Besides Flagstaff, where would you like to live that's similar? (real estate, homes)

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by popwar

I was reading towns just outside of Bend are cheaper such as Redmond.

No doubt, places like Redmond, Terrebonne, Madras, are all going to be cheaper to live, but you still need to find a job, unless you're independently wealthy or working remotely. These types of places are where you find people with advanced degrees working as baristas in Starbucks!

[CCS414]

Originally Posted by cjseliga

I've never been to Bend, but hear it's an amazing place to live, if you like the outdoors, very "touristy" though!

I feel Bend is one of those places where everybody who loves the outdoors wants to live, but unless you're a doctor, lawyer, businessman, or able to work remotely and get paid really well, it's a super expensive place to live.

They're all super expensive. Bend, Boulder, Durango, Carbondale, Jackson Hole. And quite frankly Flag isnt much cheaper these days.

[cvarcher]

Folks, Ive been looking and researching places out west for 3 decades at least. Even while working and finishing my job here in NY I had always wanted to live out west. I dont need to work anymore as I get a pension and social security. And I own my home fully so selling that for a even trade or a little more expensive house out west is very do-able . YEt right now retired 11 years and still stuck in the mud Im as confused as ever!! If it isnt forest fires, or short summer long rainy winters, droughts, homeless camps, no good medical support or international airport nearby , its the air or water quality or just plain too congested with people. My dream was to have a small cottage on a nice fishing lake . Just about every home on a good lake is in the millions. otherwise its a brown water algae filled "typical Bass Lake. The South has affordable but the humidity and lake water is what I just mentioned plus jet and water skiers screaming all over the place . The upper midwest has some good lakes and affordable water fronts if you like 8 months of freezing winter. Same for new England States. I realize now that America is finally filled up and there is no end to the influx of desperate people looking for a safe place with opportunity and freedom that we have here.
No more pristine places. Even Alaska is filling up. How many have seen Buying the Yukon homes TV show. Pristine South Pacific Islands are being bought up by rich people as well. Its pretty much over. This ol Earth cannot take any more human population growth. I guess my dream of living out west was in fact just a dream.Kevin Costner got it right in Dances with Wolves when asking for a post at fort Sedgwick he told the captain he wanted to see the west before it was gone.

[jamies]

Originally Posted by cvarcher

Folks, Ive been looking and researching places out west for 3 decades at least. Even while working and finishing my job here in NY I had always wanted to live out west. I dont need to work anymore as I get a pension and social security. And I own my home fully so selling that for a even trade or a little more expensive house out west is very do-able . YEt right now retired 11 years and still stuck in the mud Im as confused as ever!! If it isnt forest fires, or short summer long rainy winters, droughts, homeless camps, no good medical support or international airport nearby , its the air or water quality or just plain too congested with people. My dream was to have a small cottage on a nice fishing lake . Just about every home on a good lake is in the millions. otherwise its a brown water algae filled "typical Bass Lake. The South has affordable but the humidity and lake water is what I just mentioned plus jet and water skiers screaming all over the place . The upper midwest has some good lakes and affordable water fronts if you like 8 months of freezing winter. Same for new England States. I realize now that America is finally filled up and there is no end to the influx of desperate people looking for a safe place with opportunity and freedom that we have here.
No more pristine places. Even Alaska is filling up. How many have seen Buying the Yukon homes TV show. Pristine South Pacific Islands are being bought up by rich people as well. Its pretty much over. This ol Earth cannot take any more human population growth. I guess my dream of living out west was in fact just a dream.Kevin Costner got it right in Dances with Wolves when asking for a post at fort Sedgwick he told the captain he wanted to see the west before it was gone.

I'm afraid you are right. So many of us chasing similar dreams. As I drive through places like Wyoming and even here in AZ all the "good" places are far out of reach. Many of those big $100 million dollar ranches you see out west are either handed down through generations or have been bought up by the oligarchy and foreigners hiding their money from abusive governments.

A large issue is all the non-productive federal land that is exploited by foreign companies stripping our mining resources or used for grazing while the majority of the citizenry is packed into small private enclaves, surrounded by natl forest or BLM land.

Maybe it's time the government starts releasing some of the land they are hoarding, so people can LIVE on it, like they once did with homesteads back in the day. I'm not saying turn national parks into high rises, but there is an immense amount of public land that maybe should be allocated to the "People," at affordable prices.

[Rogarven]

I wanted to go to Prescott but wife wouldn't move. I like it better than Flag. JMHO

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by popwar

any particular towns?

Delta, Montrose and Grand Junction.

[PacNWpibble]

Originally Posted by cjseliga

I've never been to Bend, but hear it's an amazing place to live, if you like the outdoors, very "touristy" though!

I feel Bend is one of those places where everybody who loves the outdoors wants to live, but unless you're a doctor, lawyer, businessman, or able to work remotely and get paid really well, it's a super expensive place to live.

Bend resident here. You don’t have to be a lawyer or doctor to live here, you can camp for free anywhere you want! Bring your drugs, too, it’s all allowed now. Bend WAS amazing. Sadly it is rapidly going downhill, becoming known as Little Portland. The homeless camps are unbelievable. Our city council has not only allowed it but they’ve encouraged it. They have ordered police to not enforce loitering and illegal camping laws, and “Good Samaritan” groups bring food, supplies, porta-potties, etc to these areas. Add to that, our state has legalized hard drugs. No penalty for carrying your heroin around with you, as long as it’s under a certain amount. Every highway off-ramp, and several streets around town have been completely taken over by the “houseless” (the word “homeless” is no longer acceptable, it is considered demeaning). It truly looks like Skid Row in sooooo many places across the city. On top of that, the city council is pushing so much development, tearing down our forests and beautiful landscape to cram in crappy looking cookie-cutter housing on postage stamp sized lots. It’s been truly shocking to witness how quickly our city has changed for the worse, quite dramatically in just the last year. I had wanted to live in Bend for many years, finally made it happen some years ago and LOVED it so much the first couple years. But this past 1-2 years I have been heartbroken by the direction it’s taken. And I don’t see it turning around, it’s too far gone.

Hence why I am here in this forum. Looking for a new Bend-like place... only smaller, and more conservative.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by PacNWpibble

Bend resident here. You don’t have to be a lawyer or doctor to live here, you can camp for free anywhere you want! Bring your drugs, too, it’s all allowed now. Bend WAS amazing. Sadly it is rapidly going downhill, becoming known as Little Portland. The homeless camps are unbelievable. Our city council has not only allowed it but they’ve encouraged it. They have ordered police to not enforce loitering and illegal camping laws, and “Good Samaritan” groups bring food, supplies, porta-potties, etc to these areas. Add to that, our state has legalized hard drugs. No penalty for carrying your heroin around with you, as long as it’s under a certain amount. Every highway off-ramp, and several streets around town have been completely taken over by the “houseless” (the word “homeless” is no longer acceptable, it is considered demeaning). It truly looks like Skid Row in sooooo many places across the city. On top of that, the city council is pushing so much development, tearing down our forests and beautiful landscape to cram in crappy looking cookie-cutter housing on postage stamp sized lots. It’s been truly shocking to witness how quickly our city has changed for the worse, quite dramatically in just the last year. I had wanted to live in Bend for many years, finally made it happen some years ago and LOVED it so much the first couple years. But this past 1-2 years I have been heartbroken by the direction it’s taken. And I don’t see it turning around, it’s too far gone.

Hence why I am here in this forum. Looking for a new Bend-like place... only smaller, and more conservative.

Sounds like Seattle based on a friend who finally bailed out of there this summer after 30 years. Mainly due to the conditions you describe.

Flagstaff has a little of what you describe, but nothing close to it. There are homeless/houseless/vagrant people around the city, but I truly believe the climate keeps them in check. Fortunately, development is not a problem here. There's very little available land to develop.

RM

[PacNWpibble]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Sounds like Seattle based on a friend who finally bailed out of there this summer after 30 years. Mainly due to the conditions you describe.

Flagstaff has a little of what you describe, but nothing close to it. There are homeless/houseless/vagrant people around the city, but I truly believe the climate keeps them in check. Fortunately, development is not a problem here. There's very little available land to develop.

RM

Thank you for the feedback! Yes, Bend is definitely on the path toward becoming a mini Seattle .

Flagstaff is a little bigger and pricier than I want, but thank you for the suggestion!

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by PacNWpibble

Bend resident here. You don’t have to be a lawyer or doctor to live here, you can camp for free anywhere you want!

I was being sarcastic about having to be a lawyer, doctor, etc., I realize all types of people live in Bend!

Of course there are service sector jobs in places like Bend and other popular places people are moving to in droves, it's just that those service sector jobs probably pay less and as the cost of living rises and the service sector salaries don't rise as quickly, those places tend not to be fun to live in for people making not that great of money.