Moving from Australia to Oregon ~ Grants Pass, Medford area (Corvallis: real estate, crime)

[mike_down_under]

G'day,

We have decided to move to Oregon, picking on the southern area around Grants Pass ~ Medford areas. I have never been there but love the scenery, I guess like any other tourist. It will still be a year or so away before we land but I'm looking for general good bad comments about the area. I'm a house builder here in oz & my wife has an accounting background but with no formal qualifications. I wouldn't mind a totally different change & have never been unemployed so I'm not too worried about getting work. Housing prices are about the same, but land is slightly higher. Overall southern Oregon seems to have a little better climate? We both don't like cities & prefer an acre or so out of town. We have 3 kids, 17,12 & 5. I lived in the US for about a year & never had a problem being aussie. Grants Pass is around the same size town we're we are at now, like any country there are the good & bad people but is it a friendly open town thinking we might end up around Grants Pass? Is there any obvious questions I missed?

cheers

Mike

[JakeDog]

Medford is larger and it is my perception that it has more crime (meth issues). Grants Pass is prettier in my opinion, but is a little "odd". I don't think being Aussie would be bad- everyone loves Aussies. Southern Oregon has decent weather, but make no mistake- this is a fairly isolated area.

[bluebird39]

Hi there,

We recently moved FROM Southern Oregon, after living there for almost 20 years. I'd look into the schools carefullly. They've been suffering from budget cuts for several years.

Here's a link to a local brewing company owned by an Aussie. He's really nice, mate!

Walkabout Brewing Co - Central Point, OR, 97502 - Citysearch

It's a beautiful place, hardy isolated (very urban, in my mind) with lots going on, but also expensive real estate. The big building boom that was going on has waned too, but will probably rebound soon.

Good luck.

[freedom]

I'm a builder in G.P. moved from So. California some yrs. ago.
It is an awesome place to raise a family. We have 5 (8-16) two yrs. apart.
We homeschool so no issues with pub. school.
Great 4 seasons, great activities on the rivers, lakes, and mountains, 2 hrs. from the coast, and lots of friendlly people.
Check in at the local Homebuilders when you get here and we'll hook you up with the local trends (land, building, licensing etc...).

best wishes

freedom.

[mike_down_under]

Originally Posted by freedom

I'm a builder in G.P. moved from So. California some yrs. ago.
It is an awesome place to raise a family. We have 5 (8-16) two yrs. apart.
We homeschool so no issues with pub. school.
Great 4 seasons, great activities on the rivers, lakes, and mountains, 2 hrs. from the coast, and lots of friendlly people.
Check in at the local Homebuilders when you get here and we'll hook you up with the local trends (land, building, licensing etc...).

best wishes

freedom.

Freedom,
By the sounds of the area we would steer towards Grants Pass area. What is the building industry like there? Here in oz, as a carpenter you do all parts of the construction from site set out, formwork, frame to finish. I worked in Michigan for awhile & found it a little unusual that they thought i was "over skilled" being able to work on all stages of the building. Only in the past few years do you get contractors that only do wall frames or truss or fitouts etc here in oz. Is it that way there? Wouldn't mind a change in jobs but have no clue. I have been self employed running my own business since I was 17 (now 34) & wouldn't mind just turnin' up to work & going home again. If the missus gets a good job, maybe I won't have to (ha ha) If we can get a few acres out of town, maybe we reduce the risk of crime or am I being naive? We live on 25 acres, 10mins from town & have never taken the keys out of the cars. I guess with the schools it would only be a matter of talking to some of the locals?, same as here. The area doesn't sound isolated, it is 2 1/2hr drive to our capital city & maybe go once a month. The distances don't sound too bad. I'm into target shooting (rifle) not hunting, are there clubs around the area? I love 4wdriving & camping & the surrounding area sounds like just the spot. What would be some of the worst things about living in the area? What do people do who work outside during winter? freeze their butts huh? Oh what wild animals mess with your life expectancy there? Everything in oz kills ya.

cheers

mike

[freedom]

Originally Posted by mike_down_under

Freedom,
By the sounds of the area we would steer towards Grants Pass area. What is the building industry like there? Here in oz, as a carpenter you do all parts of the construction from site set out, formwork, frame to finish. I worked in Michigan for awhile & found it a little unusual that they thought i was "over skilled" being able to work on all stages of the building. Only in the past few years do you get contractors that only do wall frames or truss or fitouts etc here in oz. Is it that way there? Wouldn't mind a change in jobs but have no clue. I have been self employed running my own business since I was 17 (now 34) & wouldn't mind just turnin' up to work & going home again. If the missus gets a good job, maybe I won't have to (ha ha) If we can get a few acres out of town, maybe we reduce the risk of crime or am I being naive? We live on 25 acres, 10mins from town & have never taken the keys out of the cars. I guess with the schools it would only be a matter of talking to some of the locals?, same as here. The area doesn't sound isolated, it is 2 1/2hr drive to our capital city & maybe go once a month. The distances don't sound too bad. I'm into target shooting (rifle) not hunting, are there clubs around the area? I love 4wdriving & camping & the surrounding area sounds like just the spot. What would be some of the worst things about living in the area? What do people do who work outside during winter? freeze their butts huh? Oh what wild animals mess with your life expectancy there? Everything in oz kills ya.

cheers

mike

I started out doing all phases of building, from site development, to formwork, to framing, roofing, finish. etc... The only thing that I would sub is the plumbing and electric. due to licensing.

There is a mix of builders that sub everything and some that do all. You are free to design your business any way you see fit.

As to the misses getting a good enough job to afford the rural lifestyle, I wouldn't hang up my belt just yet.

If you have integrity, and good work ethic you can run your own jobs or possibly work for someone. My crystal ball says things will get moving next year, after the excess inventories have been thinned a bit.

We haven't experienced any crime where we live, 10 minutes from town. But then I let it be known we are loaded for WWIII, and we have a good dog.

There is a great sportsman park 10 minutes north of town. They have a full auto machine gun range, skeet, pistol, black powder and a bow course. There is a rendevous held there every year with a black powder shoot.
It's about $30 a yr. to join.

Worst things would be cotton wood trees, if you have allergies. I-5 corridor riff-raff. Growing traffic congestion. Poorly funded county govt. But that goes for most of the state.

Other than that, no complaints.

We build year round, Have set trusses in the snow, poured footings in downpours, and roofed in 100 degree summer days.

The seasons are great, they are just long enough to where you look forward to the next one, as you tire of the previous.

Deadly things? People swerving to miss a deer or squirrel. Cougars, but rarely seen or heard from. In fact I think only a couple people have been killed since
Oregon became a state.
We have black widow spiders, don't know if people die from them, maybe small animals and infants.
I'm pretty sure more people die from rafting the rivers, and climbing mountains than from creatures here.

cheers,
freedom

[mike_down_under]

What would be some of the general living costs ie; family of 5 groceries/wk, utilities etc.

How bad does it get during winter with snow on the roads?

How long is winter really cold for?

Australia is turning green with building designs, I notice Oregon is doing the same. How effective is solar electricity there? It is now compulsory for all new homes to have solar or gas H/W systems & rainwater storage tanks here.

Is Corvallis the closest university for the kids?

thanks

mike

[Linson]

i grew up in and around Grants Pass. lived in Sunny Valley from age 6 to 12. i havnt been there in a very long time. i just want to congradulate you on your move. if i could, i would move back there tomorrow, but my career doesnt allow for it.

make no mistake, overall, the area has the best weather i have ever experienced.

[Linson]

as far as nasty critters, if you're in the woods, watch out for wasp and hornet nests in the summer time.

again, perfect weather. as a kid i used to swim and fish in Graves Creek, a tributary of the Rouge River. it would get hot in the summer and the water would always be perfect. last time i drove through my childhood haunts back in 1999 it, unfortunately, seemed to have dried up quite a bit though. when i lived in the state of Washington (91-94) it got hot enough to for swimming, but the water stayed uncomfortably cold.

[zagyzebra]

SOU - Southern Oregon University in Ashland would be the closest university.