Town similar to Bend in the Portland/Salem area

[PNW-type-gal]

Also, if you are looking at a large property and plan to do any farming (even just pasture/alfalfa), you need to understand water rights. Sure it rains a lot in winter and water is not a problem then, say November through June. But July, Aug, Sept are very dry and the water will have to come from somewhere. Water rights are apportioned by who was here first, going back into the 1800s. It's possible to buy a property that has a stream that goes right through the middle of it and yet you can't use the water because it "belongs" to someone else downstream.

I get that is a dream of yours to own a large property, but that is a lot of work and extra expense and will really limit where you can be. Things grow so lushly in the Willamette Valley that having that much land means it needs tending, even if it is just in pasture.

You also mentioned school districts - generally the better schools are in the larger cities and the rural schools are often underfunded. That isn't 100% true (not ALL city school districts are good, not ALL rural districts are bad), but it is roughly true. The dream of holding a lot of land may mean that to get the land you'd have to accept a weaker school district.

[therese marie]

The only small town around that size that I can think of that would be close to an hour away from Portland that has land that you could potentially afford would be Silverton. It has a hospital too.

I loved Silverton and that would be where I moved if I was going closer to Portland..

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by therese marie

I loved Silverton and that would be where I moved if I was going closer to Portland..

It's a cute small town, and the schools are decent (average to good) for such a small town.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

Also, if you are looking at a large property and plan to do any farming (even just pasture/alfalfa), you need to understand water rights. Sure it rains a lot in winter and water is not a problem then, say November through June. But July, Aug, Sept are very dry and the water will have to come from somewhere. Water rights are apportioned by who was here first, going back into the 1800s. It's possible to buy a property that has a stream that goes right through the middle of it and yet you can't use the water because it "belongs" to someone else downstream.

I get that is a dream of yours to own a large property, but that is a lot of work and extra expense and will really limit where you can be. Things grow so lushly in the Willamette Valley that having that much land means it needs tending, even if it is just in pasture.

You also mentioned school districts - generally the better schools are in the larger cities and the rural schools are often underfunded. That isn't 100% true (not ALL city school districts are good, not ALL rural districts are bad), but it is roughly true. The dream of holding a lot of land may mean that to get the land you'd have to accept a weaker school district.

What a great post. And so true, that land really needs to be maintained in that area.

I had just 2 acres about 13 miles north of White Salmon, and a year after I put in a gravel driveway, the Douglas Fir saplings that sprouted after the driveway was bulldozed - were tall enough to slap against the bottom of my car.

I won't even go into the thistles and blackberry plants that grew like alien monsters.

Pigs are good for keeping the growth in check. And I had about an acre fenced with pigs and a horse. And they kept that small pasture in good shape. But, anything outside of that fence was a jungle.

And we were required to keep the Scotch broom plants eradicated, which was no easy feat.

So, you're so right that although someone may love how fertile the area is, they may not realize that that also means you have to deal with what that produces.

And the cost of a well is no joke. And the septic. And the driveway. And the fencing. And the electric set-up. On and on.

It can be done, and it can be fun when you're young and don't mind lots and lots of physical labor. But, it will not allow you to sit around and relax, that's for sure.