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Old 02-27-2010, 10:38 AM
 
444 posts, read 786,324 times
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My girlfriend and I are considering moving to Portland as a potential retirement location some time within the next few years. We currently live in Evanston, IL, and I'm completely sick of the Midwest and the Chicago area. We will probably end up moving closer to one of the coasts or possibly England.

I lived in Eugene in 1975 and didn't like it much other than its proximity to the Cascades and the ocean, but visited Portland in 2009 and found it most pleasant. What I liked about Portland was Forest Park, Powell's Books, the good restaurants and coffee shops, the high quality beer, and the laid back ambiance.

Ideally we would like an earthquake-resistant house with a view and at least 1/4 acre, including gardening space, in a quiet neighborhood within walking distance of Forest Park. The price would probably be somewhere in the $300,000-$600,000 range. We don’t care about the schools as our children are grown up. I would be interested in any relevant comments or suggestions from people familiar with the area.
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Old 02-27-2010, 01:04 PM
 
Location: Portland, OR
1,657 posts, read 4,464,751 times
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Ah, from what I know, a quarter acre is something like 60 ft wide by a bit over 180 ft deep plot of land.
(or technically 66 ft by (660 ft / 4) = 66 ft by 165 ft. = 10,890 sq ft.)

Walking distance to Forest Park, may depend on your definition of 'Walking distance' for a development with plots of that size. (I am presuming you have Google Mapped Portland with the Terrain feature turned on so you can see the quite large elevation changes near and in Forest Park.)

You may find a good sized home on a plot of land that size, and maybe in your budget range, but I urge you to consider a backup plan for housing close to other Portland area great parks and hiking areas. Don't forget, Forest Park is very steep in places.

The point is, the city of Portland has strong urban growth limitations and large plots are uncommon inside of Portland. Also Property taxes are very high (compared to other Oregon communities) so land size inside Multnomah County is expensive to own.

I am not sure, and others may offer their suggestions, but I would guess that plot sizes like you are asking about may be more common a bit further west into Washington county (and seriously, lower property taxes) on the North side of US-26 AKA Sunset Hwy.

I am positive you will find something in Portland to match your needs and wants. And maybe even a point or two on your "wouldn't it be nice" list. Best of luck.

Phil
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Old 02-27-2010, 02:10 PM
 
444 posts, read 786,324 times
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Phil,
Thanks for your comments. As far as the lot size goes, that isn't critical. We currently live on a 45' X 130' lot, and it's a bit small when you consider that most of the houses on the block end up being only about 8' apart and you can see in your neighbors' windows. Something a little larger would offer more privacy. I'd consider living near other parks, but was extremely impressed with Forest Park after hiking there with my daughter and son-in-law (they have since moved to Baltimore). Property taxes are pretty high here ($10,000+), so we can probably handle them there.

Paul
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Old 02-27-2010, 03:18 PM
 
Location: Portland, Oregon
73 posts, read 182,744 times
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You might want to consider the Linnton area: Linnton, Portland, Oregon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I'm not sure what home values are like there, but if your upper range is $600,000, I'm sure you could find something with plenty of space around you.

It is very steeply graded in that area, which is what makes the views so great. It's also butted right against the wildest, most "natural" part of Forest Park
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Old 02-27-2010, 04:26 PM
 
444 posts, read 786,324 times
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carpenterant,
Thanks, I'll check that out.
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