Moving to Portland in Spring 15.. need recs please =) (Gresham, Oregon City: 2015, rent)

[tiffbarker]

Hello =)

My family is moving there in Spring 2015.. probably April. My husband is going to be a recruiter for the USAF there. I was hoping to get recommendations on the good neighborhoods in the area, especially ones within the district of great elementary schools. Our son will be starting Kindergarten in 2016. We are looking in the $200-300K house range. The hubby would prefer a house not too far from his recruiting office (which we THINK is going to be at the Eastport Plaza in SE Portland.. thats the only recruiting office I can find online) like within a 30 min commute.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. Basic info.. areas to avoid.. anything really =)

Tiffany

[SETabor]

I would suggest South Tabor but by the spring, who knows if there will be any houses left under $300k. Atkinson is a pretty good school.

Montavilla, Foster Powell and Mt Scott should be in your price range. They are up and coming neighborhoods. I don't know what the schools are though.

[bler144]

The good news with Eastport is that it's going to be relatively easy to get to from most of the east side. School quality and price are going to be your primary challenges. Most of the areas with even reasonably good schools it's going to be hard to find anything under $300k.

Gresham maybe, though the parts of Gresham with good schools will require some trade-off on commute. Get yourself a good realtor, but if it were me, assuming he's really going to be at Eastport, I'd probably start with Gladstone or Oregon City.

[jruss80]

Recruiters can afford 200-300K price range....I messed up.

[colganc]

Unincorporated Clackamas County just to the SE on the east side of I205 might not be bad or Happy Valley.

Like this one for example: http://www.redfin.com/OR/Clackamas/1.../home/25768804

[tiffbarker]

Thanks so much everyone!! Im checking out the areas you suggested. Our housing allowance is $1600 but my husband would prefer a $1200ish mortgage payment at most.

Tiffany

[bler144]

Originally Posted by tiffbarker

Thanks so much everyone!! Im checking out the areas you suggested. Our housing allowance is $1600 but my husband would prefer a $1200ish mortgage payment at most.

That's why I didn't mention Happy Valley - arguably the best schools anywhere in the east, but I don't think you're going to find much in your price range, at least house-wise. A newer 3BR apt in HV will rent for about $1600.

But sure, it's at least worth looking there.