Moving from Southern California to Oregon (Portland, Salem: loan, Home Depot, purchase)

[albinoazian]

Des_Demona, you crack me up. How are the three families living in one apartment in Anaheim, Buena Park, Stanton, etc. stuck up? Are you saying the 40% Hispanics are stuck snobs? What about all of the poor viets in Westminster? Places that I mentioned plus the likes of Garden Grove, Santa Ana, etc. are all different from Aliso Viejo and Laguna Beach. What a way to make an over-generalized statement of a select microcosm of Orange County.

[snb3]

Originally Posted by movin on up

Thank you snb3!!! Not saying I'm not excited about the change and green enviroment that Oregon offers... I am really excited about moving. but growing up in So Orange County was great. Crime was minimal, I pretty much lived at the beach all summer from the time I could barely walk. The ocean is a huge part of "me". It's really sad that it's become so unaffordable and almost impossible to raise a family there. I have a 4 yr old and a 2 month old and I wish I could stay and live there so my kids could have the same kind of summers I did.

My husband grew up in LA and he always comments on how lucky I was to grow up in such a good place... yes I was probably more fortunate that a lot of people in the world but we weren't "rich"... my dad was a car salesman and my mom stayed at home... we had a nice house and I pretty much had everything a kid could want but I wasn't spoiled... a lot of others had more than I did.. but I was lucky.

I've lived other places and have moved back to OC 4 times now... All of my family is there and it's home... but I'm hoping that Oregon becomes home to me and my boys... my husbands job is in Tigard so we'll be looking in that area. I can't wait to get there... My husband got there today and me and the kids will be leaving next week after Thanksgiving.

I'm planning on getting my license plates changed ASAP!!! I don't want to be hated simply because I'm from California... I'll always talk fondly of Cali but it doesn't mean I wont love the new place.

No sweat, we were both lucky to grow up in OC, although I grew up more inland than you. Back in the 80s when I was a teenager, the coast communties felt more "townish" than it is now. I totally agree with your husband: I'm reminded everyday how much better OC is in terms of being a homeowner & possibility raising kids over where I am now. If I could raise my kids in OC the way I grew up, I'd definity consider staying put. Unlike large portions of LA, more of OC is a great place for familys, if they can afford it. I just can't. My situation is similar to yours: if I stay in Socal, my wife would need to work & we'd be challenged to live like we'd like & pay $3500 in house pymts. Or we can try elsewhere, ie Oregon as I've heard so many good things about Or.

[mossgeek]

lol wow, I been here in so cali for the past 2.5 years and miss oregon terribly! I even live in a resort town here with 3 ski resorts and I cannot stand it! Give me that rain anytime! Looks like I may get the chance to move there pretty soon. oh man I hope very soon!

[mossgeek]

oh wow, I guess i posted before I saw all these conservations! I think I need hockey gully gear for this room. ;-). well, heres my 2 cents;
I hate it here and yes, I will also leave. I will tell you, people here are stuck up or losers. Maybe not all of them but most. I may not live in OC or LA but I get them all up here to snowboard and ski and this mountain because flatlander hell! I have never seen so many hummers in my life and people who basicly dont give a crap about our environment! I especially know this because I work in the forest! I have to say that I was surprized to meet one that actually built a straw bale house here, but it turns out that they are still to this day the only people that did! I moved here for a job and I love my work but this is by no means my home! and the wierd thing is, I was raised on this mountain and there was a reason why I left so many years ago before! Oregon is my home! I lived there for 12 years and never felt at home even in my home town! I may be an implant but who ever said that us californians cannot deal with oregonians did really know what he was talking aobut. The truth is that we are all different. Some are ment to be in oregon because I am just like every other oregonian and nothing like a Californian. Some are ment to be here and love to deal with this rat race here. I may have bashed californians some but its the mentality I dont like, never have. There are so many hard asses here! people with hard hearts and only care about partying, getting layed or whatever. I miss my life in oregon where you are friends with all your nieghbors and everyone smiles at each other in the stores and there are pot lucks like every weekend, Now that is community! There is no community here at all! ok, got that off my chest ;-)

[Des_Demona]

Movin_on_up and her hundred posts - you are saying things "about me" and how I "am" without even knowing me.

I was just stating my opinion about South County. I am not from Oregon... I don't know if you thought I was because it sounded like it. I'm a native Californian like yourself. I was born and raised in So Cal and have not lived anywhere else. I attended 4 years of college in Orange County (Cal State Fullerton) while living there in North Orange County (yes Mossgeek I've lived in Fullerton, Santa Ana and Anaheim so I know what you mean - I was speaking only of South County like I said in the post) and then I lived in South Orange County and worked in Laguna Beach so I think I'm allowed to state my opinion on the area without being totally bashed by you. You have your opinion about it, and I have mine.

In any case, I think we all ARE agreeing on a common thread. We don't like what's happened to Southern California, we are (most of us) FROM Southern California, and we are all considering a move to Oregon. We are all complaining about Southern California so I don't get why all the hostility about it. Maybe because I am younger and have a more insider track to the 20-30 somethings in the areas of Orange County and LA I notice more things. I'm sorry if you disagree with me about some of the things you've seen (although it doesn't seem like we are disagreeing at all...) but I do have my own personal experiences being a native Californian and I think it reasonable that I should chime in.

[mossgeek]

wow, who said anything about bashing you? I was talking in general terms!

*ducks as pans are flying*

[Des_Demona]

.... I wasn't referring to you mossgeek. I was referring to Movin_on_up. Again, please READ the post before making assumptions. 2nd time you've misread what I've written now.

[IH8CALI]

I moved to Southern Oregon about 7 years ago, from Northern Oregon. When I first moved here it was wonderful. There was little to no traffic, no real crime, houses were very affordable and jobs seemed plentiful. Now almost 8 years later all of these Californians are moving up here and bringing with them their California attitudes and terrible driving skills. Everything I liked about Southern Oregon is being ruined and destroyed by Californians. The houses are more than double in price and the traffic is absolutely terrible. The crime rate has doubled and jobs are hard to find. I honest believe that Californians are much like cockroaches and destroy towns one by one after destroying their own state. I would like to think I speak for the majority of Southern Oregon when I say "GO HOME CALIFORNIANS AND DON'T COME BACK, WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE!!!"

[Clear2land]

Okay “I hate Californians” here is my answer. First, I am a native Oregonian who just happens to live in Escondido, California. Lets talk about driving skills. First, California drivers are the fighter pilots of the road. We drive on 4 to 6 lanes of freeway at 70 miles an hour bumper-to-bumper and side-by-side closer than the Blue Angles fly their jets. You have to be a good driver to survive here. So you can drop that one off your list. You say traffic is absolutely terrible. Well, it takes my wife 40 minutes just to get onto the freeway. Her 11-mile commute takes almost an hour so you can cross that one off your list. So Californians are responsible for your high housing costs and your crime. Okay, lets talk about that. First, Californians that have the money to pay top prices for Oregon real estate are not out robbing liquor stores. Real estate prices are all about interest rates and a few other factors but mostly interest rates, which determines if you can afford the monthly payment. I’ll say it again just for you. If Californians were responsible for your high real estate prices then Californians would be responsible for the higher cost of housing from coast-to-coast and that is just not the case. When real estate prices fall, is that caused Californians are moving out of Oregon? You can cross that one off your hate list too. Okay, you say Californians are responsible for the lack of jobs in Oregon and is interfering with your career path. An economy works on money velocity. If no one ever spent any money no one would an income. Every dollar spent is someone else’s income. When people stop spending the economy slows and it puts people out of work. So if I hear you right, you don’t want Californians spending their money to boost Oregon’s economy and size of your paycheck. If you want to earn more money, people have to want to spend. It is just that simple. Californians are good for Oregon’s economy so you can forget that and skip on down. Californians are not destroying their own state. I think it is population density and the number of illegal immigrants that are destroying California’s quality of life. I would dump that one into the trash. That is like saying that Oregonians are destroying Oregon. If you ask me, Oregon cities are in need of a coat of paint. Not so here in the Southland. I really came out of my chair when you said that you speak for all Oregonians. Well, I’m still a native Oregonian and I can assure the readers here on the forum that you don’t speak for all Oregonians. Californians are not to blame for your problems. Anytime you point your finger, there are three fingers on that same hand pointing right back at you. Your situation will not change until you change the way you look at your situation.

Dan

[YogaPants]

Oh Dan,

Thank you, I am now feeling vindicated~*~