checkin' out vancouver (Camas, Battle Ground, Washougal: sales, apartment, rent)

[lookinnorth]

Hi all! I'm here in Dallas,Tx. and looling to get out of here fast.The weather just can't make up it's mind - cool one day and hot and humid the next.I have a job offer in Portland.It's just a little west of PDX.I've heard the northeast side of Portland is bad,so I was wondering about the area just across the river in vancouver.Are there any decent areas there that are not too expensive?Just to let you know,I'll be renting an apartment and I'm what folks call blue collar.How is the crime rate in Vancouver? What are the areas to avoid?
On a lighter note,are big pickups as big of a deal in the Portland/Vancouver area as they are here in Texas? Any good mexican food restaurants? Gotta have that salsa!

[xxman777]

My friend, pickups are a bigger deal in Texas then anywhere else in the world. I was just reading an article about how if car companies can't sell trucks in Texas, they might as well not even try selling trucks because they are going to fail.

[the dufferz]

Oregon is a very Eco-liberal green state. Expect a less than warm reception to a gas hog Yugo crusher. I have heard of people selling their Hummer because of harrasment from people.

Beware of living in Washington and working in Oregon. Oregon has no sales tax, but has an income tax that you will have to pay. Washington has no income tax, but has a sales tax of over 8.5%.

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by lookinnorth

Hi all! I'm here in Dallas,Tx. and looling to get out of here fast.The weather just can't make up it's mind - cool one day and hot and humid the next.I have a job offer in Portland.It's just a little west of PDX.I've heard the northeast side of Portland is bad,so I was wondering about the area just across the river in vancouver.Are there any decent areas there that are not too expensive?Just to let you know,I'll be renting an apartment and I'm what folks call blue collar.How is the crime rate in Vancouver? What are the areas to avoid? On a lighter note,are big pickups as big of a deal in the Portland/Vancouver area as they are here in Texas? Any good mexican food restaurants? Gotta have that salsa!

Some areas of NE Portland are kind of scary, but several are very nice. It's kind of a weird part of Portland. You'll see a couple of nasty looking houses and then the next street over will have a bunch of beautifully manicured lawns. It's just funky.

Vancouver is a decent city, but like most towns it really depends on what area you live in. Crime in the area close to Vancouver Mall, (or Westfield Shoppingtown, as it is now called), is VERY high. The eastern edge of Vancouver where it meets Camas has a much lower crime rate. But the cost of living is a little higher, but not out of this world compared to larger cities.

You'll most likely be a bit happier in some of the smaller outlying areas of Clark County instead of being in Vancouver proper. Smaller towns are usually more accepting of people with large trucks and don't tend to make the immediate leap to thinking that you're a rednecked hick. Most of the smaller towns have a lot of people who like to live a more outdoorsy life and 4x4 trucks, SUV's, and 4-wheelers are more common. (Particularly in areas of Washougal, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, and some areas of Camas.)

Most of the areas I mentioned are within 10-20 minutes of the I-205/HWY 14 interchange heading into Portland. And yes, be aware of the taxes. But they're not that big of a deal, really. I worked for several years in Oregon while living in the Vancouver area. As a WA resident, you end up getting about 75%-80% of your OR taxes refunded to you at the end of the year. No biggie.

One thing to remember...it's usually less expensive to live in the smaller towns. Rent on a small house in Camas is usually less than rent on an apartment in Vancouver. And there isn't much different in your drive time to Portland. (I grew up east of Camas/Washougal and know the drive VERY well.)

Oh, and I forgot to add the most important part. One of the best Mexican restaurants in the county is located in Washougal. Los Dos Compadres is right on the main road leading from Camas into Washougal. (In Camas, it's NE 3rd and in Washougal it becomes "E" Street.) Fantastic food. (And I'm currently living in AZ so I know good Mexican food!)

[RodFarlee]

Originally Posted by diggitydot

As a WA resident, you end up getting about 75%-80% of your OR taxes refunded to you at the end of the year. No biggie.

I don't think most people should count on this.

Income earned in Oregon by either residents or nonresidents is taxed at the same rate.

There's no need to over-withhold. Based on their estimated deductions, most taxpayers will elect to increase their number of withholding allowances to make their year-end tax refund/owed near zero.

[RodFarlee]

Originally Posted by lookinnorth

On a lighter note,are big pickups as big of a deal in the Portland/Vancouver area as they are here in Texas?

In Oregon, a Toyota is a big truck!

As an aside, be forewarned that Washington is serious about speed limits and seatbelts. The minimum fine for driving like your average west Texan or southern Californian is $288, plus $188 if you do it without a seatbelt, plus $350 if you do it with an open beer, and kiss your license goodbye if you sipped that beer! I mention this because a neighbor of mine racked up $2400 worth that I know of in the first six months after he moved up here. Admittedly, he was a slow learner, but all he did was drive exactly the same as he had for the last 30 years!

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by RodFarlee

Income earned in Oregon by either residents or nonresidents is taxed at the same rate.

There's no need to over-withhold. Based on their estimated deductions, most taxpayers will elect to increase their number of withholding allowances to make their year-end tax refund/owed near zero.

Sorry, but all I have is my experiences. I worked in OR and lived in WA at several different points over a 15 year period and always had 75%-80% of my OR taxes refunded because I wasn't a resident. The only comparison I had were friends of mine that had identical wages and withholding and didn't get as much refunded to them as I did as a nonresident. The only difference was where we lived and that I filled out a nonresident tax form at the end of each year.

[diggitydot]

Originally Posted by RodFarlee

In Oregon, a Toyota is a big truck!

As an aside, be forewarned that Washington is serious about speed limits and seatbelts. The minimum fine for driving like your average west Texan or southern Californian is $288, plus $188 if you do it without a seatbelt, plus $350 if you do it with an open beer, and kiss your license goodbye if you sipped that beer! I mention this because a neighbor of mine racked up $2400 worth that I know of in the first six months after he moved up here. Admittedly, he was a slow learner, but all he did was drive exactly the same as he had for the last 30 years!

Rod's right on this. WA and OR cops give very little leeway when it comes to driving issues. I had no idea how strict they were until I moved to AZ. You all but have to be smoking crack and drinking a fifth of tequila while going 30 mph over the speed limit before they even look at you sideways. My husband has a lead foot and hasn't once had a ticket in AZ, but received them all the time while we lived in WA.

[lookinnorth]

Wow! Iwas cosidering buying a new toyota tacoma truck,thinking it would a good comprimise between an economy car and a large truck.This seems to be a common thought here in Texas.Oh by the way,the cops are just about as tough here in Garland,Tx. as they are in your neck of the woods.

[lookinnorth]

Thanks for the good info Diggitydot. Sounds kinda like where I live - a patchwork of good and bad areas.Its also reassuring to read a favorable review of the traffic situation up there.The taxes don't sound too bad either, because here in the Dallas area we have an 8.25% sales tax and several toll road propositios (on roads already in the process of being paid for by means other than tolls!).

Oh yeah,I'm going to try that Mexican restaurant.