Moving to Portland area with family (Beaverton, Lake Oswego: spring break, crime rate, how much)

[Mitchlx]

I know threads like this have been posted but I see most are outdated and I'd prefer new information.
My family currently lives in the Oakland Hills part of the Bay Area of California. We own a house that cost about 1.3 million and has 4 bedrooms 3 baths and 3,000 square feet. We recently went to Portland for spring break and we fell in love with it. Our budget is 1.5 million and we're looking for something for acreage so we can get another dog. We would like 4000+ square feet and be able for my wife's mom to move in with us. Good schools are super important to us and the crime rate should be preferably low. We already have two stay-at-home jobs so that doesn't matter. Our sons are ages 11 and 7.

Thanks so much!

[Nell Plotts]

You can find houses that meet your needs but with acreage could be tough. How much land do you think you will need?

[Nell Plotts]

Be aware that Skyline school is a K-8 because of the amount of time it takes to bus kids to West Sylvan Middle School. Homes with acreage means kids spend more time on a school bus. Your children will doubtless want to participate in club sports which can require schlepping them all over the west side of Portland.

There is a home on the market in the Riverdale School District that I think fits your needs to a T but it is on only 3/4 of an acre. The Riverdale School District is sometimes called Oregon's public private school because of the cost of homes in it's enrollment area. That location is between Lake Oswego and Portland.

Steer clear of EIFS and synthetic stucco building cladding. Many have had problems with that in our climate.

[oldtintype]

If you like the Oakland hills you might like a lot of the neighborhoods in the SW hills. It reminds me very much of the Oakland hills, particularly as you get up around OHSU. However, none of the homes in the SW hills come with acreage and most are more like the yards you'd see in the Oakland hills with terraces and slopes (though maybe a bit flatter and many with actual yards).

[christiner81]

I agree with the Riverdale suggestion, for the best schools. You might also find some houses/land that meets your criteria in West Linn. Do you prefer public or private school? Do you prefer being closer to city type amenities (grocery stores,Target, etc) or is further out in the country OK?

[christiner81]

Originally Posted by oldtintype

If you like the Oakland hills you might like a lot of the neighborhoods in the SW hills. It reminds me very much of the Oakland hills, particularly as you get up around OHSU. However, none of the homes in the SW hills come with acreage and most are more like the yards you'd see in the Oakland hills with terraces and slopes (though maybe a bit flatter and many with actual yards).

Actually, I found 4 homes in the SW Hills area that meet the OP's criteria, anywhere from 1-3 acres. Some of them may be zoned for Beaverton School District since that area is right on the border of Portland/Beaverton public school, so I would consider private school depending on which school boundary the home is inside. To the OP - check the address with the school district web sites, the schools listed on the MLS are not always correct.

[oldtintype]

Much of the SW hills is Ainsworth/Lincoln, which are on par with Riverdale.

[crisw]

Dogs don't require acreage, so I'm not sure how much land you really need...

[Mitchlx]

Originally Posted by christiner81

I agree with the Riverdale suggestion, for the best schools. You might also find some houses/land that meets your criteria in West Linn. Do you prefer public or private school? Do you prefer being closer to city type amenities (grocery stores,Target, etc) or is further out in the country OK?

My 11 year old is going to a private school next year but we have great public elementary schools so my younger son goes there. I'd prefer to be close to the city (within 40 minutes) with amenities around. Any public school with a 9-10 great schools rating and good test scores. So yes close to city type amenities is pretty important.

[Nell Plotts]

In that case consider homes in SW Portland (Lincoln enrollment area) or Riverdale School enrollment area. West Linn is nice but not as close to the city as you desire.