housing in eugene (Springfield, Corvallis, Cottage Grove: real estate, foreclosure, rental)

[jinx98521]

Hello! My family and I (long term boyfriend, 2 kids, myself, and our german shepherd) will be moving to oregon around June (when my kids finish this school year). We are hoping to find a 2-3 bedroom "fixer upper" house for less than 100k (either in Eugene, Springfield, or very close by). Is it possible to find a house for so cheap in the Eugene/springfield area (without being in a "bad" part of town)?

We currently live in Tennessee and we are more than ready to leave. I work from home (a growing online business selling handmade fashion and fandom inspired jewelry via etsy/ebay, as well as scented soy candles and jewelry supplies), so i can bring my job to Oregon with me. Eugene/Springfield appeals to us because it is very liberal (here in TN, we constantly have to hide out in the bedroom to avoid church people knocking on our doors to talk about religion and we always see offensive bumper stickers on cars, such as "Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve".. I am not against religion and I mean no offense to anyone, we would just prefer somewhere a little more open minded & less pushy/ judgemental), it is bike friendly, the winters are milder (we would rather have rainy winters than snow and ice), there is a Saturday market (I can set up my business there occasionally), and there are plenty of outdoor activities (we love nature)..

We currently own a 3 bed/ 1 bath 1530sqft house in TN and we will be profiting about 15-20k when we sell it, which we will then use as a down payment for a new house. I would prefer to buy a cheap "fixer-upper" house, rather than renting a house long term, because its a better investment, mortgage payments are usually cheaper than rent payments, it is difficult to find decent rental properties (fenced yard, at least 2-3 bedrooms) within our price range (up to $800 a month) that allows German Shepherds (they are a "restricted breed"), I enjoy fixing up my home in whatever way I want (painting, flooring, landscaping, etc..), and i want to permanently settle into a house of our own (I don't want to keep moving my kids all around, if I can avoid it).

If finding a house (or even a spacious mobile home on its own land) for under 100k in a safe area near Eugene/Springfield sounds impossible, are there any other cities you would recommend? We are looking for a place with liberal views, plenty of nature, a chance of job opportunities (my boyfriend will eventually need to find at least a minimum wage job somewhere), decent schools, mild winters (freezing weather and constant snow is a big no-no for us), and hopefully, though not necessarily a requirement, bike friendly (less pollution and gas is a good thing). Also, I like the idea of being within driving distance to the coast, mountains, etc..

Any input/advice is appreciated! I know June is several months away, but I like to have a plan in mind. As of now, I have no idea where we will even begin once we sell our current home. I've never sold a home and moved across the country with my family before..

[Metlakatla]

In case I missed anything, let me just say I have problems reading large bricks of text; no offense.

What you're looking for might be difficult to find in Eugene proper, but you'll find some okay deals the farther you get out of town. You could consider looking up in Westfir (about 40 miles up Highway 58) or maybe Oakridge, possibly Veneta going toward the coast. The farther out you go, the more house you'll get for your money. Springfield will be less expensive than Eugene (for now), and I also suspect that buying there might be a pretty good investment.

[jinx98521]

Thanks for your reply! I'm sorry about the "large brick of text". Haha. My original post was made from my phone. I've done some editing, so hopefully it's easier to read now. I will certainly look into the cities/towns you mentioned.

I'm not sure if it's just the time of year in which there aren't many housing options (?), or if there are more real estate options in person (rather than on zillow, estately, etc..).. But every time I do a housing search online, just to get a general idea for what's out there, I hardly ever get any results.. Mostly mobile homes in mobile home communities or very run down single wides (neither of which will work for my family).

We will most likely have to find a temporary monthly rental (hopefully we can find one with our "restricted breed" dog *sigh*) while we are house hunting, and the sooner we can buy a house and get settled, the better. I am constantly having packages/supplies shipped to me for my work, so I need to have a shipping address asap once we move.. Therefore I would hate to travel all the way to Eugene/Springfield and stay in a temporary monthly rental property, just to find out there are no housing options available to fit our needs..

Btw, I think we are leaning more towards Springfield as of now. With housing being cheaper in Springfield and it being a good investment (I like homes with potential).. Also, i need to be within driving distance to a couple craft stores (hobby lobby- coming to springfield soon, I hear.. and michaels..) for a few of my necessary crafting supplies.. Are there any areas we should avoid in Springfield?

Sorry for all the questions, but thanks for your time!

[bler144]

Anywhere in Oregon is going to be liberal compared to TN, particularly on issues of religious dogma. Not to say there isn't religion here (from the liberal to the fundamentalist), just that it's less predominant.

Under 100k for a house in the Eugene metro (in the valley generally) is a tall order. Springfield realistically you're probably looking at 130-150k. In terms of parts of town, I wouldn't be excited to live on Main/A or along the rail tracks.

In a few more remote towns you could potentially be in the 110-130 range, and if you assume the market keeps slowing there's a chance you could find a bargain on a foreclosure.

[melody daniels]

Originally Posted by jinx98521

Thanks for your reply! I'm sorry about the "large brick of text". Haha. My original post was made from my phone. I've done some editing, so hopefully it's easier to read now. I will certainly look into the cities/towns you mentioned.

I'm not sure if it's just the time of year in which there aren't many housing options (?), or if there are more real estate options in person (rather than on zillow, estately, etc..).. But every time I do a housing search online, just to get a general idea for what's out there, I hardly ever get any results.. Mostly mobile homes in mobile home communities or very run down single wides (neither of which will work for my family).

We will most likely have to find a temporary monthly rental (hopefully we can find one with our "restricted breed" dog *sigh*) while we are house hunting, and the sooner we can buy a house and get settled, the better. I am constantly having packages/supplies shipped to me for my work, so I need to have a shipping address asap once we move.. Therefore I would hate to travel all the way to Eugene/Springfield and stay in a temporary monthly rental property, just to find out there are no housing options available to fit our needs..

Btw, I think we are leaning more towards Springfield as of now. With housing being cheaper in Springfield and it being a good investment (I like homes with potential).. Also, i need to be within driving distance to a couple craft stores (hobby lobby- coming to springfield soon, I hear.. and michaels..) for a few of my necessary crafting supplies.. Are there any areas we should avoid in Springfield?

Sorry for all the questions, but thanks for your time!

hi, i WOULD MOVE TO sPRINGFIELD IF i HAD MY CHOICE,. aND IT'S BETTER FOR KIDS, and cheaper, THE PRICE OF LIVING IS CHEAPER IN sPRINGFIELD. iT'S PROBABLY SAFER; SOMEBODY TOLD ME, he has a family, he would NOT live in Eugene for anything.there are no advantages to living in Eugene anymore is not a nice little town; that moved to Springfield.

[Sherwoody]

Originally Posted by melody daniels

hi, i WOULD MOVE TO sPRINGFIELD IF i HAD MY CHOICE,. aND IT'S BETTER FOR KIDS, and cheaper, THE PRICE OF LIVING IS CHEAPER IN sPRINGFIELD. iT'S PROBABLY SAFER; SOMEBODY TOLD ME, he has a family, he would NOT live in Eugene for anything.there are no advantages to living in Eugene anymore is not a nice little town; that moved to Springfield.

Dude!

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Your income is from Etsy and your boyfriend doesn't have a job. Have you spoken to any banks about a mortgage? You might have a difficult time qualifying.

For under $100,000 and financable, you will find lots of cute house available in Toledo Oregon. It's a very small town, but an easy drive to Corvallis, and it is about 10 miles from the beach. There is a lumber mill, so possible jobs for the boyfriend.

[jinx98521]

I haven't spoke with any banks about financing yet. I'm only assuming I would qualify for a mortgage because I have 2 years worth of self emplyment taxes, along with a good credit score and a great track record (I'm keeping my fingers crossed). I will definitely look into Toledo. Thanks!

[Lizzaa]

Originally Posted by jinx98521

I haven't spoke with any banks about financing yet. I'm only assuming I would qualify for a mortgage because I have 2 years worth of self emplyment taxes, along with a good credit score and a great track record (I'm keeping my fingers crossed). I will definitely look into Toledo. Thanks!

If you private message me I can give you the loan officer we dealt with two years ago. We closed in 30 days and are self employed. You have a mortgage so maybe you know but banks hate self employed people. You need to be twice as prepared as someone with a standard job. Everything has to be completely in order and all your profit and loss for the current year needs to be completed. They are not going to be just letting you turn in your tax returns. We met our loan officer face to face at closing. I told him he knew more about my husband and I then my own mother.

You really must get pre-approved though asap or you will not know where you stand.

Finding anything within driving distance from Eugene is going to be difficult to impossible for under $100k. You can try rmls dot com or john l scott dot com. They are my personal top two real estate listings for our area. I personally would look south of Eugene at Creswell and Cottage Grove. Both are off I-5 and while not an easy commute (cottage grove is farther) they can both be doable. Either is probably your best bet in your price range. I saw your other post on Oakridge. I wouldn't move there if anyone in your family needs to drive to Eugene everyday or even regularly. Highway 58 can be very dangerous even in good conditions. No way would I want to drive that often during the icy season.

[northwesty]

Originally Posted by melody daniels

hi, i WOULD MOVE TO sPRINGFIELD IF i HAD MY CHOICE,. aND IT'S BETTER FOR KIDS, and cheaper, THE PRICE OF LIVING IS CHEAPER IN sPRINGFIELD. iT'S PROBABLY SAFER; SOMEBODY TOLD ME, he has a family, he would NOT live in Eugene for anything.there are no advantages to living in Eugene anymore is not a nice little town; that moved to Springfield.

From her post in another thread, I think Melody wants to sell her house. Maybe you can work out a deal?