Albany/Corvallis questions (Portland, Eugene, Salem: real estate, insurance, houses)

[Leaving the Desert]

Hello all!

My wife and I have recently decided to move out of Las Vegas due to various reasons. We have been looking for areas that are smaller, safer and have more of a community involvement than what you see here in Vegas. We are in our mid-30's and have 3 children, 4,3 and 1 1/2 (2 in Nov.). My wife is a kindergarten teacher and I'm an insurance agent looking to get out of the business and into something less stressful (probably teaching algebra, to be honest).

After doing a fair amount of research online, we have narrowed our list of possible choices down to a few including the Albany/Corvallis area. So, I just have a few questions....

1. The only major concern I have of Albany is from what I have seen posted as the drug problem. My question is, how large is the problem? Is it something that is just over exaggerated from a smaller town talk or is it a real serious problem?

2. I've researched the real estate in both areas but haven't seen much in newer (2000 or newer) homes in Corvallis. Are there newer homes and developments in Corvallis or is that primarily in Albany?

3. Lastly, the wife and I are planning on going up within the next year or so to drive around the state and areas we've been thinking of. But, can anybody give me a link, if possible, to any pictures of the area? I have found a few, but just want to find as many as possible to help in the decision making process.

Thanks for any help in advance!

[eagleriver]

I live between Salem and Albany, and I do like to shop in Albany when I can as it is smaller and less crowded. I LOVE Corvallis. They are about connected, sprawling between the two places with some rural farmland in between.

The drug problem is all over the state - most of your small to mid size cities have a pretty good problem or should I say bad problem, but it is more in the area you live in. Albany has a lot of low-cost housing, I would probably live more in the Corvallis area, or get a home in a rural area, since you see more of the drug problem in the low-cost areas. However, all in all, I wouldn't mind living anywhere around those two cities. Be sure to check out taxes, because the state taxes here, to pay for every program imaginable which then runs out of money, is steep. We are leaving because of that and because democrats just keep getting voted in to raise more taxes. Portland and Eugene and to some extent Salem keep wanting to go to a socialized state. And especially Portland is so big they overwhelm the rest of the state, which is fairly conservative. And when you are driving around in your Prius or your Lexus SUV you better still have your Kerry 04 sticker on it!! lol Or drive around in your old beat up 76 Toyota with no muffler and 'save the earth' and 'clean air' stickers on it! hahaha There is a reason they call us the 'Left Coast' and it ain't because of location!! However, as long as you are informed, and know what you are getting into, this is a beautiful state, and I wish we could stay, but the liberals are driving us out because of the welfare programs. As far as Albany, tho, be aware that just north of Albany is a paper processing plant, the little town is called 'Millersburg" and when the weather is right, whoo does it stink! Prevailing winds for us are out of the south, so as long as you are south of it, you shouldn't have too much of a problem. Just be sure you drive up and check it all out, do your homework. Hope this helps!

[DavePautsch]

As an Albany resident (past 7 years) who worked in Corvallis for a time (4 years) I have to tell you this is a wonderful area. I have 2 daughters that my wife and I are raising here, we've been very happy with the schools (Elementary through High School) and the programs available for the kids here.

I just posted on another forum a response to the crime/drug problem here. I'll summarize it here for you:
Yep, there is apparently a problem here. I spoke with a friend of mine who is a local police officer and he confirmed it for me. There is an emphasis on the part of our law enforcement to do everything they can, but there is no denying it. That being said, in my daily life I just don't see it. As I said, I have 2 kids and wouldn't think to move or raise them anywhere else. This is a great little town with lots to offer. The parents in the schools tend to be very involved, the town has a sense of community that can be seen in things like the annual Lion's Club breakfast, River Rhythms, Monday's at Monteith, the Linn County Fair, the local Boys and Girls Club, 2 Rotary Clubs, and so much more.
I've lived in major metropolitian cities (San Diego, Honolulu) and saw more problems there than I've seen here. So, I guess it all depends on where you spend your day here.
As far as eagleriver's comments about Millersburg - I'm going to respectfully disagree. I spend about 2-3 days a week there and have come to believe that there is much more hype than fact regarding the smell. I am sure that years ago it was probably true; but the mill has spent a lot of money on scrubbers and other elements to reduce the odor and frankly, there have been days when I've smelled it (but it was in North Albany or South Albany and not Millersburg) but they are pretty few and far between...and nothing quite as dramatic as I've heard about.
As far as real estate - there are quite a few new construction neighborhoods in Albany and Corvallis. I live in SW Albany in Spring Meadow (about 400 houses built since 2000). There are also many other neighborhoods that I could point you to (Hayden Homes has 2, DR Horton has 1, local builders are building in Millersburg now in 3 different areas).
Here's one resource for you for local real estate information (KGAL: Real Estate Talk) there are Market Updates there going back the last year or so. You can also get on the local multiple listing service at www.wvmls.com for searching for listings and statistics.
Good luck in your relocation!

[Leaving the Desert]

Thank you guys for the responses.

Dave, I figured as much about the crime. It's basically the same here in Vegas. As long as you're in the good areas and avoid the bad areas, you'll rarely see anything. Pretty much the same for most areas, I'd guess. I just wanted to make sure that that was along the same thinking that I had.

As for the smell, that's of little concern to me. I've been around much, much worse and honestly, those didn't bother me that much.

I appreciate all the help. I recently ordered a relocation/travel guide of Corvallis from the city web site and it arrived yesterday. The wife and I watched the video and instantly fell in love with the area. We're now planning a trip for around March or so to fly out and drive around various areas to get a better of idea of where we want to finally settle.