Have you retired to the North Oregon Coast? (Portland, Salem: for sale, real estate)

[Khuselid]

Hi all,

Our kids are now in Portland (both adults) and we are working toward moving near to them ( we don't need advice on whether or not this is a good idea). We are considering the coast, Newport and north and would like to talk to anyone who has chosen this area for retirement. There is the option of having a home on the coast and then a condo in Portland to avoid the coastal winter.

What are medical resources? What is the community vibe? Are any of these towns bikeable? We love the water and the idea of being on the lake in Lincoln City is very attractive.

We are planning a road trip up there next month and would love to hear suggestions on where to look. We know about the Oregon tax structure and it isn't a concern for us. Washington is a possibility but a little farther away and the weather is a little worse.

We also are considering Portland but aren't 'suburb' people and would prefer older towns or areas. Prices in the areas we like are OK but not great for us. We want walkability and bikeability and good health care for our 'old' years.

Thank you all! Kim

[Jane917]

We are vacationing on the Oregon Coast right now.....in Gleneden Beach. We are Washington residents (Clark County) and visit the WA coast and OR coast every year, many times more than once/year. Gleneden Beach is just south of Lincoln City. There are nice parts of Lincoln City, but in the summer it is very crowded. Newport is also crowded in the summer, and 101 north and south is a stream of cars and RVs. We have found a couple of small communities north of Lincoln City that are very quiet and seem more like a community. The town of Neskowin is adorable. However, there is very little inventory for sale. Pacific City is bigger and has more services, like restaurants, brewery, etc.

Health care would be in Lincoln City or Newport. However, specialty care would be in Portland.

Have you considered Astoria? The weather can be a bit colder and bluster, but it is a nice town that is more than a summer resort area. It is probably the easiest drive into Portland. There is also Gearhart and Cannon Beach close by. Seaside is accessible also, but a bit congested.

ETA: We moved to WA to be near to kids/grandkids in Portland and have not regretted it a minute.

[leastprime]

I had a temp job on the NorthCoast. Stayed in PC where Mom had a family home. We lived in Salem. I got very lonely and eventually just commuted the 60 miles.

If you have a partner to live with and retired, Coastal living can be enjoyable. My favorite part time is watching the tourist whales and minnows. Lots to do and some senior centers, Elks, Moose, are more active than others.

Fine idea to have a place in LC and above towns, with condo/apartment in Portland. Spring and Fall are stupendeous at the Beach.

[mistyriver]

We owned a lot overlooking the Pacific here and spent a lot of time in Newport. Not sure about biking but love the vibe on the waterfront and in Nye Beach. Really excellent restaurants there and it’s so amazing in summer. Unless you love heat. One day we were there it was 100 in Portland and only 61 in Newport. For me it was heaven.
https://www.pacificshoresmotorcoachresort.com/

[Khuselid]

Hi Jane917,

Where are you now in Clark County? We have wandered around Vancouver area a bit and maybe need to spend more time looking there as well. Why did you choose to land there?

Yes, have been to Astoria and that is on our list as well.

Such complex decisions!

[Jane917]

Originally Posted by Khuselid

Hi Jane917,

Where are you now in Clark County? We have wandered around Vancouver area a bit and maybe need to spend more time looking there as well. Why did you choose to land there?

Yes, have been to Astoria and that is on our list as well.

Such complex decisions!

We live in Ridgefield, north of Vancouver. We like it a lot, and have easy access on I5 to Portland, but we always check the traffic before we leave the house. Clark County is building like crazy, especially Ridgefield. We have been there 4 years. We moved there from Wenatchee. Prior to that we were in Montana....I am a CA native. Our boys were all raised in MT, but now live in Portland, LA, Berkeley. One is moving to Boise later this month.

There are some beautiful condos being built on the waterfront in downtown Vancouver, which is going through rapid revitalization.

We are at Gleneden until tomorrow and then will head home. It has been a very quiet week on the coast with mild temps. We love exploring the galleries, especially looking for handblown glass. We always manage to pick up some gems. We also like the many fine restaurants in the area. Clark County also has some fine restaurants. We rarely go into Portland anymore just to eat (unless the kids pay!).

In Clark County we are within 2 hours of the Long Beach Peninsula and the OR coast. We go as often as possible.

Jane

[StealthRabbit]

If retiring... Oregon residency is not usually your friend (Tax)

Washington is only 2 minutes away, but also comes at a price (Property tax for us... Now = $14,800 / yr, Up from <$800 / yr, some old worn out house, no improvements). But you can get by for MUCH less (~$3000) if you don't anger the tax assessor.

Many retiree friends live or keep places in Long Beach, WA area.
(3) of my WA friends bought North Oregon Coast homes, but homes and COL became too expensive on coast, and real estate was the right price to sell and return to WA.
A few friends do the $500k income tax free gains every 24 months by using North Oregon Coast properties
There are several low cost options (on both sides of River) near Longview, WA and out towards coast.

I would suggest determining your desired commute and frequency to Portland (I go several times / week, 20 min commute from WA) I also go to Hood River / The Dalles a few times / week.

There are some really inexpensive options for housing

[leastprime]

The township that I am most familiar is PC; A good portion of the residents are relatively older and retired. Lack of year round Mohammad a bfurcation in the age grouping. Summer jobs are fairly plentiful but housing is a problem if you coming from other areas. Winter has a lack of jobs but an excess of housing. Avoid any homes in the lowlands, river floor plain +3 ft, and tsunami zone of +20ft above mean high tide.

Suggest you do 2-3 day stays, midweek at a motel, airbnb, at several locations. Be aware that when the Valley/Gorge get hot +90deg, homes and low areas, within 1000 ft of the beach will be cold dense fog with a high wind chill. But if you off the beach or have some elevation the weather will be positively hot.
D Lake, in LC, is very nice in both weather and convenience to the beach.

[pnwguy2]

I experimented life on the OR coast about 14 years ago. I really liked certain elements about it but the scenery and ocean air wore thin and I moved back inland. Today I would never live there due to the next mega thrust quake that could happen tomorrow or not in our lifetimes. But that is just me. The OR coast is ground zero for this eventual quake and I don’t want to be there when it happens.

[leastprime]

Originally Posted by leastprime

The township that I am most familiar is PC; A good portion of the residents are relatively older and retired. Lack of year round jobs cause a bifurcation in the age grouping. Summer jobs are fairly plentiful but housing is a problem if you coming from other areas. Winter has a lack of jobs but an excess of housing. Avoid any homes in the lowlands, river floor plain +3 ft, and tsunami zone of +20ft above mean high tide.

Suggest you do 2-3 day stays, midweek at a motel, airbnb, at several locations. Be aware that when the Valley/Gorge get hot +90deg, homes and low areas, within 1000 ft of the beach will be in cold dense fog with a high wind chill. But if you off the beach or have some elevation the weather will be positively hot.
D Lake, in LC, is very nice in both weather and convenience to the beach.

Auto correct sometimes is a pain.