How much do you need to make to live comfortably in Portland? (Donald: real estate, apartments)

[MsHell]

Could 2 adults live comfortably in Portland making $70k - $80k (combined)?

How's the real estate these days? Is it realistic to look to buy 1-2 bedroom condo in a safe, nice area for around $200k?

[TechmanOR]

Depends... do both of you need to have cars? What are the expenses?

[meltinjohn]

Someone told me Portland to live is cool if your richer because of the lighting systems they can afford and to have general fun in the city but this person also needed to be where theres sun whereas not the case with me. I feel you can enjoy the city and make 30k a yr if you split an apartment or divide it and not drive a car along with it.

[Leisesturm]

Is it possible to get approved for a 200K mortgage with 70k combined? I don't know I'm just asking. Safe and nice are such subjective concepts. The reality is that post 9/11 America is a very different place than it once was. Levels of violent crime that made many areas of many cities 'unsafe' simply aren't tolerated anymore. You have to work pretty hard to find truly unsafe places to live. I don't think any such areas exist in the Northwest. I won't even touch "nice". Suffice it to say that it is probably 'just' possible to squeak into something you could live with at the 200k price point but only if you take an earlier posters advice and forget about automobile ownership, to which I would add, vacations, jewelry, high end electronics, etc. Living in Portland I think you will find less need for 'stuff' anyway, a good pair of hiking boots, some rain gear, a couple of bicycles... the good life...

H

[subsound]

I think they could, we have lived on less in a 2br apartment. Depends on your debt and savings if you can really afford a house. It's not really car friendly downtown, and you save a bunch by taking public transit.

[meltinjohn]

I noticed cars got stickers on them all the time downtown if they were parked too long. They might be trying to make ppl think all the more to ride a bike when they give tickets.

[Bluesmama]

Does it have to be right in Portland? I think you can find condos in the burbs for that. There are some units being constructed just down the street from me but I don't know if they're condos or apartments.

As for "safety". . . . . I'M not getting into that topic again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[want to move somewhere]

I think you would be fine, yes you can find a nice condo in that price or maybe just a little higher and 2 people, no kids? will be fine on 80,000 unless you spend a lot of money..lol

[DZimm]

I presently live in TN and am seriously considering moving to either the
Portland or Vancouver area sometime early next year, possibly sooner.
Any answers to my questions would be greatly appreciated.

I would like to know some things before moving - some of which are, is
there any public transit system? If so, how much is it per ride? Is
there monthly passes available & for how much if anybody knows?
When I used to live in Boise (in
Meridian area, from '89-'94), I had to walk everywhere I went (after a
car wreck, just one of many I had). There was no transportation system
in Meridian at the time, though Boise had one. Never had to use it
since I was able to drive then. How far are the
McDonald'ses and other common businesses from neighborhoods? (I read in
a Vancouver forum recently that Vancouver did away with their public
transit system a few years ago. Is this true?) Where are the safest
neighborhoods & the least safest? I have a street map which is about
15 yrs old, when I visited Portland then. It kind of serves as a
reminder to help me remember a few things out there - street wise,
anyways.

What is the employment picture like, locally speaking? I used to work
in manufacturing here in west TN for nearly 11 years as a 'flunkie'.
Before moving out here, I worked some in manufacturing in Boise at HP
along with a handful of other smaller manufacturing companies. I already
know that I'll have to 2-job it once I'm out there, given the fact that
I only have a retail job at the moment (and also knowing the cost of
living out there compared to here is).

What is housing like there? I visited Portland about 15 years ago, and
liked it very much at the time, and was planning to move out to that
area then. I ended up in a relationship
which landed me out in TN, far away from real civilization. In hick-a-billy
country where summer seems to exist for 50 weeks out of the year and winters
don't see temp's barely below freezing. (July & August are worst,
when it's 90 & 90...90 degrees & 90 percent humidity). In the winter,
if & when it snows, even less than a half inch, Everything shuts down. NO
body here can handle white stuff or ice. Whenever the weather forecasters
put out a warning for bad weather, whether it be a hurricane or snow,
everyone around here panics and acts as if the end of the world is here.
Kind of funny, seeing people act like idiots not being able to deal with a
little rough weather now & then, compared to where I came from.


At present I own a double wide paying $700/mo. I used to
live in a single wide when I lived in Meridian, in which the rent was
$450/mo. I wouldn't mind living in another trailer again if I had to.
Are there any trailers/trailer parks in decent neighborhoods out there?
What is rent running for mobile homes? I will be going out there on
limited finances, though have a job lined up already (I work in retail
and can transfer with my present job). One idea I'm throwing out there
if anyone's interested is, if they have an RV or a camper they're
not using for a few months while I'm establishing myself in that area
out there. Maybe it can be a roof over my head for a short while??
Whatever. Just a thought. (Email me, & I could provide some references).
for I don't know anybody in the Portland area at all.

I have medical issues, which is why I can't drive at this time. (have
epilepsy). Therefore, I am also seeking to know where I could find a
good neurologist? I hope and expect to drive in a couple of years after
getting settled & finding a decent doc.

In comparison: Living in the country has one, and ONLY one advantage
over the city, and that is the peace and quiet life it offers. Other
than that, life in the city is where it's at. Out here in west Tennessee
it is Redneck Hick-a-billy country, where backyard
mechanics live and life is still lived 30 years behind the times.
There's nothing but farming all around any homes which do exist. BTW,
poisonous chemicals are sprayed out here all over too-
(something like the rest of America does)
I could go on and on about how bad it is out here, but I'm sure the
picture is understood by city dwellers.

There is nothing but racial / prejudice issues (nearly every issue is
a black and white issue) out here w/little to no cultural diversification.
It's 75% black and has a very high crime rate. Memphis has been ranked
more than once as the #1 city for crime. (That oughta make you feel
safe living here...NOT) It's a place which is not for me, anyways.

Any input and answers to my questions would be greatly appreciated.
I'll be more than happy to correspond via email.

[oldtintype]

If you can't drive you'd most likely want to be in Portland or a suburb of Portland within walking distance to the MAX train. I'd avoid Vancouver, which does have public transport but doesn't have the quality transportation that Portland and close in suburbs along the MAX line have.

The buses and train run on a grid of 3 zones. It depends which zones you're going through in terms of how much it costs. If you check out the trimet web page at TriMet: Public Transportation for the Portland, Oregon, Metro Area you can get an idea of the various costs for individual rides and monthly passes, plus where the system goes, how long it takes, etc.

I have no idea about neurologists but we have several large hospitals here, including a teaching/university hospital.