Info on Oregon

[Iver]

Looking for information / opinions on areas of Oregon. I know that the expense of the Portland area puts it out of the question. Other than that and the bad reputation for rain I don't know much about what would be the best part of the state overall. Economics is the major consideration as we are looking at buying a place that would be our homebase for streaming (in retirement).

Any input would be appreciated.
Iver

[Tinsel Loaf]

We have been to Grants Pass several times which has the 90 minute drive to the coast. Stayed at the Bever Creek RV park which was clean and quiet just a few miles from Grants Pass. Problem with Oregon is that there are so many nice places, it would be hard to pick that one special spot. Medford is having a real estate boom and prices are really going up. I'm sure that really dosen't help.

[silver 67]

... but boy, is that water cold.

We love the coastal drive, the area around Tillamook, Mt. Hood and Crater Lake and the Sisters area ......... heck, the whole eastern side of the state is beautiful.

Good luck.

[flyfshr]

I agree Beth. Hard to narrow it down to just one area. We've been to the northern coast area numerous times and am going back again in November. Can't wait.

FF

[Janets Husband]

Originally Posted by Iver

Looking for information / opinions on areas of Oregon. I know that the expense of the Portland area puts it out of the question. Other than that and the bad reputation for rain I don't know much about what would be the best part of the state overall. Economics is the major consideration as we are looking at buying a place that would be our homebase for streaming (in retirement).
Any input would be appreciated.
Iver

OK here are the facts, there are two Oregons and two Washingtons.
The West side of both states are green for the most part and get rain in various amounts up to 200" in the Hoh Rain forest in WA. On the East side of each state has a rainfall that ranges from 6 to 10" in Spokane in the North to 4 to 6" else where. Where I live in the Tri-Cities, it is the high desert, with a rainfall of <5" a year. 225 days a year of sunshine with temperatures running from about 90 deg. in the summer to lows of 30 deg. in the winter. It is pretty much the same for Oregon's east side.
The economics of Eastern Oregon and Washington are much cheaper than the west sides as a whole. Washington has no income tax, but Oregon has no sales tax.
I Love the East sides, lived in both states and on both sides. I can visit the West side whenever I want to

[Big Dee]

Speaking of east sides, the Bend region is growing like mad but still plenty of land for sale. Central Oregon has a lot going for it, including every outdoor sport known and a nice year round climate.

[OreExcella]

People that become permanent residents here in Oregon only notice the rain the first year! After that they've discovered things beyond the rainfall.

Lots of activities abound for every age and interest. Portland is a major metro area, with national sports, entertainment and commerce. Last January, we spent two weeks in Portland working with the production of US National Figure Skating Championships.

The coast has beautiful scenery, great fishing and exploring (that's where we call home). The Willamette Valley has been know for agriculture for a long time, and is becoming known for wines as well. The central and east sides of the state have a ruggedness and the weather definitely has four seasons.

Some of your decision making will depend on what your employment status would be if you make the move. Are you moving here before, or upon, retirement? People here are mobile; we have a commercial pilot who lives here on the coast, but flies out of Portland International. It's a couple of hours drive, but many people in your state do that amount of time to get to work everyday anyway. Hitch up your Airstream and spend time in each area of the state; you'll never be far away from a place to stay.

PM me if you're coming to the coast or want any detailed information. Best of luck to you.

jim

[norbert]

oreGUN state income tax .....ouch!...

[OreExcella]

But...NO SALES TAX!

[Iver]

Thanks for the input everyone. This will be for retirement in about 4 years. California is going to hell (quite literally) in a handbasket and but the home equity has been amazing here in the south. We will spent that time between now and then checking out where we will buy. The plan is to establish a homebase and Airstream from there as much as possible. Indoor parking for the trailer will be a major consideration in what we buy. Would like to be in an area where the kids / grandkids will love to come visit so we can avoid going to visit them !! The idea of taking the grandkids streaming in the summers, when they are out of school, is a nice thing to think about ... summer camp for them and rest for their parents.

Iver

[Janet H]

Bonus: The OR Wbcci unit is a forward looking unit - heck even I joined

[Stefrobrts]

We grew up in Oregon but moved to WA after college (to get a job, not because we didn't still love Oregon). Although many Oregonians are repulsed by the sales tax, we prefer it to have an income tax. It seems fairer to me, because you only get taxed on what you actually spend, in OR you get taxed on everything you make, even the stuff you put away! And although you are supposed to pay sales tax on everything you buy for yourself, in reality there are a lot of ways to avoid paying it on major purchases, like travelling across the river to OR to buy stuff. But you didn't hear it from me

If you want to be near Portland without the expense, then look in the rural areas surrounding it. That's where we live. It's half an hour or so into Vancouver, and a short drive across the river to Portland. We get to live on an acreage in the country, and can easily drive into Portland for shopping or a night out.

The rain is nothing, it's what keeps us green I lived on the eastside for a few years, but it was too sunny for me. I like a cloudy day now and then!

Since you have four years to think about it, that's plenty of time for some Airstreaming trips up here to see which side of the state you like best! And because of the mild climate, you can enjoy a trip to the beach even in winter.

Good luck deciding!

[safari57]

Going to Oregon is very dangerous. I can tell you this from experience. After our first visit we've had to keep going back. We fell in love with it, have toured it many times from east to west and north to south and can't get enough of it. How do you pick one place to live in a state that is so unique? Be prepared, it's one of those areas where most of our friends also come back and say time and again that they will go back to get just a little bit more of it. Fortunately for the folks who live in Oregon we Canucks can't just move there like you can or they'd be shutting the border down to keep us out. Barry )

[Iver]

I hear they are thinking of imposing some kind of limitation on the Southern Californians (with obscene home equities) moving to either WA or OR. We think we will be able to sneak in because we will have native sponsors ... you Airstreamers there.

Can anyone give me the names of the papers I should get to checkout real estate information?

[MarkR]

Portland: The Oregonian
Eugene: The Register Guard (www.registerguard.com)

[malconium]

We live in Portland but have gradually been looking around at different possibilities for either a vaction home or a possible move. One place that I thought was interesting from the point of view of having a home base for an Airstream can be found on the following site:

crookedriverrealtors.com

The area is definitely more high desert than some parts of Oregon. What is interesting is that the whole complex was originally developed with RVs in mind. They have parcels of land from 1 to maybe 7 acres in size. Quite a few are still undeveloped. But here is the interesting part. You can still legally park an RV, get water and electrical hook ups and do nothing more than that if you want. You can also build more permanently whenever you want to. If you like the particular area and features this could make for an ideal home base for an Airstream. Prices are still fairly reasonable but are in fact going up. It is close to Redmond and to Bend which all are growing fairly quickly. About 7 to 10 years ago you could still buy a parcel there for maybe $10k. The parcels now are going for $50 to $100k or so depending on size and views.

Malcolm