Goldendale, WA (Seattle, Spokane, Yakima: comparable sales, sales, assessor)

[rsr]

Could anyone give me info about Goldendale? I would like to purchase a small lot (an acre but willing to go for 5 acreas) in a wooded area to have a modular home built. I also would like info about property taxes. I am retiring so my wife and I are not concerned about schools, etc. I would like to live quietly to read and write, have good internet service and cable TV. I am not into gardening but enjoy nature. I have through Goldendale before to go to the Klicktat River to fish for trout. It seems to be nice quaint community.
Thank you.

[finnegan]

Originally Posted by rsr

Could anyone give me info about Goldendale? I would like to purchase a small lot (an acre but willing to go for 5 acreas) in a wooded area to have a modular home built. I also would like info about property taxes. I am retiring so my wife and I are not concerned about schools, etc. I would like to live quietly to read and write, have good internet service and cable TV. I am not into gardening but enjoy nature. I have through Goldendale before to go to the Klicktat River to fish for trout. It seems to be nice quaint community.
Thank you.

If you are looking for acerage but still want internet that doesn't come with scratchy dial-tone on old copper wires and cable television, you'll probably have to live very close or in the town itself.

Goldendale is a pretty run-down town with a depressed economy, but yet land prices aren't that low because of the influx of folks from elsewhere buying property and driving the prices up.

G-Dale is scenic, with Mt. Adams dominating the horizon to the northwest and Mt. Hood to the southwest. Mt. St. Helens can barely be seen now that she's blown her top off. It is usually sunny in Goldendale, with hot summers and pretty darn cold winters. The one constant other than the sun is the wind.

I guess to advise you better I'd need to know what price range you were looking at for property. I'd suggest somewhere off of Rimrock road would be a nice place to look, but it's pricier up there.

[rsr]

Thank you very much for the information about Goldendale. Is the information about the same for Klickitat which is not far from Goldendale?

[Lani Furlong]

Aloha RSR,
We just purchased our 20 acre parcel 10 miles outside of Goldendale. [moderator cut] We are very happy with our purchase. Hope one day you are our neighbors! Happy land hunting.

Bill and Lani Furlong

[live4kidz]

I'm hoping this will get posted to the City-Data.com forum page. I was reading an older post about the Furlongs having settled on a 20 acre site in Goldendale and loving it. We made a trip there from Portland, OR area last May and had one day in Goldendale. Not much time - but drove to see parcels of land with views I didn't think existed anymore. I've been a city dweller for so long, and have longed to get back to a more natural setting.

Can anyone tell me what the property taxes in Goldendale area are as compared with Clackamas County? If not, do you know where I could find that info?

Someone else named Jeanne posted from Gresham that she and her husband have recently purchased acreage and had a manufactured home built. They sound ecstatic about their choice of places to retire and love the friendliness of the community. We are going back for another visit - this time for a couple of days or more, so that we can get more info. We know the town is not much of a town, from what we've seen, and that to get any real amenities, i.e. shopping, theaters, etc. we'll have to go to The Dalles - or even a bit further - the other way to Yakima. It would mean a change in our lifestyle, but we are looking forward to downsizing and switching gears. At this point, we feel trapped in our huge house with all the niceties and in our 60's it is quite the task to keep it up. We love to entertain, but I'd just as soon have a spare bedroom in a manufactured home and a sofa bed in the living room for kids and grandkids to come visit us in a place where we really want to be! It's about 125-150 miles for our adult children to make the trek, but our other possibility was Klamath Falls, and I think we've decided against it - the major reason being it is 6 hours from Portland and not easy for our kids or us to get back and forth for a weekend visit.

I enjoy hearing and learning about the Goldendale area. Thanks to all of you who have taken time to post!

[StealthRabbit]

Goldendale
I go there often, as some of my cars live there to stay dry. I have several friends living there, and 3 currently building on acreages.

The Klickitat county website should have GIS mapping and levy info.
here is a start FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I don't think it is terribly cheap, and since it is WA state... just calculate what you intend on paying for your place (retail value !!!, remember your labor saves you nothing on taxes when assessment is based on Fair market value) Multiply market value times the levy. $11.81/$1000 according to this site

Columbia Gorge EDA - Cost of Living

Thus $1181 for each $100,000 of value and be sure to project into the future at probably 7-10% increase in valuation per yr (thus doubling ~ every 8.5 yrs, tho has seen 20% / yr in each of last 3 (rule of 72=... 72/20... = double every 3.5 yrs!! = your taxes may be 8x in 10 yrs at a 20% equity growth rate... that's what happened to me...not pretty, now I have to leave the "cheap" farm I built from scratch))
This website does not tell the whole story, as it shows HR to be $15/ $1000 levy, but... OR does not tax 100% of FMV. It was about 50% last I checked, so HR would be less taxes than Goldendale on a equal valuation. I sat down with the HR county assessor to pound out some numbers last yr, and it was an enlightening experience (as it always is).

Goldendale has the potential to have props in forestry and farm rate, but BE CAREFUL, as you might owe back taxes if you change use (from forestry to home) Also, the exemption is only for the actual acreage set aside for that purpose. You will pay dearly for your "improved" homesite. Usually assessment grows ~ $25k for well and septic + $10k for power and road + land value, then add the house and shop / barn and decks and lighting and fences... It will not be hard to exceed $150k real fast, just for improvements.

DO NOT use current taxes as future projection, as they bump to sales price, and also in relation to comparable sales in area. The assessors know where the expensive comps are to get your values up... They must get evaluated on their revenue generation abilities...

Goldendale is a pretty nice place, decent schools and medical care; and much better weather then the we_tside (if you think dry is nice). People are friendly, land semi affordable. I was considering it, but no more, as too much contention from the other half (too dry, remote, too far from beach & Portland (future grandkids), not enough trees, not a pristine view, have to drive for everything (which is not cheap, even at 50 mpg...) Our friends usually drive to PDX or Yakima 1-2x / month, and The Dalles 1-2x/week, not a deal killer for most. A lot of BIG money from eastern Europe / Russia has flowed to Goldendale in last few years, and plenty of immigrants there which has raised prices considerably.

Do a search, there are a few threads on Goldendale and good points made in each.

[jessie16]

In reply to the various comments on Goldendale. Having lived here for 7 years now I have to say I love it. That being said, allow me to stress that there are very few jobs (except the new wind farms and you have to be trained) so I travel out of town to work. It is a close knit community that is hard to break in to. You have to really try, and be patient...So many people don't stay so the locals aren't going to invest a bunch of energy into you until they are pretty sure you will stick around..after that they are a wonderful group of people. This is not Seattle, or Portland. or even Spokane or The Dalles, it is a small farming community with 4 gas stations, 2 grocery stores, and a feed store...and more churches than bars. If you need other items then you are on your way to Yakima or the dalles. There is much property available some with rocks, some without, some with snakes, some without...If you choose Goldendale I can promise beautiful sunrises, sunsets, 4 very distinct seasons, a safe place to raise your children and still room to roam. Don't just move on a whim, be sure you can handle a small town and all that involves...If you can, welcome

[dachmom]

I agree with the last post.

a safe place to raise your children and still room to roam. Don't just move on a whim, be sure you can handle a small town and all that involves

with one warning.... I grew up in Goldendale and unless you live on a farm there is not much for the kids to do. Except drive to The Dalles (if they have a car) or party (alcohol,etc.) In fact, on graduation night, there was a HUGE kegger planned out at one of the student's house in the outskirts of town. I think the cops got wind of it (small town) and it didn't happen, but I'm sure there were a lot of other private parties going on that night. One of our classmates was pregnant when she graduated (what else is there to do?). Just a warning, not all kids are going to party, etc. but in a town without a lot of options, it's a good possibility. Once the community accepts you, it may take a while, but they will, it's a nice little community. My grandparents still live there, so I go back and visit on holidays, but I sure wouldn't want to live there anymore! I hear they finally did get a stoplight! When I grew up, it was just a blinking 4-way red light. It's definitely a slower pace lifestyle.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by dachmom

... I hear they finally did get a stoplight! .... It's definitely a slower pace lifestyle.

That leaves me out !! my criteria is to move to a county W/O traffic light, and Klickitat lost my vote when they added the light at HR bridge... (tho GD had one first..)

I think the OP is retired, no kids, just wants fishing on Klickitat.

I'd head up the road toward Glenwood, but be closer to GD

Troutlake for the wealthy and those needing better school, but still little to do, and necessity to drive for lots of services. But a very nice town, Prop taxes would probably kill you...

And yeah, rural farm / logging towns can be tough on some kids and their future (being with child in HS) This is a social dilemma, and for some families it is not a problem. We have all kinds in our extended family most who grew up in rural towns, some got preg in HS and stayed happily married 50 yrs, other much more pain, including lots of alcohol. But some become very productive and rose above the issue. I think it is really strange all coming from same blood, but... that's life. The most determining factor was 'involved and fun', but 'firm and consistent' parents, I could have done better at that task myself...sorry to say at this point...

[zeta potential]

Good Lord. I'm a contract worker who's worked and lived all over the U.S. for years, and am new to the Northwest. I sure hope the rest of the Northwest is NOT like this town. The nastiest, most in-your-face, pro-Union, welfare recipient "you owe me whatever I want" kind of folks I've EVER encountered (and many of them fail to bathe). There's nothing in Goldendale people-wise. The landscape is stunning and beautiful plus the harshness of winter doesn't bother me at all. But seriously, the clientele are awful. Very curt and confrontational. I've not led a sheltered life at all having worked/lived alongside nasty folks before but these people take the cake. Have 2 more months and am not sure I can refrain my tongue from letting some of them "have it". Suppose if you grew up here you won't mind it or even recognize the rudeness but as soon as my contract's up, I'm outta here. If I return it'll just be to climb the mountains (which are gorgeous). Too bad the people aren't as beautiful as the terrain.