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I've been reading some of the posts here for a while and have many questions so bear with me.
Some background first.
My wife and I live in Southern California now and I will retire in October of 2015. We are both very active.
I am a landscape photographer who specializes in a historic printing process and I build large format film cameras. You know the ones with the bellows.
My wife is a retired ESL professor and would love to tutor English. She is an avid gardener.
We both love to travel and will have a class B motor home for get away times.
Shopping is important to my wife but not critical. She does need to get to Target, Ross, Walgreens an Asian Market etc when I am wrapped up in my thing from time to time but mostly we go out together.
I've been a salesman my entire career so driving distances is natural for me and I have a good sense of direction. My wife, get's lost very easily. Hence we go together a lot. She just has to get used to a new area and she would be fine.
Now we are looking for a home built in the late 90's to the 2000's. I have to invest 500,000 due to some legal reasons so I want to buy cash. Less than 500 would be great as well. I need room for my what is now a hobby but will become my full time career. I teach and lecture so hence the need for space. So I'm thinking an area with some property, maybe an acre but not more than 5. If I find the right set up closer in I can convert rooms to fit my needs. Some of the homes have a downstairs with an additional wet bar/kitchen set up. Also I have seen several homes with 3 car garages so I can use one for my wood shop. A separate area for both woodworking and photography would be ideal, hence a more rural location I think?
I've been looking at Camas, Salmon Creek, Woodland, Felida, Kalama, Washougal, and Vancouver
We will visit the area in February, May and possibly another time before we move. I have to buy and not rent.
Any help is appreciated as is advice. Schools are not that important but I know that they are tied to taxes and home values.
Stealth Rabbit and others have been very active and helpful so help me out if you can and thanks!
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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for gardening, I suggest Meadow Glade / Glenwood (North central, near NE 119thSt and 72nd Ave, verly EZ to Andreson Costco / Home Depot and I-205)
Felida and north to Ridgefield is great too. (Woodland will be cheaper taxes (Cowlitz).)
If you can deal with Gorge weather, consider west Skamania County, Strunk Road (above Cape Horn. 30 seconds to paradise views!) on east to North Bonneville (including Skamania Landing). I have a really nice garden spot near Belle Center Road (one of my rentals). It is a few acres with orchard, barns, shop, small house, gardens... Weather is difficult for gardening (wetter and colder than Ridgefield).
I have extensive auto / machine / wood shops. They don't co-habitat well. Consider a segregated building for wood shop. (fine dust). The air circulation filters work well, but you will always fight dust, and Mrs911 may not be keen on jointer / router noise at 3am (when you may have a great idea / urge to tinker.)
Mrs911 might enjoy a gig in ESL at nearby Hood River Branch of Columbia Gorge College. (I kept an office there). or in Woodland schools if up north. (Longview is a commute from there but has a college too) Tho very cheap...DO NOT live in Longview (drugs)
There are some excellent places nearby I can show you for fresh ideas (I have done this for other C-Dr's)
In current market / permit / cost / finance structure, it is far cheaper to buy something close than to build from scratch.
Adding a separate living space for guests / caregivers / boomerang kids / parents is a good idea to spend out your $500k. Getting a great view is essential in retirement (more time to sit and enjoy it). Great / ez resell, so worth the investment.
Extra acreage is worth it too (more space (quiet)/ ez resell, and potential income (renting out acreage / selling hay).
My biggest fear in buying is crummy neighbors with yapping dogs. (Hint, visit the site at night, and during the workday, when worker people leave their dogs out all day to bark and aggravate retirees.) My farm dog has never been indoors, but he is not a yapper, and only growls / barks / attacks the tax assessor. (once every few years).
Look me up (I am not home much in wet winter). But occasionally fly home to feed the dog.
You may enjoy my 4' long / 8" 1918 vintage 180 degree photo where my Grandparents were at a WW 1 Liberty Loan celebration. (I need to get that scanned and copied 10X, if you have guidance)
You will have many housing and climate / community choices, find one that fits your desires and future needs.
For me... I don't like traffic or noise. Living in a county without a traffic light is a plus for me. I also must be close to an airport to get frequent sun escapes. Hobo increased fare to $23.10 direct to SAN
I'd add that the Felida/Salmon Creek areas also meet a lot of your criteria: very close to Washington State University and Clark College campuses, Asian market, farmers market in downtown Vancouver, Target, Ross, Walgreens, hospital, Salmon Creek nature trail, access to I-5 freeway north and south, 15 minutes to downtown Portland.
Vancouver mall is 10 minutes away. Shopping malls just across the Coumbia River in Oregon (where there is no sales tax) are 10 minutes away. Those areas are also a little warmer than Camas and to the east.
$500,00 will buy you a nice home, brand new or older.
Woodland and Kalama put you in more rural countryside and farther from the amenities I mentioned.
Thank you both for the wealth of information. This is a very big life decision. Exciting but scary at the same time if you know what I mean.
I figured that medical would be close enough with PDX nearby. I'm kind of like S R in that I could live without the noise of the city but at the same time I want to be close enough for the wife to get where she needs to go.hehe
I'll check out the areas mentioned. I've been on Zillow and Trulia so far to get an idea. As I said I'll have some cash to spend and finding the right place is a must.
Barking dogs, had not thought about that so we will visit some potential places in the off hours to see what is going on.
Don't need the drug culture to deal with and having neighbors somewhat near by would be nice.
Stealth if it is alright I'll look you up when the time comes. We will be up in May as well.
Once you get off of the main drag, I-5 in Felida and Salmon Creek how quickly does it get rural? Also when you get to Woodland and Kalama is it really that far to the stores etc. Remember we will be on our own clock so traveling during off hours will be the drill. Seems like the home prices were better up there and several new developments?
Say S R I would love to see the old photo. I work in a historic process from the mid 1860's and old photos are wonderful to see. I know people who could help you out and with their guidance maybe I could as well. I would love to try.
Thanks again for all the help.
Once you get off of the main drag, I-5 in Felida and Salmon Creek how quickly does it get rural? Also when you get to Woodland and Kalama is it really that far to the stores etc. Remember we will be on our own clock so traveling during off hours will be the drill. Seems like the home prices were better up there and several new developments?
If you haven't visited the greater Vancouver area, you should know that it is basically a vast suburban area, including the surrounding neighborhoods such as Felida, Salmon Creek, Hazel Dell and many miles to the east to and including Camas. Personally, I find the eastern stretches of Vancouver, from I-5 all the way over to Camas, to be pretty annoying because of the heavy surface street traffic and many strip malls, but that's just me. There are some nice neighborhoods and some more rural areas interspersed (depending on your definition of rural).
Prices get cheaper as you go north because you are getting into the truly more rural areas, which are perhaps only 15 minutes farther from city stuff.
I know folks who really like the Ridgefield area, which has newer developments and strip malls and is surrounded by more rural landscapes. Woodland and Kalama are farther out and definitely more rural and small town, and older. East of Camas up the Columbia Gorge gets decidedly more rural, and colder and much windier.
Personally, I like the more upscale suburban areas of Felida and Salmon Creek, and their relative proximity to shopping, entertainment, nature, health care. Vancouver is unlike any city it's size I've lived in because it is such a sprawling expanse of suburbia, and it's difficult to describe; you have to experience it. You can take a freeway from downtown Vancouver to Camas in 15 minutes but surface streets can take triple that.
Good luck exploring the area and finding what's right for you.
BTW, my wife is a retired professional photographer and loves it here, as do I.
NCDavid, it sounds to me like the areas of Felida and Salmon Creek and Battle Ground are what we are looking for.
Upscale is better for us but with some room. We will know it when we see it. Wind is not my friend as I shoot large and Ultra Large Format cameras. The bellows make a very effective sail!
The nice thing is I can ask questions here as I think of them but the time is fast approaching.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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We are all different, (thank goodness) so I differ with NCD. Having lived in Hazel Dell / Salmon Creek and having many close friends in Felida, I prefer my digs east of Washougal (I moved to the protected Columbia Gorge area after many yrs confrontation with Clark County planning, when they were insistent to add apartments and mobile homes adjacent to my urban farm). Now... 20 yrs later they are all about 'preserving that Heritage farm (I was next door to old 'poor farm / WSU extension, at the time Clark County moved WSU extension to Brushpraire with the intent to build an apartment and business community on Poor Farm site, (Nice views and close to I-5) so I bailed. I cannot deal with the traffic of Felida / Salmon Creek even during weekday / Sunday mornings. (Realize I have a 'thing' with stoplights... one is way too many. I grew up in WY / Colorado ranch country, traffic / people / noise ('cept coyotes) is a burden for me)
I am less than 5 minutes to necessary shopping. (Safeway / BiMart / Hardware / parts). 15 minutes will cover 90%, I go to Portland 2-3 times / week for specialty parts (usually bulldozer / diesel mechanic / welding supplies).
To answer OP... you can get a nice private setting less than 2 minutes off I-5 / 205 / SR 500 / SR14, (road noise excluded).
I am planning a retirement cottage community near the mall. We have 10+ acres of low density (3 houses at the moment). and adjacent to a nature preserve / ponds. I have several enclaves in Minnehaha I keep an eye out for properties.
So I have been searching the Ridgefield area and have found some nice homes. Question about property taxes. Yes I understand that the state has to make it up somewhere and property taxes is where they will. I understand that they re-asses every year? Is there any formula they use or is it based on schools in the area? Bonds?
I know S R had his taxes go through the roof. I'm thinking that some of the homes for sale in the area may be due to the tax increases for 2015. Do they just pick and choose who ever they want to increase taxes. If you complain about it you are screwed right?
My wife does not want to be to isolated. Neighbors close by is reassuring for her. When you get to Kalama and Woodland taxes drop due to a different county.
Any idea on homeowners insurance? I know it depends a lot on the home but any estimates I can use to budget would be great. Also, car insurance and registration. In California we get hammered for this. I'm thinking that Washington is less.
Lastly, internet and cell phone service. Am I correct to think that the farther out you go the worse it is for service?
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,726 posts, read 58,067,115 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by car911jim
So I have been searching the Ridgefield area ...
Question about property taxes. There are probably 200+ different taxing districts in Clark County (different combinations of fire / library / schools / municipalities...) Ask the assessor for his list, it has the levy amount for each district (Might be available online, I do most my 'shopping' here. Clark County GIS - Geographic Information System - Clark County Washington
My wife does not want to be to isolated. Neighbors close by is reassuring for her. No problem, lots of neighbors (you can even see them if you cut down the trees). There are nice neighborhoods in most regions (some are gated)
When you get to Kalama and Woodland taxes drop due to a different county. Yes, non-urban county, not so much pressure on services / taxes... Be careful of unstable hillsides in this area
Any idea on homeowners insurance? ..I pay about $600 base rate for annual homeowners, Add umbrella and extensions to rental props and it grows to ~$1000/yr
car insurance and registration. $200/ yr for beater vehicle (I have 40). I only have liability and un-insured motorist (40% of WA drivers are not licensed or insured, not required to show proof to get tabs, BUT you are required to show proof if stopped)
Lastly, internet and cell phone service. Am I correct to think that the farther out you go the worse it is for service? Not really, very terrain / proximity to I-5 centric. 300' tall trees and 300' deep canyons are not good for cell reception. Coverage is pretty good along I-5 and few miles each side (Verizon has best statewide coverage). Many areas are wired in fiber (not mine, is in front of my house, but only library and school can use rural fiber) North Bonneville, WA has fiber (US Army corp built community)
Several visits are planned for 2015. My wife has to go to the Philippines for the month of January due to the death of her brother. Sad times now.
I'm thinking we will fly up in February, rent a car and start to look around. I've been studying the area and getting familiar with the way the streets and avenues run. I have a list of the stores we frequent and will get a map of the area, I'm thinking from the chamber of commerce? Maybe online that I can print. I have found that the chamber can give some info.... how accurate it is who knows. Taking to people and hanging out in the area is the only way to get a feel.
Also, it is winter. Need to get some feel for the weather. Now we will be retired so like Stealth we can escape when we wish.
Now I do own an exotic sports car but that will most likely get sold for something more useful. Can't haul lumber in a Porsche turbo! We will be buying a class B motor home as well and if my insurance is about the same as it is now then that will be alright.
Right now I pay about 840/year for homeowners insurance so that looks good.
We are on Verizon right now so I guess I can keep that.
Gasoline prices up there? Right now we are reaping the benefits but it will not last. How are the diesel prices?
Lastly thanks again Stealth for all the links you provide. When we get up there I owe you a drink!
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