We want to move to Coos Bay, OR from Sothern California. (Portland: transporting, how much)

[Steve Pickering]

Originally Posted by sequoias

From what people described Coos Bay, Oregon is like Aberdeen, Wa state.

Coos Bay is like Coos Bay. It needs the industrial maritime base developed.

[coostucky]

Hi, avoid this **** hole at all costs, if you are in the CG request a transfer for any where but here, your kids will have there choice of drugs at either high school it jr. High.
Unemployment is really about 20 to 25% the state doesn't count the people who have given up looking for work.
The whole area is a police state, but they don't seem to be able to catch anyone, we have several unsolved murders and missing people, though the police here aren't shy about writing traffic tickets, it's their main source of revenue.
We have a community collage that recruits young intercity kids, they bring their gang mentality with them, yes we have lowriders!!the areas largest employer is the local Indian casino, minimum wage jobs and lousy restaurant .... Poor quality...
Enough said, I've been stuck here 35 yrs, and do know the area, and it is COOS TUCKY, areas of town are named appropriately , empire methpire, which is where CG housing is, Charlston is the fishing area called Charley town, mostly broke fisherman and their familys. Eastside is another annexed part of coostucky, mostly Latino tree planters, the odor of indoor pot grows is everywhere .. Then there's engle wood, knows as DINGLEWOOD, mostly rundown houses and empty buildings, as is downtown CoosBay and Northbend. Some buildings are condemned , and the majority should be. We are in a serious earthquake zone, subject to tidal waves.
The sandunes north of town are so regulated that most people have stopped using them, the water here is too cold to wade let alone swim in.
The weather here is great if you like fog, cold, and wind, and drizzle for days at a time.
Enough said, this place is a ****hole,

[IDtoOR]

Sooooo you like then?

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by Larson01

My family wants to relocate to Coos bay OR. We currently live in Fountain Valley, CA and rent a 1 bedroom apartment. My lease is up January 13th. My husband lost his job recently and has been unable to find work.

This is an incredibly stupid, idea. It would doom your family to a life of poverty and depression. Pick somewhere else, like North Dakota, where your husband could find a job.

[Dalen Regal]

I have made two trips from central Cali to Coos Bay in search of a retirement home. The realtors aren't interested in helping you unless the home price is over $150,000. I met with a broker, told her what my price range was and she stated "no problem, I'll help you". Two months later via a phone conversation she stated I just don't have time for you. What you want me to find is too "low end". I was appaulled at her arrogance. Not everyone can afford a $300,000 home, especially when retiring. I have seen homes and manufactured housing in my price range sell occasionally, but I guess they just aren't interested and their commission would be too low. Since then, I have contacted other realtors who are not interested either. They say their too busy.

[Sonnenwende]

Originally Posted by Larson01

This is my first time posting anything on this site, so please bear with me :-/ My family wants to relocate to Coos bay OR. We currently live in Fountain Valley, CA and rent a 1 bedroom apartment. My lease is up January 13th. My husband lost his job recently and has been unable to find work. CA is getting to expensive for my growing family. We have a 20 month old little boy. I have heard good things and bad things about Coos Bay. Can anyone give me advice on if this is a good town to move to. I'm a bank teller and can find work at any bank so my job shouldn't be a problem. My husband is a NDT inspector for oil refineries or power plants. But he is a pretty good mechanic as well.

Any advice would be greatly apriciated

If your husband is an inspector for oil refineries, it would be best to look where oil refineries are. Further north, there are ones in Anacortes and Bellingham. Both places you would probably have better odds of either one of you getting a job.

Apparently, there are no oil refineries anywhere in OR. Doesn't seem like a very good place period for you guys to move to given his background.

Start here:

List of oil refineries - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Sherwoody]

Originally Posted by Dalen Regal

I have made two trips from central Cali to Coos Bay in search of a retirement home. The realtors aren't interested in helping you unless the home price is over $150,000. I met with a broker, told her what my price range was and she stated "no problem, I'll help you". Two months later via a phone conversation she stated I just don't have time for you. What you want me to find is too "low end". I was appaulled at her arrogance. Not everyone can afford a $300,000 home, especially when retiring. I have seen homes and manufactured housing in my price range sell occasionally, but I guess they just aren't interested and their commission would be too low. Since then, I have contacted other realtors who are not interested either. They say their too busy.

Have you tried contacting the Oregon Real Estate Board?

Real Estate Agency Oregon Real Estate Board

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by Dalen Regal

........ unless the home price is over $150,000. ........ Two months later via a phone conversation she stated I just don't have time for you. ....... Not everyone can afford a $300,000 home, .........

I know that there are homes in that area for under $150,000. They aren't very nice. That is less than it costs to buy an OK house that is in decent repair in that area.

If the agent worked with you for 2 months and you didn't find anything, I'm going to guess that your requirements are unrealistic. Perhaps you expect to find a $300,000 house for $150,000 and the agent has shown you what is available, you rejected it, and there is nothing left to show you.

I suggest that you simply follow listings on Craigslist and also check the real estate listings. If you see something interesting, call the agent that has the listing on that particular property. The listing agent will be happy to sell it to you.

You realistically can't expect an agent to keep spending time on you when you reject everything in your price range. The agent gave you 2 months and you haven't found anything you want. That moves you into the looky-loo, not serious about buying category.

[cwmoore71]

Wow! Sounds like a terrible place according to some. I visited Coos Bay a couple times and loved it. I live in phoenix, AZ and am so sick of this sun blasting me. Some people might enjoy second degree burns from touching a metal object in the shade or having to drive using only your fingernails to grip the steering wheel. The greatest day I can imagine is the rare occasion the sun gets behind a cloud. I am looking for a place where I am next to fresh and salt water where there are a lot of hunting, fishing, and crabing available, where the temperature rarely gets above 75 and it is cloudy most of the time, with lots of green. A small town that is not too expensive to live. According to the posts here this place is worse than torture. Does anyone know of a place like I am describing without the alleged evil that lurks in Coos Bay?

[Dalen Regal]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

I know that there are homes in that area for under $150,000. They aren't very nice. That is less than it costs to buy an OK house that is in decent repair in that area.

If the agent worked with you for 2 months and you didn't find anything, I'm going to guess that your requirements are unrealistic. Perhaps you expect to find a $300,000 house for $150,000 and the agent has shown you what is available, you rejected it, and there is nothing left to show you.

I suggest that you simply follow listings on Craigslist and also check the real estate listings. If you see something interesting, call the agent that has the listing on that particular property. The listing agent will be happy to sell it to you.

You realistically can't expect an agent to keep spending time on you when you reject everything in your price range. The agent gave you 2 months and you haven't found anything you want. That moves you into the looky-loo, not serious about buying category.

It took me 6 months to find exactly what I wanted for $8,000 less than my budget. The home is in a nice neighborhood and close to shopping, etc. I finally found a great realtor who took me by the arm and found this home. I hired a local contractor to install a deck for me and talked to him about "low end" homes availability. His response was "hey, your pretty lucky, most of the time the realtors, investors or local contractors that are on the inside track snag'em up." Yes, I did reject homes in my price range that we're in questionable areas or filled with mold and mildew. I have friends in the area that advised me of which neighborhoods to buy in. The 1st few realtors were more interested in the sale than a satisfied customer. Sometimes it pays to be a lookie-loo!!!

I also noticed that some homes were priced really high and ended up selling for substantially less several months later. Is that why the push is to sell you something in 60 days during the spring/summer at the high price or wait until summer is over and buy it at a much lower price. As the old saying goes, buyer beware.