Best place to retire on the coast (Newport, Florence: HOA, hotel)

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Slowlanes, this is one of the most informative posts I've read about retirement along the Oregon coast. Thank you for sharing your experience!

This is something I've tossed around a bit myself once it comes time to retire. I'm also an old surfer like you and actually grew up and lived most of my life on the coast. So, there is a stronger connection to it for me. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy my day or extended weekend trips from Vancouver. However, its not the same as being able to walk down and watch the sunset over the ocean from your home any time you want, enjoy sunrise at dawn patrol or watching the big storms roll through and then the sun burst through the clouds. The smell of salt air while hiking coastal trails. Watching the waves break and surfers and kids playing along the shore. That I truly miss.

I'm not sure if living there again FT will ever make sense though. So, you've got me thinking about the next best thing:

1. Living there part of the year through owning a vacation home if I could afford it. This is probably the most expensive route and not the most practical. May be hard to maintain if not there FT with all the wind, salt air, etc...
2. Long term vacation rentals - might be more affordable than owning without all the overhead/headache. You can also go somewhere different anytime you want including other states/climates.
3. RV living along the coast with freedom to explore more places - I've never been one to haul boats or trailers before. And I'm not sure if it would be worth the cost/hassle. Though I have an old surfer friend who retired early from the military and travels all over the US and Mexico in his camper with his wife. They take some pretty fun adventures.

...

Derek

Equity Share Ownership has worked well for several friends.

4 owners seems to work well (one week / month + swapping weeks for longer periods)
Properties in a managed community / maint provided will give you more 'vacation time' rather than always worrying and working on the place. (some of these same owners also bought a vineyard in France, together - came with multiple homes and a FT caretaker... much less expensive than buying a Willamette Valley vineyard.)

Just ran into this other option (Tiny Home Community in Waldport) housing co-op? / Intentional Community? You could do this with a few friends and someone would be around to watch your property.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us3wXrKzUsA

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Equity Share Ownership has worked well for several friends.

4 owners seems to work well (one week / month + swapping weeks for longer periods)
Properties in a managed community / maint provided will give you more 'vacation time' rather than always worrying and working on the place. (some of these same owners also bought a vineyard in France, together - came with multiple homes and a FT caretaker... much less expensive than buying a Willamette Valley vineyard.)

Just ran into this other option (Tiny Home Community in Waldport) housing co-op? / Intentional Community? You could do this with a few friends and someone would be around to watch your property.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us3wXrKzUsA

Leave it to Stealth to come up with more new and interesting ways to invest in real estate.

I actually found that tiny house community along the central Oregon coast very interesting and appealing over standard home ownership. Whether that be through ownership or renting some them out. It looks like a really great idea and alternative approach to coastal living! So thanks for finding that. I also like what that couple did with the old Airstream remodel. Some of those can be more expensive than an actual house if buying a newer model.

Derek

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Leave it to Stealth to come up with more new and interesting ways to invest in real estate.

I actually found that tiny house community along the central Oregon coast very interesting and appealing over standard home ownership. Whether that be through ownership or renting some them out. It looks like a really great idea and alternative approach to coastal living! So thanks for finding that. I also like what that couple did with the old Airstream remodel. Some of those can be more expensive than an actual house if buying a newer model.

Derek

It's not a new concept. It's a trailer park. Almost every town in Oregon has at least one.

[NW4me]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Leave it to Stealth to come up with more new and interesting ways to invest in real estate.

I actually found that tiny house community along the central Oregon coast very interesting and appealing over standard home ownership. Whether that be through ownership or renting some them out. It looks like a really great idea and alternative approach to coastal living! So thanks for finding that. I also like what that couple did with the old Airstream remodel. Some of those can be more expensive than an actual house if buying a newer model.

Derek

What are those big buildings just to the north of the tiny houses?

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Cloudy Dayz

It's not a new concept. It's a trailer park. Almost every town in Oregon has at least one.

I don't think it's necessarily a bad place, but yes, it's a dressed-up trailer park designed to capitalize on the "tiny home" trend, which I think is ridiculous. People have been living in tiny shacks since the dawn of civilization, but they became "cool" when urbanites discovered them. Personally, I wouldn't live there because look at how open and exposed everything is. Neighbors can see right into each others' homes, and when a coastal storm comes along, being inside one of those things wouldn't be at all pleasant.

[sam812]

Originally Posted by NW4me

What are those big buildings just to the north of the tiny houses?

They are greenhouses. The same person who owns the tiny house place owns them. If you are living there they will rent you sections of the greenhouse to use.

WOW, just watched the video. It has turned into a nice place if you like homemade travel trailers. I looked at it when they were still working on it in 2018, way nicer now.

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I don't think it's necessarily a bad place, but it's a dressed up trailer park designed to capitalize on the "tiny home" trend, which I think is ridiculous. People have been living in tiny shacks since the dawn of civilization, but they became "cool" when white people discovered them. Personally, I wouldn't live there because look at how open and exposed everything is. Neighbors can see right into each others' homes, and when a coastal storm comes along, being inside one of those things wouldn't be pleasant.

I am not a fan of "tiny homes" like in this place. I would love to find a similar place with small manufactured or built on site homes on small plots of land. I personally would like a 450-650 sq ft home on a small lot in a gated community in Newport. We can dream can't we. I have found a few similar places but they are full of older(80s-90s) manufactured homes.

[StealthRabbit]

This is only presented as an alternative....

I can still build a real home for <$80/sf, so I'm not a tiny home proponent.

Good idea that this guy bought a derelict commercial property (of which there are thousands in Oregon)... And provided an affordable and sustainable home for people who otherwise are priced out of housing. One of my volunteer gigs is helping residents buy their own MHP so they can secure housing. I also help with food security networks in Oregon, providing instruction and resources for those who are at risk of not having food. That all fits very well with converting an ex-commercial greenhouse / nursery into a sustainable living center.

Not perfect for everyone, but very suitable for some.

Ymmv.

[Metlakatla]

LOL. Tiny Tranquility has more AirbnB rentals that "affordable housing for locals."

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by sam812

They are greenhouses. The same person who owns the tiny house place owns them. If you are living there they will rent you sections of the greenhouse to use.

WOW, just watched the video. It has turned into a nice place if you like homemade travel trailers. I looked at it when they were still working on it in 2018, way nicer now.



I am not a fan of "tiny homes" like in this place. I would love to find a similar place with small manufactured or built on site homes on small plots of land. I personally would like a 450-650 sq ft home on a small lot in a gated community in Newport. We can dream can't we. I have found a few similar places but they are full of older(80s-90s) manufactured homes.

I met a travel nurse recently who was staying there, and she liked it. It is sort of a nice-ish place, but the amount of Airbnb rentals at Tiny Tranquility would be a deal-breaker for many, me included. Living among a revolving door of vacationers wouldn't be appealing in any setting but would be even more annoying with so little privacy.

I live in a gated community on a small lot in a smallish home (1100 ft), but it's in the trees, and I can't see my neighbors' homes and they can't see mine except for the guy directly across the street.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I met a travel nurse recently who was staying there, and she liked it. It is sort of a nice-ish place, but the amount of Airbnb rentals at Tiny Tranquility would be a deal-breaker for many, me included. Living among a revolving door of vacationers wouldn't be appealing in any setting but would be even more annoying with so little privacy.

I live in a gated community on a small lot in a smallish home (1100 ft), but it's in the trees, and I can't see my neighbors' homes and they can't see mine except for the guy directly across the street.

Of course everyone has their preferences for neighbor proximity as well as AirBnB'rs vs. FT residents. If you live right next to the beach or oceanfront in a nice coastal community, its very common to have smaller lots even with larger homes. I haven't really had any problems with that layout and so don't mind it at all. We've usually had pretty good neighbors in those cases. Of course having more privacy is nice and one of the tradeoffs with living closer vs. more inland. It doesn't mean one is better than the other, just different preferences - some like apples, some oranges. People will gladly spend millions to be waterfront with almost no yard to speak while others would never think of it. If given the two choices, I would pick a smaller lot and closer to the water's edge. YMMV

Derek