Advice helpful from Southern transplants up to Pacific Northwest (Vancouver: rental, cheap home)

[bergette]

Hello, I have been doing A LOT of research on a possible move from Austin, TX (originally from New Orleans, LA) to Vancouver, WA. I am very concerned about the lack of sunshine. How has affected those of you, who have known differently living in other climates? Do you go weeks without seeing it, or is it more like you will see it once or twice a week. Do kids spend time outdoors with this kind of weather? I always hear about how this area has tons of parks etc., but do you really go when it is drizzly and cold outside? I love the idea of not having the extreme heat we experience and can handle a trade off of not sunny all of the time, but NONE is kind of depressing just to read. Also is it all Winter that it gets dark at 4 pm? This is hard for me to wrap my head around as we are used to staying out as late as possible with the kiddos who are 1 and 3. Usually when we come in, it is time for bed! So it will definitely take some getting used to! Does it rain all Summer as well? How about swimming? Is it possible/likely to find children swimming in the Summer? As far as education, we most likely try and go with Private. Anyone know anything about good private schools? And some good recommendations for neighborhoods with many young children and plentiful parks would be helpful with a 300k budget....Oh, are there any new 1 story homes in the area, from what I see there aren't ( And do most homes have basements? Thanks!

[bergette]

One more thing.... I've found a lot of things pop up on searches about Vancouver, WA saying it is the 'Crystal Meth' capital of the US??? Can someone enlighten me about this. Any truth??

[Hemlock140]

Most of western Washington does go weeks without seeing the sun, the worst a couple of years ago was 33 days of straight rain, plus more with clouds. Doesn't bother me. I find that it makes those 2-3 months of sun in summer that much better. I have been here now 17 years and cannot remember ever using an umbrella. Most of our rain is light, and misty. When it does rain hard it's usually too windy for an umbrella, so a hood is fine. Actually, I lied, I once used an umbrella while watching the kids soccer game
when it was raining pretty hard. Yes, people do still do all outdoor activities
without sun, and in the rain. It's already getting dark at about 5pm, and will be dark at 4 in a few weeks. It's dark when I leave for work, and dark when i get home, and that will last until late spring. On the other hand, in summer it's light until 10pm.

The meth houses are most common in areas with older, cheap rental houses not too close to other homes, so the traffic is not noticed. The outlying areas of Vancouver fit that. They have actually started a program for retailers to report people that buy the typical meth manufacturing materials at convenience, grocery, automotive, hardware and veterinary supply stores.

Meth is a problem all over the state (and country) but in areas where it's a bigger problem you have to be more careful about who you move next to.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by bergette

... I am very concerned about the lack of sunshine.

Do you go weeks without seeing it, or is it more like you will see it once or twice a week. More like MONTHS without seeing actual sun / stars. 1 Nov to 1 April with a potential week of clear in January ( and very cold and windy). A few interspersed 'Moments' of sun (but nothing to 'warm' your soul in the winter.... except a nice woodstove and cup of cocoa. Maybe an occasional day of partly cloudy (mostly 'light', but not really 'sun')

Do kids spend time outdoors with this kind of weather? ..Yes
do you really go when it is drizzly and cold outside? Yes, you do EVERYTHING in the drizzle, just part of life in pacific northwe_t... don't wait for a clear day to bike or mow grass, you will be waiting awhile, and likely miss it.
... is it all Winter that it gets dark at 4 pm? Hint... we are at ~45deg38min North Latitude, thus 'swing' schedule SHORT winter DAYS, Long winter NIGHTS but... LONG summer nights (10pm dusk) (Think Alaska / Canada,,,) (I saw a 1 yr daily chart last week, but can't find link)
http://www.sunrisesunset.com/calendar.asp
.Vancouver, WA, Washington, USA: Climate, Global Warming, and Daylight Charts and Data The TOUGHEST thing is that days start getting shorter June 24th, and it hasn't even stopped raining for the summer yet.
Christmas offers additional celebration, as days are getting longer !!!


Does it rain all Summer as well? no. It rains about 1/2 of May, 1/3 of June. On July 4th, and then it stops raining for ~50 days. (grass along highway turns brown after a couple weeks (shallow roots))
How about swimming? ... There are very few LAP pools, but OK if you want a PLAY pool... (Firstenburg Center, YMCA) I have been fighting for a REAL pool for over 20 yrs. You have to drive to Beaverton to get a 50yd indoor pool. (Beaverton has community centers and schools w/ nice pools. Vancouver DOES NOT have pools at high schools (very strange indeed). If you are wealthy, you can buy a membership to Lacamas Swim Club. (~ 1990 A local company donated land and significant $$ for a community center with pool., The private clubs cried FOUL !!! (they have all gone out of business, and we still don't have a public 'competition' pool in the community) If swim team is an important discipline for your family, do your homework (And probably plan on living in Camas district, to utilize and be close to Lacamas Private Swim Club)

As far as education, we most likely try and go with Private.
Anyone know anything about good private schools? King's Way Christian in Vancouver is popular choice. There are several Montessori schools. Lady of Lourdes for parochial. Hockinson and Camas public schools are high quality, and you don't usually have to 'de-program' your kids every evening.

And some good recommendations for neighborhoods with many young children and plentiful parks would be helpful with a 300k budget....
Oh, are there any new 1 story homes in the area, ( And do most homes have basements? Thanks!

Plenty of new(er) one stories, very few NEW homes with basements.
I have found several older homes with basements, but it is rare. Builders would not do basement on my new homes, so I built my own homes (all with basements) (We did several rural places as home school projects when kids were in Jr High).

We have never had water or soil problems with our basements, but I know lots of folks who have significant water issues even with their crawl spaces (and many with under ground springs under house. (Hint... summer is a BAD time to look at houses as you won't see that they are surrounded by water in the winter (not likely in town, but possible in the country).

Adequate drainage is IMPORTANT.

Neighborhoods... too many to mention not knowing more criteria. (I avoid Orchards and East Fourth Plain), Search this forum, there are many good hints. (As well as some TX relocated folks that are VERY happy with their WA neighborhoods) hml1976 (is one such user, ). IIRC... They live just east of Lacamas Swim Sport (my long time friend used to farm that acreage only 15 yrs ago). Maple Crest??

It is quite close to significant green space. No problem getting a CHEAP home in the area. Current RE market is very soft / overbuilt... (thus I would NOT be building NEW at the moment... much cheaper to buy. IMPACT fees will kill you in most of Clark County, especially Camas.)

BTW:, I always chose to work NIGHTS due to not getting enough light (and having a farm to work during the day + homeschool 'fun'/ learning). There was plenty of fluorescent light at my work and I was much healthier for being under them most of the night, and outside most of the day. (I came from 'sunny Colorado', and yes, I have missed the sun and great bike riding roads for 28 yrs). I do travel A LOT, and that helps with winter blues. We often took 1-3 month 'field trips' for homeschool projects. + lived in Europe and Asia (Sunny places !!). You can also get sun by driving 1 hr east, or jumping a jet to Sacramento ($30-$50).

[bergette]

Thank you both for taking the time to give a 'wealth' of info! Certainly gives us much food for thought..... It really stinks the 'swimming' situation isn't a bit different. I guess I was hoping for more indoor facilities around. We were just looking at building a pool here in Austin, as we spend a lot of time at the pool during the Summer! I guess if we weren't as 'hot' up that way, maybe we woudn't care to as much. It would certainly be a culture shock in many respects, though that doesn't mean in a negative way as I see it could be quite a refreshment. Our kids wouldn't know any different really, being so young. I'd love to hear from the Gulf Coast transplants also. Perhaps I'll try to reach out to the TX transplant you mentioned. Stealth Rabbit, it is great you were able to take 'field trips' like that!-- I am envious! We certainly would make it down to the beaches of Gulf Shores and/or FL as much as possible! While you guys have an absolutely Gorgeous beach, the downside would be reconditioning ourselves to 'not associate the beach with warm and sunny/swimming'...... I certainly would love to get away from this Summer heat/ aka hell down here, though I always thought California would be perfect for that in terms of ideal weather...... Job opportunity isn't there though, so it will be a roll of the die......

Stealth Rabbit, could you let me know where some of the newer one stories are in the area? I'd like to search them out online. Thanks!

[StealthRabbit]

Ironically, today I'm looking at property in Dripping Springs, TX.... (not for summer!!!)

You won't need or desire an indoor pool (or anything else indoors) here during the summer. (You will WANT to be outside 16 hrs / day, and get your annual dose of sun)

Your kids will play in the water at the OR beach, (just don't tell them it is cold, or worse than the 'gulf coast'). Ours played in the water, and enjoyed the WAVES which we didn't have while living at warm water beaches in Asia. You can easily get to gulf coast (and CA) quite cheap via SWA.

This company Aho Construction | Affordable Home Builder has built many single story subdivisions, they can direct you, or refer you to a realtor. (Of which I can as well). You can specify 'single story' and 'defined' areas, and get a daily email 'hot-sheet' of available houses.

Use your job opportunity to get a 'paid-move' to left coast, you can always filter down to CA from here (If job here offers quality learning / advancement). It is my theory (choice) that every job leads to personal improvement, and to your next job. Every winter, there is a regular 'parade' of rental trucks returning folks to CA from the northwe_t.

[Inkpoe]

Do kids spend time outdoors with this kind of weather? ..Yes
do you really go when it is drizzly and cold outside? Yes, you do EVERYTHING in the drizzle, just part of life in pacific northwe_t... don't wait for a clear day to bike or mow grass, you will be waiting awhile, and likely miss it.
... is it all Winter that it gets dark at 4 pm? Hint... we are at ~45deg38min North Latitude, thus 'swing' schedule SHORT winter DAYS, Long winter NIGHTS but... LONG summer nights (10pm dusk) (Think Alaska / Canada,,,) (I saw a 1 yr daily chart last week, but can't find link)
http://www.sunrisesunset.com/calendar.asp
.Vancouver, WA, Washington, USA: Climate, Global Warming, and Daylight Charts and Data The TOUGHEST thing is that days start getting shorter June 24th, and it hasn't even stopped raining for the summer yet.
Christmas offers additional celebration, as days are getting longer !!!

Are you referring to this link? //www.city-data.com/forum/21567505-post13.html

[bergette]

Stealth Rabbit- could you tell me what area this home would be in? 4600 NE 126th Cir, Vancouver, WA 98686 MLS# 11547380 - Zillow. Not wanting to build, but this is the type of home/square ft we'd like....

How did your property search go? Also, look at Marble Falls, which is equally as beautiful!

Oh, one more thing. Are there any conservative people in the area. I probably need to get off of these forums, but it seems like anyone that is not a die hard liberal may be attacked outright! We're not by any means political activists, but do have conservative views.... Thanks again for all of your help!

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by bergette

Oh, one more thing. Are there any conservative people in the area. I probably need to get off of these forums, but it seems like anyone that is not a die hard liberal may be attacked outright! We're not by any means political activists, but do have conservative views.... Thanks again for all of your help!

That depends on how Conservative you are, and how vocal you are about it.

Most people in the area are live and let live. But if you start spouting off nonsense like saying schools should be teaching creationism to the exclusion of evolution, or say George Bush was the Christ Risen and Obama is the Anti-Christ, then you're going to draw a little bit of ire your way.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by bergette

Stealth Rabbit- could you tell me what area this home would be in? 4600 NE 126th Cir, Vancouver, WA 98686 MLS# 11547380 - Zillow. Not wanting to build, but this is the type of home/square ft we'd like....

It is one of the nicer areas that I like (good gardening potential, close to other growers, not so cold and windy, close to services (and freeway noise)) decent neighborhood. Specifically a pretty high end area (with a mix of older / junkie (more my style... LOW taxes is a priority for me))

...Are there any conservative people in the area. ..

Clark County is fairly conservative for we_tside WA. WA is tolerant, tho your vote will never count (2 liberal counties rule all of WAm same in OR). (HINT: don't expect to be a 'job creator' / employer / manufacturer / or farmer)

You just need to keep your mind and mouth closed when you venture to OREGON (which I do several times / day for volunteer and other tasks). It is not worth the argument to cause the narrow minded to pop their cork.

OR is 'generally' very 'liberal' and closed minded. You definately want to be off the forums for commenting negatively, especially in OR. Many terrific, valuable, and informative C-D posters have been banned from C-D by disagreeing with someone on the OR forum. I have got all my warnings from there, so now choose not to 'expose' myself in OR.