Considering relocation, where is realistic? (Portland, Salem: for sale, real estate, rent)

[CapitalCityTodd]

So, the wife and I are considering relocating here, and I was hoping to get some input on realistic expectations for housing costs in particular, and help in narrowing down areas that I might want to consider. A little background:

This isn't just an average person with a hair in their ass. I have been considering the area for a few years, we have spent time visiting (in fact I'm currently here right now spending about 10 days visiting and travelling around the area and Bend). We are in our early 40s, empty nesters. The wife is a middle school teacher with a Master's degree and 20 years' experience. I am a social worker. We currently living in Austin (actually a suburb just north of it), where our combined salaries are around $105,000. It looks like her salary here on average would jump about $9-10k from studying, but mine would be flat, or possibly a touch lower.

We are hoping to find something in the range of 3 bedroom, 2 bath, in a decent neighborhood with decent schools. I assume what we're looking for isn't too possible in actual town, as we would hope to keep housing costs to 300k. We could possibly afford more, but prefer to keep it to about 300 if possible. Is there anywhere here that could accommodate those goals? Thanks for any input or help!

[Michi527]

300k for a 3 bedroom house? Not in Portland. Closer to 450k.

[StealthRabbit]

Look North of Columbia River for (income tax free) jobs in EDU...
~ 10 min to Oregon from your home on the north side of River. (prices lower, schools / funding better) 250+ Oregonians move across the river every month.

Lots of housing cost pressures at the moment in Portland metro (including north of the river... tho less)

a downturn may come, but this is a desirable area, so there will unlikely be a crash in housing prices (except on the HIGH end)

For Portland area... I would search East side (Damascus, Estacada, Sandy, ...)

[CapitalCityTodd]

Originally Posted by Michi527

300k for a 3 bedroom house? Not in Portland. Closer to 450k.

I'm not looking for high square footage. My current condo is a 3/2 1400 sq foot. Could go lower, as empty nesters, but I'm an artist in my free time and I am hoping to keep an art room and a guest bedroom.

[jjpop]

I think if your wife is bilingual she will have an easier time finding a teaching job. Consider some of the semi-rural towns outside of the metro area for less expensive housing. Woodburn comes to mind.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

I think maybe you will land where you can find jobs.

Dont forget to look at Salem. It's a pretty town, easy to get around in, good hospital, good shoping, close to lots of good outdoor activity, cheaper real estate than Portland or Bend.

Salem is more sedate, so not for heavy partiers, but if you don't need night clubs, there are decent restaurants and it is close enough to drive to Portland for the traveling Broadway shows and all games. Easy drive to coast, mountains, skiiing, wine country tours.

[texasdiver]

Been there and done that with moving from TX and finding a teaching job in the Northwest.

My recommendation is for your wife to pursue both a WA and OR teaching license long distance. I did it all back in Waco. Had to take some certification tests at the local Kaplan test center and do some fingerprint screens and such but no real big deal. Then apply to teaching jobs in the entire metro area from Ridgefield north of Vancouver to Salem south of Portland. And just see what pops. Every district pretty much uses the same online application system so once you get the documents together for one district, the others are easy to apply for. I did some Skype interviews from back in Texas and some in person interviews. The job I took was via a Skype interview and never saw the school or met anyone in person until August a few weeks before school started. In terms of salary and benefits I saw about a 15% increase going from a teaching job in Waco to one in the Vancouver area. But the cost of living increase was more like 40%. Food, gas, and housing were all more in the PNW. Only things that were cheaper were electric and water bills.

I have less advice about your profession. But my perception is that the social service agencies in both states are underfunded and understaffed. One you have employment nailed down the housing options will sort themselves out. You don’t want to buy or rent a place in the south metro like Wilsonville and then land a job in Vancouver or vice versa.

Over where we live in the Camas/East Vancouver area you can get a small 3 br 2 ba home in the 1600 sf range for about $350,000 that will be a nice clean upscale neighborhood with top quality schools. Similar to say Cedar Park in the Austin area. For example, this listing is in a very nice area on the border between Camas and Vancouver within walking distance of two groceries and a variety of parks, restaurants, and Starbucks, etc. And you are 10 min from Portland.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...66113733_zpid/

$300,000 will more likely force you into a townhouse or small fixer upper in perhaps a less nice neighborhood. I’m less familiar with hot current market on the Portland side of the river but my perception is that you are going to pay 15-20% more for an equivalent home in an equivalent neighborhood. Unless you go down all they way to the Salem area which will be perhaps 15-20% cheaper than Vancouver.

[Michi527]

Originally Posted by CapitalCityTodd

I'm not looking for high square footage. My current condo is a 3/2 1400 sq foot. Could go lower, as empty nesters, but I'm an artist in my free time and I am hoping to keep an art room and a guest bedroom.

There is a 700sq ft 1 bedroom house near me for sale, it should be torn down...it's 375k. SE Portland.

[Nell Plotts]

If your wife can find a teaching job in the vicinity of Vancouver take a look at Ridgefield, Camas.

Hospitals use social workers to consult with families where the patient will be going to a care setting. You could look for that type of job once you are here and have familiarized yourself with our care service providers. Maybe shadow a social worker in a hospital discharge position.

Hard to know if a social work background is a track to becoming a school counselor.

The work commute from the greater Vancouver area to Portland is beastly. Add that to the fact that if you work in Oregon you pay Oregon income tax even if you live in Washington (sales tax and fees, no income tax). I don't recommend it.