Vancouver (Portland, Tigard: sales, crime, house)

[ferr0052]

I'm looking for the best area/areas of Vancouver that would have easy access to Portland. Price range is 400-450K

Thanks so much in advance

[diggitydot]

Look into the Fisher's Landing area of Vancouver. It's on the east side of town, near Camas, but is only a short commute to Portland. You can get to PDX in about 10 minutes. And you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a home there in that price range.

[nancy thereader]

....and , I think that the tax system is more fair in Washington. That is , there is NO state income tax. If you shop in Portland (no sales tax) and live in Vancouver, I guess you would have the best of both worlds.

I wonder what happens if you buy something like furniture or a car in Oregon and have it sent to Washington. Do you pay sales tax (I am guessing yes) ?

[oldtintype]

You'll pay taxes when you go register the car!

[nancy thereader]

People in New York often buy boats in Delaware for the same reason & then they leave them registered there. I guess for boats, it is not as vital to have a local registration as it is for a car.

[JayHomes]

First off the taxes on cars use to be very, very high. A number of years ago that was changed and now they are reasonable. They are not that much different then other states. Since I have been here for my whole life and deal with housing all the time the two best areas are Salmon Creek/Felida and Fisher Landing. Most people would call Salmon Creek/Felida just Salmon Creek. Salmon Creek over all is a better location for commute. It is rite where I-5 and I-205 come together, so it is a quick shot to either freeway. The traffic does back up a little during busy days, but it is not really to bad at all. The average house price in that area is around $350,000. The other good area is Fisher Landing. Now that is way east of I-5, which is the main freeway people take to Portland. The traffic is a little worse in that area because on of the main streets driving to Fisher Landing can get a little back up plus it is farther away from the freeway. Compared to other cities like Seattle or LA the traffic here is a piece of cake. Depending on where you are driving to, it will take you about 30-60 minutes to get to Portland. Coming back is a little worse of 40-115 minutes. The time get longer if you are other side of Portland like the Tigard area. In Seattle or LA you can be on the road for hours each way. I know many people in Seattle and LA area and they are crazy for driving that long.

Also so you know the schools are rated in the 8 and 9 out of 10 in these areas. Hopefully this helps you in your search. Take care and have a great day.

[Tesaje]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

....and , I think that the tax system is more fair in Washington. That is , there is NO state income tax. If you shop in Portland (no sales tax) and live in Vancouver, I guess you would have the best of both worlds.

I wonder what happens if you buy something like furniture or a car in Oregon and have it sent to Washington. Do you pay sales tax (I am guessing yes) ?

On the surface, it would seem so. But there are some horror stories of extremely high property taxes in Vancouver in some places and no cap on the increases. According to the WA tax page, you are supposed to pay the full WA sales tax on all purchases regardless of where they were bought or the delta between the WA sales tax and the tax paid in another state.

It obviously is not very enforceable on a lot of stuff. A car would be impossible to slip by unless you practice a form of fraud. I was told that the cops were instructed to stop all vehicles coming from OR into WA if they looked like they were bringing in purchases to enforce the taxes but the police force balked at that saying they had enough serious crime to fight without harassing people.

The reality is that all places must find tax revenue someplace so no income tax means it has high tax somewhere else. If they don't then needed services are lacking and crime and quality of life gets compromised. Sales taxes are generally thought to be most unfair to the lower incomes as they pay the same rate as everyone and thus a higher percentage of their income in taxes.

I have found it very hard to get a grip on the actual tax bite in WA. In OR, I could work out my tax load fairly easily. That leaves me with a lot of questions about the comparative fairness between the 2 jurisdictions.

[nancy thereader]

Thanks. That was a great and very sensible explanantion.

[p730]

I am considering a job relocation to the Vancouver/Portland area. Currently I live in Southern California, and I am nervous about the weather and slower pace. I am in
my late 40's and single. Any recommendations about areas to live that are more
upscale and closer to higher end services? Also, I would love input on what it costs
to live comfortably in the Vancouver/Portland area. I have heard that certain "pockets" in the Vancouver/Portland area receive far less rain than other areas. Coming from 320+ days of sun a year, I need as much sun exposure as possible. Any input will be greatly appreciated!

[oldtintype]

You've heard wrong--same rain where ever you go. As for areas, if you're looking for upscale and closer to high end services you'll probably want to stick to Portland and check out the Pearl District. Living comfortably is relative to what you need to be comfortable! Best bet would be to do a cost of living calculator based on what you spend/how you live now.

The slower pace part made me laugh because depending on where you are in So. CA it may not be that different. Portland is not a little back woods town or anything--have you been here before? It's slower than San Francisco and parts of Los Angeles, but it's not a small town anymore either. Things tend to close up sooner, but if you stick to the downtown and Pearl area you'll probably find most of what you're used to now.