Single woman relocating to Oregon from NorthWest Arkansas (Eugene: how much, living in)

[CortezC]

OP. I know you mentioned OR, but think about Arcata/Eureka in CA with Humboldt State University there. A little touristy, but you have the coast, trees, mountains, friendly folks, and kind of an artsy community.

[Metlakatla]

I live on the coast and can give you a local perspetive.

It's been my observation that most AirBnBs sit empty most of the year (I'm sure someone here knows someone who visited the coast once in January, but that has nothing to do with the big picture).

You want to establish a base clientele that provides you with work all year round. Although you could probably keep busy with AirbnBs during the summer, that will leave you scrambling for other work, and possibly not finding it, the rest of the year. I'm not saying not to accept work in AirbnBs; I am saying to put them lower on your list of priorities than full-time residents.

I highly doubt you'd be able to make a living on the Southern Oregon coast outside of North Bend/Coos Bay. You could probably do okay anywhere from Florence on up.

I see a lot of "looking for housekeepers" types of posts on a couple of local social media pages I belong to. I think you could come up with work. Prices range from $15 per hour through $30. I have no idea of how anyone can survive here on $15 an hour.

Most of the discussion concerning hiring/finding housekeepers here seems to revolve on the unreliability of those available. The usual complaint is that they show up once or twice and then ghost. There's also some negative remarks about a lack of professionalism.

Housing costs are pretty high here, especially for renters, and places don't seem easy to find. I'm constantly seeing posts on social media from people desperately looking for housing. I think it might be a little easier for those without families or pets who are just seeking a small space.

[StealthRabbit]

thus... as previously recommended... network with the wealthy / elderly FT residents and establish your clientele.

I would not advise barging into a coastal community as a 'new' housekeeper and expect to have an easy route to success.

Depending on your financial needs...you may only require ~20 clients. Churches, senior center, and local offices might bring you additional opportunities. Becoming school custodian can also be a great gig.

From your stated climate and activity desires, I would do the southern OR coast. (or CA)

There is always enough work for GOOD employees / contractors. There are more than PLENTY of the 'not-so-good'. / average.

If you are fortunate and trustworthy, you may end up with a place to call home (resident caretaker; rotating house, pet, plant sitter.) A previous boss secured a 20+ yr gig as a caretaker on private Island (in WA). It was a common job for island residents when we lived in Canadian Gulf Islands.

Good luck

Don't give up your desires, in spite of a whole herd of C-D naysayers. (and others... it is VERY easy to deflate others, yet all feedback should be weighed / considered)

I don’t want to live in a highly populated or touristy area. Something small with a delightful country charm. Lots of walking/hiking areas would be nice. A quiet and virtually crime free area.

^^^ This^^^ is very possible if you are creative and persistent.

I find it best to AVOID the normal 'busy' locales that are over populated with residents and with people trying to make a living. Similar can happen if you get too remote.

Find your sweet spot.

[Metlakatla]

Port Orford would fit the bill for a charming little coastal town on the South Coast that's not terribly touristy, but I don't think I'd recommend it to someone who needs to earn a living. Since Rabbit has clearly lived on the coast for years and knows it very well, I'm sure he's got several suggestions of which communities might work. Langlois? As far as C-D naysayers, if that's directed at my comments about the difficulties newcomers face in finding rental housing (assuming the OP will start out renting) in coastal communities that actually have work, that's based on actually living here and seeing people in real life struggle with this. There are two recent posts on one of the social media pages by people who decided to ignore the "naysayers" and come here anyway. They're basically begging total strangers for help finding places to live and not having much luck. But hey, one of the local churches is letting people sleep in its parking lot.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by 44Amie44

Hey y’all!
I’m originally from Northern California but that was 35 years ago. I’d like to relocate to Oregon but I’m unsure of where to start. I have a residential cleaning business and would like to know how well that might support me and what the going rate for house cleaning is in Oregon?
I would like to live near the coast as this is what I miss the most. I don’t want to live in a highly populated or touristy area. Something small with a delightful country charm. Lots of walking/hiking areas would be nice. A quiet and virtually crime free area.
Is this to much to ask for? Do places like this even exist? Lol
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated😊

First, there aren't any non-tourist areas on the coast. The #1 industry here is tourism.

The going rate for house cleaning service is $15 to $25 an hour. You would probably have to start out at $15 an hour, to build up your business. The first problem is that to get any significant amount of work you would have to drive up to at least 50 miles. All of the cleaning services around here cover multiple towns.

I have hired house cleaners a couple of times. In both cases, they were just housewives trying to earn a little extra money. I made the appointments about two days in advance and they agreed to come at the time I requested. Which tells me that they were not rolling in business. It would probably take you many years to build up a successful house cleaning business here. I wouldn't recommend you try doing it, unless you have some other way of making a living. It might be good for some extra income, but I doubt you could make a living at it, at least not to start with.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

First and foremost, you need to find somewhere with a demand for house cleaners that is steady. How you can find that in an area that is not urban, I can't imagine, but good luck.

[Metlakatla]

I think someone with a head for business and a good work ethic could do fine in Florence. People are always looking for housekeepers. The problem again is affordable housing for the working class, but there does seem to be more studios/one bedrooms than family housing. Every now and then I see jobs advertised that come with employee housing. The lighthouse between here and Yachats was looking for someone awhile back, and the job came with a small apartment.

[Tulippsy]

I live on the southern Oregon coast and there are lots of older, single women here. I have found it easier to make friends here than in Medford or Portland. My neighbor cleans for a woman who owns a few short term rentals and she charges a flat rate of 85.00. My cleaning lady charges $12.00 an hour. Hope this helps!

[Metlakatla]

Wow. I can't imagine anyone working for that rate here. I wonder how they survive. Pretty sure I'd be uncomfortable paying so little; along with potential IRS issues, paying domestic help a pittance "under the table" contributes to a variety of societal ills, starting with driving wages down to the extent that those trying to make a legit living can't do it.

[44Amie44]

Thanks guys for all of the input!!! I really appreciate it more than you could know!