Looking to possibly move to Oregon - Bend area (Redmond: insurance, how much)

[Bill05]

I was wondering if anybody could tell me what a person would need to make money wise to live comfortably in Bend. My brother lives there currently, but he's a single guy, so his lifestyle is definitely different than mine.
As for me I am married with a 1yo son. I am in auto body repair business. I currently earn around 60k annually. I live in Central Texas, here that is decent money.
Any Bend residents know if there are any good body shops around there??
My wife and I really want to move to a place where we can have snow. And we are very outdoors oriented type people and I have heard how beautiful the area around there is.
I just don't want to move there and not be able to feed my family!

If not Bend does anybody know a town near there with similar attributes we might be better suited? I really could care to move to the rainy side of Oregon.

[delta07]

If you can find a job in Bend right now (any job) that pays 60K a year you would be doing well. The problem is, no one is hiring. I don't know specifically about auto mechanics, but it seems that many companies are going through more layoffs that hiring right now. The economy here has really taken a hit. Just look at the newpaper, The Bend Bulletin, and read the articles. Many of the big Central Oregon companies, such as Jel-Wen, Les Schwab, and Cesna, have gone through massive layoffs.

Right now is probably not the time to move to Bend if you don't have a solid job lined up. I would continue to keep your eye open for opportunities, but realize that you may have to wait a few years for the economy to bounce back. You could look at other communities close to Bend that are more affordable (Redmond mainly comes to mind), but I think everyone is in the same boat here.

[Bill05]

man that sucks to hear

[Bendite]

There is plenty of business for body shops in the area, particularly during the winter months, but the problem is whether there is any work available. A couple of the car dealerships, Bob Thomas and Robberson, are two that come to mind, that do excellent shop work according to my daughter who works in the insurance industry. There are several independent shops in our area as well. I don't have any idea how much a person makes in that field here in Bend but I think you should call and find out what the pay range is and how the job market is for your line of work. Bend is not a great place to be looking for work - it's very tight now, but you never know...

[Bill05]

Well thats a bit more reassuring. Thanks a lot.

[delta07]

I agree with Bendite. It's worth a shot calling, but the reality is unemployment in Oregon is at 10% right now. Central Oregon is even higher. An article came out in The Bulletin that says Deschutes Co. (Bend and Redmond) has a rate of 11.3%, Crook Co. (Prineville) is 14%, and Jefferson Co. (Madras) is 13.3%. It does suck, but at least you know that before making the leap. It would suck even more to make a big move and then not find work.