Trying to figure out where to move to in Oregon (Portland: sales, real estate)

[lostsoul94]

Hi,


I currently live in southern Wisconsin. I am 22 years old. My boyfriend and I plan to get married and want to be able to raise a family in Oregon, so I would like a more family oriented place, nice schools, good community, etc. My parents would be coming with us. In there late 50's and early 60's so I want them to be able to have things to do as well. I really love the NE part of Oregon but it seems difficult to get to and doesn't have access to many shops and grocery stores. I want to live in a smaller town but still have access to a larger town. I love the beautiful mountains that are out there so I would like to be close to that. Also love bodies of water, any type. I really like the look of Klamath Falls, but again it seems difficult to get to and doesn't have access to larger towns. We have a dog and love to hunt, hike, and basically anything that has to do with outdoor activities. Can anyone help me out?

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by lostsoul94

Hi,


I currently live in southern Wisconsin. I am 22 years old. My boyfriend and I plan to get married and want to be able to raise a family in Oregon, so I would like a more family oriented place, nice schools, good community, etc. My parents would be coming with us. In there late 50's and early 60's so I want them to be able to have things to do as well. I really love the NE part of Oregon but it seems difficult to get to and doesn't have access to many shops and grocery stores. I want to live in a smaller town but still have access to a larger town. I love the beautiful mountains that are out there so I would like to be close to that. Also love bodies of water, any type. I really like the look of Klamath Falls, but again it seems difficult to get to and doesn't have access to larger towns. We have a dog and love to hunt, hike, and basically anything that has to do with outdoor activities. Can anyone help me out?

Yeah, go where ever you can line up jobs. If you can't find jobs, just stay where you are at. That's all you really have to worry about.

[StealthRabbit]

Spokane.

Big river, CLOSE to everything nice about ID and MT (hunting / Fishing / mtns) peace and quiet, (The Clearwater and Clark Fork, and Pend Oreille are spectacular rivers. Plenty of fish there and nearby, (lakes, LOTS of mtn lakes... fishermen = very
few)
Close to Canada (Great camping and skiing)

and NO income Taxes!! (WA)

Lewiston / Moscow, ID are also very nice places for your interests and locale.

OR is VERY expensive, (taxes / services) especially for retirees / parents. (Similar to WI)

Give yourself a raise.... in ID or WA (Especially important if need for 'good schools' is in your future. )

[freidenbach]

I suggest researching Bend, Oregon (population 87,000) and its neighboring small town, Redmond (population 26,000). They are about 25 miles apart in the east central part of the state. That area is high desert but near the Cascade mountains range with its snowcapped peaks, lakes, and waterfalls. Recreational opportunities abound, including skiing. As a Wisconsin gal you can easily handle the winters in Bend, and the summers, like everywhere in Oregon, are drop-dead gorgeous with very little rain.

Bend is overdeveloped and housing is quite expensive. Redmond is growing in amenities without being overrun. If you buy a house in Redmond (rent first, to make sure you like it), the property value is apt to grow substantially. You will need to research the school system, I'm not familiar with it.

One bad thing about Bend/Redmond is that they're hours away from the only major airport in Oregon, which is in Portland. Their airport is a small regional one and doesn't offer nonstop flights to big cities.

Oregon has no sales tax, so income taxes and property taxes are higher than in some states.

Most people in Oregon live in the Willamette Valley, which extends from Portland to Eugene, or on the coast. I'm moving away from the valley because of The Big One--the earthquake. There is a 38% chance in the next 50 years that an 8.0 or 9.0 earthquake will hit the West coast. It will be the most serious natural disaster ever known in the United States. Much of the coast will be destroyed in the subsequent tsunami. In the Willamette Valley, clean water and sewers are predicted to be unavailable for 18 months, and it will take 2 years for all healthcare services to be restored. (That information comes from scientists at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University.)

Even inland, the quake will trigger major landslides, and not all houses will survive. Much of the ground will be permanently deformed, so that rebuilding a house would be unlikely. Evacuation routes could be compromised, especially since bridges will be destroyed. If you move to Oregon, pick a city east of the Cascades!

[CAjerseychick]

I met a lovely couple from Bend last weekend- they said there are a lot of service jobs and that employers are having a terrible time filling them - there are so many openings- so theres a plus for you all there, if you want to look into Bend....

( I moved here from San francisco- 24 years there btw, so really not too concerned about the next big quake in the willamette valley-- Oklahoma for ex, is having way more quakes these days, probably from all the fracking...)

[Thom52]

Originally Posted by CAjerseychick

I met a lovely couple from Bend last weekend- they said there are a lot of service jobs and that employers are having a terrible time filling them - there are so many openings- so theres a plus for you all there, if you want to look into Bend....

Yes, I have also heard the service sector jobs are begging for people. The catch is finding a place you can afford to live on that service sector income. That gets tricky.

Now if you are a plumber or electrician....you have it made. Income the area is desperate for those.

[BendLocal]

Bend has become a major tourist town with expensive real estate and rentals. The lack of affordable housing is a constant complaint among the 20 somethings I know.

[CAjerseychick]

Originally Posted by BendLocal

Bend has become a major tourist town with expensive real estate and rentals. The lack of affordable housing is a constant complaint among the 20 somethings I know.

the couple I met were in their 40s and early 50s, with her mom (late 60's ) living there as well-- they all loved it--

maybe the OP's inlaws (or her mom/dad) will be bringing some home equity with them, sharing housing or buying property with an inlaw or second unit/ house on some land would make things more flexible?

[therese marie]

'm moving away from the valley because of The Big One--the earthquake. There is a 38% chance in the next 50 years that an 8.0 or 9.0 earthquake will hit the West coast. It will be the most serious natural disaster ever known in the United States. Much of the coast will be destroyed in the subsequent tsunami. In the Willamette Valley, clean water and sewers are predicted to be unavailable for 18 months, and it will take 2 years for all healthcare services to be restored. (That information comes from scientists at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University.)

Even inland, the quake will trigger major landslides, and not all houses will survive. Much of the ground will be permanently deformed, so that rebuilding a house would be unlikely. Evacuation routes could be compromised, especially since bridges will be destroyed. If you move to Oregon, pick a city east of the Cascades!

Don't let fear rule your life.. Honestly there are a million ways you could die.. That is only one of them.. SO those odds are much better..
I am sure the scientist from the Universities are still living in Oregon too..

[lostsoul94]

Thank you all. Does anyone know about Klamath Falls? It looks so beautiful. Does anyone know what its like to live there? I currently work at a bank as a Home Mortgage processor and my boyfriend puts sheet metal on buildings so we need an area that could provide these sort of jobs?