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So the work I do is 100% remote now. I moved to Southern California because of an industry that has in part moved to remote work. My only requirements are a temperate climate, nature access and hopefully a blue-ish state. Is there a place out there that makes sense financially? I’m hoping to buy a house less then 500k. I don’t need access to large cities as I honestly don’t do anything. The only requirement I can think of is access to solid internet as I stream full screen video for what I do.
I’m currently looking at Michigan and Virginia as options.
I might be a bit biased for my own state, but Oregon sounds like it could be right up your alley. Real estate prices have kinda settled down recently after the inflation we had the past few years, so you can find nice houses for 350-500k in the slightly-rural areas surrounding Portland like Gresham, Oregon City, Estacada or Sandy.
Nature access is excellent, especially if you were to live around the Columbia River Gorge like in Corbett. A drive to the coast is under 2 hours from there also.
I am in Oregon as well, outside of Eugene. I love it. Hour to the coast, hour to the mountains, and just a general great place to live.
Brother in law wants to move to some Washington/Oregon border town to take advantage of tax stuff. What would you say are the downsides of Oregon?
Aside from the social issues mentioned by Jim, if you're looking to move somewhere on the I-5 corridor be aware that Oregon's reputation for ceaseless rain is, in some ways, well-deserved. Fall through spring is very cloudy and rainy. It gets gloomy and if you suffer from SAD it can be hard on you. On the other hand, summers are beautiful, with mostly sunny and warm days with the occasional heat spell.
Being a fairly large state with varied terrain, there are several climate zones:
Thanks! Definitely good to know about the rain
The biggest downside of late in my opinion has been the homelessness and mentally unwell / drug abuse issues. Measure 110's decriminalization of hard drugs without actually having sufficient treatment options available just exacerbated existing problems. Rural areas have a lot less of this but you're almost guaranteed to see some nasty stuff if you're in the bigger cities.
A lot of people do take advantage of taxes around here. There's no sales tax in Oregon so people from Vancouver just drive over one of the bridges to do their shopping.
Corbett looks nice, the yearly average temps look good. Would you say that’s a more rural option? I’m looking for something outside any major city, I don’t go anywhere honestly.
One of the amazing pluses for Corbett is it's proximity to the Columbia River Gorge. One of the minuses would be zero grocery stores in close proximity. I believe the closest is in Troutdale about 20 minutes away.
That’s not too bad, I’ve literally gone nearly a month not leaving my house. I know it might not be healthy but that’s me
You might like Hood River. It's a little more of an established town with grocery stores and many breweries/shops/outdoor activities.
My brother in law may be involved in this as he seems to think there’s tax advantages to living on the Oregon / Washington border. Would you say this is true? It’s not like I buy a lot of stuff, am I crossing the border for groceries? Trying to see what he’s seeing.
The main tax advantage there would only apply if you lived in Washington and drove to Oregon for significant purchases (cars, electronics, potentially groceries, whatever makes up the bulk of your spending). This is because Oregon doesn't have sales tax and Washington doesn't have income tax (Oregon has some of the highest income taxes in the nation, depending on your tax bracket, 4.75-9.9% per nerdwallet. Property taxes are roughly the same at the state level.
If you're thinking about moving because you have free agency and want to get the most bang for your buck, considering tax burdens of places you're looking at should definitely be a data point, since that can make a big financial difference depending on your lifestyle, spending habits, and future income.
Thanks!
I'd say so. It's the kind of town with one main road that runs through the center. I had a family friend who lived there and when I visited the houses were all surrounded by acres of fields, plenty of room for horses and such.
Sounds great, will definitely check it out. Thanks so much