Oregon vs. Washington? (Seattle, Vancouver, Bellevue: sales, real estate, condo)

[ANON42]

We are seriously considering moving, but don't know where yet. The top of our list is Oregon. However, after reading a lot posts on this site, I lean toward WA, but my hubby still set on OR. Oregon vs. Washington?

We have two young kids (3 and 5), so education (good public school), low crime, family place with an easy access to all cutural acitivities will be a must for us.

I like WA because of no income tax. However, I don't know if it will give me a benefit if I am still working with my current company but remotely from WA. My understanding is that most company will still pay me as if I am still in the state where I was hired.

[Ultrarunner]

Depends on where geographically speaking you would like to call home...

I know several California natives that have relocated to Washington just across the river from Portland Oregon...

They range from pleased to very pleased with their decisions... Washington State has no State Income Tax and Oregon has no State Sales Tax... kind of the best of both worlds.

I would try to find a climate that you both like with homes in your price range. Be sure to factor in the local property tax when doing your comparisons... A few people in Washington have been shocked to find large, unexpected Property Tax increases due to the influx of Californians driving up the price of Real Estate.

[dajam_fxdli]

Hello,

My Persoanl choice would be the Eugene area, very nice, good school, close enough to the mountains and the ocean. People are much more freindly there than here in the Seattle area. I have lived here for almost 20 years and stiil find the area very smug..

The weather in Eugune is significantly better and traffic is minimal. It is also a college town.

My 2 cents worth.

[ANON42]

Thank you for your inputs. I am really like the idea of no income tax in WA. However, it still comes down to where in WA. Our budget for housing would be in between 200K - 280K which is not much for WA I suppose. I used to live in Bellevue many many years ago for 3 month during summer. I loved it so much I want to move there. I was in shock to discover that I cannot afford anything there, not even a condo. Sad. Also, I don't really know my experience there should be counted, because I was there during the best time of the year. The weather there concern me a bit. Does it get a bit better if it is toward the south?

My hubby has an old restored truck (his first trunk), which is promissed to my 5 years old daughter. When we move, we have to sell it. My daughter said that she is willing to trade the truck with the beach. So, Vancouver (WA), Camas (WA), McMinville(OR), Sherwood (OR), Corvallis (OR) came to minds. Cities are not too big but close enough to all the acitivies and beach, right? What's else are good choices for family oriented enviroment with low crime and good school?

Other things, I read a lot about education funding issue in OR. Yes, it will definitely has higher standard than where I am at. Let say, my daughter just started her Kindergarden in August. On the second day of school, she already got hyped up with what she will get if she can sell lot of Happening books. I don't mind the idea of raising fund for school but using kids is another story? I just got second fund raising package from school today after only one month. Is this type of things normal OR (assuming from the lacking of fund)? Does extra activities in school cost extra, like music, swimming, etc.? Sorry I am sound stupid. I am not familiar with US educational system. I wasn't grow up here. I grew up in Thailand where we can just be kids and don't have to worry about selling anything to anyone.

Another things, someday I would like to open Thai restuarant. This is not a priority at this time, but I would like factor this in our decision as far as where we are going to be.

[thirtysomething]

Unfortunately, the whole entice-the-kids-with-junk seems to be a US-school norm. I guess I can't blame the schools....if there's no money, there's no money. However, sometimes it seems that the minute one fund raiser closes, the next one begins. (I'm on the PFC/PTA, so I'm all too familiar with the "whys").

As far as other costs, that probably really depends on the district. I know in Chicago we paid a 'student fee', whereas here in California, we don't (but we do have to provide copy paper!!)

[Haakon]

Originally Posted by ANON42

I like WA because of no income tax. However, I don't know if it will give me a benefit if I am still working with my current company but remotely from WA. My understanding is that most company will still pay me as if I am still in the state where I was hired.

WA finds ways to make up for no income tax, the elected officials here add or raise taxes on everything else to cover the missing income tax. If the people vote to repeal a tax through the initiative process the officials spend the rest of their term filing lawsuits and/or looking for loopholes to bring the tax back.

Schools in WA are a mixed bag. There is a lot of emphasis placed on the WASL test so many schools teach to the test rather than teaching the students. You may find these interesting: Education | WASL numbers disputed | Seattle Times Newspaper
Crosscut Seattle - How to fix Washington's graduation standards

Oregon may have similar, or even worse, problems in education I don't know one way or the other, but if your children will be going to public school Washington is not the best choice.

[pm352000]

The housing market is down and you will find alot of inventory in sw washington in your price range at this time. compare to years past. as far as the portland verses washington. It's the school issues that I would think are the largest reason we get portland buyer comming over into washington. You don't have state tax but if you work in portland and live in washington it is less advantagious in taxes. Also when you sell property in washington you have excise tax that you pay. The schools in washington vary from district to district.
best of luck! pam

[watkins911]

Hi Everyone,

I have lived in California all my life and now my husbands job is relocating us to Portland OR. I have been doing alot of research in Portland and have alot of questions on schools and real estate. We will be selling our home here and purchasing something either in OR or Vancouver WA area. I have been reading alot of posts here by others and just taking in all the info. that everyone gives. I have noticed that it is going to be a big change from CA as far as weather goes but we will have to adapt. I heard that property taxes are high in OR, are they the same in WA.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by watkins911

Hi Everyone,

I have lived in California all my life and now my husbands job is relocating us to Portland OR. ... I heard that property taxes are high in OR, are they the same in WA.

Prop taxes are quite similar, but vary a lot, check out what your taxes will be in each specific neighborhood, and base it on the sales price, NOT EXISTING taxes... there are places that have not had taxes updated, or are on Senior deferrals or 'forest land' / Ag.

If you are physically working in OR then... you will have to pay OR income tax irregardless of where you live, probably would be my choice to live where I work, and avoid the commute. (It can take a lot of hours off your life). But, schools are a consideration too. So many have had to resort to private schools, and they are very spendy, and not always good either.

You might have to 'try a few places on' to see how they fit.

[sees21]

My husband and I were just in WA to check out a retirement area for the future, and I heard an interesting interview on a radio station while driving through that might interest someone with children. The State of WA has a program for college education savings where you put the current cost of the college education into the child's account (over a period of time) when the child is young, and then the state will pay the full price at the time of the actual education. I think the program was called "GET" as in "get an education", but I'm not really sure. You can probably look it up on the state's website. I remember think how great that would be for someone with children.

Perhaps that might be of interest to you in your decision-making process.