Towns in OR for us? ~ If you are up for a challenge~ (Portland: transplants, sales)

[seven of nine]

Originally Posted by aggie-o

Okay folks, I’m “putting it all out there” in case anyone has any brilliant suggestions…Real estate agents included as we are not working with anyone yet.


We live in N. CA now and want to move in early to mid 2011 (and *hoping* property values go up by then at least somewhat.) Taking a guess, we’d have approx. $400k to work with total at most.

• Most interested in OR but possibly WA. (Not the “dry side” as we want the trees, milder summers and cold winters w/ some snow is fine.)
• A small-ish-medium town. Anything more than 60,000 pop would probably be larger than we want, but not so small that it’s a major trip (more than 15-20 min) to get to a Target and basic shopping. [In my ideal world I’d live in a town or very close to one with Target, Costco and Trader Joe’s or similar. ]
• Ideally we’d like some land..a few acres would be great, an acre would be good, a half acre would possibly be acceptable.
• We’d like a nice (somewhat “upscale” type of town). It’s not that we need to shop at posh stores, per se, we just want the atmosphere of a place with cute shops, nice little cafes, etc. and a more upscale feel overall to the town—I don’t know how to describe it other than that.
• GOOD schools and LOW crime are of prime importance.
• We do not want a backwoods-y “hick town” by any means. From what I’ve gathered, to purchase property somewhere outside Portland we’d be looking at that type of atmosphere, is that pretty accurate? I would also be concerned that the schools for a more rural area would not be too great either. Does anyone know of areas where land could be purchased and a nice 3/2 home built (& possibly live in a mobile home during construction which it sounds like complicates things) for around $400K total that would NOT be a “hick” town and be anything close to what I’ve described above? If we could find the land for around $100k we could purchase that ahead of time, then build when we sell our home.
• If the land/building thing doesn’t work for us (as I’m guessing it’s asking too much to find the town I’ve described), then what towns that fit the descriptions above could you suggest? To give you an idea of what appeals to us, Lake Oswego sounded ideal at first, but for roughly $400k-ish it sounds like we’d end up with not such a nice home and certainly not on a large lot. We don’t want to end up being “the poor folks” in a nice town just to be able get into the town if that makes sense. If we just don’t have enough $$ to spend to make it work in LO, we need to look for a town that would have a similar feel as described above.

To sum it all up: we need a place where I won’t be looked down on for not having a Louis Vuitton purse but where it’s also not required that my husband drive a pick up and own a shot gun. My apologies to all those I’ve offended with this post.

I would look at Bend/Sisters area.

[walkerdawg]

Oregon, in my opinion, having lived there, is a failing state that depends on taxation to clean up it's woefully inadequate politician's self interest serving lawmaking and spending.

If you value your children, your marraige and your belongings along with not supporting the agendas of google eyed loons on the far left and not spending your hard earned dollars on Politicians Play move to Washington. We left Oregon for Washington and would never go back!

The schools are some of the worst in the nation.

Violent gang crime is out of control in most cities in Oregon compared to Washington and it is believed the government choses less law enforcement because busting more criminals will show more reportings of crime which would look bad for the state. Works for Oregon politics.

The self proclaimed 'progressives'-whatever that is suppossed to mean-will support any bill or taxation that gives them a venue to garner attention and prolong their rights to have sex with minors, smoke marijuana and have enough jingle left over to be viewed in their most expensive up to date China made attire while proceeding to get drunk on Friday and Saturday nights in the Pearl District and popular hot spots in Lake Oswego, etc.

Real people, not snobs, live in Vancouver, Washington which is a nice city so long as Major Pollard and his cronies are beat back enough whenever they want to join forces with the failure that Portland is.

[PNW-type-gal]

What nonsense. We get it, from your other 5 or 6 identical posts - you aren't happy here and want to leave. That's fine, but your "opinion" is the most negative spin you can put on all of Oregon.

[aggie-o]

Thank you to walkerdawg and davefr for your sincere replies. I appreciate it. As I said in my post, I was "putting it all out there" and clearly that was my mistake, since so many of you have responded harshly to a sincere querie about towns in Oregon. The "challenge" part simply meant that I know it's a challenge to find the kind of town with all that we are looking for-- it looks as though that got taken the wrong way, too. And my attempt to jovially describe the atmosphere we'd like was apparently a bad idea on my part. I've seen many other posters use phrases similar so I didn't think it was going to start a war for Pete's sake! [And for those who misread it, I said I wanted a town where I wouldn't be looked down upon for NOT having a designer handbag. I also never called anyone a hick or said I hated being around hicks--I tried to describe a town as being "backwoods-y or "hick" which is a term I've seen used to desribed various towns and counties many times on this board.] I'm sorry to all those who took such offense. I guess I am not skilled at posing questions appropriately without ruffling feathers around here.

[subsound]

Originally Posted by walkerdawg

The self proclaimed 'progressives'-whatever that is suppossed to mean-will support any bill or taxation that gives them a venue to garner attention and prolong their rights to have sex with minors, smoke marijuana and have enough jingle left over to be viewed in their most expensive up to date China made attire while proceeding to get drunk on Friday and Saturday nights in the Pearl District and popular hot spots in Lake Oswego, etc.

So what you are saying is that anyone who labels themselves as a progressive, even though there is no set definition and no club to define who is involved, always want's to have sex with minors, do drugs, wear cheaply made fashionable knock off clothes, and spend tons of money at clubs?

[Leisesturm]

It actually irks me more when people that have been called on the carpet for being smarmy try to defend it on the basis of their good intentions or precedence set by others or some other subterfuge. I don't think I have ever seen a more concentrated example of every single hot button of California stereotype as the original post. Swift and negative reaction was assured. You got what you wanted (needed?) so, lets move on. A lot could change by 2011 anyway, the hot picks suggested in this thread may not be so hot by then. The entire USA might not be viable by then. Lets hope it is and lets hope you spend your time learning sensitivity and empathy because if you actually come up to Oregon with your disdain on you won't have nearly as good a time here as if you can learn to live and let live. Even if you live in a community of CA expats or some such you will occasionally have to go down to the General Store for grub or ammo and you will have to interact with plain folk in a civil manner or they just might carry your outhouse off in the middle of the night.

H

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Todd.LA

I agree with the critics of the OP. It's fine to express your lifestyle preferences when asking for advice about where to live. But it's totally unnecessary to denigrate others' lifestyle preferences (e.g., driving a pickup, owning a shotgun) or to use a derogatory word like "hick" to describe others. That tone is especially unfortunate, since Oregon has long had social and political divides between its urban and rural residents and between longtime Oregonians and people who recently moved to Oregon (often from California). Talking about how much you hate being around "hicks" whom you fear will judge you negatively for owning an expensive handbag only reinforces negative stereotypes that some Oregonians have about Californians.

Very well put. If the OP cannot understand this she truly should not move to Oregon. I am not saying that to be critical; it's just that hers is the attitude that Oregonians dislike. I don't think she will find what she is looking for in this state.

[Metlakatla]

Lets get this straight...

where land could be purchased and a nice 3/2 home built (& possibly live in a mobile home during construction which it sounds like complicates things) for around $400K total that would NOT be a “hick” town

You'll be living in a trailer and yet you're worried that you might have the Clampetts for neighbors...

ok.

To give you an idea of what appeals to us, Lake Oswego sounded ideal at first, but for roughly $400k-ish it sounds like we’d end up with not such a nice home and certainly not on a large lot. We don’t want to end up being “the poor folks” in a nice town just to be able get into the town if that makes sense. If we just don’t have enough $$ to spend to make it work in LO, we need to look for a town that would have a similar feel as described above.

You want someplace like Lake O. but without that price tag. Good luck with that now.

I drive a pickup and have a shotgun (and no one's ever called me a "hick"), an affinity for Coach handbags and cashmere socks et al.

It ain't (it's a real word ) either/or...plenty of people drive them old pickup trucks right up to those quaint little old cafes and shops you so desire.

If you don't want people looking down on you, I suggest that you don't look down on others.

I have a brilliant suggestion: stay in Cali.

Yee haw.

[Hatinhemet]

Ive read alot of comments about californians, and they offended me but now i can understand where you are coming from. Not all californians are so thoughtlessly condesending. But i am born and raised in Ca and i see myself some what of a hick. To tell you the truth this is probably the reason a lot of californians want to leave.

[meltinjohn]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Lets get this straight...



You'll be living in a trailer and yet you're worried that you might have the Clampetts for neighbors...

ok.



You want someplace like Lake O. but without that price tag. Good luck with that now.

I drive a pickup and have a shotgun (and no one's ever called me a "hick"), an affinity for Coach handbags and cashmere socks et al.

It ain't (it's a real word ) either/or...plenty of people drive them old pickup trucks right up to those quaint little old cafes and shops you so desire.

If you don't want people looking down on you, I suggest that you don't look down on others.

I have a brilliant suggestion: stay in Cali.

Yee haw.

I was just reading over this thread and I must say that this is the typical subdivision suburban **** I cant stand. The people who want a Lake Oswego/Concord, Lexington MA kinda town but cant afford it so they move into these glorified "perfect" working poor/just somewhat above poor neighborhoods and next to FL, California has lots of those. Also those 2 states are the WORST for foreclosures so real living with clampett kinda neighbors works for me.
Me, do I want a bunch of lowlifes? no but I can at least be tollerant if even half of them live in my area. As long as I have my own place and my own space, Im fine and doesnt matter who my neighbors are.