Relocated to Portland -- need help determining a neighborhood. (Beaverton: for sale, real estate)

[usaf_1832]

Well, unexpectedly and happily I've received a promotion formal offer from my company sending me to Portland.

I'll be relocating in about 4-6 month, getting about 2-3 months of living out of hotels with time to scout out the area. I'm in my late 20's. I'll be looking to buy.

I can spend approx. $350K:
- prefer condo or townhome -- not much into outdoor maintenance
- microbrewies and coffee shops walking distance (perhaps my current view of Portland)
- generally prefer older architecture -- pre-WWII type of stuff
- Minimum of 2 Bedrooms (one for a home office)
- younger demographics preferred
- views of Mount Hood possible?
- I'll be flying out a couple days a week, so airport proximity could also be important, although the airport seems very close to many of the areas I would consider preferable to live.

I'm sure this has been asked many times, but how about living in Vancouver, WA to avoid income taxes? I'll be setting up a temporary office, so I could not be "working in Portland" necessarily. Not that I'd prefer this, but curious.

What areas would you recommend I narrow my search before speaking with a realtor?

Thanks for your time.

[sayulita]

You probably won't find many condos or townhomes of pre WWII vintage, but here's a link to some downtown and Pearl district condos for sale. I would avoid any condo in the South Waterfront area as it's pretty devoid of breweries and coffee shops or anything else for that matter. Most went up right before the crash and development of the area pretty much stopped. Anything in the Pearl or downtown will put you 20 minutes by car to the airport, longer if you take Max. If you choose a tall enough building, views of Mt. Hood are very possible. Good luck and congratulations on the promotion.

Downtown Homes for Sale - Portland Oregon Lofts Condos Condominiums Townhouses and Homes for Sale

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by sayulita

You probably won't find many condos or townhomes of pre WWII vintage, but here's a link to some downtown and Pearl district condos for sale.

Possibly some new construction in a pre-WWII Neighborhood. But even that is a long shot around here.

[Nell Plotts]

Whoa... there are a bunch of pre WWII buildings converted to condos in Portland's west side. The largest group are converted warehouses which can be easily identified by their inclusion of 'Loft" in their name. This list would be too long to mention here but if the OP is considering that style of condo PM me. Three apartment buildings that have been converted to condos worth a look are the Pearl Block Townhouses (rarely for sale and expensive), The Ambassador (downtown) and the Envoy (near Washington Park). Many units in the Envoy face north east and should have mountain views. The Ball Parc American is a classic but is tucked in a dense neighborhood, no views.

NW also has several pre WWII garden apartment style condos.

As with every condo going through their reserve study, minutes and financials is a must. I have no knowledge about their HOAs.

There is a Realtor website that organizes listings by buildings which may help you further identify the buildings that interest you (I don't know the Realtor at all, not pumping the business): PortlandCondos.com

[PNWdreamin]

Try ziprealty.com. I use them all the time. Pick Oregon, then Portland. Then you can choose all the neighborhoods and areas you want to look in. Or simply pick West of river or east of river. Then you can chose the price range, number of bedrooms, baths etc. You can also specify condos/townhomes. It will give you every listing there possibly is for sale meeting your specified criteria There will also be pictures and a map for each place. Congratulations and happy home searching!

[EnricoV]

If your income is paid from Oregon, you'll pay Oregon income taxes, so living in Vancouver will not save you from that.

You should be able to find what you're looking for. There are a number of areas that would seem to suit you. NW would probably be the best bet for the type of housing you seek, and your demographic. You're not likely, though, to find any Mt. Hood views with the age of a building you're looking for. And if you should, you'll be paying a lot more for that view.

[usaf_1832]

Much thanks everyone for the responses and the congratulations!

It looks like I should cross any pre-war type housing off my list immediately.. Ironically, when I lived in Cleveland for a short while, most of the cheaper condos were the older ones, but, of course, with tons of character. So those were the reasons I was initially leaning to older properties in that regard. BTW For example, (get ready for non-Portland type prices! a.k.a "reverse sticker shock"!)

- Cleveland Real Estate - 13805 Shaker Blvd 4B, Cleveland, OH, 44120
- Real Estate - 750 Prospect Ave East , Cleveland, OH 44115
- Cleveland Real Estate - 13615 Shaker Blvd 3B, Cleveland, OH, 44120

The housing in Raleigh paled in comparison to the affordable, hip options in Cleveland. But it doesn't seem to make economic sense to purse older styles in Portland. In all actuality, space is what I really need (but again with the balance of low maintenance).

Originally Posted by sayulita

If you choose a tall enough building, views of Mt. Hood are very possible. Good luck and congratulations on the promotion.

Downtown Homes for Sale - Portland Oregon Lofts Condos Condominiums Townhouses and Homes for Sale

Much thanks for the link! The property that has caught my eye the most and in my price range is Portland Plaza condo tower Homes for Sale in Portland Plaza - Downtown/Cultural - Portland Oregon Homes, Condominiums and Lofts

Any feedback on the area, property, or nearby amenities? From google maps, I see PSU and Downtown as its neighbor and decently close to the airport. Any major pros or cons? Thoughts??

Thanks again for all the help.

[Nell Plotts]

I know the Cleveland housing market.. and agree. I was stunned at the prices of beautiful classic homes. You won't find those prices here.

The best way to get to and from the airport is via the MAX. There is a line that starts at the Beaverton transit center and ends at PDX. If you are using a roll-aboard the streetcar lines (vs bus) is the way to go if you can't walk to the MAX.

Shortly after the Portland Plaza was built I wrote a critique of the design that was published in the Architectural Record. Design wise it was an abomination. I have aged a bit, it is no longer the worst design around town. I am not aware that the building has any issues that others of similar age do not have, and in fact it may has fewer than several of recent vintage. [Hint, hint.] A building with curvaceous lines does present furniture placement and window covering issues, and you may want to update the interior, but what the heck... price that into your offer and you may get a deal. Again, do your due diligence.

PM me if you have other questions.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

I know the Cleveland housing market.. and agree. I was stunned at the prices of beautiful classic homes. You won't find those prices here.

The best way to get to and from the airport is via the MAX. There is a line that starts at the Beaverton transit center and ends at PDX. If you are using a roll-aboard the streetcar lines (vs bus) is the way to go if you can't walk to the MAX.

Shortly after the Portland Plaza was built I wrote a critique of the design that was published in the Architectural Record. Design wise it was an abomination. I have aged a bit, it is no longer the worst design around town. I am not aware that the building has any issues that others of similar age do not have, and in fact it may has fewer than several of recent vintage. [Hint, hint.] A building with curvaceous lines does present furniture placement and window covering issues, and you may want to update the interior, but what the heck... price that into your offer and you may get a deal. Again, do your due diligence.

PM me if you have other questions.

LOL, Nell, talk about a building with "curvaceous lines" and furniture placment. How about these?

[sayulita]

Originally Posted by usaf_1832

Much thanks for the link! The property that has caught my eye the most and in my price range is Portland Plaza condo tower Homes for Sale in Portland Plaza - Downtown/Cultural - Portland Oregon Homes, Condominiums and Lofts

Any feedback on the area, property, or nearby amenities? From google maps, I see PSU and Downtown as its neighbor and decently close to the airport. Any major pros or cons? Thoughts??

Thanks again for all the help.

I don't know anything about the interior, but it's very close to just about anything you could want for day to day living. You can walk, bike, streetcar, Max or bus to many restaurants, coffee shops, Safeway supermarket, museums, Farmer's Market at PSU, the waterfront and the airport. It's far enough away from where you'll find a lot of homeless folks and street kids. Can't think of any major cons unless they don't have designated parking. For visits to places like Home Depot or Costco, you'll pretty much need a car though. Based on what you said you wanted, it looks like a good fit.