Should we move to Oregon?

[Silverfall]

Munchies Mommie,
Not sure about coastal towns, but for a good small town I would consider Silverton, OR in the valley or Banks, OR off Hwy 26. They are great small towns. Sublimity here in the valley has a fantastic K-8 school as well but it only has 2,000 people.

The thing about homes/cities is that they have an emotional value. Most people when they find a place to live have an emotional reaction to it that you can't quantify. People who are dissatisfied with Oregon should leave, not because they are not welcome here, but emotionally it's not the place for them to be. Life is too short to spend it feeling miserable. If Oregon makes you miserable, find that place that brings you happiness.

Freedom loves his smaller town feel, and I love the Pearl District in Portland. I like the energy and bustle of it. Salem lacks that for me, and is one of my challenges in living here. Leaving Portland for Salem was difficult for me, as I wanted a more metropolitan area. Having lived in Salem for 8 years now, I feel very comfortable here and have great friends. The US is a huge place, with someplace or some city for everyone. It is impossible to connect with all areas of the country, and I would hope rather than make critical comments after 1 1/2 years of living somehere that you just recognize that it is not the place for you AND that is OKAY. There is someplace that is. Paradise or OZ is different for everyone. I for one, can't imagine not living in Oregon.

As for WallStreet, in general our income to home price is higher than other parts of the country. It's the way it is on the West Coast due to growth boundaries. I have 3 attorney friends who love their jobs. I know they all own homes (very average ones), but really like what they do. It's a trade off, and yes they are stressed about their loan payments too.