Should I rent before finding a house?

[Harpaint]

Yes, that hot humid southern weather can really be difficult!!

[hml1976]

I worked in Birmingham for a summer during college...the weather is terrible.

Stealth - try Dreamland for ribs in BHam.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by GreenThoughts

,,, I love being outside (especially gardening) ... I will probably need to at least work time out there to supplement my retirement income.
...

Be ready to garden in the mud, many do it...
Consider the area near Pleasant Valley / Glenwood / Manor / Brushprairie for good soils and moderate temps and reasonable (?) rain. Some areas (like Yacolt) get WAY more rain than Vancouver (I get 2-3x Vancouver amount due to my Elevation east of Vancouver). WSU extension can help you out. Gardening - Clark County | Washington State University Extension

It is truly a delightful place to garden... I have pics of my kids next to 16' tall corn (which I no longer grow as it is CHEAP to get locally by gleaning from producers and it is VERY hard on your soils.) On the few HOT gardening days, you can be out at 5A< till 10 AM, then again from 5PM till 10 PM.. (or just go to the coast for sunset on hot days!) It is BEST to NOT water in evenings, as slugs will LOVE it!!! Most plants will be happier and produce better if watered in early AM. There are some EXCELLENT public garden spots in Vancouver (if you are renting). Get a rental place on Officer's Row, and a garden spot at Marshall Center... IDEAL! close to transit and recreation! http://www.cityofvancouver.us/parksr...munity-gardens

Don't miss the local 'retiree / active senior' magazine
http://www.cityofvancouver.us/parksr...fty-and-better
http://www.cityofvancouver.us/messenger

What are your PT job aspirations? (Skill / learning / wages). There are some potential garden centric jobs, Woodland has a NICE nursery and growers, including Holland Bulbs!. http://www.woodlandtulipshabf.com/ La Center has some growers too. I would consider starting a mobile Farmers Market (we had that in Hood river area) VERY helpful to growers and consumers. (go to small towns / senior centers different ones daily.) Mobile Farmers' Market | Gorge Grown Food Network

I MUCH prefer to work 2-3 PT jobs than a FT job. There are many options. For good benefits / employer Costco is tough to beat. My sis just got a PT job at Lowes that includes benefits. I prefer 'odd' jobs that I can learn something new and exciting and get paid decent. I keep my CDL current so I can drive commercially, as it is GREAT therapy for me to take a 500- 700 mile road trip a few times / month). Many seniors like to drive airport parking shuttles (Oregon income tax...). Several friends drive for C-Tran, C-van, and local schools.

I retired (3rd time) pre age 50, it was a great decision (my severance included 2 yrs free college, so I took a weekend graduate program (1 weekend per month)). I traveled a lot and flew home once a month to feed the dog, and go to school..

There is plenty to do and see locally, BIG problem is that summer is too short, so... consider a PT job as a teacher! (winter can be LONG and a good time to add to your travel / recreation piggy-bank). Hibernating is a popular hobby, but then you have to WORK off the weight ... best to keep active, inspite of the rain. Very EZ to take NICE walks on riverfront in WA and OR (or biking, but BE CAREFUL, as bikes are rarely seen in PNW.) A very good 'retired' friend was recently killed on his bike. I can think of 6 friends in last 30 yrs killed on bikes. Yet in Colorado (previous home), we biked nearly everyday and only one friend has been killed. (He ran off the road and over a cliff). The difference... WIDE shoulders for blading snow in Mtn States, not so many people driving with wipers and defrost on in Mtn states.

Be careful!

[cyberous]

Originally Posted by hml1976

I worked in Birmingham for a summer during college...the weather is terrible.

Stealth - try Dreamland for ribs in BHam.

Don't forget Buy Tickets to Dollywood and Dollywood's Splash Country

I'm in the South all too often, so I feel your pain. You will love the Best Coast!

[silibran]

We rented for three months before finding our house. We rented it, using the internet, before we moved, so that we would have a place to land. We left most of our belongings in storage with the mover, and had them moved after we had had our house long enough to have it repainted inside, and the floors sanded and restained. I do think that renting first is a good idea, if you could make that work.

We had visited this area often, but we didn't know anything about living in Vancouver. Even after we had lived here several months, I felt as if I didn't know the area very well. Honestly, I think our realtor could have done a better job orienting us. But we did do some exploring on our own, and how we got our house after three months of fruitless looking was finding it on Zillow one day, and visiting it the next day, and putting in an offer the next. But, we had three months behind us of looking and homes that were not quite right. We lost out on two homes we put bids on, and we are thankful that we did. The home we got is much better for us.

Rents here are expensive, and apparently getting more so. So things are different now than they were in 2012. But if I could manage it, I'd still do it the way we did.

I've really enjoyed growing things in my small back yard. This is a great place to garden. I hope you find a nice place.

[GreenThoughts]

Again, thank you all so much!

StealthRabbit, I am retiring as an academic librarian. I worked in a public library for 7 years and spent the last 18 years in a college library. I have a good retirement but since I am buying a new home, I feel that I will need to work for a while. I am well away from social security and other benefits (I am a youthful 53!) . I would love to not have to work in a professional-type job. I would like to do something more active and move around more. I think I would be perfectly happy in a Costco or a garden center or nursery. I would love to get a job at Powell's Books! I also wonder if I could do gardening for individuals but of course I do not know the market well.

We have friends who live in Portland so we plan to stay with them for a while until we decide if we will rent or buy immediately. From the advice I have recieved, it sounds like renting might be a good option.

[StealthRabbit]

My sis likes her new job running the register at Lowe's Garden Center. (benefits too!), Mid -50's retiree.

Open a Powell's Vancouver branch (make it small quaint on near the Vancouver downtown transit center,) It doesn't seem to be too fun to work there, as their employees are not the most exuberant bunch. Maybe they are 'Portland-mellow'. Some places in Portland have very helpful and engaged staff, so not strictly a Portland thing, .