Have you retired in Eugene? (Portland, Salem: sales, real estate, mortgage)

[Khuselid]

Hi all,

We are exploring all of Oregon for retirement possibilities. Our kids live in Portland and may or may not stay there so we are looking for something more affordable but close to them while they are there. I am checking out all the Oregon forums and am particularly interested in hearing from those of you who are retired. Here’s our wants:
Walkable bike rideable location - to markets restaurants etc
Older house already fixed up or a newer home with some character
Liberal community with the feeling of community, a place we can get involved and give back
A real downtown would be nice no suburbs or remote locations

What are thing out have liked? Generally I hear lots of dislikes on the Oregon forums. Maybe you are trying to keep the population down?

Thanks! Kim

[oregonwoodsmoke]

It sounds to me like Eugene is probably the best fit for you in Oregon. It's the place I would have recomended after seeing your wish list.

Ashland would also suit, but real estate is more expensive and it is further from your kids.

[Willamette City]

We live in Oakridge and love it. It's about 40 miles south east Of Eugene. Housing is pretty reasonable. A $250,000 house in Eugene would be about $150,000 in Oakridge. Lots of hiking and biking opportunities. Better weather then Eugene/Springfield. The valley get's socked in with fog quite often in the winter. Oakridge has most services, two medical clinics, full service grocery store, Liquor store, MJ Dispensary, three convenience stores, three gas stations, 12 restaurants ranging from Dairy Queen, Subway, Deep Woods Distillery, Mazatlan Mexican restaurant, and others. It is 40 miles further from Portland. Also, pretty friendly people and some very nice Neighborhoods. Something to consider anyway.

[dodgerdog]

You should be able to get all of those things in Eugene, however the housing market is pretty tight and competitive, so be prepared for that. You'll want all of your ducks in a row when you begin your home search (I assume you want to purchase, not rent). It you're not paying cash, make sure you have a pre-approval letter from your mortgage company and understand that many homes in Eugene will receive multiple bids. If you find something you like, pounce. You may find property taxes a bit high here, too, depending on where you're from. However the lack of sales tax in Oregon helps make up for it.

I'm not crazy about the downtown, but that may just be personal tastes. One of my biggest gripes is the lack of decent and diverse restaurants, but if you're a vegan you'll be in vegany heaven. If you like to eat pizza every day of the week, you'll be fine as well. However I hope you're not a fan of Mexican food because it's pretty horrible here. They don't know a tamale from a chicken sandwich. They run the guacamole through a blender until it's the consistency of green mayonnaise. It's so bad on so many levels. They put corn and peas in their gringo tacos. They really should be cited for this atrocity.

Another thing I'll note. It's getting very crowded here. And I don't think they've really dealt with that fact as they tend to be resistant to development in general (is it an old hippie thing?). We really need more services here to accommodate the influx of newcomers. And yes, we WELCOME newcomers, especially those from California. Am I right, Eugene folks? I'd better be! The parking lot at the Market of Choice on W. 29th is a wild demolition derby competition for space on weekdays and if you go on a weekend, well you'd better get there early. I mean, before coffee early. Also, bring a lot of money. You'll need it. I recommend the cranberry scones. Or just go to Safeway, instead.

Last thing. If you are retirees on Medicare you may have issues with finding a doctor in Eugene who accepts new Medicare patients. We really need Kaiser to start taking Medicare, but so far--in Eugene-- they do not. This is a very concerning problem. Kaiser keeps promising they'll get here, but so far they haven't gotten south of Salem. Again, I'm writing about Medicare patients only.

Overall, mostly nice people, liberal, lots of opportunity to be outdoors and to contribute to the community. But the drawbacks are a tight housing market with limited stock to chose from (a seller's market for sure, which means many homes may not be updated), potential problems finding a doctor for older folks, and fairly heavy traffic.

And really awful guacamole.

Good luck!

[Jimrob1]

Originally Posted by dodgerdog

You should be able to get all of those things in Eugene, however the housing market is pretty tight and competitive, so be prepared for that. You'll want all of your ducks in a row when you begin your home search (I assume you want to purchase, not rent). It you're not paying cash, make sure you have a pre-approval letter from your mortgage company and understand that many homes in Eugene will receive multiple bids. If you find something you like, pounce. You may find property taxes a bit high here, too, depending on where you're from. However the lack of sales tax in Oregon helps make up for it.

I'm not crazy about the downtown, but that may just be personal tastes. One of my biggest gripes is the lack of decent and diverse restaurants, but if you're a vegan you'll be in vegany heaven. If you like to eat pizza every day of the week, you'll be fine as well. However I hope you're not a fan of Mexican food because it's pretty horrible here. They don't know a tamale from a chicken sandwich. They run the guacamole through a blender until it's the consistency of green mayonnaise. It's so bad on so many levels. They put corn and peas in their gringo tacos. They really should be cited for this atrocity.

Another thing I'll note. It's getting very crowded here. And I don't think they've really dealt with that fact as they tend to be resistant to development in general (is it an old hippie thing?). We really need more services here to accommodate the influx of newcomers. And yes, we WELCOME newcomers, especially those from California. Am I right, Eugene folks? I'd better be! The parking lot at the Market of Choice on W. 29th is a wild demolition derby competition for space on weekdays and if you go on a weekend, well you'd better get there early. I mean, before coffee early. Also, bring a lot of money. You'll need it. I recommend the cranberry scones. Or just go to Safeway, instead.

Last thing. If you are retirees on Medicare you may have issues with finding a doctor in Eugene who accepts new Medicare patients. We really need Kaiser to start taking Medicare, but so far--in Eugene-- they do not. This is a very concerning problem. Kaiser keeps promising they'll get here, but so far they haven't gotten south of Salem. Again, I'm writing about Medicare patients only.

Overall, mostly nice people, liberal, lots of opportunity to be outdoors and to contribute to the community. But the drawbacks are a tight housing market with limited stock to chose from (a seller's market for sure, which means many homes may not be updated), potential problems finding a doctor for older folks, and fairly heavy traffic.

And really awful guacamole.

Good luck!

This is some excellent information on retiring in the Eugene area. Especially the Medical Care.

Moving to an area where you have no connections is difficult enough. At an older age the difficulty is much more so. Finding a doctor taking new patients can be a chore. Then finding they don't want your Medicare. That is a serious problem, especially if there are serious health concerns. The location then becomes an impractical location for retirement.

The location one wants for retirement, may well be. Not really that retiree friendly. If the majority of doctors don't want your Medicare. Make sure you can find doctors, where you want to retire. Before you move there. I can't stress that enough.

[NW4me]

Originally Posted by Jimrob1

This is some excellent information on retiring in the Eugene area. Especially the Medical Care.

Moving to an area where you have no connections is difficult enough. At an older age the difficulty is much more so. Finding a doctor taking new patients can be a chore. Then finding they don't want your Medicare. That is a serious problem, especially if there are serious health concerns. The location then becomes an impractical location for retirement.

The location one wants for retirement, may well be. Not really that retiree friendly. If the majority of doctors don't want your Medicare. Make sure you can find doctors, where you want to retire. Before you move there. I can't stress that enough.

Good advice, but how do you run down that kind of information??

[Jumauslo]

I really think you should consider Salem over Eugene. It has all of the things you are looking for in its downtown neghborhoods and it's only 50 minutes to Portland. South Central is a great, walkable neighborhood, but it is a little pricey. Grant is also nice, improving, and just as walkable at a more reasonable price. Englewood is not quite as walkable, but you can find something nice for a little over $250K.

[Jimrob1]

Originally Posted by NW4me

Good advice, but how do you run down that kind of information??

Look up the local Medical Groups or Physician lists in the Eugene Springfield area. Call the numbers for these doctors. Start with Primary Care or Internal Medicine Doctors. As you will need them before Specialist. Ask them if the doctor is taking new patients, and if Medicare is accepted. If they say no. Then ask if they know of doctors that are.

You could also call the local hospitals. Many hospitals have a Find A Doctor service. In fact I would probably start there. When you find a doctor, and your sure your moving there. Then make an appt. Make it for a date far off enough, that you can move there and get settled in.

As I said earlier. I do not recommend an older person move anywhere, where finding doctors and medical care difficult. It is just not worth it. Eliminate the location off your list, and look for something more practical.

Finding a doctor anywhere America is a nationwide problem now. It is not just Eugene. Although the difficulty in doing so, is noticeably worse in some regions. Even a big city like Las Vegas has a serious lack of doctors. There has been warnings for retirees thinking of that area, to reconsider. Especially if they need Specialists. Here in Florida it can be absolutely horrible. Way to many people coming and going. Definitely a serious doctor shortage in areas of Florida. So many elderly needing doctors, yet so many doctors not taking Medicare.

Good Luck and plan accordingly.