Quick ? on specific area (Portland, Gresham: for sale, real estate market, houseboat) - Oregon (OR) - City-Data Forum

crazyma · 05-02-2008, 11:46 AM

Can anyone tell me if there is housing, for sale or rent, near this address/area that is decent ( not a crack neighborhood) and not too far a commute? With gas prices, would like to be close....Maybe recommend some neighborhoods or zip areas? Looking into a job around there...

NE Ainsworth Circle
Portland, OR 97220

also, in general, is it 'cheaper' to live in Oregon or Washington?

Thanks for any help!

EnricoV · 05-02-2008, 04:16 PM

That's in an industrial area. And the nearby neighborhoods aren't what I'd consider the best. One other consideration there is, you're in the airport flight path. From there, I'd go eastward, towards Fairview. But be warned that winters can be more fierce there. The winds, and the cold from the Columbia River Gorge affects that area more. Going westward, along the I-84 freeway wouldn't be too bad a commute, as you'd be going against most of the traffic. To somewhere like the Hollywood.

Vancouver may be cheaper (I'm not convinced, but some are), but you'd have the commute to contend with across the I-205 bridge, and it that can be difficult.

crazyma · 05-02-2008, 10:20 PM

Thank you EnricoV...I will look into those areas. I figured that addy would be in a non-residential area, due to the nature if the business.

When you say the winters can be fierce, like how bad? We are currently in Kansas now, ...how could anything be odder weatherwise! LOL I guess I better research the weather there.

Nell Plotts · 05-03-2008, 12:25 PM

We whine a lot... Our issues with snow is that it usually comes down wet (not fluffy) and is associated with ice. Not much, not often, but icy roads are dangerous. Handy rule of thumb: 10 days a year of serious snowfall, 10 days over 100 degrees.

The Columbia River Gorge operates like a wind tunnel, it can suck the heat right out of a home in the winter - it doesn't really need to be very cold. Pay close attention to a home's record of home heating costs. On occasion there can be high pressure to the east of the Cascades in the winter, low pressure west. That is when the Portland area can get very cold (by our standards) because the weather is coming out of Alberta CN (aka, an Alberta Clipper). The pipe for that air is the Columbia River Gorge.

crazyma · 05-03-2008, 12:50 PM

Ouch.wind?! egads, it was so windy here in Wichita yesterday...it gave me the willies. Good idea Nell, to check out past heat costs. I guess having a wel insulated home is a key there.
Do y'all have natural gas out there? That is my fav to cook with...

I knew the prices on homes out there were high, but I have a wee bit of aftershock after looking at a few areas...and I thought MIAMI was high!

What makes the home prices so expensive? Is usuable land there hard to come by? Or has the market there been able to keep pushing prices up because that is what people WILL pay?
Just curious I guess.

EnricoV · 05-03-2008, 02:33 PM

It's the market. I know it's something that they get defensive about, but it really did begin when Californians began moving out of So. California. They'd sold their homes for inflated values, and could afford to spend big up here. So they started asking big. And never stopped.

Adding to it is Portland's Urban Growth Boundary, which limits development to within the boundary. If you head to the suburban east - Gresham has some nice areas, or even south from there into Clackamas County, prices shouldn't be as steep (and you'll avoid the Gorge winds).

If I had my dream home in relation to your work address, I'd head east up the river and look for a houseboat. But I know that's not for everyone.

crazyma · 05-03-2008, 02:45 PM

We grew up in Atlanta, and the prices there never went too crazy. But the market in Miami was insane. All those, pardon me, damn yankees and foreigners drove the prices through the roof, because they could and would pay ridiculous amounts....We spent a miserable year there and just made it out early 2007 before it dropped like a lead balloon... but still lost $$$. So don't really want to repeat that. The goods news so I hear, is that home prices in the NE are holding somewhat, inspite of the odd real estate market.

I think Portland would be interesting...right now ANY place with a job would be!

My husband can't swim....he would freak out on a houseboat! I think it would be cool, but then again I like anything not 'normal' heh.

gypsydoc · 05-04-2008, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyma

Thank you EnricoV...I will look into those areas. I figured that addy would be in a non-residential area, due to the nature if the business.

When you say the winters can be fierce, like how bad? We are currently in Kansas now, ...how could anything be odder weatherwise! LOL I guess I better research the weather there.

I'm from Kansas as well... Lived in Topeka, Lawrence and KC... The "fierce" that folks talk about here would be like a long Kansas fall. Even the wind (which there is more of closer east and in the Gorge) is not really much compared to the constant wind in KS. Really. The first 5 years I lived here there were very few days that dipped below 32 degrees. At all, the entire year. I didn't believe it either. This last winter, however, it's been colder than normal, but you'd have nothing to worry about. The other neat thing is that the summers are so much cooler than KS. Overall, the weather reminds me of a long spring and a long fall, even though there are 4 distinct seasons. I also love seeing green year round and flowers year round, something I never saw in KS.

Hope that helps.

Nell Plotts · 05-04-2008, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crazyma

My husband can't swim....he would freak out on a houseboat! I think it would be cool, but then again I like anything not 'normal' heh.

When I attended the University of Oregon you had to pass a swimming test or get a medical exemption to graduate..

It didn't matter if you were Rhodes Scholarship material.. you had to swim! We really earned the Duck's mantra.

crazyma · 05-05-2008, 12:10 AM

Really Nell? that is a good idea. A very good logical, sensible idea. I can't imagine not being able to swim, or at least 'dog paddle', it seems to keep me from sinking! LOL
Have to out that on my personal list of what seniors should know before they can graduate high school! hmmmm

Well I am thinking Portland might be pretty 'liveable', certainly no worse than our year in hell, oops, Miami, or this last year in the belly button of the US, Wichita...Love what I read about all the farmers market...I'd kill for a vine ripe tomato grrr.

Good Lord willing, that job opp there will get real serious this week.
All you portlanders ( is that what you are called?) have a great new week and be safe!