Updates from those who have moved to Vancouver, Camas, Battleground ? (2014, apartments)

[LuckyBamboo]

Originally Posted by Endinmind

Lucky Bamboo ....Your comment about Vancouver being like Daly City was funny. I take it you meant weather wise, as in gray, cold and overcast. I lived in Daly City for 15 yrs, I know it well. Vancouver seemed fine but I was just passing through for a week last summer.

Vancouver is like Daly City in that it's mostly a sleepy, commuter town full of housing and fast food. Granted the two cities aren't exactly the same, but since I was already comparing city-for-city that's the gist of Vancouver. The whole area is gloomy in winter. In my opinion, it's not as bad as some say. We have real seasons here.

Originally Posted by Endinmind

You mentioned you both work from home, what type of work do you guys do? I am hoping to land a remote position of some sort so I can work from home as well (ideal) but if the job means commuting to Portland then so be it. I'd much rather secure something in Vancouver to stay in Washington though. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

I am a self-employed graphic designer and my husband is quite lucky and works as a software engineer remotely for the company he works for back in SF. An opportunity arose for him to work remotely and we took advantage of it Many of my clients are still in the Bay Area as well as spread out in other areas, so in some ways I telecommute as well.

[Endinmind]

Originally Posted by LuckyBamboo

Vancouver is like Daly City in that it's mostly a sleepy, commuter town full of housing and fast food. Granted the two cities aren't exactly the same, but since I was already comparing city-for-city that's the gist of Vancouver. The whole area is gloomy in winter. In my opinion, it's not as bad as some say. We have real seasons here.

Got it. I hear the same from my family that lives up there. Weather is not as bad as so far.

I am a self-employed graphic designer and my husband is quite lucky and works as a software engineer remotely for the company he works for back in SF. An opportunity arose for him to work remotely and we took advantage of it Many of my clients are still in the Bay Area as well as spread out in other areas, so in some ways I telecommute as well.

Ah.... very nice set up. I figured it was something along those lines. I'm in IT as well but in Operations and support. I'm looking for a remote gig as well to have the flexibility to work from home. A bit harder to find that unless you are a software eng, graphics, sales etc Not opposed at all to finding something in Portland and live in Camas but looking hard anyway

[hml1976]

Originally Posted by Endinmind

Ah.... very nice set up. I figured it was something along those lines. I'm in IT as well but in Operations and support. I'm looking for a remote gig as well to have the flexibility to work from home. A bit harder to find that unless you are a software eng, graphics, sales etc Not opposed at all to finding something in Portland and live in Camas but looking hard anyway

Fisher Investments, Peacehealth, Banfield, Nautilus, Legacy, all are nearby and hiring.

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

3 things re Camas:

1. Spouse & I were in Portland after Xmas, decided to "check out" Camas before going home. I needed to use restroom, so we stopped at what looked like a brand-new rec center. There were kids taking after-school dance & martial arts classes. After using facilities, I was reading bulletin-board announcements & an employee approached me to offer assistance...but I could tell that she & the other employee were assessing me. I hardly look threatening, but as a mother & grandmother, it was good to see that these women were checking to see who the stranger was. If I was moving to that community with children, that would be very reassuring to me.

2. Spent entire day & part of evening there, did not smell anything from mill, including when driving next to it. That day could have been an exception, I don't know.


3. My husband's co-worker moved his family to Camas after spending most of his professional life in Silicon Valley. They moved after the first winter, as they could not tolerate the cold winds out of the gorge...this was within past 4 yrs. or so. He said there were ice storms that knocked out the power for several days...I don't know...just quoting...

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by thisplacesucks

... they could not tolerate the cold winds out of the gorge...this was within past 4 yrs. or so. He said there were ice storms that knocked out the power for several days...I don't know...just quoting...

There was a 'silver thaw' (Freezing Rain / ice) a few yrs back, but it would be very rare to loose power for more than a few hours.


I live in a much more violent wind climate than Camas (at the vortex of the Gorge).

I have not been without power more than 4 hours each time (~3x / yr) for over 15 yrs (They improved the transmission lines). I maintain 4 homes and 3 commercial buildings in Camas proper, they have never lost power. I have several hundred co-workers that moved to Camas from Bay Area. I can only think of 4 that went back (due to their CHEAP Prop 13 taxes). On the other hand, many moved from Colorado to Lake Stevens or Corvallis and most returned to Colorado. (A more digestible / affordable location than CA Bay area).

YMMV, not all are suited for this region (including me).

[hml1976]

I've never lost power in the 6.5yrs we've lived in camas.

[LuckyBamboo]

Originally Posted by hml1976

I've never lost power in the 6.5yrs we've lived in camas.

We lost power one evening about a month after moving here

I'm not sure why it happened. The whole street/neighborhood, including street lights on NW 6th Ave, were out for a few hours.

[siliconimplant]

We are also looking to move from the silicon valley to the area--pending a visit in April. We currently own in San Jose and met with our realtor last week to see what he thought we could get for our 1442 sq ft house--I was pleasantly surprised, but we'll see, and of course if we don't like the area then it doesn't matter. We are going to look at Camas for schools (our #1 reason for moving), but may also check out areas of Vancouver. I appreciate the city comparison--helps me know what to expect.

I plan to look at houses and schools on this trip, and also drive into Portland one day and drive back during commute hours (my husband may work from home, but may end up commuting into Portland, and we want to know what he's signing up for).

Any other "must sees" for someone considering a move?

I am partially hoping we love it, and partially more than a little angry that we feel we HAVE to do this if our kids are going to have decent educations without us spending $35K each a year on K-12 (we won't do a religious school,which leaves us the option of Harker). I've heard nothing but good things about schools in Camas, and have found some that seem decent in Vancouver. I think the smaller district in Bush Prarie might be too small for us, though.

Thanks for this thread! It has been helpful!

[Goin' Coastal]

My mom lived in Camas from 1998-2012, so I visited frequently from Northern California.
I smelled that paper plant a lot. It was stomach-turning. I had heard that it was getting better,
but since I haven't been back there in 3 years, I don't really know how it is any more.

Since my mom lived in the area, we considered retiring to the area, too, and did lots of home
searches over those years. We liked Ridgefield and Battle Ground, and also liked Salmon Creek.
We made offers on homes in Oregon, because despite taxes, we just preferred places in Oregon over
WA. We visited in all seasons, and for some reason, my husband always felt that WA land was just
spongier and squishier, just too wet for him.

It is beautiful and green there, of course, which I appreciated and which I miss.

We loved the area in the summer -- best summers ever! -- but the gloom and damp for many months of
the year finally made me realize it would not work for me, either, so we are in SoCal instead (for now.)

Although WA State has no income tax, I had heard that Oregon will tax you if you work in Oregon,
even if you're a WA resident, so that may be something worth checking into..

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by siliconimplant

We are also looking to move from the silicon valley to the area--pending a visit in April. We currently own in San Jose and met with our realtor last week to see what he thought we could get for our 1442 sq ft house--I was pleasantly surprised, but we'll see, and of course if we don't like the area then it doesn't matter. We are going to look at Camas for schools (our #1 reason for moving), but may also check out areas of Vancouver. I appreciate the city comparison--helps me know what to expect.

I plan to look at houses and schools on this trip, and also drive into Portland one day and drive back during commute hours (my husband may work from home, but may end up commuting into Portland, and we want to know what he's signing up for).

Any other "must sees" for someone considering a move?

I am partially hoping we love it, and partially more than a little angry that we feel we HAVE to do this if our kids are going to have decent educations without us spending $35K each a year on K-12 (we won't do a religious school,which leaves us the option of Harker). I've heard nothing but good things about schools in Camas, and have found some that seem decent in Vancouver. I think the smaller district in Bush Prarie might be too small for us, though.

Thanks for this thread! It has been helpful!

My sister-in-law and her mother were 100% against any parochial schools... my brother's family lives in the Bay Area and moved once for schools... they were very active in the public school system/PTA committee leads and such.

Brother was elected to the school landscape committee... he is a go-getter and was able to get tons of donations from Nurseries, Orchard Supply Hardware, Landscape contractors etc... it all was for nothing... the district said only District personnel can work on school property... in essence my brothers job was to hold bake sales and such to raise money to give to the school district.... tens of thousands of dollars in donations were refused.

The overall quality of education was dropping in a good school... so in desperation, they spoke to some of their friends who had kids in Catholic schools... reluctantly, they checked it out... it's been 4 years and the kids are doing extremely well... and my sister-in-law and her family can't say enough good things about the school and they said their preconceived notions were far from reality...

The difference is the private schools are most grateful for donations... those landscaping items were gratefully accepted by the Monseigneur... and my sister-in-law and her family have still never set foot in the church...

All I am saying, as someone with Washington and Bay Area roots is the grass is not always greener someplace else...

On the flip side... almost all of my college bound Washington friends leave the state for college... and a lot choose California... and then have to deal with residency issues...

Washington has no Prop 13... it had it's own version called I-747 which was similar and tossed out by a judge... my property tax increased 80% when it was tossed exactly 18 months after I bought my home... quite a shock and made me reconsider everything.