From Minnesota to Oregon (Portland, Eugene: real estate, apartment, rental market)

[Sunshine required]

I'm a 42 year old single woman looking to possibly move to Oregon from Minnesota. I love all four seasons, and hopefully they're not harsh like they are here, and it's pretty much true that we have only 2 seasons (winter and construction). I have worked in both factories and offices so my work isn't singled down to only one thing. I am looking for a small to midsized city as I currently live in the twin cities and I'm ok with less people. I don't mind living somewhat outside of the city just as long as it's within driving distance so I can still go to museums, theatres, and possibly a zoo. I eventually would like to have a hobby farm. I've never been to Oregon but everyone I talk to says I'd love it because of the weather and the people. I do want to visit it but I want to narrow down where I visit to possible places to live, Pagan/Wiccan friendly preferred. Any recommendations are welcome. Thank you in advance.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Museums, theater, and a zoo, you want to be near portland.

If you can forgo the zoo, I'd recomended eugene for pagan friendly, although there are pagans probably in every town and hamlet in oregon. Eugene is more granola crunchy than most of the towns in oregon.

[bler144]

Depends on what the OP means by "driving distance." Eugene has museums and theaters, e.g. but Portland has the only thing in the state that would meaningfully qualify as a 'zoo.'

That said, the 'nicer seasons' here mean you'll pay more than what you're probably used to in the Twin Cities, and the job market is much more slack for generic factory and office work. So jobs will be harder to come by and may even pay less when you get them despite the higher COL.

[Silverfall]

Well if you want to have a hobby farm someday then you need to be thinking about where you can get affordable acreage, unless you want to move cities again. Acreage isn't cheap out here.

I'm not sure being a Wiccan would be an issue in most of the "larger" Oregon cities. Larger meaning small because we don't have many large cities here. So I think it would be more about affordability and what you want in a city culture.

[Larry Caldwell]

Anywhere in Oregon is bankroll friendly. If you can afford it, you can live in the country. Nobody cares what your religion is.

[the_potion_darling]

Having lived in both Minnetonka and now living in Oregon I'll offer my two cents here.

If money is no option for you, it sounds like a match made in heaven for what you're looking for. There are lots of areas around the Portland Metro area that would support a hobby farm space, and be open to the lifestyle and culture you self identify with. In fact, I think you'd not face any difficultly as far as fitting in. You'd be within driving distance to the major cultural places you've listed, the Zoo, Art Walks, Museums, etc.

That being said, I would strongly encourage you to look at the rental market here and seriously consider your options for employment. While you may find a job, without having a niche in a market and being more generalized, you will probably not make more than $18-20 per hour at most for a level three admin type position, maybe slightly more as a highly qualified personal assistant for someone. As far as factory work, again, the general going rate is about $12-15/hr for unskilled labor. If you have certain qualifications as a machinist and want to pull some overtime you could probably get upwards of $25/hr with experience.

It sounds like you have a nice dream in mind, but I don't think Portland and the outlying cities that would meet your criteria are an option unless you are moving with a lot of cash in hand (perhaps from a home sale) or a decent income of at least $67k per year. To support the eventual hobby farm if you don't have a large down-payment already on hand, be prepared for higher property taxes then you're used to in MN, AND a very large income tax from the state. A general rule of thumb is about 25% of your paycheck is gone before you even see it.

Good luck with your move, and happy Mabon.

[Mini-apple-less]

Don't underestimate the winter gloom. It's as challenging in its own way as Minnesota's ungodly-cold winters. Also keep in mind that winters here are still pretty cold and last most of the year (except this year). The Willamette Valley is only slightly warmer than states like Maryland and Virginia in the winter, and far darker and damper.

[Sunshine required]

I don't mind winter I just want to live somewhere where winters don't last as long or get as cold as Minnesota. I'd rather have a damp winter than I dry winter like here in Minnesota.

To: the_potion_darling, how have you liked living in Oregon so far compared to Minnesota?

[bler144]

Originally Posted by Sunshine required

I don't mind winter I just want to live somewhere where winters don't last as long or get as cold as Minnesota.

Keep in mind that description would describe nearly the entirety of the U.S., perhaps other than the Dakotas and much of WI/MI.

I've lived in both MN/OR, and the advantages of OR:

1) Climate is "easier" to take if you can handle the winter rain/gray
2) Topography is generally more interesting
3) Longer growing season if you garden, though there is that whole "drought" thing

Downsides:
1) Cost of Living
2) Culture (purely a matter of opinion, however)
3) Job market

I don't think I could live in MN forever, but...having been here over a decade there have been many times I'd wished I could move back to MN. Of the MN friends I have here I'd say it's an equal split - half also want to move back, and the other half wouldn't move back for anything.

If you have the money, by all means, come on out. If you don't have the money this isn't the easiest place to make a living, much less cobble together enough bank to buy a hobby farm.

[the_potion_darling]

@Sunshine Required: To be completely honest with you I love Portland but I encourage you to read further. I have been in Portland for the last 12 years, and Oregon state even longer than that, my whole live with exception to a few years in the midwest. But, I am considering moving out of state within the next, back to the midwest,(though not MN!)

Everyone is going to have there own opinion and I'm not trying to start any arguments, but here is mine, again just opinion:

Portland HAS changed in the last 10 years and it's been about the last 5 years that it's been noticeably different. There are a lot of people like you, who want to move here because they either hear how good it is, visit in the summer, watch a TV show, etc. I'm not saying you're guilty of any of these, or that these are a bad thing. I love this city, and I love Oregon in general. There is honestly no where else I'd rather live if I had the choice, but I am a native of Oregon originally, and I can't even afford to live in my home town, let alone Portland anymore, and I make good money. I am college educated, and have a great job, and I am priced out the market. I fear my next rent adjustment, it will likely be $150-215, maybe more? Wages do not increase with this. What this means is you have far less disposable income to save for a down-payment on a way overpriced house. The real estate agents are going to tell you the market has barely recovered to 2006/2007 rates. Well of course it has "barely" recovered! Those were bubble burst prices! Just remember, to a RE agent, it's always a buyers market. You will hear this endlessly.

As I mentioned before, if you've got the bankroll, this area would love to have you, and I'd never suggest otherwise. But, if you don't, and you're looking for employment, there are probably other areas that you could secure your dream of a hobby farm on a modest income of the job types you listed that would make more sense. (The midwest, for starters.)

There is a give and take wherever you are, and I am sure people will disagree with me. But my strongest recommendations that I think everyone who lives here would agree with is, try to secure employment before moving here by all means, definitely visit, and look at what your money gets you, whether that's a house to buy, or a rental. Really examine for the money what you get. Beyond that I'd encourage to also think about "Is what I am paying really worth this" even if you CAN afford the apartment, or the home payment, should you? Is the home that spectacular? Is the rental unit that amazing it's worth that? When you take it to that next level the answer is likely not.