Rogue Valley for me, I think - input appreciated (Portland: new home, job market)

[lurkernomore]

As my username reads, i have been lurking on these boards for quite a while now. We currently live in Texas and have been tossing around the idea of moving somewhere else and Oregon is at the top of the list. What we dislike about our area is summers -- they are LONG and they are HOT! Yes, we could stay inside, but we love nature. Also, there is a serious lack of scenery. Oh, and did i mention the heat? The air quality is also pretty bad. There are days during the summer when the weather guy says it is "unhealthy" to be outside! Crazy!!!

Here is what we are wanting:

*We would prefer to have sunshine and from reading, that sounds like Southern Oregon.
*We would also like to be within driving distance (1-2 hours) from the ocean. We really like lighthouses and rocky coasts.
*Our other criteria is mild winters. We'd like some snow but I don't want to be shoveling in the winter months!
*Parks/mountains nearby (under 2 hours) -- we love to hike.
*Fall is our favorite season; we don't get any colors around here.
*Schooling is not an issue, we are home-schooling our little one and from reading about laws, Oregon seems to be home school friendly.
*Jobs! I have an IT job. I think this one might be tough to find.
*We would also like an area with reasonably priced homes. Coming from Texas, our housing market is much more tamed than most of the US
*Farm fresh produce would be very nice; Organic produce would be better!

I would appreciate any input. Hopefully, we will be able to visit the area this summer to get a better feel but we wanted to get some ideas/input so we could get a better understanding of the areas.

[freedom]

lurkernomore,

We have all the things you describe. Our summers do hit the 100's for a week or two, but just as you have had enough, it cools down, and if it gets to uncomfortable we escape to the mountains or coast where it is always cooler.
The seasonal changes are great, The motto for Grants Pass is "its the climate" and it really is.
Housing is more expensive than Texas.
A modest 3 bd 2 bth on a city lot goes for betwn. $280k-$375k This is actually a great time to buy with rates and prices coming down from $300k-$425k last yr.
Country property for a new home is in the $450-$750k, usually on 5 acres.
IT work may be tricky, there are some larger companys in Medford.
The challenge for So. Ore. is work, but it is not impossible, making a trip first is advised.
Most of the cities in southern Oregon have locally grown produce markets on the weekends, and there are some great stores that supply locally grown organic products as well.

good luck,

freedom

[kukla1]

Your wish list is so similar to ours it's scary! Our only additional concern is that my husband and I are both English teachers, and I have no idea if Oregon's economy has recovered enough to support two teachers new to a district. We were in the Medford area about 5 years ago, and were SO CLOSE to making a move to that area, but then the bottom fell out of education. Lucky for us we didn't move - one or both of us would have been out of a job!

[lurkernomore]

Thanks for the input. It sounds like the area for us may be more dictated by where I may possibly be able to find a job in my industry.

Is there a list somewhere of any tech companies in the area that I could possibly start researching? I have found some here and there but was wondering if there was maybe a site with lots of links.

[Waterlily]

Google is setting up in The Dalles Oregon so you may want to consider that area.

[lvsnow]

I would avoid the Rogue Valley if I were you. Good place to visit and that's about it. I grew up there and left for a reason. There are no jobs and the cost of living has gotten out of hand.
Ashland-nice place too expensive and very little work (especially for IT)
Medford-avoid it if poss, really nothing to offer, my fiance has 2 degrees and he ended up working in a mill for a year and a half for $13 an hour
Grants Pass-no work and expensive, lots of retirees.
This area gets above 100 for like a week or two in July/August, otherwise pretty nice, quick trip to the ocean hills/mountains.
I'd check out around Eugene area and head north Salem, Portland
you get a little more rain especially portland but you'd probably find work.
just my opinion

[lvsnow]

check out Adec ( i think that's what it's called)
ABC technologies
these are both around portland

[luvabargain]

Originally Posted by lurkernomore

As my username reads, i have been lurking on these boards for quite a while now. We currently live in Texas and have been tossing around the idea of moving somewhere else and Oregon is at the top of the list. What we dislike about our area is summers -- they are LONG and they are HOT! Yes, we could stay inside, but we love nature. Also, there is a serious lack of scenery. Oh, and did i mention the heat? The air quality is also pretty bad. There are days during the summer when the weather guy says it is "unhealthy" to be outside! Crazy!!!

Here is what we are wanting:

*We would prefer to have sunshine and from reading, that sounds like Southern Oregon.
*We would also like to be within driving distance (1-2 hours) from the ocean. We really like lighthouses and rocky coasts.
*Our other criteria is mild winters. We'd like some snow but I don't want to be shoveling in the winter months!
*Parks/mountains nearby (under 2 hours) -- we love to hike.
*Fall is our favorite season; we don't get any colors around here.
*Schooling is not an issue, we are home-schooling our little one and from reading about laws, Oregon seems to be home school friendly.
*Jobs! I have an IT job. I think this one might be tough to find.
*We would also like an area with reasonably priced homes. Coming from Texas, our housing market is much more tamed than most of the US
*Farm fresh produce would be very nice; Organic produce would be better!

I would appreciate any input. Hopefully, we will be able to visit the area this summer to get a better feel but we wanted to get some ideas/input so we could get a better understanding of the areas.

You have just pretty much described the Medford area except for the IT job and and the reasonably priced homes. Jobs can be had here, don't let other posters scare you, we make a very decent living here, it just depends on what you're qualified to do and what's available in the area. Just make sure you do your homework and have something lined up before you move. The housing is much more expensive than TX, so that might be hard to overcome, it just depends on what your budget will allow. We are to do the opposite of you and move to TX within the next year, my husband got a job transfer and it is an awesome advancement and opportunity for him. We have lived in Oregon for most of our lives and we need a change, but it is a great state and place to live.

[Marko3]

If you're looking for jobs in IT, you're probably going to have to think a little farther north, and trade those few extra sunny days in for an area with a more versatile job market. The summers are still very nice through all the interior valleys, and if it snows, it does so for a day or two before melting. I've never had to shovel snow in Oregon. I know what you mean about Texas. I lived there for about 3 years while in the military. Talk about horribly humid, hot summers that never cool off. The climate in Oregon is much different, as is the landscape and scenary. I would start your job search in Eugene, which is in west central Oregon, about an hour from the coast, and work your way up the I-5 corridor towards Portland and surrounding areas. Happy Hunting!

[ochoco]

If you're trying to escape heat, Rogue Valley may not be to your liking. Last July alone saw 15 days with temps. 100 degrees or higher. It was a long, hot, and dry summer and they are forecasting the same for this year. I'm not looking forward to this summer. I lived in Arizona (Prescott) for seven years and never had a summer as uncomfortable as last years was here in Grants Pass.