House Hunting Trip (Eugene, Springfield, Redmond: for sale, real estate, apartments)

[LonePine]

Now retired, I've been looking for place to call home. One of my requirements is an environment that is low in UV penetration, as I have a hereditary condition making me sensitive to UV. Eugene seems to fit the bill in so many ways. I lived in Boulder for 5 years and enjoyed the rich political and social diversity, university art and music opportunities, bike paths, unlimited hiking and backpacking. Its my hope that being higher in latitude than my current home, Eugene will give me more freedom for the things I love to do under less harsh UV conditions that now limit my outdoor life.

I'm planning a house hunting and familiarization trip next month, as I've only learned about Eugene from virtual trips I am drawn to the South and West of Campus, as a good location to take advantage of the local culture while leaving the car in the garage. Other than relative costs to own, are there other issues that would make that area a bad idea? Also, what would be a good central hotel/motel location from which to make a house search?

Thanks in advance for any useful information, and enjoy your unique city.

[haggardhouseelf]

Hey LonePine. I hope you enjoy your Eugene trip. I don't know much about where we stand as far as UV issue... but if it has to do with sunny days, you might actually be surprised. We actually do get quite a bit of sun here, more than you might think. But like I said, I don't really know how to tell if a place is high or low in UV penetration.

There is a community up in the Redmond, WA area called Redmond Ridge. I don't know what cost of living your after - as it's pretty high up there, at least it was for a family of four - but the place would be great for a single person or a couple without children. We lived there for one year and had we not had children we would probably still be there. Redmond Ridge is a new community that was planned with the environment in mind. Most homes are being built according to new "green" standards, and they have incorporated miles and miles of hiking and equestrian trails into the community. There are many parks within the community, some with community gardens and some with fire pits for late-night campfires... it's a gorgeous little place. It's also nestled right across from a 800+ acre watershed area which has even more hiking trails. You also benefit from being just outside of the larger Seattle/Eastside area for when you want to go to the museums or catch a show or ferry over to one of the islands for a day trip. There's lots to do in that area.

Anyway - here's a link that talks more about Redmond Ridge in case you're interested: Redmond Ridge: a Master-Planned Community featuring Quadrant Homes and Murray Franklyn Family of Companies It's kind of divided up into distinct areas... one area for older/retired people... one area more geared towards families (this is the more affordable area which also includes condo's, townhomes, and apartments as well as more affordable homes)... and then another area which is just really expensive for anyone else who might be lucky enough to afford living there! Here's another link: Redmond Ridge Residential Owners Association - About Redmond Ridge

It was just too $$$ for us. We're a simple one-income family raising two boys in a chaotic two-income world. We thought living there would be ideallic for us, as we really love the outdoors and being out in nature... but the much higher cost of living mixed with the higher expectations and stress that are placed on children and families there (intense competitiveness, huge workloads, snotty-spoiled-overly indulged kids, etc...) just didn't make a good "fit" for us. Had we not had children, though, I think it would have been very enjoyable living there!

[haggardhouseelf]

Ooops! I forgot to mention that the reason I mentioned Redmond Ridge was because it is further north, has a lot more trees, and the year we were there we hardly ever saw the sun!

That was actually another reason I didn't really mind leaving and moving back to Eugene... I can only go so long without a sunny day. It felt extreme there... those long dark months. I personally couldn't handle it. I'm much happier in Eugene. I know Eugene is only 5 or 6 hours south of Redmond Ridge... but somehow even the days feel longer here. I think part of the reason it felt that way was because in Redmond Ridge there were so many trees that it blocks out a lot of the sky, making it seem darker. In Eugene, you're in the Willamette Valley where there are less tress, so it feels like you have more sky. Or, at least more exposed sky!

[Mr Eugenified]

In spite of all the babbling on the internet about lots of rain in Eugene, in fact, it gets a LOT of sun. Even on rainy days in the winter, it often turns into sunshine later in the day. So you should really think twice about considering Eugene as a place to avoid the sun.

I found this statistic on the web at Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed: "On average, there are 155 sunny days per year in Eugene, OR. The July high is around 82 degrees. The January low is 33."

(I am really surprised by the number 155, since it feels like there are a lot more sunny days than that. I wonder how they define "sunny day"?)

Anyhoo, we get plenty of sun here, so be aware and check it out in advance.

One idea to consider is to find a house in a shady area in the mountains of Eugene. There are lots of houses that are shaded by trees just about all day long. For me, it's the worst type of house to buy, but it might be perfect for you. For example, there is a house for sale now at 2470 Wilson. My wife and I really liked the house, but it is shady 24 hours a day. So eventually, we said no. Maybe a good place for you though. Not sure if this link will work, but you can also search for the address on the internet. Take a look at the main picture which shows the house fully in the shade. 2470 Wilson Dr, Eugene OR 97405 Home for Sale - Yahoo! Real Estate (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Oregon/Eugene/2470-wilson-dr:4dcc5d937c13efbae738f7b5e37c844 - broken link)

Hotel: when I made my first visit here, I stayed at Holiday Inn Express on Franklin (not the other one in Springfield). I would highly recommend it. A little noisy since the street is a busy one, but it is nicely located close to campus and not far from your areas of interest (South, Southeast, and Southwest). There are some other motels along 6th/7th but they are often quite grungy and unpredictable.

Let me know if you have any other househunting questions, since I just finished the "hunt" myself.

[Steve97415]

Originally Posted by Mr Eugenified

(I am really surprised by the number 155, since it feels like there are a lot more sunny days than that. I wonder how they define "sunny day"?)

"Days of sunshine" usually means "clear" and "partly cloudy" days combined, i.e., everything that's not "cloudy." NOAA's standard is that anything with less than 30% sky cover from sunrise to sunset is "clear." Anything with more than 80% is "cloudy." From 30% to 80% is "partly cloudy" (some forecasters say "partly sunny" if it's more than 30% but below 50%).

There is a bit more to the UV index issue than sky cover (including the latitude issue you mentioned). You might check sources like weather underground for a daily UV index number.

The Willamette Valley has a feast-and-famine climate cycle with regard to sunshine. Most days are cloudy from November to April, but of the remaining five months of summer/early fall, many days are entirely clear and only two or three are cloudy. By the time September rolls around, many valley residents are complaining of the dryness and relentless sunshine. Seattle or somewhere else closer to the coast might be a better bet for more frequent sky cover during the summer. Most of the established part of Eugene has a pretty good urban tree cover, though, so you ought to be able to find a nice shady neighborhood if you look for it.

[LonePine]

Thank you all for the quality responses. I too have been keeping close watch on the weather differences, over the past months. I live in the beach community of Carlsbad, CA., north of San Diego. With over 200 days of sun, within the excellent detailed definition provided by "Steve", and a water UV reflection factor that's "off the charts", I developed my current condition. The only relief we ever get here is an occasional Marine Layer and brief rain once every six months

As both Steve and Mr. E. recommend, I am thinking of a place within the trees and mature landscape cover. I will also have many of the windows treated with UV protection film and/or light limiting coverings which I now use most of the time. I'm also planning to take the drive over to your Coast, to see if there is enough of a community and necessary amenities for me to be comfortable. Otherwise, I'm sure I can find a house that meets my limited requirements and still gives me access to Eugene's markets and culture.

Thanks for your kind responses and useful information..........lp

[Mr Eugenified]

A little late, but thought I would like to mention that I added some pictures of south Eugene neighborhoods over at another post. You might want to take a look: //www.city-data.com/forum/eugen...ml#post9779097

It always seems to me that it is difficult to find real life pictures of an area. Mostly what you can find on the internet are either touristy stuff (which is nice, but let's face it, not a realistic view of life in most places) or real estate shots of the front of a house (shot with the sneaky real estate agent special fish-eye lens which makes everything look falsely nicer and more open). So that's why I added those neighborhood-y shots. I am thinking about collecting some more of these in a more systematic way and then posting them on the internet.

[LonePine]

Well, I made my trip to Eugene and was not surprised by things being pretty much as depicted in these Threads. I found it to be charming and much less pretentious than Boulder, in so many ways, driven primarily by the fundamental difference of the two economies. Boulder is a regional economy, fed by major Federal Labs, Denver's whole economy and to a lesser degree, the University. Eugene seems more a self sustaining economy with the University(s) being major contributors. Where Boulder is mostly a high tech. bedroom community, Eugene is a self contained economic unit that fosters more a sense of real community, where everyone, regardless of differences, is dependent upon each other, to some degree. Where it is possible to live in the Boulder environment and find work as far as your willing to drive, Eugene seems to be a Venus Flytrap for the economically unprepared. I can't think of many places where it would be more difficult to live without job or other financial resources............... But, I'm happy to say that I find the city perfect for me. I'll be making another trip in a few weeks to buy a house in Southeast Eugene. See you on the bike trails.

[Mr Eugenified]

Nice summary of Eugene. Welcome!

[Waterlily]

Good luck with your move LonePine! Once you settle in I'm sure you'll enjoy the Eugene area.
I Think you could be right about the economy over there. You've got to get a job that'll stay during the bad times as well as the up times.