Possible relocation from Alabama to Oregon (Portland, Eugene: appointed, ski resort, low crime)

[Viola4]

We are looking at the possiblity of moving from Alabama to Oregon. We have only lived in the Southeastern part of the U.S. I have no knowledge about that part of the country. We live in a city of about 250,000 which is a comfortable size. We have two children 15 & 8. Would love maybe a suburb of an area. Good schools and low crime. I know everyone would like that, but sometimes you can still find places along the way with the qualities that you are looking for. Housing...we don't want to go over 350k. Not sure what the housing is like over there. This is like foreign land to me, so I am just trying to get all the info that I can. Maybe some specific websites would be helpful. Love the ocean....any area close to a city?

Thanks for reading!!

[Bendite]

What attracts you to Oregon as opposed to other states? Why do you want to leave where you are? That would be helpful information. The only city we have in Oregon that is the size you mention is Portland, but you could look at smaller cities that are close together such as Eugene & Springfield and Salem & Keiser and get to that size as well. Towns near Portland such as Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Forest Grove and Sherwood could also be looked at. The coast is about an hour and a half from Portland, Salem or Eugene. There aren't any large cities on the coast. I think the largest town is Coos Bay. Newport, Tillamook or Lincoln City might be next. You'd have no problem finding a house in your price range; finding a job might be more difficult. There are plenty of good schools and safe neighborhoods. If you can narrow your scope by letting us know what kind of place you'd like to live in (weather, cultural or sports activities, interests etc.), that would be helpful.

[Viola4]

It is job related. There were some people down this way that was interested in my husband coming to work up there. We have always talked about relocating for something different. What they have proposed sounds good, but I want to make sure that the area is something that we are looking for.
I don't mind living outside a city as long as it is not like an hour or two to get to it. As far as housing, we would like a 4br 3ba with at least 3000sq ft. I don't know anything about the housing over there...so I'm not sure how much something like that would cost. I love historic neighborhoods where the homes have been restored.

Maybe that will give you some idea of why we are looking over there.

[Nina-in-Ashland]

Hi Viola,

We moved last year from southern OR to the Charlotte, NC area, and the house you describe wanting sounds pretty huge by Oregon standards esp. in the 300-350k price range. They typically make them smaller but they use nicer materials than here in the southeast (no vinyl siding out there) and I remember a lot of them having beautiful details (arches and textured walls). We also love the craftsman style, and that is common in OR. Take a look at the John L. Scott website (johnlscott.com) in the region of your interest to see what's out there. Good luck.

[Bendite]

Originally Posted by Viola4

It is job related. There were some people down this way that was interested in my husband coming to work up there. We have always talked about relocating for something different. What they have proposed sounds good, but I want to make sure that the area is something that we are looking for.
I don't mind living outside a city as long as it is not like an hour or two to get to it. As far as housing, we would like a 4br 3ba with at least 3000sq ft. I don't know anything about the housing over there...so I'm not sure how much something like that would cost. I love historic neighborhoods where the homes have been restored.

Maybe that will give you some idea of why we are looking over there.

I'll assume that the job would be somewhere in or near Portland. I think it would be very unlikely to find a home in a nice historic neighborhood that is 3,000 sq ft for what you are thinking of paying. I saw a listing for a new home in Vancouver WA (just over the river from Portland) that is 4 bd/3 ba, 3,076 sq ft for $325k, so there are homes your size and your price, but I think it very unlikely in historic neighborhoods. Vancouver might be an option for you to consider - it does have some old neighborhoods, it will be cheaper than Portland, and it's more conservative. But if Portland is of interest, this site may be helpful:

Portland Oregon Guide to Neighborhoods

[John Shaft]

As already mentioned, 3000 sqft homes will be VERY few and far between in that price range, especially in and around Portland. Expect to pay around $200/sqft. You could look out on the far west side of Portland, in Forest Grove, but IIRC the larger houses (at least new construction) are still pretty spendy. People tend to make due with less here (although I suspect some of it has to do with the cost of heating large homes in thh winter).

I moved up here from Texas, and I can tell you that as an Alabaman, you will definitely experience a significant cultural difference. I enjoy the difference from a standpoint of comparing and contrasting from Texas. It is nice to know that the USA still has regional differences.

[Viola4]

Wow! Thanks for all the input. As far as housing, you do tend to get more for the money here. I did try to poke around on some realtor websites and was a little disappointed with the homes. I tend to like all brick homes and I didn't find to many of those. We just have to way out the pros and cons. The sceneary is beautiful though! We have alot of talking to do. I think my husband is going to plan a little trip over to, just to take a look.

[Nell Plotts]

All brick homes are rare. Most that I recall seeing are small and built in the 1930s.

[lolivet]

We moved here last summer from Atlanta, site unseen. It is totally beautiful here, but the winters are long, cold and dark, so be prepared. It's the end of June, and it's FINALLY in the 70's. The housing here is not like the southeast at all. The homes and the lots they are on are tiny. We have also found that the neighborhoods, for the most part, have no rhyme or reason; you will see a beautiful home built next to a run down shack, so be very aware of the surrounding houses when you begin to look. Beaverton has some nice areas as well as Hillsboro. Aloha is a dump and anything near TV Highway is scary! I am sure you will experience some culture shock, as we did, but when you are able to begin exporing the area, you wil be amazed at the beauty of the area. It's the most beautiful place I've ever lived and I feel blessed every day that I can look out my window and see a volcano (Mt. Hood)! It's incredible.

[ClassicalContractor]

If you don't mind being about 45 minutes from a big town like Eugene, I can't think of a better spot than Oakridge. You probably haven't heard of Oakridge, and that's because we are Oregon's best-kept secret.

We are on Highway 58 going east from Eugene toward the Cascades. Being in the foothills of the Cascades we are "above the fog line" but we are also "below the snow line". Very little crime here and a wonderful small-town atmosphere. There's a ski resort at the summit, about 20 minutes away, and we're surrounded by a National Forest and all kinds of outdoor adventure possibilities.

With 3 brand new sub-divisions going in, the city has opened up some incredible housing opportunities. The best of which is on a ledge above the city, right next to a gorgeous 9-hole golf course. We've built several custom-built homes up here for less than $250,000. Be happy to show you around sometime.