Roseburg or where???? (Portland, Eugene, Salem: relocate, real estate, agriculture)

[ladyflyfsh]

Hello folks,

I am in the process of selling my home and small acreage in Southwest Montana and heading back closer to the coast to escape the harsh winters and be closer to the things I love and crave. I lived in Seattle for about 5 years and the SF bay area for over 18 finishing college there and then working for over 10 yrs etc. Now I've done my stint in SW Montana and heading west. The things I'm looking for in a place to live in Oregon, are great access to mushroom hunting with good variety, not a plethura of rainy days...as I understand it the weather is not too bad in Roseburg, and no more ice and snow to deal with. Also I am self employed but it would be nice to have a part time job for supplemental income when business is not so great or during my slow time which is summers. I am also an avid gardener and love to cook so being near somewhere I can buy great fresh ingredients and access to fresh seafood and shellfish etc. would be awesome. I'm tired of living in beef country with no fresh seafood but trout. Oh, I'm also an avid flyfisher so that is a big must have on my list.

So, all that said, where do you all recommend as a good area of Oregon for me to relocate to? Near a college would be nice to take classes and cultural happenings not too far away also are good. I'm an outdoorsey person and don't want to live in the city but outside town. I would appreciate knowing more about weather conditions in different areas and things to do etc. For some reason I keep latching on to the idea of Roseburg so I need to hear the good, bad and ugly.

Any and all help would be hugely appreciated. This is all going to happen in the next couple of months, before another Montana winter approaches.

Thanks all!

Mary

[Steve97415]

There is a cultural Mason-Dixon line that runs along the southern border of Lane County. North of it, the historic industry has been agriculture. Education and professional opportunity is valued from Eugene north to Portland. South of Lane County, is what many locals refer to as "red Oregon". People here have historically depended on resource extraction industries, and a blue-collar culture still predominates. Many residents are more preoccupied with being able to finish their beer than being able to finish high school.
Roseburg is in one of the most beautiful areas of the state (thousand valleys). The Umpqua River Valley is different from most of the rest of Oregon in that it tends to be quite warm in summer (temps over 100F are common). Winters are slightly milder and shorter as well. The overall climatic variation through the year is pronounced, yet within a nice range of temperatures. Falls are lovely. Average wind velocity here is almost the lowest in the nation. The area between both Roseburg and the coast and Roseburg and Crater Lake is a paradise for outdoor activities.
There are a lot of nice people in Douglas County and some beautiful historic homes there, BUT....Roseburg is still very much a lumber town and whether or not you can deal with the "redneck factor" is something only you can answer (if you have a 4-wheel and a shotgun, you'll fit in fine). Everytime I go through Roseburg I breathe a sigh of relief when I get back into the Eugene area. I enjoy the outdoor activities in the surrounding areas, but Roseburg needs a good deal of gentrifying before I, myself, would be able to live there.

[ladyflyfsh]

Thanks for your insight and info Steve....that is partly what I'm trying to escape here in Montana. The unfortunate thing is there is just no one place that will have everything I want or can afford. Once I sell my place here, I will eventually want to buy something in Oregon, but I know land will cost much more there than here. I suppose housing costs are less in an area like Roseburg than Eugene? Is it a big difference?

Does Eugene have more rain? Is it colder there? I am self employed but at times do need supplemental income. I am also used to living out of town and have some agreage where I am now. I don't intend to be a city dweller. I also don't want to live in a big city. Having access to one and being able to leave is more up my alley. You couldn't pay me to live in Bozeman as big as it has gotten in the last few years.

My last question is if not Roseburg, where do you recommend that has fishing, long growing season, not a TON of rain, good mushrooming and not too expensive housing. I love southern oregon but it has gotten horribly expensive. I also want to be able to plant fruit and nut trees.

Thanks for your help, Steve.

[Steve97415]

LFF, you're going to have to accept the realities of supply and demand. If an area is attractive to live in, it will cost more. If an area is more affordable, there will be something about it that is repressing home values. There are no "undiscovered gems" left anymore. Oregon has become an extremely popular state to relocate to. The one thing in your favor is that you are willing to live in a smaller town. Buying real estate is a bit like buying stock: a low price per share is not an indicator of good performance. Something that increases in value over time -- a good "house bank" is what you should want.
Like a halo that penetrates into neighboring states, exodus pressure from California has greatly inflated real estate prices in southern Oregon, western Nevada and Arizona. Ashland is the one refuge of educated populace in southern Oregon, but has become quite expensive (though many claim it is still the best VALUE in southern Oregon). There is a small town called Talent that extends right to the urban growth boundary of Ashland. It will probably be a good buy-in for real estate value holding. Gold Hill is a small town on the east side of Grants Pass that is rather nice, but is probably rather expensive now, too. Despite the separate dots on the map, most of the area between Grants Pass and Ashland is one discontinuous urbanization area: the Rogue Valley.
Don't think that fewer days when the rain falls means sunshine in winter. Heavy overcast is still the norm during winter months. If you want winter sunshine, you'll have to look east of the Cascades. The Rogue Valley is notorious for a heavy fog that frequently plagues the area in winter. All-in-all, though, the humidity is a bit lower in southern Oregon, and that makes it somewhat more comforable for most. Given your Seattle and SF background, I would assume that you know what your gray-sky tolerance is.
You might look at some of the small towns immediately south of Eugene: Lorane and Drain are two that come to mind. This is a beautiful area of the state as well.
An interesting small university town that is just 35 miles from either Portland or Salem is McMinnville. It has a very nice downtown with a sort of 1940's feel to it.
Finally, don't abandon the idea of Roseburg or surrounding communities like Winston and Dillard. I've considered Roseburg myself, but have never had positive vibes from being there. I would have to guess it is on the upswing, though and will probably be a good investment over the next 20 years or so. It is a good area for horticulture. Oregon's first tomatoes of the season always come out of Roseburg, and the area is well known for its apples, pears, cherries and peaches. It's average growing season of 220 days gives it an advantage over either the Willamette Valley to the north or the Rogue Valley to the south.

[Email488]

Hi!

I'ts been years, but I grew up in Roseburg. It's not near as corny as one might have you believe. If you live up to your mail name, Flyfish?? You'll love Roseburg and the surrounding areas. Roseburg is in the valley within a short distance to the Pacific and up to the Cascade Mountains. If you are an outdoor person and would rather have the small town instead of the traffic, smog, and aliens taking over, then Southern Oregon is for you. The whole Southern area is mostly National Forests, lakes, rivers, etc. The whole southwest part of Oregon is a massive outdoor playground. Mild weather, less traffic, and people who haven't got their noses stuck in the air. No, we are not more interested in finishing our beers than we are in finishing our education. Words like that make me realize just how ignorant people in the cities can be. I also years outside of Portland and didn't hear of the demeaning remarks of the rest of the state like I've seen on this site.

Grantedm some people are more into the arts and such, which is prevalent in the northern parts of the state, but...
I'd rather see the true art of the land anyday over a painting of the land...

And that is one reason to choose southern Oregon, you get the real thing--not a copy of it.

[Steve97415]

Well, here's a recent news blurb about the actions of Douglas County Commissioners. I'll leave it to readers to decide if this represents the kind of local government they would want to live under:

"In April, the commissioners pulled a pamphlet from the county Health Department that listed abortion services among the options for pregnant women. County health workers said they were also ordered not to discuss abortions with their patients, an allegation Kittelman denied.
A new pamphlet was later printed that deleted references to out-of-town clinics that provide abortions."

That's right-wing extremism in my view, and represents what I mean by "red Oregon". Call it however you want; it seems to be business as usual in Roseburg.

[ladyflyfsh]

Well this has all been very informative. BUT let's not get into a battle over who's county commissioners do a better job. From what I'm reading here, it sounds like the general area in and around Roseburg has what I'm looking for in recreational variety and climate. I can and don't mind traveling a short distance for good cultural activites and arts, good food supplies etc. Heck I have to drive 60 miles round trip to the grocery store where I live now so no problem!

Now as far as Brookings goes, isn't that now one of the new up and coming hot spots for retirees? I thought I read that somewhere??? It would also appear that California money has and is buying up much of Brookings and building condos??? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyway, I'm happy being in the country and near the elements and mountains, fish, ocean, mushrooms etc. Now I just need a place to move to in Oregon and I'm set.

Thanks everyone!

[outdoor girl]

Is Center Point near Roseburg? My husband works for a well known freight company (not brown) and there is a Hub in Center Point. We love the outdoors and would love to live in Roseburg. But the Hub is not the large and might take a while to get a transfer. We were looking outside Portland because the Hub is huge! But Roseburg would be our first choice.

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by ladyflyfsh

It would also appear that California money has and is buying up much of Brookings and building condos??? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks everyone!

Building McMansions is more like it. Brookings is now pretty much built out. A few of the multi-million dollar developers are planning large new master-planned subdivisions in the county, but where the water and sewer capacity will come from is somewhat of a mystery.

[seashelly]

Originally Posted by outdoor girl

Is Center Point near Roseburg?

Outdoor girl - do you mean Central Point? That's down near Medford.