Where do you recommend within an hour of Eugene? (Springfield: rentals, cheap home)

[Sleam]

Hey folks, I'm coming out there in May/ June to scope out moving with work (Trader Joes). I'll have work. I'll be on a limited income though but hope to find either a rental or a cheap home within an hour of work. Right now, me and the dogs live in a cabin 45 minutes from work, somewhere I fixed up and made into a home, so I know I can do it easily enough with time.
I also write and publish so my TJ job is only part time. After being settled in NM and coming from England originally, I crave the ocean, cooler wet weather, hills to hike with the dogs, breweries to explore, artists and creative progressive people to chat to before I head home again. I'm not looking for a community as such, no churches or groups for me, but being around lefties/ hippies/ musicians or whatever you want to call us, those are my people.
So my question is this, which small towns do you recommend? I saw Lebanon has a brewery these days, some in Eugene, but housing in the city would be too expensive.
Thoughts? Ideas? Thanks and I'll follow up your ideas in summer when I'm there.

[Willamette City]

There are lots of smaller communities in the area within 10 to 30 minutes of Eugene/Springfield. Pleasant Hill, Creswell, Cottage Grove, Veneta, a little further out is Jasper, Lowell, Oakridge (where I live). I like Oakridge, because it's out of the Willamette valley and gets very little fog compared to the valley, but it's about 45 minutes from Eugene, so a bit of a drive.

Good luck on your search!

[Metlakatla]

Rentals in Eugene seem to be going up pretty fast. Maybe look out in Veneta; it would be an easy drive to the coast for short visits. Maybe Oakridge -- people do commute (but I would hate to), and rents are still pretty cheap. Brew pub is fairly decent -- Brewer's Union Local, especially if you like English-style cask ale. Lost Valley eco village sometimes has cabin rentals.

[bler144]

For the OP, what's your desired rental / purchase price.

There is some savings outside of Eugene, but almost nothing in the valley is cheap. An hour would give you some options in the coastal range or, as noted above, Oakridge, but again, how cheap do you need?

If you don't want to say, I'd probably look at the list above plus the area around Junction City, and maybe Albany, though Albany ain't as cheap as it used to be either.

The major downside of Oakridge is that the roads will be the most subject to inclement weather.

[Sleam]

Thanks, his helps. I can transfer to Corvallis, Eugene, or Bend so I'm looking at all three points of that triangle. Bend might be a better fit for me after 20 yrs in the high desert of NM! It seems hard to find rentals in each area for dogs and cats though, almost cheaper to buy a cabin in the outskirts of town. Lots to think about! Thanks again. S

[oregonwoodsmoke]

I don't know where the Trader Joe's is located in Eugene. If you look at a map, there is a string of small towns lining the McKenzie River Highway. Those are wonderful little tiny towns, with outstanding scenery and recreational opportunities. I don't know if they are an hour's drive to Trader Joe's or not.

The road between Florance, on the coast, and Eugene is a good one, but there are times of year when it is going to be a very slow drive. On a clear day with no traffic, you might make it in an hour, but not in the summer when the road is clogged with slow moving motor homes and not some days in the winter when the road is icy or the many days in winter when there is heavy fog. To live near Eugene and do a weekend at the coast, or even a day trip, is very do-able.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by Sleam

....... Bend might be a better fit for me ........

I haves some of the low rent rentals in Bend and employees of Trader Joe's can not afford the rent unless they are married with a spouse who makes a good salary. I know, because when employees of Trader Jo's transfer into Bend, they always want to apply to rent from me.

On the outskirts of Bend, you can buy a 1070's mobile home on 1/2 an acre for $175,000- $250,000. Those can not be financed, so you would need all cash. You might possibly find a small house to buy in Prineville or Madras. Prineville is less of a commute, but judging by the amount of traffic, I'd say that a lot of people live in Madras and commute to Bend.

You might be able to buy something in Crooked River Ranch. That's a nice place to live and it is about an hour from the outer edge of the Ranch to Trader Joe's. It wouldn't take as long to get to Bend from the entrance of the Ranch. The road is generally good and a lot safer than trying to drive to bend form La Pine.

La Pine is cheaper but it's a long drive from La Pine to the north edge of Bend where Trader Joe's is located. Roads are bad in the winter and you'd have to drive all the way through Bend in heavy traffic.

[bler144]

The Eugene TJs is in the Oakway development right at Coburg and I-105 / Rt 126. Pretty convenient for coming from anywhere via the I-5 corridor. Even coming from Oakridge you'd hop on I-5 up to 105, and voila.

Coming from the coastal range I'd guess it would be a bit less convenient, at least if coming in at rush, which I kinda doubt would be the case here.

[Sleam]

How about the Mapleton/ Swisshome area? What kind of community is there? Religious? Progressive? I keep to myself mostly but I don't think I can live in a small town where make-up and church is a focus...

[Metlakatla]

Swisshome in particular would be an awful commute. There might be pockets of your people in both communities, and more as you get up to Deadwood, but I wouldn't do that commute for anything.