Salmon Creek vs. Fishers Landing (Vancouver, Longview: sale, real estate, crime)

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

The only real difference is personal choice and travel needs. I was commuting frequently to Bremerton when living near Salmon Creek, plus it has areas that are very fertile for gardens and ag business (we had a fruit farm).

Fisher's Landing is very handy to PDX, but is mostly miserable for gardening (gravel / rock quarry) + ice cold winter winds. Need to get north of 119th ave or in Proebstal Valley to be in decent soils and out of east wind.

Either choice can be good.

Just put in raised beds and have some good soil delivered and you are fine with gardening anywhere you can get some sun.

[Driver001]

We looked at a house recently which seems nice but there was a distinct odor once inside. Turns out it was found to have water condensation underneath recently and they had to install an electrical system which would supposedly turn on when the moisture reaches a certain level. I wonder what would have mitigated the issue in the first place.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by Driver001

We looked at a house recently which seems nice but there was a distinct odor once inside. Turns out it was found to have water condensation underneath recently and they had to install an electrical system which would supposedly turn on when the moisture reaches a certain level. I wonder what would have mitigated the issue in the first place.

1) Correct drainage or sump(if standing water)
2) adequate ventilation/ airflow
3) proper sealing of crawlspace or slab (some have visqueen type (PE) vapor barrier against dirt / rock substrate.

Some climates have temp changes that cause humidity to condensate under established flooring. I usually build a basement under my home (rare in Clark county ), but have learned to add plastic and insulation and drain rock under the basement slab for the purpose of ventilating soils and moisture.

Fortunately, I have never had moisture infiltration. But none of my PNW contractors would build a basement, so I've had to build my own.

Be very cautious of a home that may have had moisture or mold problems. The spores are very difficult to stop. Many health risks that you don't want to deal with or worry about lifelong problems for your family.

[trailtramp]

So is living near the river around Camas or Fishers Landing really that much windier and colder in winter than living on the west side, say north of Fourth Plain?

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by trailtramp

So is living near the river around Camas or Fishers Landing really that much windier and colder in winter than living on the west side, say north of Fourth Plain?

No, not really.

Lately I've been bike commuting from Camas out to the Orchards area. I have a thermometer on my bike. The two consistently coldest areas along that route are the corner of 38th and Parker Road (Grass Valley area) and up by Orchards on 137th Ave between NE 4th and 4th Plain (the low area where you cross Burt Bridge Creek). Those are low-lying "hollow" areas where it can actually be up to 10 degrees colder than the rest of the surrounding area. Cold air masses sort of settle into the low areas and it is obvious if you are biking and not in your car.

As for wind, some of the worst winds I encounter is through Fisher's Landing on 20th Street between 164th and Parker Road. Which is kind of a sheltered area with trees. But it is a long straight wide street and runs directly east-west so if you are riding east into a winter wind storm it just blasts you.

What you don't want is to be up on a ridge that is completely exposed to the Gorge. But otherwise it seems to be kind of hit and miss. If you have views of the gorge or Mt. Hood you will likely get wind.

[ohio_peasant]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

...Need to get north of 119th ave or in Proebstal Valley to be in decent soils and out of east wind.

Originally Posted by trailtramp

So is living near the river around Camas or Fishers Landing really that much windier and colder in winter than living on the west side, say north of Fourth Plain?

Originally Posted by texasdiver

What you don't want is to be up on a ridge that is completely exposed to the Gorge. But otherwise it seems to be kind of hit and miss. If you have views of the gorge or Mt. Hood you will likely get wind.

Interesting. I was considering places NW (Ridgefield, Woodland,...) or alternatively into Skamania County not too far north of the 14 (east of Washougal, as far east as Carson). One criteria is minimizing (comparatively) extremes of cold or wind. Broadly speaking, which would be the more benign... NW along the I-5 corridor, or East along the 14?

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by ohio_peasant

Interesting. I was considering places NW (Ridgefield, Woodland,...) or alternatively into Skamania County not too far north of the 14 (east of Washougal, as far east as Carson). One criteria is minimizing (comparatively) extremes of cold or wind. Broadly speaking, which would be the more benign... NW along the I-5 corridor, or East along the 14?

East along 14 will be more windy. Especially if you push past Camas into Washougal.

But generally speaking it is all the same climate. The biggest factor is elevation not location. If you push up into the foothills above Camas, Washougal, or Hockinson you will quicky get above the snow level and potentially encounter a lot of winter snow whereas a couple miles down the hill it is just rain. The Livingston Mountain area above Camas is frequently snowed in during winter when the rest of Camas just gets ordinary rain or a light dusting. In fact the school district has special Livingston Mountain snow routes for those not infrequent occasions when the school buses can't get up there. I'm talking about places like this:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2...66650517_zpid/

The rest of the county more or less gets similar weather during the winter as long as you are say below 500 ft elevation, which is most of the populated parts of the county other than the foothills to the east.

[MtnSurfer]

To add to what Texasdiver said, east of Washougal does gets more windy as you head up the Gorge. As you approach Hood River and White Salmon, its famous for its wind - a windsurfing mecca! Additionally, it becomes more mountainous further east which also give it those dramatic cliffs so close to the river. Contrast that with the flatlands of Vancouver and you can see why these areas are more populated. So, more wind and snow will be found out east as you also rise in elevation.

Once you're in the flatlands (west of Washougal) with 'some' rolling hills its all very similar with less wind as well.

Derek

[trailtramp]

Back on this thread with a few questions. This is our year, finally, for the relo. Looking online at housing. Are there any new neighborhoods being built, or built within the last dozen years or so, that are NOT two story homes crammed in together on postage size lots where everyone looks down on the patio of the house next door? We don't want to be rural, but don't want a house that is so close one could nearly reach out and borrow a cup of sugar through a window. Do these exist?

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by trailtramp

Back on this thread with a few questions. This is our year, finally, for the relo. Looking online at housing. Are there any new neighborhoods being built, or built within the last dozen years or so, that are NOT two story homes crammed in together on postage size lots where everyone looks down on the patio of the house next door? We don't want to be rural, but don't want a house that is so close one could nearly reach out and borrow a cup of sugar through a window. Do these exist?

Those are more rare unless customer houses on larger lots which are still being built. But they are more expensive than a normal 'development' in the burbs. A better option is to buy a home in a more 'mature' neighborhood when larger lots were the norm. You can find a good number of those types of neighborhoods in Vancouver including places such as Salmon Creek, Fishers Landing, Camas, Washougal, etc...

By contrast, if you are one of those who want to live on 'acreage,' you could buy the land an go for a custom home. That will cost you quite a bit.

Its really hard to tell what you really mean by your statement regarding reaching out and touching your neighbor - a hyperbolic statement. Normally, people have an ideal type lot in their head. But if not in the country, its hard to read minds as to what that would actually look like, How big of a lot would that ideal be? 7500 sf, 10k sf+ or what?

When it comes down to it, most people have a huge laundry list of must haves and then nice to haves. Just realize you are not getting everything unless living in a fairyland with unicorns and pixie dust. Then its a matter of give and take. You want a newer home AND a big lot AND not in the country AND AND AND..... You're going to have to prioritize from the top down and then be willing to give some things up to get something else more important. What's more important, a big lot or a newer home? Do you care about price? There are some gorgeous homes on Lacamas lake with big lots. And they are multimillion-dollar homes.

Derek