What do you think about Orchards area? (Vancouver, Camas: crime, new home)

[formosa]

I have been house hunting since last June but didn't win any bids. Was targeting along I-5 but now I am expanding my search in the area east of 503 and north of 500. Google map shows that the area is called Orchards. There are many new constructions and I am looking at these new communities.


I don't care about school or crime. My #1 concern is traffic to Portland Pearl District and Cascade Station. I was driving around on a Sunday and it seemed easy. However, how was the traffic before the pandemic? I am trying to picture the future traffic once the pandemic is over.



I saw some kind of huge recycling or digging site at the NE corner of 500 and 503 on google earth. Would you suggest that I avoid the adjacent neighborhoods? Thank you

[texasdiver]

My wife works out there. 4th Plain down to I-205 or SR-500 gets very congested during the rush hours. All the Portland traffic basically has to funnel through the intersection at SR-500 and I-205.

I have friends who live out in the neighborhood that is just north and next door to Frontier Middle School and the houses there seem quite nice. It maps to Heritage HS which is average rated, but if you don't care about schools then you might get a slight discount for it not being in the Union HS attendance area, which is the more highly rated school out there.

I personally think the newer neighborhoods on each side of 162nd are nicer than the older neighborhoods further west near 503 and Heritage HS. But that will add a few extra minutes to your commute. I haven't heard any bad things about crime in the neighborhoods along either side of 162nd.

Rather than driving around on a Sunday, pull up google maps and check the driving time and traffic congestion on weekday mornings when you will be commuting and weekday afternoons when you will be commuting home. Google maps is pretty accurate for traffic.

Honestly if it were me, and I was commuting to downtown Portland, I'd look for a place near or within walking distance of the Evergreen Park and Ride which is next to Evergreen HS (a bit south of where you are looking). They have nonstop express buses to downtown Portland from there and possibly to Cascade Station. I think the express service is closed during the Pandemic so you might want to call C-Tran and see about their future plans for that route. The buses take the same route as cars and make no stops, so it is as fast as driving and you can just relax with your iPad and headphones on the way into work and not white-knuckle the daily traffic.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by formosa

I have been house hunting since last June but didn't win any bids. Was targeting along I-5 but now I am expanding my search in the area east of 503 and north of 500. Google map shows that the area is called Orchards. There are many new constructions and I am looking at these new communities.

I don't care about school or crime. My #1 concern is traffic to Portland Pearl District and Cascade Station. I was driving around on a Sunday and it seemed easy. However, how was the traffic before the pandemic? I am trying to picture the future traffic once the pandemic is over.

I saw some kind of huge recycling or digging site at the NE corner of 500 and 503 on google earth. Would you suggest that I avoid the adjacent neighborhoods? Thank you

First of all, take everything on here with a grain of salt and conduct your own research like you have been doing. No one knows everything including all the nuances of the various neighborhoods in Vancouver, especially with all the recent growth.

That said, I live just outside Orchards to the east and am very familiar with the general area living so close. Like much of Vancouver, there are some good and not so good parts. Orchards seems to have a wide variety. Some areas seem very run down, quite honestly. There are some closer to commercial/industrial that I would avoid. While there are others where they're building new homes or have nicer, somewhat older established neighborhoods. Then there are areas which are colliding - the old run down shacks on large lots being sold for new development. Some of them are literally falling over and abandoned. I know one where some drug dealers were busted and now its vacant and boarded up.

I have no idea who came up with the goofy name 'concerned citizens' of Orchards. It make them sound, well, like paranoid weirdos - sorry. lol Though there are fine and decent folks living there. So, who knows?

Honestly, if I were in your shoes and wanted to be close to the Portland Pearl District, I would look a bit closer to the river. It mostly depends when you're leaving in the AM and returning in the PM. Afternoons are typically worse coming back over the bridge during rush hour. I work from home. But my son has worked in Portland though not that far into the downtown area. It really isn't 'that' far either as you noticed. There are other Portland suburbs that are longer commutes. I purposely drive 'off' main commuting hours when going shopping, etc... into downtown and its a pretty quick trip.

Regarding Covid, yes, traffic is likely better now than its been in a very long time with so many people telecommuting, going in to work part-time, etc... So plan accordingly.

Derek

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

I have friends who live out in the neighborhood that is just north and next door to Frontier Middle School and the houses there seem quite nice. It maps to Heritage HS which is average rated, but if you don't care about schools then you might get a slight discount for it not being in the Union HS attendance area, which is the more highly rated school out there.

I personally think the newer neighborhoods on each side of 162nd are nicer than the older neighborhoods further west near 503 and Heritage HS. But that will add a few extra minutes to your commute. I haven't heard any bad things about crime in the neighborhoods along either side of 162nd.
.

This is the general area we live in. Only the school districts are split between Union High and Hockinson High. We saw newer homes in both districts and almost bought one within close walking distance to Union district. But then we liked the layout of the one we ultimately purchased in Hockinson.

Here's a new one right next to Frontier MS and its Union HS district. The development is called Stonegate.
https://www.redfin.com/WA/Vancouver/...home/168800212

There's also a huge new development near us called Si Ellen Farms here:
https://www.newtraditionhomes.com/co...ms-coming-soon







That said, you probably would be paying more here for the school districts which you don't really care about. So, it may not be worth it. I will say from an appreciation standpoint, it's been good. Prices are climbing since we moved here. Though that wasn't why we picked it.

Derek

[formosa]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

That said, you probably would be paying more here for the school districts which you don't really care about. So, it may not be worth it. I will say from an appreciation standpoint, it's been good. Prices are climbing since we moved here. Though that wasn't why we picked it.

Derek

Wow your neighborhood seems really nice. I have a tiny budget 400k-ish so my choices are very limited.

I use google map to see the traffic during rush hours. So far it seems like the congestion is mainly on I-5 between the border and downtown Portland. There is also a small congestion at SR500 and 4th Plain Rd.

Vancouver is really not far from downtown Portland. It all depends on traffic.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by formosa

Wow your neighborhood seems really nice. I have a tiny budget 400k-ish so my choices are very limited.

I use google map to see the traffic during rush hours. So far it seems like the congestion is mainly on I-5 between the border and downtown Portland. There is also a small congestion at SR500 and 4th Plain Rd.

Vancouver is really not far from downtown Portland. It all depends on traffic.

What kind of place are you looking for? Do you care about the size, yard, etc..? Number of bdrms? What are you liking so far?

Derek

[formosa]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

What kind of place are you looking for? Do you care about the size, yard, etc..? Number of bdrms? What are you liking so far?

Derek

I am looking for an updated one level house (1000-1400sqf) with a lot size 5000+sqf. It is quite difficult to find a move-in ready home in my price range. 2 br 2 bath will be ideal but 3 br 2 bath is fine too. Except new construction, most homes in the market are quite old and need updates which will add to the cost and exceed my budget.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by formosa

Wow your neighborhood seems really nice. I have a tiny budget 400k-ish so my choices are very limited.

I use google map to see the traffic during rush hours. So far it seems like the congestion is mainly on I-5 between the border and downtown Portland. There is also a small congestion at SR500 and 4th Plain Rd.

Vancouver is really not far from downtown Portland. It all depends on traffic.

For 3 years pre-Pandemic I commuted daily from Camas to Ridgefield which meant going west on 14 from Camas and then north on 205 to Ridgefield.

The morning Portland-bound commuter traffic on 205 always backs up on the 205 bridge, normally it is slow up to about Mill Plain. But on bad days I've zoomed north-bound on 205 while looking at stop-and-go traffic in the south bound lanes backed up all the way to SR-500 and sometimes all the way to Padden Parkway.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by formosa

I am looking for an updated one level house (1000-1400sqf) with a lot size 5000+sqf. It is quite difficult to find a move-in ready home in my price range. 2 br 2 bath will be ideal but 3 br 2 bath is fine too. Except new construction, most homes in the market are quite old and need updates which will add to the cost and exceed my budget.

One-level but also updated will be tough. Because of the smaller lot sizes in newer developments, most places are going to be 2-story, even smaller homes. Your sweet spot will probably be to compromise on the 1-level unless you have NEED of a 1-level house due to limited mobility or something. You should be able to find something like this:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...78070204_zpid/

Most one-level homes are going to be stuff like aging 1970s era ranch homes and whether they are updated is going to be hit and miss, and mostly miss. Those neighborhoods haven't been nearly as gentrified as over in Portland where you see lots of those older mid-century ranches getting the gentrification renovations.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

One-level but also updated will be tough. Because of the smaller lot sizes in newer developments, most places are going to be 2-story, even smaller homes. Your sweet spot will probably be to compromise on the 1-level unless you have NEED of a 1-level house due to limited mobility or something. You should be able to find something like this:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...78070204_zpid/

Most one-level homes are going to be stuff like aging 1970s era ranch homes and whether they are updated is going to be hit and miss, and mostly miss. Those neighborhoods haven't been nearly as gentrified as over in Portland where you see lots of those older mid-century ranches getting the gentrification renovations.

You know, I noticed that as well at least in parts of Vancouver. I've wondered why that is and think it might be due to the differences in buildable land in Vancouver vs. Portland. It seems like since Vancouver and Ridgefield are building with no end in sight, folks aren't as motivated to fix up those older homes 'with good bones.' The money it takes to do an extensive remodel with more modern finishes, updated electrical, plumbing, heating, flooring, A/C, windows, insulation, etc... exceeds what it would cost to buy it built with many of those as standard features new or newer.

The main value in gentrification is based upon location. RE 101 - location, location, location. If its prime RE maybe with a view or something else desirable, well, that changes the equation. Where land is harder to come by than new homes, it makes perfect sense. Some might even buy a dilapidated old beater, tear it down (or most it) and rebuild.

The home you posted looks good, BTW, given the OP budget. Here are a couple more that don't look too bad either.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/8...49936508_zpid/

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...53742956_zpid/

Derek