A return to the cascades: What're my options? (Portland, Eugene: fit in, apartment)

[MrArgent]

So, I was born in Portland and lived out of the Scappoose/St. Helens area 'til just before my seventh birthday in 2001, when my family moved to Naperville, Illinois (i.e. Chicagoland's gentrification capitol) after my father's death and I didn't really have any option but to go along. Now, I'm at a point where I ought think about what direction I want things to take and where I want to end up - and the suburbs of Chicago plain doesn't suit me at all. I'm thinking I'd like to return to the Wilamette or the vicinity. The local biomes there suit me a lot better, and as much as I like the gyros I've never really felt I've fit in out here per se.

This'd be a couple of years off, since a variety of boondoggles (including mental health crises) have kept me from sustaining any real savings and i'm not in a place to pursue higher education fiscally or in terms of what I can endure. I suspect I'd need roughly $55-$60k for a 20% down payment on a $200-$250k house and a moving crew to make the move (in addition to other transit expenses)? I like the idea of finding a older (Post-WWII thru the '80s) house, especially if it's old enough to still have copper phone line wiring. 2bd2ba might be doable on my budgeting plan.

So far as locations go, Right now I'm mostly considering the Coast (particularly Tillamook and the vicinity, esp. Netarts, Oceanside and Pacific City) - I spent a lot of time in the area when I was young and on various trips back over the years, and I know that I love the location already. I have family in Portland and Eugene, but I'd really rather not end up anywhere too dense and I'd prefer to keep them at arms' length.

I don't really know much about the contemporary state of the vicinity of Scappoose/St. Helens, but that might be an option too?

The high desert also appeals to me since that's somewhere I've never spent much time and I love the aesthetics of rocky, arid biomes. However, that'd be a secondary consideration.

In terms of overall considerations, smaller towns suit my boyfriend and I better, but as someone whose skill-sets are largely centered around tech that might make things difficult - dairy ops, farms, and municipal government often need I.T. guys too, however.

What do you all think? (Washington is also under consideration but I know a lot less about Oregon's northern neighbor. I like the look of Spokane.)






P.S.: Trojan's actually just a public park now, eh? I knew the cooling towers went down in '04, but it's remarkable how fast the land was rehabilitated. My old man was working with PGE on the decommissioning team when he passed, but he never got to see them fall.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by MrArgent

So, I was born in Portland and lived out of the Scappoose/St. Helens area 'til just before my seventh birthday in 2001, when my family moved to Naperville, Illinois (i.e. Chicagoland's gentrification capitol) after my father's death and I didn't really have any option but to go along. Now, I'm at a point where I ought think about what direction I want things to take and where I want to end up - and the suburbs of Chicago plain doesn't suit me at all. I'm thinking I'd like to return to the Wilamette or the vicinity. The local biomes there suit me a lot better, and as much as I like the gyros I've never really felt I've fit in out here per se.

This'd be a couple of years off, since a variety of boondoggles (including mental health crises) have kept me from sustaining any real savings and i'm not in a place to pursue higher education fiscally or in terms of what I can endure. I suspect I'd need roughly $55-$60k for a 20% down payment on a $200-$250k house and a moving crew to make the move (in addition to other transit expenses)? I like the idea of finding a older (Post-WWII thru the '80s) house, especially if it's old enough to still have copper phone line wiring. 2bd2ba might be doable on my budgeting plan.

So far as locations go, Right now I'm mostly considering the Coast (particularly Tillamook and the vicinity, esp. Netarts, Oceanside and Pacific City) - I spent a lot of time in the area when I was young and on various trips back over the years, and I know that I love the location already. I have family in Portland and Eugene, but I'd really rather not end up anywhere too dense and I'd prefer to keep them at arms' length.

I don't really know much about the contemporary state of the vicinity of Scappoose/St. Helens, but that might be an option too?

The high desert also appeals to me since that's somewhere I've never spent much time and I love the aesthetics of rocky, arid biomes. However, that'd be a secondary consideration.

In terms of overall considerations, smaller towns suit my boyfriend and I better, but as someone whose skill-sets are largely centered around tech that might make things difficult - dairy ops, farms, and municipal government often need I.T. guys too, however.

What do you all think? (Washington is also under consideration but I know a lot less about Oregon's northern neighbor. I like the look of Spokane.)






P.S.: Trojan's actually just a public park now, eh? I knew the cooling towers went down in '04, but it's remarkable how fast the land was rehabilitated. My old man was working with PGE on the decommissioning team when he passed, but he never got to see them fall.

Get telecommuting jobs. Then you can live in as small a town as you like. But I'd recommend you look for a house with something better than copper wire. You will need more bandwidth then that.

[MrArgent]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

Get telecommuting jobs. Then you can live in as small a town as you like. But I'd recommend you look for a house with something better than copper wire. You will need more bandwidth then that.

Yeah, Ideally I'd be working with something more modern for newer equipment - the old copper'd just be for tinkering with legacy phone systems and computers that make use of modem facilities. I'm a vintage computing hobbyist alongside the more modern stuff I work with, so having that around as an option would be a plus.

[PNW-type-gal]

I'd always recommend the idea of moving out with substantial savings, but I wouldn't recommend moving out and trying to buy right away. First off, conventional lenders care more about verifiable income stream, credit rating and solid employment than they do about down payment - plus you may decide that the first place you go doesn't really suit you.

The job issue is a fairly serious one - the smaller the town, the fewer the opportunities. Can it be done, to come out to a small town and luck into good jobs? Maybe, but it isn't the likely outcome. Easier to start with the larger cities (since you have family in Portland and Salem that you'd like to be near but not TOO near to, perhaps start looking in Eugene or Vancouver).

[Silverfall]

So I love Oceanside. It is one of my favorite places on the coast because there isn't cell service there. Do you want to live in a city with cell service?

[StealthRabbit]

If you dream of the OR Coast... head there and give it a try. (or you will always wish you had)

I would try for on-line / remote employment.

SIL always dreamed of the OR Coast (since early 20's), @ age 60 she made it and LOVES it.

Time could have been on her side (she could have done this 40 yrs ago).

Definitely would NOT buy a home at the moment, just extra trouble and stress.

FT rentals in Coastal towns are pretty inexpensive.

For inland... I prefer small towns within 20 min to a college town (and close to airport for my needs).

A view home is wonderful when working from home! (finally have time to stay home and enjoy the view)_

[MrArgent]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

I'd always recommend the idea of moving out with substantial savings, but I wouldn't recommend moving out and trying to buy right away. First off, conventional lenders care more about verifiable income stream, credit rating and solid employment than they do about down payment - plus you may decide that the first place you go doesn't really suit you.

The job issue is a fairly serious one - the smaller the town, the fewer the opportunities. Can it be done, to come out to a small town and luck into good jobs? Maybe, but it isn't the likely outcome. Easier to start with the larger cities (since you have family in Portland and Salem that you'd like to be near but not TOO near to, perhaps start looking in Eugene or Vancouver).

I should note I have family in Eugene! One of my more-liked relatives (and one who could certainly use an extra hand given struggles with her health), but the town's never drawn me in too closely. The thought of moving in to live with a family member has come up in talks with my counselor and others, but i'd have to leave a significant amount of my prized computer collection with my folks until a later time - and with how expensive the 2,100 mile journey is it's entirely possible that time might never come...which is a bit of a drag since I don't want my stuff to be their problem.

(As an aside, more local family circumstances might make a return to the PNW a possibility in the near future if a particular situation we're embroiled in decays badly enough, and Eugene'd be one of the likely places we'd head specifically because of that family member. I still want my own place eventually, however - If I end up stuck with my folks by 30 i'm gonna scream.)

Concerning the question of not buying right away, I've had the question of aiming smaller - for something like an apartment - floated to me before, but I also have gotten the impression I only realistically have one shot at moving out. With the costs of paying off wherever I end up with (on top of loans from a failed attempt at college and other living expenses), i'll likely end up unable to save anything once i've made my move no matter what option I go with. Loans are always an option, but I'd prefer to just have to fight to regain ownership of the skin on my back only once.

(With my partner getting income of his own once he's out of college the single income issue might change, but for now I have to assume I'll be flying solo.)

Unrelated, but the fact that work availability might just end up a bigger factor in where I end up than what I find desirable in a community for practicality reasons weirds me out. I hate the working world and its weird tendency of constantly butting into what I actually want out of life as a person.