Please help us find our perfect little place to retire.. (Medford: insurance, homes)

[therese marie]

I know everyone mentions the clouds but I am a professional photographer and I am happy and excited when we get clouds here because for me that is my favorite time to shoot.. So I may not be the norm, but the clouds I am actually looking forward to.. Means lots of great photography .. ha ha

[StealthRabbit]

Plenty of clouds bring a 'bonnet' for your lense.(s)

Here is my favorite OR destination for pics / lighting / soil textures and colors. Come in October!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hug_...ecreation_Site
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q...ages&FORM=IGRE

[Thom52]

Originally Posted by therese marie

I know everyone mentions the clouds but I am a professional photographer and I am happy and excited when we get clouds here because for me that is my favorite time to shoot.. So I may not be the norm, but the clouds I am actually looking forward to.. Means lots of great photography .. ha ha

Ah, the S CA is showing through.

There are clouds and there are Clouds.

White fluffy clouds in a sparkling blue sky... are indeed great for photography.

Sky completely washed out with a white or grey layer of nothing, which is what you will have for 8 or so months of the year in the northwest, just gives you a washed out look.

And then there is the usual getting yourself out to that great view, only to have it totally obscured by clouds. As we often say to visitors "Imagine if you will, over there is a great view of......"

You do get some nice saturated colors of closeups of wet flowers and plants. Do make sure to have a weatherproof cover and lens hood for your camera and lens, and you will be going through cameras faster due to the beating they take in wet or dusty weather.(Wet=westside, dusty=eastside)

That being said.... you will get stunning pictures over the course of a year, that put anything from S CA to shame.

[MountainHi]

I was going to suggest Grant's Pass as well. It's a nice little town, and at that elevation, you might get a view property. Your pricepoint and the need for internet along with the preference for being out of town may require some compromising.

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by Thom52

Sky completely washed out with a white or grey layer of nothing, which is what you will have for 8 or so months of the year in the northwest, just gives you a washed out look.

It isn't washed out for 8 months out of the year. Nature photography is my hobby and you can get some really great storm clouds in photos. Oregon has a lot of rainbows because we get storms and then sun all the time. Yes, there are days where it is washed out sky wise, but there are many days with really great contrasting clouds. Then you have the morning fog photos too.

[Hawk J]

We have been getting some much needed rain this week. We have also gotten some sun breaks along the way...

We need the rain to keep all of nature green. In the Spring everything is growing & the smells of nature are wonderful. The rain helps to keep our waterways filled. The melting snow pack helps nature flourish in the coming days. The rain & melting snow help our fish to spawn.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by Thom52

And then there is the usual getting yourself out to that great view, only to have it totally obscured by clouds. As we often say to visitors "Imagine if you will, over there is a great view of......"

OMG, this is so true! When I lived in Seattle, I would forget to look towards Mt. Rainier because I hardly ever saw it. Then, you'd get a clear day and finally accidentally look in that direction and gasp with glee! Then realize that you forgot to even look because you never expect to see it.

Then, I had a house way up on the Canadian border and Mt. Baker was within sight - when it was ha ha. I finally got my mother to come visit me from the SF Bay Area. She was there for around 10 days and never saw the mountain. In summer.

And it's so true that there are clouds and then there are CLOUDS. But, explaining it to someone who never experienced it, is like trying to describe a desert to a native who has lived in the jungle his entire life.

And we all know the benefit of rain and fog to our environment. Doesn't mean we have to jump with glee when we open the blinds to see yet another day - that is great for the environment LOL.

My mantra here is "It ain't too hot and it ain't snowin'." It helps me to be grateful. But, really, for anyone who has experienced living in near-perfect weather - for me the SF Bay Area, and even more so for people who have lived in SoCal, it's just a hard act to follow anywhere weather-wise.

There's a lot I love about living here - lack of traffic being one of them. I love that it's never too hot and never too cold. But, I admit, I miss seeing the sun more often.

[therese marie]

Originally Posted by MountainHi

I was going to suggest Grant's Pass as well. It's a nice little town, and at that elevation, you might get a view property. Your pricepoint and the need for internet along with the preference for being out of town may require some compromising.

I did not know who to edit my original post but we can do about 275K.. When I mentioned 1/4 acre, I really just want a big yard, room for our dogs to run around..
I have been searching realtor.com and there are many in that price range of 275K and I would rather have a 900 sq ft house in the right area than a big house in the wrong area..
We are not going to buy a house till we have rented for a year, all seasons.. I don't want to kid myself and feel stuck.. I did forget to mention, my husband grew up there when he was a kid.. I know lots changed, but he has great memories he said..

[jgsocal]

I have recently moved to Selma, between Cave Junction and Grants Pass. I had most of your requirements in mind when I was shopping for my own retirement spot. I'm 59 and also planning to make this my final move.

Internet will be your main issue, depending on your idea of what constitutes adequate speed and volume. I'm hoping that as technology and societal dependence on internet move ahead, a breakthrough may arrive in the future years. Not crossing my fingers or depending on it, but a lot has changed in 10 years, no telling what may be available in 10 more.
I ended up buying a place for under $250K, but it is nestled into 20 acres of trees and pasture. The house is old but sound, and I have a great view of Lake Selmac. Hiking trails in the forest are abundant to say the least, and the property taxes are very low. I came to the area to look at a place for $150K, it was 5 acres in the forest but it wasn't flat enough for my needs (livestock). There are places out in these small towns under $175-200K, I looked at about 10 of them a year ago. Cave junction is about 15 minutes away, with most of your needs, Selma is 5 minutes away and has a Ray's market, post office, gas station, etc. GP is about 25 - 30 minutes away, where you have pretty much anything you need for shoping and healthcare. Medford is a jaunt down I-5 less than an hour, so you can be somewhat close to one of the kids.
So far the weather has been fine, and I came here from Southern California. It rains a lot of days, but many of those days the rain lasts a few hours and then the clouds part a bit and you have a pretty nice day. Not much snow here, but it's hot in the Summer.
My 2 cents, I pretty much love it here, although it may not be for everyone.

[jjpop]

Originally Posted by jgsocal

I have recently moved to Selma, between Cave Junction and Grants Pass.

That area along US199 is really beautiful, IMO. But are you ever concerned about crime and the lack of law enforcement?