Felida vs. Camas Vs. Salmon Creek vs. Fisher's Landing. Vs Etc? (Seattle: apartments, rentals)

[Taylor814ce]

Hi,

Several questions in regards to living in Vancouver area.

about me:
-Family of 5 with three kids age 10,6, and 0.
-Airline employee and will need to commute to PDX airport only 2-3 times per week at random hours.
-Company head quarter is in Portland but am based out of Seattle Airport.
-Would like to rent with budget of $2K.
-Prefer newer home and don't mind cookie cutter suburb feel.
-Wife will stay home with kids and likes to shop at places like TJ Max, Ross, etc.
-Neighborhood where we can walk to local coffee shop and stores would be a plus but not must.
-Must be safe to walk early morning or evening with kids.
-Lots of kids at playground with lots of kids activity a big plus(i.e. Tae Kwon Do, Guitar, Gymnastics, Soccer, little league, etc)
-initially rent but would like to eventually(couple years) buy a small place with budget of $350K.

Questions:

-Will I be paying income tax? I ask because I would be living in WA and based in WA but HQ is in Portland. what about if I eventually transfer base to PDX airport?

-Looking at Felida, Salmon Creek, Camas, Fisher's Landing, Ridgefield,etc. Which do you recommend?

Cheers!

[StealthRabbit]

Keep the family near and happy...
Fisher's landing for now(elementary), west camas for later

Stay based in WA. You will pay OR income tax (~5% effective rate) for ALL work physically present in OR ... monthly meetings...

Any of your chosen areas are fine. Camas will be easier for all. Very little downside. 10 min commute, good schools, activities, shopping, neighbors, police, few traffic issues. Gardening in Fisher basin is a challenge (gravel soils). Use raised beds and a small greenhouse ($200). Wind stronger than Salmon Creek. Colder temps during changes from high to lower pressure systems. Few times / month in winter. A big plus for me ( hiking, pics, water sports) = east Vancouver and Camas is 15 min from Columbia Gorge Scenic area. Both Washougal and Camas have trails and river access. Great home school groups, decent churches, (annual 1 week camping at beach with church friends was very fun for spouse and kids.). While the worker bees went home during the week and back on weekends. Homeschool group hired retired profs for 1 week field trips around PNW... geology week at Mt St Helens, and Smith Rock and Fossil Beds... marine week at Oregon ocean Science Center and PNNL in Sequim, Air and Space week at Seattle, AG week in apple harvest areas, ski week at Mt Hood or Bend..

Many options for families, very Ez access.

Eventually (high school) your kids and spouse may enjoy handy Clark College center near Camas. 80- 90% of our Camas friends used Running Start. Free FT college instead of High School. Some also did Camas HS + RS (public school by day, college by night) lots of sports potential in region too, including excellent access to sports fields (west Camas centric). + swim center... private, but accessible.

[texasdiver]

I agree with Stealth.

The East Vancouver area (basically anywhere in the square defined by I-205 to the west, Highway 14 to the south, Mill Plain to the north and 192nd to the east will give you the most options for decent rentals in nicer areas with good schools and lots of the kinds of walking and shopping that you want. Lots of the neighborhoods have trails and small pocket parks and playgrounds but are still close to shopping and restaurants. Plus you are closest to the airport. I would look at neighborhoods along 164th Ave. Fisher's Landing is the area further east. Cascade Park is the area further west. I'm not sure what the exact geographic boundaries of those neighborhoods are.

Camas is nice but more upscale single family housing and rentals will be hard.

Felida and Salmon Creek are nice but have less shopping and restaurant and coffee shop options compared to East Vancouver.

Ridgefield is too far away from the airport and too rural. There are lots of nice new subdivisions going in but few rentals and the nearest shopping is 10-15 minutes away in Salmon Creek. Ridgefield is where you go if you want your 5 acres in the country

[StealthRabbit]

Look as near here as possible (SE from here has single family homes)

https://www.google.com/search?q=tech...E,lf:1,lf_ui:2

Fisher Landing Fire Station
http://www.cityofvancouver.us/cmo/page/neighborhoods

Locations on West side of 164th are not as nice, EXCEPT near McGillivary / Fred Meyer, and south to Transit Center.

Next to Fisher's Landing School is most desired, but not as 'walkable' to shopping as Tech Center Park will be.

It is nearly impossible to get a boundary exception to Fisher School, so live next door or nearby if possible.
Shahala Elementary is a close second to Fisher (Across from Walmart / 192)

Personally... I would choose 192 as an area, rather than 164th (evergreen schools), and would also go north of Mill Plain as far as 28th St

I would avoid Orchards and Hearthwood (too many rentals / transient neighborhoods)

[lalip]

I agree with stealthrabbit. I would choose 192nd area of camas on the border of east vancover mostly prune hill entry to camas is best bet for your access to PDX airport it takes me 12 mins to PDX and that's the best thing for commute.

All the shops you find in easy access within 5-10mins drive along 192nd and at 164th Columbia crossing tech areas such as JCP Walmart Payless. Ross Kohl's

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by lalip

I agree with stealthrabbit. I would choose 192nd area of camas on the border of east vancover mostly prune hill entry to camas is best bet for your access to PDX airport it takes me 12 mins to PDX and that's the best thing for commute.

All the shops you find in easy access within 5-10mins drive along 192nd and at 164th Columbia crossing tech areas such as JCP Walmart Payless. Ross Kohl's

Just remember the OP has a rent budget of $2000 and a future house purchase budget of $350K That is going to be more and more difficult the further east you go into Camas. There are likely to be more choices for houses and apartments in that price range on the west side of 164th (Cascade Park) where it is still nice but a bit older area with smaller houses.

[StealthRabbit]

Yes, LOTS more choices... but... if you want OP's criteria and social comforts / expectations... you might need to DIG for the few gems that exist where you WANT to live...

I strongly suggest NEVER making concessions on quality of life (when possible).

OP sounds like they may travel as a career... (Me too)

When I am home.. (rarely) it is my retreat / safe / desirable / accessible / convenient place. I always wanted (and provided) that to those left behind each time I left for work!

It is worth the effort to DIG up your own deals. (They are usually best for YOU anyway!)

32+ properties, only used a realtor 2x, and those each flopped and I was very dis-satisfied with the location / purchase / price / terms. Could not wait to sell and had a very tough time doing it (Cuz they were what a realtor thought I needed (could afford,) not what I (or anyone else) WANTED. )..

All you need:
1) determine your desired area
2) spend countless hours driving around and locating gems
3) https://gis.clark.wa.gov/mapsonline/
4) make your offer (direct to owners) About the time they get their tax notifications

There are some special considerations when doing this, but I have a >50% success rate. and NO HASSLES / quick and ez transactions on the places I want, at the price I need to swing it.