How do you describe Bend? (price, offer, traffic)

[Bendite]

Originally Posted by amusing_chaos

Thank you so much Bendite! Maybe you could help me with another question I have?

I am looking into Bend schools for my children and I like what I see about Mountain View High, and Sky View Middle, but I am wondering which elementary school is within those same boundaries? And do you have to live in that area for the kids to go to school there?

I responded on another thread with the same question - see if that gives you the info you're looking for

[Joe_Ryder]

My guess is that Bend would be very much like a typical LA suburb since at least half the Californians I know who've cashed out in the past 10 years moved to Bend.

I'm a Californicated Texan. I've only visited Bend but like it. Every time I've been there, the sun was shining. It seems to be a place that's smack on the borderline between the desert and the rainy Pacific Northwest. It has seasons but is generally mild. It gets a bit warmer in Summer than I care for but not brutal. It seems to have enough rain spread out throughout the year to be comfortable without the months of doom and gloom gray skies so common on the coast from about San Francisco all the way to Canada.

The only fault I can see with the place is it's too far from the ocean. That's not a problem for most but I can't seem to wander too far from the ocean or my feet start itching.

[delta07]

Fortunately Bend is not like a typical LA suburb! I lived in Simi Valley/Thousand Oaks for about 4 months and hated it! LA suburbs are fast paced, not pedestrian friendly, and lack character. Bend is almost opposite of all of these characteristics. I'm sure there are some LA suburbs that are similar to Bend, but I haven't been there.

[karelise]

are there areas to avoid when renting or buying in Bend? We would be on the low end of any kind of housing budget but are looking for neighborhoods that are family friendly and have good schools. I know the expensive stuff is on the west. Are there areas that have more established neighborhoods versus those with new develpoments?

Any throughts on meth problems in the area?

thank you!

[John Shaft]

LOTS of sunshine. I don't know about it being on the borderline between desert and rainy Pac NW...to me it's very definitely arid country.

LOTS of outdoor activities.

Four season weather...yes, BUT it's pretty much a 6 month winter. If you are not used to that it might be jarring. Still, it's a "dry cold" and if you wear a coat you're usually fine.

Real estate market is tanking, big time. Don't pay full price, period. The job outlook is pretty much what you'd expect from a service-oriented economy with a belly-up construction industry. There are health care jobs available, but other than that, you'd better have a steady source of income to supplement the food-service-to-the-California-retirees job.

[Smiled]

+1 on John's comments.

[delta07]

Originally Posted by karelise

are there areas to avoid when renting or buying in Bend? We would be on the low end of any kind of housing budget but are looking for neighborhoods that are family friendly and have good schools. I know the expensive stuff is on the west. Are there areas that have more established neighborhoods versus those with new develpoments?

Any throughts on meth problems in the area?

thank you!

I have only lived in Bend a few weeks, but the whole town seems pretty nice. I'm sure there are more desirable places to live (west side), but with a a housing budget that is out of the question. We rented a house on the east side, near Pilot Butte, and we are loving the neighborhood. We can still bike downtown (takes about 20-30 min.), but are not paying the price for a downtown home. Check the area north of the hospital. There are some established neighborhoods, as well as newer ones, with houses that are pretty affordable. As others have posted, the housing market is suffering right now, so landlords are not able to get as much in rent as they used to. Most of the new developments are on the outskirts of town.

I haven't seen a huge problem with meth in the area so far. I think it's everywhere though. Coming from a big meth area in CO, I don't think it's as bad as I've heard, but again I have only been here a short time. I wouldn't let that deter you from moving here though.

[Albanian]

My husband lived in Bend for 18 years and calls it "poverty with a view". What he means by that is that many people who've lived there for years have been priced out of the housing market, and laborers are often laid-off during the winter months because of snow, etc. As for myself, I love Bend, it's beautiful and near so many awesome, gorgeous sites (lakes, trails, etc.). But you definitely need to have a viable job in mind (anything paying around 50k/yr. or more) before you should consider moving there. Housing is expensive, but everything else is reasonable.

[karelise]

that's great info - thanks. Is the poverty with a view still the way you or your husband would characterize it now that housing prices are falling ( they seem to be falling faster in Bend because of the overabundance of housing). Just wondering because the job thing is a factor for us.

thank you.

[delta07]

Having lived in Bend for several weeks now, it certainly does have it's fair share of wealthy people. However, it is still affordable compared to many Colorado resort towns. Home prices are falling, but not as much as I hoped. If you are willing to live on the outskirts of Bend (not really far, maybe 5 miles from downtown) then you can find some really affordable housing. I have seen brand new homes going for less than $200K. Of course, if you have to live on the westside, you will still pay a premium for that. While the westside is nice, and I would love to live there, I know it's not a reality for me.

Good jobs are few and far between in Bend. Like the previous poster said, you really want to have a job lined up before you move here (or at least one of you does). It seems groceries and gas are pricier than Colorado, but pretty comparable with coastal areas.

You can make a living in Bend, but it depends on where you are moving from. For us, my husband and I will be making more money than Colorado. However, our in-laws, who also moved here, will be making less than Washington.