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Old 12-19-2009, 11:03 AM
 
6 posts, read 12,076 times
Reputation: 11

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My fiance is graduating from golf pro academy in April and we are looking for a new place to relocate. (currently living in Boise,ID) Our hearts are truly in Oregon as we go to the coast there 2 times per year and have fallen in love....however, we are open to any suggestions!!

Our perfect place would have the following......

1. Lots of golf courses
2. Not more the a few hours from the coast
3. Not too large of a city. (anything larger than Boise would be too large probably)
4. DOG FRIENDLY area - a must as we have three dogs and are used to taking them on hikes and to dog parks all the time.
5. Friendly town (low key and laid back)
6. Must have good shopping, arts, parks
7. MUST have water nearby (river, lake, ocean)
8. 4 seasons a plus but nothing to frigid cold
9. Decent economy (we realize that everywhere is down right now, but an overall decent economic climate)
10. No "desert" climates. I love tall trees and greenery, not the dry sagebrush of Idaho. ;-)
11. Must have an airport relatively close

I really appreciate your suggestions.... We are open to any city in the US that may be a good fit for us. This is a big deal to us and we don't want to make a wrong choice!
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Old 12-19-2009, 12:12 PM
 
6 posts, read 16,984 times
Reputation: 16
I would say that Salem would be a good fit for you. It is one hour from Portland which has a major airport. It is one hour from the coast. Shopping is good. If you need an art fix, Corvallis is about 45 minutes away. The climate is mild and wet (in winter) anywhere you go west of the Cascade mountains and north of Roseburg. It is a very friendly town. It is relatively conservative for the Willamette Valley, but it's not full of redneck republicans by any means. There are numerous parks, and has the Willamette River running through the heart of town. It's population is about 150,000 and growing. There are lots of smaller communities close by. Monmouth has a state university and is 15 minutes away. There is also Dallas and Silverton as well. Finding housing that accepts dogs can be tricky no matter where you go. Salem also has a lower cost of living compared to it's neighbors, but it's not a "dump" by any means. The economy is bad everywhere right now, but Salem usually seems to hold up better than the rest of the state because it is the state capitol. Plus if you had to you could get a job in the Portland area and commute. My advice would be to come visit for a week if possible to get a feel for the area. Here is a link to the newspaper: statesmanjournal.com | Statesman Journal | Salem news, community, entertainment, yellow pages and classifieds. Serving Salem, OR

Hope this helps...

Jordan
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Old 12-19-2009, 02:07 PM
 
Location: Salem, OR
15,577 posts, read 40,434,848 times
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I live in Salem, but what do you define LOTS of golf courses? Portland has more than we do by far. Salem has Creekside Golf Course, which is a private course, McNary (which is in Keizer), and Salem Golf Course. Then there are courses in many of our surrounding smaller cities.

We have two off leash dog parks, one at Minto Brown and one in Keizer. There are plans for a third, but don't think that has happened yet. There is also an off leash area at Silverfalls State Park.

No where in Oregon has a decent economy. Seriously, no where. Portland probably has the best economy of the bigger cities.

I also can't think of a decent sized city that doesn't have water nearby. Most of our cities were built around the rivers for commerce reasons way back when....

Not sure how you define good shopping. Salem has decent shopping, but many people drive up to the Woodburn outlet malls which is a huge complex.

I think Bend sounds kind of like the atmosphere you are looking for, but it is high desert out there. It's not lush like the valley. PDX also isn't particularly close.

In the valley your three choices would pretty much be Eugene, Portland, or Salem to get "lots" of golf courses. Here is a link to a golf site that lists where the courses are and a map Oregongolf.com - Oregon and Southern Washington Golf Courses - Discount Tee Times - Reduced Tee Times - Cheap Tee Times
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Old 12-19-2009, 04:26 PM
 
Location: Oregon Coast
1,873 posts, read 4,236,871 times
Reputation: 2796
Bandon = Golf.
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Old 12-19-2009, 06:26 PM
 
Location: Pluto's Home Town
9,982 posts, read 13,762,061 times
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I think Medford, in southern Oregon, has several golf courses. A lot of retired folks with money too, so might need a golf pro/coach. The economy in S. Oregon is horrible right now though.
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Old 12-19-2009, 06:35 PM
 
Location: Cascade Lakes Highway / Kapalua
456 posts, read 1,007,549 times
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Bend has a glut of golf course. Most were built as loss leaders to sell real-estate. Now the property owners have to pay to maintain them..

Golf Courses

The South West side of Bend is much more forest then sage brush.
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Old 12-20-2009, 08:26 AM
 
6 posts, read 16,984 times
Reputation: 16
Bend is a very nice area. However it got hit harder by the real estate crash than anywhere else in the state. It is about 3.5+ hours from the coast so a day trip to the beach would be hard. There is an airport in Redmond which is 16 miles to the north. Shopping is comparable to most cities in the Willamette Valley outside Portland. They have an outlet mall and recently got a Trader Joes. It can feel isolated in the winter when big storms make the passes over the Cascades treacherous. Of course now that Bend is somewhat of a major city in its own right that may not be as true as it was in the past. You said that you don't want a "desert" climate which is exactly what Bend is. They get 12 inches of rain per year, compared to 40 inches for the valley. Summers are hot (though not as bad as Boise) and winters are cold with lots of snow. Do you garden? Bend has a very short growing season and frosts in the summer are not unusual. The cost of living is fairly high especially compared with wages in the area. Most people that live in Deschutes County where Bend is are transplants from other parts of the country, mainly California. Bend's economy even in the good times was mainly service oriented. You didn't say what your career was, but unless you are self-employed or already wealthy I wouldn't consider Bend as an option, especially if traveling a lot is a requirement. Redmond's airport has a decent amount of flights but they tend to be expensive. Portland is a good 3-3.5 hours away. However Bend is a great place to visit for a weekend. Summer and fall are my favorite times.
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Old 12-20-2009, 10:25 AM
 
6 posts, read 12,076 times
Reputation: 11
Thank you for the responses so far. Here is the funny thing.... I am a Realtor by trade and a property manager. I am not sure if I will do the same in Oregon. Most importantly, myfiance will need to find the job and then I will figure it out from there. Is it hard to find pet friendly rentals in Oregon? I seem to be drawn to Southern Oregon.... in particular the Roseberg, Ashland, Grants Pass areas. Any feedback on this?
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Old 12-21-2009, 02:49 PM
 
1,312 posts, read 6,469,594 times
Reputation: 2036
Quote:
Originally Posted by heidijc12 View Post
I seem to be drawn to Southern Oregon.... in particular the Roseberg, Ashland, Grants Pass areas. Any feedback on this?
You would be hard-pressed to find communities that are more the opposite of what Ashland is than Roseburg and Grants Pass.
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Old 12-21-2009, 03:05 PM
 
Location: Oceanside and Chehalem Mtns.
716 posts, read 2,817,739 times
Reputation: 531
Quote:
Originally Posted by heidijc12 View Post
Most importantly, myfiance will need to find the job and then I will figure it out from there.

With a degree in Golf Academy, I doubt your fiance can simply pick a city and then expect that employment will be a forgone conclusion.

Is there really a huge demand for Golf Pro's in small Oregon towns?

You might want to consider Phoenix, Las Vegas or Miami.
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