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I've been a frequent reader of the Oregon boards and want to thank all you that take the time to respond to all the questions and comments...
My wife and I are flying into Bend on 2/12, spending a couple of nights and then driving down to Ashland to spend a couple of nights there also. We're using this trip as a fact-finder for both the Bend and Ashland areas - to see if either area will be the one we fall in love with and will move to at the end of March. I work from home, my wife is an interior decorator (no kids) and we're looking forward to our next move and the excitement of a living in a new place, meeting new friends, seeing new things, etc. We will want to rent a house or townhouse first, until we learn the area, places we like to go, etc...
A couple of my questions :
- Can someone recommend a reputable Prop. Mngmnt Co for me to contact in each town? I'd like to get an idea of rates, neighborhoods', etc
- What are the 'must see when visiting' area's for each town - to get a feel about who & what the town is about?
- We enjoy walking trials, access to 'green space' (parks, forests, etc) - are there some neighborhoods that are closer to meeting those needs versus others?
Thanks in advance for any information that is provided!
As someone who has lived in Ashland and visited Bend, Bend looks to have a lot more in the way of conventional, defined neighborhoods. They are both nice towns, but I did not like a number of things about Ashland. I won't bother mentioning them, they may be completely irrelevant to you. Bend is also larger (more the size of Medford in terms of population). We think Bend is amazing. Bend is what my husband and I hoped Ashland would be but wasn't, so we moved away ... only to be moving to Bend soon.
Have a look on Craig's list for home listings and property management cos. (the names of these are in some of the home listing ads).
Last edited by Nina-in-Ashland; 02-05-2009 at 01:12 PM..
Reason: more info.
When we relocated a few years ago, we rented an apartment through Bend Property Management until our home was ready. They were very professional and helpful.
I can give more help if you describe the kind of housing you're looking for and price range. There are trails in many parts of Bend - kind of depends on what kind of neighborhood you are looking for. One area to look into is the Northwest Crossing neighborhood (NW Bend) for one that has its own little park, but is also next to bike trails and not very far from Shevlin Park (640 acres for biking, hiking, walking) and Tumalo Falls which also has lots of hiking. That being said, there is a large trail that goes along the Deschutes River (which runs through town) and so there are several areas that hook into that. Plus, there are some places on the east side of Bend to consider.
Places to see while you are here: certainly wander downtown and Mirror Pond; drive along Reed Market Road heading west, go to Shevlin Park (if it's open - we had a wind storm a couple of weeks ago and more than 200 trees toppled in the park so it is closed for cleanup.) The High Desert Museum is south of town towards Sunriver and is open every day. Go up to Mt. Bachelor for some skiing or boarding. Ice skate at 7th Mtn Resort or in Sunriver. Take a snowshoe or cave tour with Wanderlust Tours. February can be cold and snowy or quite nice and sunny, so be prepared for anything weather wise.
Nina - Thanks for your honest opinion. I hope that you make it to Bend soon! As far as Ashland goes, are there certain streets or area's of town that you recommend that we drive thru to get a feel of the town? And thanks for the Craiglist tip...I'll make sure I search for some of those.
Bendite - Thanks for the Prop. Management tip, I'm going to check them out...and also thanks so much for naming some places for us to see while there. Depending on the weather, we hope to see/do a lot that you mentioned...and I also saw where that weekend is Winterfest, so we're planning on checking some of that out as well.
I really didn't include any kind of price range for housing because we're going to be renting for the first 6 months to a year of being there. That way we can learn the area and try to determine if Bend is the place we want to settle down in for the years to come. We're paying $1800 a month right now to rent a 2100+ square foot condo here in Sonoma county right now, so I would hope to pay similar rent or less in Oregon. My wife loves the look and style of the Craftsman type houses, so area's with that type of architecture is were I would like us to spend some time riding around and seeing what's available. I looked up the Northwest Crossing neighborhood that you mentioned and it looked very, very promising! I'm curious as to what the lot sizes are there, but as with anything, there is always some give and take when making decisions about what works best. We do have a dog, so having some yard (preferably fenced in..) is a must - for the dogs sake as much as mine!
Again, thanks to the both of you for your responses....it's appreciated!
Be sure to drive through ALL of the town - the commercial districts, the industrial districts, the residential districts (good and bad). You need to know the feel of the total town. I always check out the commercial and industrial districts, because they'll give you the feel for how self-supporting a town is.
Santa Fe, NM, for instance, which was one of my early choices, doesn't really have an industrial or commercial district, and what it does have is entirely housing or tourist related.
PNC - Thanks, that is great advice to follow. I am curious now when you mentioned that Santa Fe was one of your early choices...Are you currently in Klamath Falls and is that where you decided to move after considering others? I have also looked (online) at that area and was concerned that is was too isolated, didn't have enough city, cultural 'stuff' around it for full-time living. What is your take on that? I did see that the Running Y isn't far from town and that they have a 'live here, shop here, stay here' kind of concept going...
Bendite - Thanks for the Prop. Management tip, I'm going to check them out...and also thanks so much for naming some places for us to see while there. Depending on the weather, we hope to see/do a lot that you mentioned...and I also saw where that weekend is Winterfest, so we're planning on checking some of that out as well.
I really didn't include any kind of price range for housing because we're going to be renting for the first 6 months to a year of being there. That way we can learn the area and try to determine if Bend is the place we want to settle down in for the years to come. We're paying $1800 a month right now to rent a 2100+ square foot condo here in Sonoma county right now, so I would hope to pay similar rent or less in Oregon. My wife loves the look and style of the Craftsman type houses, so area's with that type of architecture is were I would like us to spend some time riding around and seeing what's available. I looked up the Northwest Crossing neighborhood that you mentioned and it looked very, very promising! I'm curious as to what the lot sizes are there, but as with anything, there is always some give and take when making decisions about what works best. We do have a dog, so having some yard (preferably fenced in..) is a must - for the dogs sake as much as mine!
NW Crossing lot sizes range from very small (5,148) to a few that are quite large (15,930). The homes are all Craftsman, but they are different designs and floor plans and by different builders. Much of Bend is Craftsman style, so you won't have a problem finding something if that's a style you like.
You'll easily find a very nice short term rental (6 - 12 months) for about $1400/month. Here's a company that has some rentals in NW Crossing that will give you an idea: Veracity Property Management
Craigslist, as mentioned, is a good resource, but be careful. There are scams that list rentals that don't exist or are for houses that the person advertising has no right to rent out (not necessarily in Bend. It's happening everywhere). Also be careful of forclosed or nearly forclosed homes. I think I'd go with a rental agency in today's environment.
Staying a while before deciding is a great idea. Before we decided to move to Bend, we visited several times in various seasons for a couple of weeks at a time. When we finally were ready to relocate, we knew it was the right place for us. Winterfest is a fun celebration. It used to be downtown, but this year it is in the Old Mill District, so I'm not sure what it will be like this year, but it's always put on by the same people, so it's bound to be good.
PNC - Thanks, that is great advice to follow. I am curious now when you mentioned that Santa Fe was one of your early choices...Are you currently in Klamath Falls and is that where you decided to move after considering others? I have also looked (online) at that area and was concerned that is was too isolated, didn't have enough city, cultural 'stuff' around it for full-time living. What is your take on that? I did see that the Running Y isn't far from town and that they have a 'live here, shop here, stay here' kind of concept going...
Santa Fe is a beautiful city with a history and a culture you won't find in smaller Oregon towns. It was also far too tourist-oriented for me.
It's true that Klamath Falls is off the beaten-I-5-path, but that's one of the things I liked about it. I wanted quiet, I wanted a beautiful view: forests, mountains and high desert and I wanted to be able to build my small passive solar home out somewhere with a view away from a city. I actually live about 35 miles north of Klamath Falls, not far from the south entrance to Crater Lake.
If I want "city" I can drive/take a train/fly to Portland or San Francisco. Maybe 20 years down the line (when I'm deaf), I'll have to live back in a city, shoulder-to-shoulder.
Running Y is more somewhere I'd go for a quick vacation than somewhere I'd live, but a lot of that has to do with the fact that I don't want close neighbors, nor do I want to live in a"part time" place. Klamath Falls is definitely a small rural town, very conservative, with some seriously conflicted opinions about what "moving forward" means.
My preference for high desert means I'd pick Bend over Ashland, but I also like some of the amenities in Bend (Whole Foods, Trader Joes, great microbreweries, some very good resturants) better. What I don't like about Bend is that it's still somewhat over-priced - this is probably true about anywhere at the moment - and the traffic (pretty much unfixable) on the bypass, 26 and 97.
I lived in Rohnert Park for several years (shoutout to Sonoma Cty), went to college in Ashland, and visited Bend a couple of years ago. All are nice places, although expensive.
Ashland benefits greatly from having Southern Oregon University there, so there are college sports, diversity of thought, the famous Shakespeare festival, Lithia Park, and interesting lectures, etc. Not a big city, but Medford (the town I grew up in) is not far away (20 minutes) and I understand it's gotten bigger (70,000). Also, Sacramento is 5 hours south, Portland is 5-6 hours north and there are other towns in between. Plus there are lots of nature activities, and the Britt Festival in Jacksonville.
Bend is about the size of Medford and has a lot going on too. We were only there a few days - went rafting and checked out Smith Rock State Park, drove over the Cascades. Probably much more isolated, although I think you can get to Portland in 3-4 hours. Also lots of nature activities - don't know how much culture. Bend attracts a lot of wealth which might be good for your wife's career, but I think Ashland has gotten posh as well.
[SIZE=2]Thanks everyone for your replies....they are appreciated and useful!
We've been in Windsor, CA (Nice to see RP in the house! ) for two years now, moved out here from Chattanooga, TN and really love being in the West. We're trying to find that balance of a West coast feel, affordable living, beautiful scenery and outdoor activities....and we're hoping that we can all that in Oregon! We're excited about our upcoming trip and are hoping that when we see the place we're supposed to be for a while, it will leave no doubt in our hearts that this is the place we're supposed to be....We'll get back into town next Monday evening (2/16), and in case anyone cares, I'll let ya'll know what our thoughts are of Bend and Ashland.
Thanks again everyone...
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) for two years now, moved out here from Chattanooga, TN and really love being in the West. We're trying to find that balance of a West coast feel, affordable living, beautiful scenery and outdoor activities....and we're hoping that we can all that in Oregon! We're excited about our upcoming trip and are hoping that when we see the place we're supposed to be for a while, it will leave no doubt in our hearts that this is the place we're supposed to be....We'll get back into town next Monday evening (2/16), and in case anyone cares, I'll let ya'll know what our thoughts are of Bend and Ashland.
