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Juneau-ite, Olympia WA is the obvious choice, in that it is equidistant from Portland and Seattle, and as state capital, should offer many career opportunities in law. However, do realize that of all the cities you're considering, it receives the most rain (about 60% as much in inches and in hours per year as Juneau). It does have good schools and the walkable, family atmosphere you seek.
Just to confirm what others have said, Ashland median home price is double your range (and rentals are scarce), Bend (rentals also scarce, but you could look in Redmond) and east Medford are about 1.5-1.7 times your range, and west Medford and all the other cities you mention except Klamath Falls have median home prices 1.2-1.4 times your range. So your range may need to be adjusted up a bit, unless a duplex or condo are acceptable.
I'd like to second your idea of renting. Home prices are flat or dropping slightly, so if you were to buy now and decide to sell in, say, 2 years, there's a good chance that the appreciation (if any) would not cover the closing costs and you might have a loss of several percent. Renting gives you more flexibility.
As a minor note, just so you know, the state income tax rate in OR is 9% and in WA is 0%, and median incomes in WA are about 5% higher as well. By the way, both Bellingham and Wenatchee are growing communities that I think you'd like... and yes, Salem is a nice city, too!
I would think the best COL/salary quotient would be Salem. QUOTE]
He doesn't have a particular field; the firm he's at now is very diverse in its practice, and he's worked in education, real estate, and insurance defense. Hopefully that will serve him well, as well as his Columbia Law school degree. THe key is finding a small firm like the one he's at now.
About Salem - Everyone I've mentioned it to sort of wrinkles their nose. I get the comment that it's "very industrial" and that there's "not much going on." What's the scoop? It seems okay from the internet research I've done...
Salem and environs is very liveable. It's a "working town" in the sense that it isn't quaint like Corvallis, or even Eugene, both of which have one of the two major universities and reflect the collegiate atmosphere. Salem has Willamette University (private and the oldest in the state), but frankly it's a small school and seems, to me at least, not very involved in the community. (It does have a top notch law school, though.) Nevertheless, there plenty of intellectual stimulation with government being the biggest employer in town. Lots and LOTS of law offices and lobbying firms are here :<) There is a good theatre that gets some very good acts from time to time. Also community theatre and music can be had there.
I live in Jefferson, about 10 miles to the southeast. I used to live in South Salem (one of the more desirable parts of town) but moved here after a divorce. Housing is very affordable. A brand new 2000+ sq.ft. house will run in the very low 200's and in Salem you can expect to add another 50K to that number. Schools, as with everywhere, are adequate but not great. Real estate is a good investment here as the market is very strong and prices are actually appreciating very nicely all over the area. The closer to P'land you live the more expensive the price/sq.ft. of house.
Oregon generally is experiencing a lot of growth, mostly from Californians like myself who have just gotten fed up with prices, the congestion and general downtick on the quality of living. You need a mountain of money to live well anywhere near a metropolitan area.
Yes, we get rain. Not like out on the coast but plenty of it from October to March. It takes a bit of getting used to, but on balance we wouldn't have such great natural beauty without it.
The nice thing about living along the "I-5 corridor" in the Willamette Valley is accessiblity to Oregon's major cities. Portland is less than an hour away and exactly one hour to PDX from South Salem and about 75 minutes from Jefferson. I shop in Salem, which has tons of good stores and two major shopping malls: one downtown and another on the east side on Lancaster Ave. Albany, just across the freeway to the west, has good shopping, too.
Outdoors is the best. The Cascades are just minutes away with plenty of hiking, fishing, hunting, skiing, etc. Lots of fishing on both coastal and mountain rivers and streams. I took up fly fishing with a vengeance when I moved here and just love it. Trout, salmon, steelhead...they're all here in relative abundance, though not anything like anywhere in AK.
I know I sound the the Chamber of Commerce, but I am very upbeat about this area. You would do yourself a favor by looking at this area hard, especially with the opportunities for employment for your spouse. (I guess he would have to pass the Oregon bar to practice here.)
Feel free to contact "private message" me if you have any other questions.
Flylooper, I tip my hat to you for this fine post on Salem. This is one of the best posts on Salem that I have ever read here on the forum and it is from someone who lives there.
I hope others will rate your post as positively as I did.
Flylooper, Just a quick note. I was in Jefferson today. I have some clients that were looking at a house in the new neighborhood off Hazel. Pretty nice, prices are starting to creep up a bit compared to Albany, but still well below Salem.
Do you generally head toward Salem or Albany for general shopping? Whatever your answer, why did you choose that way (distance, quality of shopping, etc...)
I'm curious so I can pass it on to the family I'm working with.
thanks!
Flylooper, Just a quick note. I was in Jefferson today. I have some clients that were looking at a house in the new neighborhood off Hazel. Pretty nice, prices are starting to creep up a bit compared to Albany, but still well below Salem.
Do you generally head toward Salem or Albany for general shopping? Whatever your answer, why did you choose that way (distance, quality of shopping, etc...)
I'm curious so I can pass it on to the family I'm working with.
thanks!
DavePautsch
Dave, I do most of my grocery shopping in Albany, which is just minutes away. We have a Costco (cheap gasoline) there and a great Freddie's (Meyer) Also there are some Big Box stores, like Target, GI Joe's and a pretty good mall called The Heritage Mall. I work out at the YMCA in Albany. So it's got pretty much all I need right there.
I go into Salem, which is a bit farther away, for upscale shopping for clothes or specialty stuff. They have a Sportsman's Warehouse there, which is like a candy store for me. They used to have the best darned restaurant for Cajun food (!!) west of the Mississippi at Jonathan's on Liberty St. but it's slipped since changing ownership. There are a couple of fine Italian "white tabelcloth" restaurants, too. (I guess the lobbyists need somewhere to take their people!) There are now two big Wal-Marts in Salem. Home Depot has been there for quite a while and now Lowe's came in right next to this enourmous Wal-Mart hyper store. That tells you something. I mean, these big companies know their demographics.
I know that new subdivision off Hazel. It's a big one. Used to be a big grass seed field. I walk over there all the time. I live just a few blocks from it. I guess it's a good thing. Prices are rising for sure. I bought a 2200 s.f. brand new home and paid right at $200K and they tell me it's worth about 220-225 now after only a year of being in it. Not bad!
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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If you are in your 'earning' years, you might give WA a second look (No income tax + school funding (state) is likely in better shape). Of your choices, I'd choose Bellingham, but you would need to examine the employment potential. It is really growing and housing would be a stretch $$$, but, it is really nice (inland coast + mountains + EZ access to BC, which has super recreation - camping, boating, mountains, Vanc BC, Vanc Island...and great produce ! There are some less expensive places nearby Bellingham (Lynden has good school and supportive community, also Ferndale) This is a long way from OR (5+ hrs to PDX) but accessible via EZ train ride.
If you want to be 1/2 way, then look into Centralia / Chehalis; there will be some bargain homes there this spring, (lay-off at mine). It will recover, as it is on I-5 (which is not going to move!! EZ commute to Oly. Plus things growing in southerly direction. If you come in the winter, remember that both Mt St Helens + Mt Rainier are nearby, just hiding in the clouds.
I'd be concerned about the Willamette Valley fog, several of my friends who have moved there from North of PDX have not liked the winter fog much. It was really hard on folks I knew from Colo (of course). The weather really affects folks different, so you might have to give it a try. Come stay on a wet weekend, and run lots of errands, spend time in parks, go to the beach and ask, "Are we having fun yet?"
I second the Roseburg idea for a moderate climate in a less expensive place, but sustainable economy.
A couple of different posters have noted the difference between the Oregon income tax rate (9%) and the ever-popular 0% in Washington.
Does Washington have a state sales tax, and, if so, at what rate?
Sales tax applies to purchases made with so-called after tax dollars and, as there are no minimums or deductions to hide behind, I wonder what the bottom line would be when comparing 0% income tax in Washington against 0% sales tax in Oregon?
"Paying an additional 5-10% on every purchase can quickly put a hole in one's bank account," he said ruefully from the land of the 6% federal tax and 8% provincial tax.
If the distance between southern Oregon and the Portland area isn't that great a concern to you, juneauite, then you may want to give some closer consideration to Klamath Falls.
Due to its location in the rain shadow of the Cascades, Klamath receives only around 13 inches of precipitation per year which would likely be a refreshing change from the rains you described at Juneau. Summers are warm and dry, while winters are cool enough for snow, but actual blizzards are rare. There is plenty of sunshine in all seasons.
The beauty and recreational possibilities of the Cascades and Winema National Forest are a mere 20 minutes away while Klamath Lake is right at the town's doorstep.
Because Klamath is the major center for a large geographical area, it offers amenities not found in many other cities of similar sizes. Grocery shopping options include Safeway(2), Fred Meyer, Albertson's, and Thunderbird, while general shopping can be done at major stores like WalMart, Home Depot, Big R, Gottshalks, etc. There is also a wide variety of smaller stores in both in the downtown core and throughout the city.
Planning a meal out in Klamath can be a fun adventure with Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Mongolian, American, steakhouse, BBQ, and seafood restaurants to choose from. Most of the major fast food chains are well represented as well.
Merle West Medical Center provides excellent hospital facilities and several urgent care clinics are also available.
Klamath also has an effecient public transit service for those who wish to leave the car in the driveway.
Can you get a decent house in Klamath for $200K? Yes.
Are there employment opportunities for lawyers? Probably.
Here are a couple of pictures to give you a rough idea of the place.
One thing to consider might be the licensing requirements for attorneys in WA and OR. If your husband is not licensed to practice law in Oregon, he may have to sit for the Oregon Bar Exam. If he is admitted to practice in Alaska only, he will definitely have to take the exam (only licensed WA, ID, and UT lawyers are allowed to "waive in" without taking the exam). Washington, on the other hand, should permit an Alaska bar member to waive in to the bar without having to take the WA State Bar Exam. Something to consider...
Excellent point, goozer. The idea is to focus on a general area, like Southern Oregon or Western Washington, find the job, then zero in on a particular area. Do not move until your husband has a job. My neighbors moved from San Diego to Ashland, thinking he'd find work as an architect. Wrong answer. He finally found a job after months of not working for less than $20/hour. They have to sell the new house they bought because the mortgage payments are killing them. Just be sensible about this.
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