Moving to North Bend/Coos Bay area..info? (Reedsport, Coquille: rental market, buying a home)

[KevinKa]

Hello,
My wife and I will be moving to the North Bend area this summer. I'm in the Coast Guard so that's where we're getting stationed for 4 years. We're originally from Michigan/Iowa and after living 4 years in South Texas (near the border) we are ready to leave this place as fast as we can!!!! Weather is too hot, too humid, never rains and it's dirty and the beaches are nasty too so we're excited to head to the Northwest.

We would appreciate any information on the area.

some questions we have are:
1. How is the housing market there? We're thinking about buying a house and possibly using that as a rental/investment property. After we leave North Bend I'll only have 6 years left in the Coast Guard.

2. Would it be better to live in one of the surrounding areas such as Reedsport, Bandon or Coquille?

3. Is it really as bad as i've read on some other forums? One of the guys i'm stationed with down here is originally from North Bend and says he loves it there, and two other guys that I work with have been stationed there already and also say they love it and want to move back there.


Thanks for your help.

[hamellr]

I'd live in Coos Bay or Bandon personally, maybe somewhere between Coquille and Coos Bay. Perhaps Charleston, but not Reedsport. The commute is too long, especially during tourist season. North Bend and Coos Bay are pretty much one entity BTW. It's not Coos Bay and North Bend, it's Coos Bay.

I LOVE that area too, I just wouldn't recommend anyone to move there if you don't already have jobs, or need to worry about schooling for children.

[Coldstream04]

Coos Bay is a wonderful place to live, IF you have a secure job (like the CG)! It is simply beautiful here, even with all the rain. If you are outdoorsy, you will be in heaven... not just ATVs and the dunes, there is hiking, kayaking, fishing, you name it! The housing market is still pretty depressed, but the rental market is very hot, so buying a home would be awesome if you can (so many good deals) and renting it later should be no problem. Where to live really depends on what you are used to, and what you want. If you don't mind the commute, then you can find cheaper homes, often with acerage, in places like Coquille and Reedsport. Coquille is a 30 minute commute to Coos Bay, so keep that in mind. I guess it depends on where you will be stationed for work. Will your spouse be working; do you have kids? All this makes a difference in where you want to land. Jobs are scarce, especially good-paying ones. WI would be happy to answer any direct questions if you sent me a message. Good luck!

Also, there are so many micro-climates here- for instance the Empire district, near Charleston is very affordable because it is almost always fogged in and COLD! But 2 miles inland in Englewood is often 10-15 degrees warmer, and wind protected besides. I would advise living here for 6 months before you buy, and ask locals about the different neighborhoods. Everyone is so friendly and kind- you won't find a more down-to-earth town!