checkin' out vancouver

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by cdelena

My wife and I are spending time looking at various areas we may want to settle down in retirement in the next year or so (we are in our 50’s so no need for an old folks home). I am sure I want to move out of Dallas so we have considered a number of places looking at climate, taxes, housing, local infrastructure, and just the general quality of life.

Currently have a trip scheduled to look at the Vancouver area. Best fit for us would be a townhouse (200 – 400K) with a full two car garage within 30 miles or so of Portland… staying in Washington for the tax structure. We have been to Portland a couple of times in the past but never looking with an eye to settle so this will be a different perspective.

Open to any comments or suggestions.

You might like Salmon Creek. It's on the north end of Vancouver and very nice. Its near the Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital and the Washington State University-Vancouver campus. Very nice.

But I also REALLY like Camas/Washougal. They're both medium sized towns with that small town feeling. People hold doors for each other, say hello to strangers, strike up conversations in the check out line at the grocery store with each other, etc.

Camas has been a growing community for quite a while, but Washougal is the new "it" place. They've had the Clark County Parade of Homes a couple years in a row and are in the process of revitalizing the downtown area. There's also talk of a new riverfront development for shops, businesses, condos, etc. Supposed to be called "Riverwalk", I think.

[cdelena]

Thanks your responses. Doing some searches online it does appear I can find housing that suits us in Washougal / Camas. I do have a number of questions that come up because of the environment here. I sure don’t want to make this about the downsides of Dallas but they do prompt the questions and highlight the things I worry about in any move.

Community vision

A balance between growth, business, and services for the whole population is important to me. Here we have a crumbling infrastructure and uneven city services while tax abatements are freely handed out to developers and dollars get allocated to questionable projects. Any of that showing?

Racial tension

I am weary of a community where the split between Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites produces ongoing conflicts. Does the city and school districts keep this to a minimum?

City government effectiveness

I am all too familiar with the shortcomings of a council-manager system and I see that Vancouver is organized that way… is it working? Frankly I am happy to see Washougal and Camas have a mayor-council structure but of course that relies on good honest candidates. How are they all working?

Immigrant population

I have first hand knowledge of the negative impact of the immigration of large numbers of poor and uneducated people. Both my wife and son have had auto accidents where the other driver spoke no English, had no license or insurance, and eventually ran. (we also pay high taxes here to support a hospital that provides more services to illegals that any other in the country). What is the situation there, does migration have an affect on quality of life?

Residential construction

Just the differences construction in the norm is something I have to learn. Here there is plenty of clay and cheap labor so brick exterior is common but I know that is not the case elsewhere in the country. Is exterior maintenance of siding in a wetter environment required regularly? Of course here in the southwest AC is a requirement but seems to be optional there… many times you would like to have it? Do houses that list a heatpump normally include cooling as well?

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by cdelena

Community vision

A balance between growth, business, and services for the whole population is important to me. Any of that showing?

Not anymore than I've ever found elsewhere. Camas and Washougal both have a lot of home building going on, but the commercial building grows at a little slower rate. More businesses are coming in, as are commercial developments, but they're usually YEARS in the making and come with a lot of public involvement. The new Washougal mayor and city council are VERY on top of the infrastructure stuff and are good about planning for it. As a matter of fact, they're redoing the entire downtown area in anticipation of lots of new buildings going in soon.

Originally Posted by cdelena

Racial tension

I am weary of a community where the split between Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites produces ongoing conflicts. Does the city and school districts keep this to a minimum?

OMG, if you knew this area, you'd laugh. Racial tension is so NOT an issue in Camas/Washougal. Yes, you'll always have some bigots everywhere you go, but I've found them far less in that area than where I now live in AZ. Growing up, my best friends were of several different nationalities and this area has only grown more diverse since then.

Originally Posted by cdelena

City government effectiveness

I am all too familiar with the shortcomings of a council-manager system...I am happy to see Washougal and Camas have a mayor-council structure but of course that relies on good honest candidates. How are they all working?

I can honestly say that I am very pleased with those elected in Washougal. I attended high school with the mayor and she works exceedingly well with the new city council. Vancouver, being a larger city, has much different issues. Honestly, they're not handled that well. The working relationship between the Washougal mayor and the city council is excellent.

Originally Posted by cdelena

Immigrant population

I have first hand knowledge of the negative impact of the immigration of large numbers of poor and uneducated people...What is the situation there, does migration have an affect on quality of life?

Not that I ever noticed, but you might find that your experience is different, particularly if you end up living near a farm that employs migrant farm workers. Not that they're all illegal, but you'll find more people with less English skills near those farms.

There are crappy people everywhere you go. But I've found much less in Camas/Washougal. Buttom line: Camas/Washougal doesn't have a very high illegal alien problem. The poor and uneducated are usually locals.

Originally Posted by cdelena

Residential construction

Is exterior maintenance of siding in a wetter environment required regularly? Of course here in the southwest AC is a requirement but seems to be optional there… many times you would like to have it? Do houses that list a heatpump normally include cooling as well?

Oh, god no. Weekly maintenance isn't an issue, unless you need to mow your lawn. If properly built/painted, your exterior maintenance is fairly minimal. I used to work for a local paint company and even the most anal of our customers didn't work on the exterior of their homes on a weekly basis. If done correctly, you shouldn't have to paint your home more than once every 7-10 years.

Most of the paint coatings designed for exterior use contain fungicides, mildewcides, and insecticides. All of which help deal with all the fun stuff that grows in the NW. Depending on the type of siding you end up with, you might need a light powerwashing with a mildewcide once a year to wash off anything that might have grown over the winter. (Especially if you have overhanging trees.)

No, not all heat pumps have A/C and you only need it a couple of days per year. You'll use heat MUCH more often. Always ask if it isn't specified on the features of the home.

Just beware with new construction. It's known as "blow and go". By that, meaning they do the bare minimum to get it by the code enforcement and get out of there as fast as possible. Some builders are better than others. Some, you just have to watch VERY closely to make sure they're doing things according to the plans. Definitely check them out with the BBB before even talking with them. You'll find out a LOT of info from the BBB that will help narrow down your scope if looking for general contractors.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions!

[cdelena]

diggitydot, thanks a lot for your complete response. This is the fifth location we have looked at in detail and is currently on top of the list. Our last trip to the area was in the summer so we will follow up with a trip this December. Relocation is a hard sell to family but I really want to have more driving my life than inertia and the (empty) promise of more frequent family activities. I wound up in Dallas because my father accepted a job here 50 years ago but I certainly have priorities now that will prompt a move.