Retiring in Oregon

[scottmandue]

To compliment the tread on Tejas,

Love the no sales tax... but I hear you get reamed on property tax?

Love Portland OR., nice people, great food, great beer, great coffee, lots of good entertainment... but not enough sunshine for this Cali beach boy.

I also hear as you go east the weather gets a lot better... but are there any cities that offer the food and entertainment options like Portland?

[myamoto1]

Retire in SW Washington. No state income tax and buy your big ticket items in OR. Although you still get stuck on vehicle tax.

[Steve F]

Reno,Nv. and some of the surrounding areas are really nice IMOP

[RWebb]

Yes on property taxes - not to mention income taxes

No re other cities to match PDX

[LakeCleElum]

My parents retired and moved from WA to Oregon to be near my sister....10 years later, they were right back......Income tax and property tax killed the deal. Good advise on SW Wa....No income tax and cross the border for no sales tax.....

Oregon (and Washington) = rain, clouds, and moderate temps on the west side.....Sun and snow on the east side. Hot in the summer, cold in the winter...If you want sun in Oregon, look at Bend or Klamath Falls - Probably too small for your tastes, perfect size for me...

[lane912]

75-85 and sunny the last two weeks, once you get out of winter the weather fabulous wait, realy horrible. please stay away there is no room here and you will just hate it.

all the roads are straight

[myamoto1]

Not exactly what you're looking for, but Bingen or White Salmon, WA are only about an hour down the Gorge from Portland. Still on the WA side and you can find some culture across the river in Hood River (OR). The weather tends to be much better out there, since you're right on the border between E and W sides of the state. Only big downsides I see are; winter can be rough (ice storms) and you have to travel to PDX if you don't want to shop at Walmart or a botique windsurfer shop. Plus sides are, cheaper cost of living (way more bang for you buck on housing), tons of good beer/wine, near/on the river and you're in the middle of tons of outdoor activities (hiking, biking, snow, etc).

[Laneco]

Two thumbs WAY up on Bend, Oregon. If we could move - that would be the place.

angela

[notmytarga]

We live in UpState CA and a few years ago thought it a nice spring trip to head to Bend, OR to visit my sister and family. I've been to Bend several times for ski trips etc. but the "spring" weather was bonechillin' cold! Should have stayed in warmer CA where the trees, grass and flowers were blooming. Still High Desert cold, dry and frozen in Bend. Just an FYI about the inland weather.

[Zeke]

Las Vegas, baby. Median home price for 3 bed, 2 bath built in the 80's is so low you couldn't build a nice man cave for same.

[jyl]

The weather in PDX is tough to handle for much of the year. But if you are retired, you presumably have time to get restorative doses of sunlight in warmer climes - Hawaii, Mexico, eastern OR, etc - and travel can be cheap if you know how.

[red-beard]

What is the percentage of overcast days in Western Washington and Oregon?

[Eric Hahl]

Originally Posted by red-beard

What is the percentage of overcast days in Western Washington and Oregon?

99.99%, I'm fricken sick and tired of them. Ok, so not 99.99% but sometimes it sure feels like it. If you want sunshine in Oregon or Washington go to Bend, Oregon or Spokane, Washington.

In the Portland/Vancouver area you can expect a little Indian summer that usually extends into early November but then comes the rain, it doesn't let up, and it continues until July 4th! Well, except for this Spring. Its beautiful up here right now, wait, am I still in Washington?

[scottmandue]

Wife and I have been up to Hood river a couple times... LOVE IT! But say "ice storm" to a So Cal Boy and we will run screaming like a little girl every time...

Kinda looking for someplace with low taxes and low cost of living AND weather that won't kill me... I know... and then I will bring about peace in the middle east and find a sports car that gets 80 MPG while doing 200 MPH.

Nevada you say?

[red-beard]

About the only thing I liked about living in Pakistan, it was sunny almost everyday. Of course May was hotter than summer in Arizona. And the summer was hotter and more humid than Houston! But it was sunny!

Can't stand the overcast. From November though January in upstate NY it was dark and overcast.

San Diego was wonderful for Sun. Sunny almost everyday, except along the coast. Drive 2 miles inland, instant sun!

[teenerted1]

Originally Posted by red-beard

What is the percentage of overcast days in Western Washington and Oregon?

all of them

[Paul K]

Originally Posted by Laneco

Two thumbs WAY up on Bend, Oregon. If we could move - that would be the place.

angela

+911. Very active Porsche crowd there also!

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Zeke

Las Vegas, baby. Median home price for 3 bed, 2 bath built in the 80's is so low you couldn't build a nice man cave for same.

What Portland is to rain... Las Vegas is to Hot

And my friend tells me those houses are built so close together you can reach out the window and knock on your neighbors wall.

[RWebb]

Bend is very expensive - it was a tiny town in the 1970s, then turned into a ski & Mtn. Bike mecca for Portlanders.

Maybe it costs less now, after the housing crash.

[scottmandue]

We visited friends in Astoria.... it was a beautiful sunny day... I looked at house prices and said "honey I could sell my house and buy a nice one here outright with our equity!"

She (the native Oregonian) said NO WAY!!!