Potential Move To Camas from SF Bay Area (Seattle, Vancouver: foreclosures, rentals)

[Jane917]

Originally Posted by UrsusMinor

Thanks, Jane917--very helpful info. We spent some time in downtown, and quite liked it. (Ate at the Mexican restaurant.) After all the bustle of the new shopping malls and all the construction between I-5 and downtown, the contrast is pretty extreme.

The house we looked at is close enough you could hit the tracks with an apple, so it's still a bit concerning.

Texasdiver, thanks for putting all this in context for me. I grew up in a place with a lot of train traffic. As you point out, speed and the sounding of horns makes a huge difference, so your info is very useful.

There are plenty of houses for sale in Ridgefield that have great views of the Wildlife Refuge. If you have have been here to visit you know we have plenty of new construction for sale.

[UrsusMinor]

Originally Posted by Jane917

There are plenty of houses for sale in Ridgefield that have great views of the Wildlife Refuge. If you have have been here to visit you know we have plenty of new construction for sale.

Indeed--an almost frightening amount of new construction!

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by UrsusMinor

Indeed--an almost frightening amount of new construction!

Ridgefield is a nice place and there is an astonishing amount of construction going on out there. If you want new construction in some sort of new master-planned development then Ridgefield is your place.

On the other hand, I would have serious second thoughts about moving there if you have school-age kids. They just had one (or two?) big school construction bonds narrowly fail and were already way behind the curve in terms of keeping up with school growth compared to other parts of the county. Now that we are crashing into a coronavirus economic depression it may be a LONG time until folks out there are willing to pay for a big new school construction bond.

That's what happened in 2007. Both Ridgefield and Hockinson has bonds about the same time. Hockinson passed theirs and built a new High School. Ridgefield's narrowly failed and it set them back 10 years because the recession hit right after and it wasn't until about 2016 or so that that they passed another big construction bond.

It might be another decade or more until they get caught back up at this point and hour school-age kids will be long gone by then after suffering through a decade of portable classrooms and other lack of facilities.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Ridgefield is a nice place and there is an astonishing amount of construction going on out there. If you want new construction in some sort of new master-planned development then Ridgefield is your place.

On the other hand, I would have serious second thoughts about moving there if you have school-age kids. They just had one (or two?) big school construction bonds narrowly fail and were already way behind the curve in terms of keeping up with school growth compared to other parts of the county. Now that we are crashing into a coronavirus economic depression it may be a LONG time until folks out there are willing to pay for a big new school construction bond.

That's what happened in 2007. Both Ridgefield and Hockinson has bonds about the same time. Hockinson passed theirs and built a new High School. Ridgefield's narrowly failed and it set them back 10 years because the recession hit right after and it wasn't until about 2016 or so that that they passed another big construction bond.

It might be another decade or more until they get caught back up at this point and hour school-age kids will be long gone by then after suffering through a decade of portable classrooms and other lack of facilities.

With regards to Hockinson, we are very glad they've invested in the schools. And the overall staff does a great job with the kids as well. It's a smaller district that feels very tight knit.

While Ridgefield construction is booming, it's also booming out here in Hockinson and on the northern Union High boundary which we're right on the boarder of. So folks have a lot of choices in the greater Vancouver area if they're interested in newer construction with school-age kids like we were.

Derek

[UrsusMinor]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Ridgefield is a nice place and there is an astonishing amount of construction going on out there. If you want new construction in some sort of new master-planned development then Ridgefield is your place.

I'm generally not interested in houses in developments, which makes it a pain to search Ridgefield real estate.

We also don't have children, so schools are not a personal issue for us.

However, I usually vote for school bonds because I think education is important and I like to live in an educated community.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by UrsusMinor

I'm generally not interested in houses in developments, which makes it a pain to search Ridgefield real estate.

We also don't have children, so schools are not a personal issue for us.

However, I usually vote for school bonds because I think education is important and I like to live in an educated community.

I usually do the elementary math BEFORE I vote for a school bond. (just to be 'responsible to my community, schools, and neighbors), which I wish (hope and pray) are an 'educated electorate'. (Not a 'sheep-led-to-slaughter' electorate)

1. Financial accountability history of district
2. Current and past levies and how they were ACTUALLY used and paid for
3. $ / student
4. Academic measures
5. Graduation rate
6. # who go on to graduate from higher ed
7. # of students who return to the community to serve others

It is very easy to search all of Clark County using GIS. I seldom make an offer on something that is already for sale (that's way too late to make an offer). I prefer to drum up my own deals in the neighborhoods I care to invest. There are plenty. Gotta dig. (as always, the good opportunities are never blatant or easy to find)

This is the week to be signing papers (before property taxes are due). I find my places Oct - Feb, then seal the deals March and April. May and June is a great time to 'prep the properties' for my plan B.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by UrsusMinor

I'm generally not interested in houses in developments, which makes it a pain to search Ridgefield real estate.

We also don't have children, so schools are not a personal issue for us.

However, I usually vote for school bonds because I think education is important and I like to live in an educated community.

Ridgefield is three completely different categories of homes:

1. Exurban rural homes, often on acreage. These range from double-wides to million dollar mansions and are mostly scattered in the southern end. Lots of these are horse properties or little hobby farms. At one time this was mostly dairy farms.

2. Older homes in the town of Ridgefield proper. Lots of these are modest 1950s era ranches and such.

3. Newly developed subdivisions. These are mostly the same builders and floor plans that you see in comparable priced subdivisions everywhere from Tigard and Happy Valley to Camas.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by UrsusMinor

I'm generally not interested in houses in developments, which makes it a pain to search Ridgefield real estate.

We also don't have children, so schools are not a personal issue for us.

However, I usually vote for school bonds because I think education is important and I like to live in an educated community.

If you don't have those goals or concerns, I would take a look at Washougal. I was just paddlleboarding at Lacamas Lake today with a guy who has lived in the hills of Washougal and now closer into town. He sold his acreage property in the hills with views to be a bit closer in and not have to deal with more snow in winter. There are pros/cons to owning more land including more upkeep which people sometimes grow tired off. At least that was a contributing factor to the sale of their home.

Derek

[UrsusMinor]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

It is very easy to search all of Clark County using GIS. I seldom make an offer on something that is already for sale (that's way too late to make an offer). I prefer to drum up my own deals in the neighborhoods I care to invest. There are plenty. Gotta dig. (as always, the good opportunities are never blatant or easy to find)

This is the week to be signing papers (before property taxes are due). I find my places Oct - Feb, then seal the deals March and April. May and June is a great time to 'prep the properties' for my plan B.

Thanks, Stealth, that's great advice!

[UrsusMinor]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Ridgefield is three completely different categories of homes:

1. Exurban rural homes, often on acreage. These range from double-wides to million dollar mansions and are mostly scattered in the southern end. Lots of these are horse properties or little hobby farms. At one time this was mostly dairy farms.

2. Older homes in the town of Ridgefield proper. Lots of these are modest 1950s era ranches and such.

3. Newly developed subdivisions. These are mostly the same builders and floor plans that you see in comparable priced subdivisions everywhere from Tigard and Happy Valley to Camas.

Well said! Yes, we're not keen on 3, though I can understand how some people might be.

Ridgefield proper is quite attractive to us...but the housing stock in a small town is, well, small.

We've seen a couple of wonderful places in your exurban rural home category, but the best ones seem to sell quickly.

Of course, with Covid-19, the market must be a little unusual. It seems as if many people are electing not to put their houses on the market until things settle down a bit.