Moving from Southern California to Oregon (Portland, Bend: construction, community college, places to live)

[skipper11]

I moved from San Diego,Cal. in 1999 to Oregon and WE LOVE IT HERE. We now live in West Eugene and it is wonderful. The people here are Very friendly, the town is clean, English spoken so far everywhere we have been, the weather is beautiful and there is so much to do here for all ages. Do We want to move back to Calif? absolutly NOT.

[Uncle Ludwig]

A number of established Oregonians (not sure if "native" is an accurate appellation for many of them) seem bent on bad-mouthing So. Californians, and So. Californians seem bent on retaliating (and of course, vice versa.) I've heard this going on for so long, it seems to have become an indoor sport in Oregon, as it has for Bay Area folks vs. L.A over the years.

It sounds like rivalry, but I'm not sure why.

Sure, housing prices go up, thanks in part to California emigres who are not willing to extract the last drop of fat out of an asking price in their new-found homes, and are eager to grab a seeming bargain compared to back home. Funny thing is that those very same arguments go on even here in high-priced So Cal. (BTW, LA County is not the most expensive county, or even the second most expensive in the state...)

I live near Arcadia and San Marino (east of Pasadena's Rose Bowl) in which the median price for homes is pretty close to an even million bucks. Residents there decry the "runup" in housing prices (until they decide to sell), and blame it on "people with lots of ready cash" (probably from drug deals, they think), or on the Asian influx to the area (which IS substantial.) The same "willingness" not to dicker is also cited, even though many of the Asian buyers are known to come in with absurd low-ball offers, just to see how desperate a seller is... which is the other side of the equation.

The real downside for these cities is that the population demographics are changing more rapidly than people realize. As the average prices rise, the chance for young families to move into the immediate area falls, and the remaining residents become older and older, and even more international in flavor as foreigners come in and buy property that larger numbers of people will live in simultaneously (to help each other, and to defray the higher costs of living and housing.) Often, small bungalow (Arts & Crafts style) homes on big lots (the standard in Arcadia; the home of horse people and the Santa Anita Racetrack) are purchased, torn down and replaced with enormous McMansions that have no local value except as "multi-family-dwellings- masquerading-as-a-single-family-dwelling."

Oregonians, face it. Real estate prices in your state are still lower than in a number of other regions of the country, but the demand in your state is strong; therefore, the prices will rise. That's the ONLY reason California housing is so expensive - demand is still strong. They're talking about 60 million residents in CA within 25 years! It's ridiculous, of course, but even a fraction of that means that demand will remain strong; and housing prices will remain stable or increase over time somewhere within the state. Perhaps, those who live in dinky Alpine county or Amador county, which have very low population densities in CA will also be railing one day about overcrowding in their areas. Add in the speculators (from EVERYWHERE) and you can begin to see why certain desirable areas of the country are all screaming about their housing prices going up too fast. (For example, I've lived in my house for 13 years, and I could sell it tomorrow at no less than 350% over what I paid for it. Hard to beat that kind of return EXCEPT in real estate.) If I owned investment properties in the most desired locations of the country, I'd be looking to make a killing for some time to come.

Even websites like this one, and all the various "places rated" articles that appear regularly, feed the demand to buy in desirable areas (and look for options to escape to). (I'm doing the same thing: I want my retirement dollars to go farther than they will here in So. Cal, or in Nor. Cal, which is even costlier.) So, as much as Oregonians, and Texans, and New Mexicans, and Coloradans, and Washingtonians, and Nevadans, et al., would like to see less influx into their happy places, it's clear that this is a never-ending challenge that will never be solved for those who came first (unless, of course, their areas suddenly turn undesirable again). The mountain men used to say the land was too crowded when only one other moved into their areas, as did the Native Americans before them. Humans also have been encroaching on natural wildlife habitats all over the world for eons, and that, too, will never change. The result is that some stay, and some leave. No human is really very long-rooted anywhere on this planet. Just be proud of the roots you put down, and hope the best for all the other wanderers our culture promotes.

I also understand the inclination to want to protect what you have, but I do hope that someday, you'll all see that some things are inevitable. Fed up Oregonians, for example, could move to Patagonia, or New Zealand, or the interior of Australia, some of the last frontiers on earth. But eventually, even those far-flung wildernesses will seem too small to hold all the new arrivals...and then what, the moon?

The influx brings challenges to the infrastructure while also bringing fresh capital, and fresh ideas. Some new ideas will be welcome, others will not. NO early inhabitant has ever been able to stop the wave of later inhabitants, so if you can't beat 'em, consider joining 'em... and that can be taken two ways: Accept them or start traveling yourself.

[lorrieas]

We live in the Roseburg area but are relocating to Alaska. Where we live is beautiful. We have 20+ acres, a new house, built in pool, trails throughout the property for walking or ATV riding. We're up on a hill so the views are breathtaking. We're just putting our house up for sale today---and it's going to be hard to leave our paradise.

[DisplacedBadger]

AeroAngel, same question as fastfilm, where do you live in Oregon. Definitely not Portland or Eugene. I too lived in S. California as well as Wisconsin, et al. Of all locations, Portland is fair superior - especially when compared to S. California. Please feel free to relocate to S. California at your earliest possible convenience.

[ilovewood]

My wife and I are looking to move to the Roseburg area, in fact I will be coming up to visit in a few days.....CAN'T WAIT! We are, you guessed it, from So Cal (not abbrev. because it looks or sounds cool, but because it's just easier). I'm a six-generation Southern Californian, my great, great, great, great grandpa came to San Diego in 1852. Now, I'm the first generation that cannot afford to stay here. But besides, even if I could, I don't think I would.

Will we be welcomed in Roseburg? My wife and I actually lived in the Astoria area for a while and loved it and the people were SO friendly. It's just a world of difference. Can we expect the same in Roseburg? I certainly hope so.

As for the illegal alien problem, citydata's stats on Roseburg look pretty promising. Where we live in Fallbrook, CA white/non-hispanics represent 57% of the population, the rest are, well, you can guess. I know I just sent up numerous Red Flags, so let me explain: I'm not racist, and neither are most who gripe about the whole illegals thing. The point is, I should not have to accommodate ILLEGAL Aliens (emphasis on Illegal!) by paying for their health care, schools and uninsured motorist insurance, etc via taxes, increased premiums and so on. I should be able to approach an employee at a resort in my own country and ask where the stairs are in English! It happens all of the time, hispanics in the US, that don't speak a WORD of English!

You've probably heard the comparison time and again, but I would not even visit Mexico, or any non-English speaking country, without learning the very basics of their language. By the way, I do speak a little Spanish, but I will NOT speak it to someone who is HERE and does not/ cannot speak English.

[skipper11]

ilovewood, Roseburg is a Very nice town, I drive from Eugene every so often to shop in Roseburg and so far I have been really lucky in meeting nice people. We moved from Fallbrook in 1999 and moved to Grants Pass, Or. until we took a drive and found Eugene, Or. We absolutly love it here. People are very friendly here, lots to do and yes, we do get some rain. What is funny is when it rains in Cal, people will stay inside, but when it rains here, people mow their lawns, bar-b-que and go about their lives...LOL... My hubby and I are also from several generations back that are So. Cal so we do know what you are talking about. We are both retired, My hubby from the Federal Civil Service Fire Dept (Camp Pendleton) and me semi retired from Menifee School District. You and your wife ever get up this way to Eugene, let us know maybe we can all do lunch. Good Old Friendship!! Your new found friends..

[klpeake]

ROTFLMAO! This is hilarious to see all of you fighting back and forth. And people can't understand why we are in Iraq... maybe because as a people, we just can't all get along? CA's- you are always complaining about the immigrants that come to CA and refuse to get jobs, learn the language, suck off the system, etc., etc., etc., so can't you at least *understand* how the OR folks feel about CA's that go up there and drive prices up and refuse to fit in? Geez, can't we all just get along. I agree completely with the idea that no matter where you go, *YOU* have to make the effort to change so that you can fit in with the locals of the new place that you *CHOSE* to go to. If you choose to move (taking a job in another area is still done by choice) to Thailand, then you must learn to be a Thai, if you go to Sweden, then you must learn to be a Swed, if you go to NY, then you must learn to be a NY'er. If you never try to fit in, then you are just the complaining outsider and will remain such until you choose to change. People that never try to fit in are just visitors.

[zagyzebra]

I moved from Los Angeles to the Medford area and haven't had any problems adjusting. The biggest adjustment was getting used to the disparate income levels. I mean, in L.A., you have poor neighborhoods and rich neighborhoods. In Oregon it seems much more mixed, so that you might have a double wide on one side of you and a McMansion on the other. Get the picture?

[whowants2know]

Um, is the Civil War alive and well on the West Coast? We are citizens of the United States...not just citizens of Oregon or California, or wherever.

Wow...this ongoing battle and finger-pointing as to who is responsible for the increase in housing in Oregon is ludicrous.

Those asking the price for their home are the ones responsible for the price of the home. Anyone, moving from anywhere to Oregon does drive up to a house and plaster a price tag on it. The one selling the home does that - they are the greedy ones looking to pad their wallet.

[freedom]

Originally Posted by whowants2know

Um, is the Civil War alive and well on the West Coast? We are citizens of the United States...not just citizens of Oregon or California, or wherever.

Wow...this ongoing battle and finger-pointing as to who is responsible for the increase in housing in Oregon is ludicrous.

Those asking the price for their home are the ones responsible for the price of the home. Anyone, moving from anywhere to Oregon does drive up to a house and plaster a price tag on it. The one selling the home does that - they are the greedy ones looking to pad their wallet.

How is making a profit on selling your home greedy?
That is quite a judgement. No one is being forced to buy, a free market sets the value. Prices are set by what one is willing to pay.

People that have more to spend usually set the mark.

So work smart and hard, have a goal and a vision, and home ownership is within reach.