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Hello! My husband accepted a position in Beaverton, which is where we are living temporarily. We plan on spending the next month or so exploring potential areas to buy a home. Lake Oswego is the only place we have explored outside of Beaverton (only been here a week!). That is definitely on our list of places of interest. Any suggestions on areas that have a similar vibe? I understand with our price range that we have slim pickings when it comes to LO, though.
Some Criteria:
- No more than a 30 minute commute into Beaverton (the Nike area)
- We are trying to stay away from a "cookie cutter" home, as that is what we owned in Vegas. We are not completely opposed, however...it all depends on how well spaced the homes are.
- Max price range around $400,000
- Be on the outskirts OR have a small town feel
If I need to be more specific with any criteria, please let me know.
Also, any information on the greenbelt I hear some people talk about would be nice. In general, any tips would be nice! I feel so lost right now. Vegas was home for eighteen years...I knew my part of town well. I know it will take time to get my bearings here, but any little tidbits would be appreciated!
Location: Winter nightime low 60,summer daytime high 85, sunny 300 days/year, no hablamos ingles aquÃ
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If you were to know only 1 thing, it is this: STAY CLOSE TO WORK! The traffic in PDX metro area is horrible (11th worst in the US) and getting worse every year.
Due to UGB (Urban Growth Boundary) the distances do not appear long on the map, but all the road, freeways as well as secondary roads, are packed and moving at snails pace.
Also, the ethos in PDX is different than in Vegas. Cars are useful tools, but we don't worship them. We drive them when it makes sense, use alternative transportation when it does not. A large portion of us bicycles, takes the bus, train or even walks to work - alien concepts in Nevada, CA or most of US, but part of life here.
Bicycle commuting in 110 degree Vegas heat probably never crossed your mind. Here it is not only doable, but actually enjoyable.
Now, on to your specific situation. I commuted to nike in 2011 and 2012, and know the entire west side area intimately. Beaverton traffic is simply awful. It may take 30 minutes to drive just 5 miles. Just to cross TV Highway (Hwy 10) may take 10 minutes in rush hour.
Forget Lake Oswego, or even Tigard, your husband will spend quarter of his day in the car. Living there while working at nike is for people who are stuck in their homes and have no other choice but to fight the traffic - you can live wherever you want.
To the west you have Aloha. An affordable area with some nice pockets, but also many sketchy places. An OK place to live, but would not be my first option.
Instead, look either to the south, or to the north.
To the south you have the nicest part of Beaverton (south Beaverton). Very safe, still quite affordable, and just alongside the Greenbelt- lots of place to run, bicycle etc.
Greenbelt is great! Did you know you can start on the banks of Tualatin River in the south, and hike the Greenbelt trail all the way to the Tualatin Hills Nature Park in Beaverton - a distance of almost 10 miles, with only occasional street crossings.
If schools are of any interest - the Beaverton School District is pretty good - better than most schools in Portland. The only downside of south Beaverton is the said Hwy 10 - a bear to cross. If you decide to live there, consider non-standard work hours. Other than that, a very, very nice area to live. Don't go below SW Weir Rd. The Murrayhill area south of it gets very congested.
To the north, you have even better options - Bethany and Rock Creek. They would match your requirement of "Be on the outskirts OR have a small town feel". Both Bethany and Rock Creek are on the border of UGB - outside you have forests and fields - great bicycling and hiking areas. Crime is low, schools are good, house prices are reasonable. Lots of nike and Intel employees live there. You have the Rock Creek powerline trail there - very similar to the Greenbelt in Beaverton.
Interested in taking some classes? Portland Community College (PCC) has a very nice campus in Rock Creek.
Almost forgot - a little over an hour drive to the ocean.
South Beaverton, Bethany and Rock Creek have all the amenities you will ever need - shopping, gyms, movies, restaurants etc.
Keep your commuting distance to no more than 5 miles and you will enjoy living there.
Quote:
We are trying to stay away from a "cookie cutter" home, as that is what we owned in Vegas. We are not completely opposed, however...it all depends on how well spaced the homes are.
South Beaverton has some Las Vegas - style homes. However, most of the houses there are fairly new, but built on quite private lots with lots and LOTS of trees around them.
Bethany and Rock Creek have a mix. There are many new subdivisions there where houses are spaced closely together. However, there are also many older homes on large, private lots. So you will have a choice.
PS. one more thing. Wherever you buy, don't buy in Multnomah County (where Portland is located) Much higher real estate taxes with nothing in return.
PPS. did I mention live close to work? After living here for a while, you will truly appreciate it.
PPPS. The MAX (light rail) goes by Nike. If you happen to fall in love with a place other than what I mentioned, make sure it is on the MAX line - an easy car-free commute.
Last edited by skiffrace; 11-15-2013 at 07:18 AM..
What skiffrace said! Even traffic going from one part of Beaverton to another can be really slow during peak times. Beaverton has homes at many price points, many beautiful areas, many many parks and trails. Thoroughly exhaust the Beaverton market before you go looking further afield.
Btw we live basically across the street from south Beaverton and as skiffrace mentioned, it is a really nice area to live, shop and walk.
Wow! Thank you for all that information skiffrace! We did quickly realize that the traffic/roads here were very different from Vegas. :/ That, and being away from family, are probably the two biggest challenges we face living here. And maybe fleas...did not have to worry about those.
I mentioned Lake Oswego because a coworker of my husband lives there and claims it only takes him 30 minutes to get to work. My husband does have a flexible morning schedule...show up between 7-9. He is more of the 7 am type of person...will that help avoid some heavy traffic? What would you consider the morning and evening rush hour times?
The three places you mentioned...Bethany, Rock Creek, and south Beaverton are on the agenda for this weekend now. Again, thank you for all of the advice!
Location: Winter nightime low 60,summer daytime high 85, sunny 300 days/year, no hablamos ingles aquÃ
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Quote:
I mentioned Lake Oswego...
Lake Oswego is a great place to live if:
A) You can easily afford it. It's the most expensive "suburb" of Portland. Your budget of up to $400K will be a stretch. You may find something there, but you can buy a better house for less money elsewhere. and
B) You have school-age children. LO is so expensive because its schools are very good, and people are willing to pay a premium to live there.
So, if both A and B are true for you, LO can be a consideration, if you are willing to put up with commute (more on that below)
Quote:
...a coworker of my husband lives there and claims it only takes him 30 minutes to get to work. My husband does have a flexible morning schedule...show up between 7-9. He is more of the 7 am type of person...will that help avoid some heavy traffic? What would you consider the morning and evening rush hour times?
30 minutes commute from LO to nike is possible IF you live on the western edge of LO, and take off at 6 or 6:30 the latest.
Rush hour starts before 7, and extends past 9. Afternoon rush hour is even worse, it starts shortly after 3, and does not end before 7 PM or so.
IMHO, LO is not worth it. I lived there once for a while (well, kind of, my GF lived there, and so did I in a way)
It's nice, safe, lots of trees, good schools, but, as I said, you can find these qualities in many other places, for less $$$
LO has a bit of a 'snob appeal' ("I live in LO, and so I am better than you") In reality, there are many better and cheaper alternatives.
Quote:
And maybe fleas...did not have to worry about those.
Fleas! Really? Do they die from heat exhaustion in Las Vegas :-) ?
In my 17 years here I never had an apartment or house with fleas problem...
PS. Forgot about Cedar Mill. It's the area east of Bethany. Add it to your list - your best chance for unique, private homes.
Last edited by skiffrace; 11-15-2013 at 12:51 PM..
One small correction to skiffrace's excellent post - TV Highway (aka Canyon Road further east) is state highway 8. State highway 10 is Farmington Road (aka Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway further east). The two are mostly-parallel; they come close together in downtown Beaverton and get further apart the further you go in either direction.
Fleas! Really? Do they die from heat exhaustion in Las Vegas :-) ?
In my 17 years here I never had an apartment or house with fleas problem...
Lol...nope, fleas do not live in the dry Vegas heat. While at the pet stores here I heard that this year was one of the worst they had seen for flea infestations, so I freaked and started researching online. Which led me to trying out diatomaceous earth (food grade) as a preventative measure.
Adding Cedar Mill to the list now. I am thinking that north of Sunset will be our main attraction this weekend. I saw in another thread that Forest Heights had an awful HOA? It looks like another nice area to look into, am I wrong?
Lol...nope, fleas do not live in the dry Vegas heat. While at the pet stores here I heard that this year was one of the worst they had seen for flea infestations, so I freaked and started researching online. Which led me to trying out diatomaceous earth (food grade) as a preventative measure.
Definitely one of the worst years. People whose dogs never had fleas, has fleas. It sucks. DE (diatomaceous earth) works great, especially for getting rid of fleas in carpet in bedding. Just know that it dries out the skin on the dogs (if you're using it on them) and they shouldn't inhale it. It's the only thing that helped contain the infestation I was dealing with in SoCal before I moved.
FYI. Not sure if it's prevalent here, but I know in SoCal Frontline started to not work on fleas. I've heard it's the same here, but only really asked a couple of people. So if you do need to change meds, don't go with Frontline.
Oh, and use Capstar. It's a great product and helps you control the problem. It's expensive and not a permanent solution, but it helped me get things under control, along with the DE. Especially since it's not like you can give your dog more flea meds.
As for Lake Oswego, I live in LO, but on the west side. It's nice, people keep to themselves, aren't really the types to chat you up. I know a woman who has lived closer to downtown LO and the lake and , she said her neighbors are always in her business, making sure she's not doing anything "illegal". Meaning, the nosy neighbors are town watch. If that bush isn't cut right, they'll let her know. One of her neighbors has a bee hive, and the neighbor has the attitude of, it's none of your business, although the bees have attacked them, stung them, in their house, hanging out in their property, etc. She's ready to get the heck out of there! Not sure if that's everywhere in LO, but she generalized it being like that when you own a home. I live in an apartment, so I'm sure it's different.
Incidentally, from what I can see, that 11th worst ranking is for the I-5 northbound corridor. Only. Not the city as a whole.
Don't live in Vancouver and work in Portland, and it's not a factor.
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Again, thank you for all of the advice!
