," or "Gardner Ridge," these names have no legal validity and Curry County is the sole entity of local government for the residents of those CDPs. All things considered, the fiscal situation in Brookings is not too bad...nowhere near as dire as the unincorporated settlements. They are served by their own city police force, city fire department, city water and sewer. The part of the Brookings area south of the Chetco that locals like to call "Harbor" has some agreements with the City of Brookings regarding services. But for the most part, if you live outside the legal limits of a chartered municipality, you will have lost your voice in local government when the county fails. Under a bill that has yet to be passed, the State may end up dictating what you pay in property taxes and how the county will operate. And what you pay on your homeowners insurance policy will most likely reflect the absence of local fire suppression and law enforcement services.

[Steve Pickering]

Brookings will survive, Port Orford, maybe not. Curry County is a sure bet to fail.

[Jazzorama]

Steve,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and rapid reply. I have been trying to glean this information from Curry County on the internet, without much luck. I am currently living in Japan, so an on-site approach is difficult. My father and stepmother were retired in the Brookings community for a few decades. I've always loved the area.

The high turnover was expected as I knew the percentage of retirees in this area, but the number of units in Whaleshead seemed to exceed even those percentages, by quite a bit. I get it now. Living in that heavily wooded area without fire department service would not only be uninsurable but scary as hell, especially for an elderly person. Even coastal areas experience drought from time to time.

I looked at some similar properties at the Chetco River Resort, but could not locate any information on flood statistics. Also, the HOA fee was $510 a month, which seemed absurd to me. Then I discovered the developer/owner also owns the White Rock park model development, which seems to be inundated with lawsuits from all corners.

Now, with the info you have provided, I know the boundaries of my search for property. It will be within the city limits of Brookings. If you or anyone else following this thread know of any RV parks in Brookings I should avoid for any reason, please do let me know.

Thank you again for all your help!
Laurie

[BullheadTim]

Hi, ok so these are all park models which I'm familiar with. Do they sell units? Is the property the unit sits on for sale as well? What are the park fees? Just curious, I spend time in Bullhead AZ where I own a park model in a park and I also own the property it sits on. I pay 165$ a month for water, cable, and garbage, plus low yearly property tax fees. Is this park similar in the way it operates? if not Is there a park in the Brookings area that does?

[Steve Pickering]

Yes at about a three times premium.

[Whaleshead Seller]

Originally Posted by lmblevins67

Can anyone tell me about Whalehead resort? We are considering buying a cabin there to live year round. The resort grounds look well maintained and the staff in the store were nice when we checked it out, but we are new to the area and don't know anything about the history there.

Anything we should know, good or bad? Thanks.

I am a co-owner of a "cabin" in Whaleshead. If you plan to own and not rent it, I think you will find it very appealing. We rent ours and we were surprised to learn we were restricted to only being able to use the onsite management. We are now planning to sell our place at a very attractive price.

[lmblevins67]

I decided to come back and update this post. After checking out the coastal towns between Brookings and Depoe Bay, we ended up purchasing a cabin (park model) at Whaleshead and we are very happy here. It's beautiful, quiet, and the people here are friendly. Brookings' size is fine for us, offering enough shopping, restaurants, and activities to keep us and our dog engaged and entertained. Just yesterday we went to Cape Ferralo to go whale watching. There were volunteers there to assist rookies like us, and we saw our first one. We did a lot of research and had a great real estate agent that helped us feel comfortable driving out here from KY, sight unseen, to make the Wild Rivers Coast our new home. If I can help anyone in that position by answering questions from my experience, please ask me.

[Steve Pickering]

Welcome and I am glad it turned out for you.

[bar20]

I don't think you pay property taxes on a mobile home site, The owner of the land does. You get to deduct the interest if you have a mortgage off your taxes Now if the landowners taxes go up, you can rest assured they will increase your rent Are they in a tsunami zone. If they are that insurance is costly which your lender will make you have.