Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Oregon
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 04-27-2011, 09:14 AM
 
Location: Phoenix, AZ
7 posts, read 11,320 times
Reputation: 10

Advertisements

Ok, so let me give you some background info. I am 23, boyfriend is 27, and we have a 1 year old daughter. I am a nursing student and expect to graduate with my bachelor's at the end of 2014. My boyfriend is a high school dropout and has experience in construction. I have lived in the Phoenix Metro area all my life and I am sick of it. Reasons why I'm leaving: HEAT ( I just can't take it anymore), I hate the choices for housing (stucco, cookie cutter, I would like to buy a home with some character), Bad schools (poor funding, way overcrowded) and I would like to live somewhere where I do not have to be bilingual to get a job. Basically, AZ sucks IMO and I want out. I will be moving once I graduate so by then I will be in my later 20's and my daughter will be almost starting kindergarten. I would like a community that is green and beautiful, cool weather, not freezing, and NOT HOT, NOT HUMID, I don't mind snow but I also don't want massive amounts. I would like a great school system for my daughter. A really great school system is very high on the list. We would need a house that cost no more than about 250k. I would like our monthly payment to stay under $1950. I would like to rent for the first two years living there to get a feel of the area before getting tied up in a mortgage. I would like the rental to be in the same community that we intend to buy in so my daughter can have stability with her schooling. I wouldn't want to pay anymore than $1380. a month in rent. So, I will be an RN so I would like to be near a major hospital for work. Are there health care jobs in OR? Would it be hard to find a job? I will find one before I make the move, but I'm just curious. What is the average pay for an RN there? I would also like a safe community where I don't have to be paranoid about my child playing outside. So to sum it up:

*Great schools
*Family-oriented
*Great scenery & weather
*Safe community
*Homes with character around $250k
*Major hospital nearby
*We are a young couple too so I wouldn't like if the whole town closes at 5pm, we are not party people though

I did a quiz thing online and it narrowed our choices down to Eugene, Corvallis, Portland, & Salem.

I am not sure which one is really the best fit though.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 04-27-2011, 02:38 PM
 
Location: Portland, Oregon
10,990 posts, read 20,578,079 times
Reputation: 8261
Eugene and Corvallis should top your list. I know of two very good hospitals in Eugene/Springfield.

Your boyfriend should work toward a GED, at least. Many employment opportunities will be closed to him without that piece of paper. He can be the smartest, nicest and most hardworking guy in the world but many won't even give him a look without that high school equivalency diploma. Earning that doesn't get easier with age.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-27-2011, 11:34 PM
 
Location: Phoenix, AZ
7 posts, read 11,320 times
Reputation: 10
Are the school systems good in those two cities? I have read that the schools in Lake Oswego are amazing. How far is that from Portland? I completely agree about my boyfriend. He just doesn't get it. Do you know if the hospitals are hiring frequently or are the doing layoffs? Are they open to hiring new grads?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-27-2011, 11:35 PM
 
Location: Phoenix, AZ
7 posts, read 11,320 times
Reputation: 10
I also recalculated our budget and we should actually be able to buy a house more in the 300-325k range
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-28-2011, 05:04 PM
 
Location: Lakewood OH
21,695 posts, read 28,464,536 times
Reputation: 35863
Lake Oswego schools are reputed to be very good but three will be closing soon (I think it's three) due to budget cuts. Be sure to calculate your budget to determine that you will be able to live on your nurse's paycheck. Most jobs in Oregon pay less than in other places.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-29-2011, 06:29 PM
 
Location: Phoenix, AZ
7 posts, read 11,320 times
Reputation: 10
Well I looked it up on salary.com and the median pay for a rn in portland is a few bucks more an hour than phoenix so i think it will be alright.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-30-2011, 11:07 AM
 
Location: Myrtle Creek, Oregon
15,293 posts, read 17,696,491 times
Reputation: 25236
With your nursing degree, as soon as you pass your Oregon boards you will be able to find a job easily. The boyfriend, not so much. Opportunities for a high school dropout with "some experience in construction" are pitiful. It's likely you will find a house you can afford, but unlikely you will qualify for a mortgage without a huge down payment. I hope you have $100,000 in your pocket. You are also not going to be able to afford a $1900 a month mortgage payment on a nurse's paycheck. You should be aiming at about half that. If you have never been a home owner, it can come as a shock that making the mortgage payment is only part of what it costs to own a home.

If you find an average RN position that pays about $60k, you will qualify for a $180k mortgage, if you have really good credit. Forget your boyfriend's income, he won't have one. With a big down payment, that puts you into a modest but liveable home in several Portland neighborhoods.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-30-2011, 11:29 AM
 
Location: Lakewood OH
21,695 posts, read 28,464,536 times
Reputation: 35863
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiggers' Lady View Post
Well I looked it up on salary.com and the median pay for a rn in portland is a few bucks more an hour than phoenix so i think it will be alright.
Unfortuately, the high COL will eat that up. If I were you, since you will be living on one paycheck, I would forget the house and rent the first couple of years or so until you see exactly what your financial situation will be.

That will also give your boyfriend an opportunity to get his high school equivalency diploma which I would recommend over a GED. Also, it would help if he could take some courses in an occupation in which he had a chance of getting a job.

Oregon schools range from good to bad. The best ones you are seeking are in the best areas that can be very expensive. Otherwise you may have to settle for the mediocrity you are describing in your present town.

I know this sounds bleak, but consider yourself lucky; you have one of the few professions in which there are actually some jobs available. You just may be successful if you plan carefully and don't overreach right away.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 04-30-2011, 10:25 PM
 
Location: Phoenix, AZ
7 posts, read 11,320 times
Reputation: 10
Yeah I understand I was planning on renting for 2-3 years there first and saving enough money for 20% down on a mortgage. I was also planning our budget on my boyfriend making at least $10/hr so if he can find that by the time we buy a house that will help. I guess I will just have to wait and see what kind of job offers I can get when the time comes. Thanks!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Oregon
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:32 AM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top