Need Recent Opinions on West Salem (Portland, Eugene: appointed, real estate, crime)

[Kazoo2016]

Hi All,

We have narrowed our search down to the Salem area for our retirement destination (from Chicago), our 30 y.o. daughter lives in Portland, and after numerous real estate research trips we now feel that the Portland area is having a hyper real estate bubble and the housing is too expensive. This is true of many hot areas we considered such as Austin, Seattle, Asheville, Bend, etc. so we think being outside Portland we will get more house for the money (can spend $400K) and it will be a little less hectic. We loved Lake Oswego and Bend, but there too the prices are now crazy and nothing nice for $400K (we worked with realtors there). We were very disappointed with the dilapidated look of Vancouver, which is why we started to explore south of Portland, although we know the tax situation would be better in WA.

Spending one day driving around Salem (w/o a realtor) we came across West Salem and appreciated the newer housing construction, although it does seem like suburban sprawl. At my age I don't want much maintenance, we'll hire out for lawn mowing, but we don't want an older home and it appeared that much of Salem is older housing stock.

I researched this forum and learned about the huge spiders, but does anyone know of any downsides to retiring to West Salem? Coming from Chicago any level of crime will be better than here! It seems easy to get to Portland for visits. I've read most Salem posts of the last two years but there's very few on West Salem. We came across several subdivisions which seemed to have been constructed in the last few years. I've read that Salem is boring, slow paced, middle class and that sounds Great to us! Perfect actually. So, what's the downside? Specifically West Salem.

Thanks!

[Silverfall]

The only downside to West Salem is that you have to cross the bridge for pretty much everything. Roth's on Wallace is a nice grocery store and there are a couple of good restaurants out West. Everything else is over the bridge. Probably not a huge issue since you are retired and won't have to travel at rush hour times. The new construction in Salem is far south, in Keizer, and out west.

West has good resale since it has good schools. West is very safe. It is only the flats that have a higher crime rate.

[leastprime]

WS resident. Above HS. I commuted to Beaverton for 20 yrs.
Cross bridge isn't a problem except in the AM for commuters. Then again in 4:30-6pm. You can cross in 5-10 minutes with max backup. We mostly in the AM for Courthouse Fitness center, then go over bridge for other stuff (Costco, doctors, etc).

Probably. Our home. View. Home orchard and 6 big raised garden beds. Fenced. In 70's development. Gentrified-neighbors are retired as we are.
At 400' elev. Eola Hills.
About 5-8 degrees cooler than Salem Airport weather station,
Nice afternoon breeze beginning at 4pm (summer) that arises from valley's inversion, heat plume, and coastal influence. Can have a 20-30 degree change in an hour.
Winter time, we are just above the frost zone (warmer). It's very striking to see how the transition occurs. Or if it snows, we are in the snow zone for winter inversions.
Tree fruits will ripen 5-10 days later than Valley floor. Lots of micro climes.

[leastprime]

OP:
We have a son (31, single) in Seattle. We are thinking about moving there for the city life.
We commute to Seattle by Amtrak because the traffic thru PDX and Tacoma-Seattle is horrendous to what it used to be.
WS is convenient. We can get to all parts of Salem in about the same amount of time because WS is more centrally located. There is a couple of fitness centers with the most popular being Courthouse. We use the facility because it is a complete facility with low cost classes with long hours. The branch public library, a riverfront park, a baseball/soccer complex, newer schools and the oldest school. Highend grocery store (Roths) and Safeway. Most everything for retired or beginning family would need. No highend restaurants.
Salem is the cross roads E/W (coast to Eastern/Central Oregon) and N/S between PDX/Corvallis (OSU)/Eugene (UO) with a easier air connection to Calif and major western cities than PDX but not as frequent.
A small general university (Willamette, oldest west of Mississippi) and a small Christian college (Corban).

You should be able to get a new construction for <$400k, single floor, 2000-2500sqft or build to spec.
If you look, you may find a home/property with a view of the Valley and Cascades/Mt Hood, Mt Jefferson/Mt St Helens.
WS is full of wineries/vineyards. You would have no trouble in having an afternoon/evening at a winery for music and light dinner, Sunday Brunch.
Our home is high enough and along Pacific Flyway-Willamette River to Baskett Wildlife Refuge where it is fairly noisy in the winter months from the geese trying to gain altitude from the updrafts of the Eola hills.

WS High School has lighted all-weather track and field. tennis courts all lighted. Public accessible.

[Kazoo2016]

Thanks! We are trying to find a realtor who specializes in West Salem.

[leastprime]

PM me if you want a local WS realtor. I contacted him today while walking Mom's dog in the Park. Never did make it to exercise-hot tube. Had to see the Doc up the road.
we decided to sell some acreage in WS and contacted a local WS realtor (major office is across from WS library) who is a retired middle school teacher and lives in the homestead house of the realtor who sold us our property 35 years ago. There is more history to this, but another story.

[SandraRose2016]

Thanks leastprime, I enjoyed your post and all info. We too are retiring to Salem and after many trips to Salem we like West Salem the best.