Vancouver / Amboy (Battle Ground, Woodland: house, neighborhood, subdivision)

[x4givnx]

Can one of you locals tell me a little bit about the Vancouver area. I have just interviewed for a job in Amboy and am thinking about moving to the area.

How bad will the commute be between the two?
What is the proximity to snowboarding?
How is the cost of living in Vancouver? How far will $65,000 a year go?
What does a nice 3 bedroom house go for?
Is Vancouver growing rapidly?
Are there any cities in California you could compare Vancouver to so that I can attempt to picture it?

Thanks!

[PNW-type-gal]

The freeway part of the commute will be pretty much at the speedlimit, as there isn't really any serious traffic going that direction.

$300k gets a 2,000 sf house (+/-) in a reasonable, but not upscale, neighborhood. Your neighbors won't live in McMansions, and it'll be your typical suburban subdivision - relatively safe, comfortable, middle class. Ditto on the salary, which will fit right in.

Snowboarding is up on Mt. Hood (Timberline, Mt. Hood Meadows, Ski Bowl), which is about an hour away, depending on snow conditions - if it's clear and plowed, it's just over an hour, if you have to chain up down around Sandy, it's two hours. If you're trying to come back at 6pm on a Sunday night in season, it's probably 3 hours, because some moron in an SUV thought that 4wd meant he/she could go 60 and stop quickly in snow and slush, and the traffic is backed up at the accident.

Vancouver is a suburb of Portland - think of some of the commuter-heavy Inland Empire cities, like Ontario or Rancho Cucamonga. There are things to do and nice places to eat locally, but if you want a LOT of choice, you'll go into Portland, which is 15-30 minutes away from Vancouver via the I-5 or I-205 bridges over the Columbia River.

[x4givnx]

great info, thanks!

[jennyb315]

I grew up in N. Clark County. Vancouver to Amboy will take about 35 or so minutes depending on where you live. There aren't any freeways to Amboy-- it's a state highway. A friend is a teacher out there and lives in Battle Ground and on a good day it takes about 20 minutes.

Mt. Hood is about an hour away (depending on how many people are heading up there) and is a gorgeous place.

A nice, typical 3/2 house will go for at least $250,000 or more. The market is very quiet there right now so you may be able to find a bargin. Taxes are reasonable too. And there is no state income tax.

Vancouver/Clark County has grown very much since the late 80s. You will probably want to get your Cali license plates changed quickly especially being up in N. Clark County.

We just left Vancouver to move to Austin Texas and we miss the landscape of the area but definitely do not miss the 9 months of grey skies and clouds! Good luck to you!

[StealthRabbit]

If working in Amboy, you might want to cross the county line (north) and live in Cowlitz County. (and access Portland via I-5 through Woodland). Check the mill levy rates for property taxes if you are gonna buy. Cowlitz is 'distressed', so there are perks for certain business development. Clark County is terribly hard on rural residents. It is an 'Urban county', and you will be paying for "light rail" very soon. But... your property values will stay high, as it is a 'desirable', location.

[Pronghorn]

I lived in N. Clark County also. Lived there for 10 years. I now live in California.

I can not think of a city in California that is like Vancouver. Probably because of the rain. You should seriously consider the weather. It is not uncommon to have several weeks (at a time) of over cast skies and rain.

Amboy receives more rain than Vancouver. Quite a bit more. Look up weather.com and check average temperatures and precipitation.

I thought I would eventually adjust to the weather. Never did. That is probably the biggest reason for leaving.

Vancouver has all the needed infrastructure for daily living. Yes it is growing rapidly.

You should live comfortably on $65,000 per year. Money will go much farther in Vancouver vs. California. However, the cost of living is increasing rapidly.

Many of the locals have seen there way of life change with the rapid growth. The biggest new pressure on locals is the cost of living. If you are not from the area, you will be considered part of creating this problem.

As you may already know, the area is very beautiful. If you can make the necessary adjustments you will not find a prettier place to live.

[x4givnx]

Thanks everybody. We'll see what happens here in the next 12 months....