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benspikey
Joined: 02 Aug 2008 Posts: 167
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 6:40 pm Post subject: Moving to Oregon from California |
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I have an opportunity to move to Oregon for work.
The life question I'm facing is ..
Should I pack up my things and go?
First off, I am single 32 years old and a skilled professional with an MS in Computer Science and roughly 120K in the bank.
I currently live in southern California where I have grown up except for when I went to school in northern Cali, CSU Chico. I loved the small town feel and getting to know everyone. The changing seasons and slower pace of life really brought me closer to myself/nature.
I spend every weekend during the summer chasing wind and have spent at least a week in the gorge for the last 3 years.
My biggest concerns are:
- Moving away from family / friends
- Rain ( although I ski and snowboard so this might be a plus )
- The we hate California mood from locals
My biggest motivators are:
- World class windsurfing with a bunch of like minded board-heads
- Better living conditions ( rent / housing prices )
- Nature / hiking, biking, snow, camping
My reasons for wanting to leave LA
- Traffic ( i drive the 5 freeway, 134 freeway, and 210 on a daily basis )
- The Hills LA dream life is only for the super rich
- Cheapest house in the area is a 400K shack or a 3 hr commute to work
Someone on here must have made this move?
Anything missing here that I should be thinking about??
How is doing the weekend warrior commute from portland to hood river? I think i might set up a base and then decide where I want to go.. Work is mostly remote so i'm sure I can talk myself into any location..
FYI I searched the boards and read a bunch of great info about this already..
Tax benifits on wa / or..
Poor public education
Thanks Everyone for the input.. Maybe 2011 will be the year? |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935
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Posted: Tue Dec 28, 2010 9:13 pm Post subject: |
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• If you love small towns and nature, don’t want to pay 3 to 4 times as much as necessary for a home, don’t like heavy traffic, and your work is remote, why on earth would you want to live in Portland?
• Living closer to the wind than in Portland will let you pick and choose your WSing days and locations, greatly increasing your driving ROI. MANY Gorge sailors sail before work, after work, and/or at lunch when it’s windy, and work when it’s not. You can’t do that from Portland. Why be a weekend warrior when you could increase that ROI at LEAST tenfold?
• The poor schools you’re talking about are localized in one impoverished Gorge county, and you won’t even care about that until you have kids in school.
• Outside cities -- LA or Portland -- you go WSing on cruise control at whatever speed you think the cops will tolerate.
• You’ll make new friends, and family is just a phone call away.
• If you don’t like rain, why would you want to move to the rainiest big city in the nation (in hours per year, according to the long-time director of the Portland weather bureau)?
• Taxpayers in the other 49 states are furious that they will be bailing out CA, so you’re not going to escape the We Hate CA paradigm anywhere; don’t sweat that.
• I’ve moved a dozen times, choosing my new locations from a wide variety of options every time, including avoiding some locations at significant career impact. If I could find a place I’d rather live, I’d move to it.
• You have demonstrated an extremely rare motivation and ability to save money. Why piss your saving power away by paying an extra half a million for a home or a couple of thousand more per month to rent? It could set your retirement back MANY years. |
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Bond1
Joined: 25 Apr 2000 Posts: 168
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Posted: Wed Dec 29, 2010 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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When I was 32 I had no wife or girlfriend. No dog or kids. No house. I moved to the gorge. It was the best thing I've ever done for myself. Now that I have a house and a family it would be much harder to do.
I say make the move while life is less complicated. If you don't like it you can always move again. Just make sure you don't buy a house, fall in love, or get a dog while you're here. |
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bobgatpdx1
Joined: 13 Oct 2002 Posts: 385
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 2:48 am Post subject: |
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For most folks, where you live depends on where work can be found. Probably more job opportunities in Portland/Vancouver than in The Gorge proper - but never say never.
I live in Portland and make the drive to HR several times a week in the summer - it is no problem. Takes me a little over an hour to get to the Hatchery from my house in PDX.
In the spring and fall there is good flat-water east wind sailing at Rooster Rock which is only 25min from PDX.
Hood River is a great town, but there's a lot more going on in Portland. All depends on what is important to you.
Good luck!
- BobG |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:25 am Post subject: |
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bobgatpdx1 wrote: | For most folks, where you live depends on where work can be found. Probably more job opportunities in Portland/Vancouver than in The Gorge proper |
benspikey wrote: | Work is mostly remote |
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Bond1
Joined: 25 Apr 2000 Posts: 168
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Posted: Fri Dec 31, 2010 1:13 pm Post subject: |
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bobgatpdx1 wrote: |
Hood River is a great town, but there's a lot more going on in Portland. All depends on what is important to you.
Good luck!
- BobG |
That's a matter of perspective. More restaurants, movie theaters, houses, people, crime in Portland; yep. More kayaking, windsurfing, kiteboarding, hiking, bicycling in Portland; nope.
There isn't more in Portland. There's just different in Portland. More of some things and less of other things. |
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benspikey
Joined: 02 Aug 2008 Posts: 167
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Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Everyone! Great advice! I'm taking the first steps to get ready for this move.
Right now i'm thinking i would like to rent in Mosier or Hood River. But not against other places, any ideas / suggestions?
Anyone do the commute in the winter down to PDX? I might have to drive/fly to remote locations for biz.
Thanks Again for all the great advice. I think i'm ready for this adventure.. |
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pacspeed
Joined: 14 Sep 2000 Posts: 627
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Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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isobars wrote: |
• Taxpayers in the other 49 states are furious that they will be bailing out CA, so you’re not going to escape the We Hate CA paradigm anywhere; don’t sweat that. . |
I've heard this claptrap dozens of times, yet NEVER ONCE have I seen a fig of proof that the feds have any intention of "bailing out" California's state finances. If you have an article from a reputable source, or any corroborating material, please provide it. Otherwise, this is just so much unsubstantiated bullshit.
Here's a FACT for you though, Mike, since your ENTIRE fiscal house is built on taxpayer dollars, via the DOD and the DOE:
California gets only 78 cents for every dollar it sends to DC, making YOU the welfare case. How's that socialism working out for ya?
You're welcome. |
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isobars
Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935
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Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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pacspeed wrote: | NEVER ONCE have I seen a fig of proof that the feds have any intention of "bailing out" California's state finances.
California gets only 78 cents for every dollar it sends to DC, making YOU the welfare case. How's that socialism working out for ya? |
So? Amendment 16 - Status of Income Tax Clarified.
The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.
Anyone who thinks I have the ability or insight to declare or factually proclaim how the feds will respond to both CA governors' bailout requests is not thinking rationally. Rational readers would know my comment was assumptive, based on this and the previous administrations' track records.
How dare you claim that pensions for soldiers who risk and often give their lives for your sorry ass constitute any form of unearned socialist dole? Do you hereby publicly swear to forfeit your retirement benefits, including SS, Medicare, 401k, and any other forms of remuneration you earned through your cushy safe little job?
DAMN but there are some SCUM out there! You insult every fireman, policeman, soldier, airman, sailor, marine, and coastguardsman out there, and expect anyone to regard you as a member of the human race? You are very fortunate that you uttered such onerous blasphemy online rather than to any of those people in person. |
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pacspeed
Joined: 14 Sep 2000 Posts: 627
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Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2011 8:30 pm Post subject: |
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isobars wrote: |
Anyone who thinks I have the ability or insight to declare or factually proclaim how the feds will respond to both CA governors' bailout requests is not thinking rationally. Rational readers would know my comment was assumptive, based on this and the previous administrations' track records. |
It's news to me. You spout all kinds of horseshit and call it fact. But I can tell you how this administration would respond to such a request, because they already have, with a a big fat NO. To wit:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/15/AR2009061503249.html
isobars wrote: |
How dare you claim that pensions for soldiers who risk and often give their lives for your sorry ass constitute any form of unearned socialist dole? Do you hereby publicly swear to forfeit your retirement benefits, including SS, Medicare, 401k, and any other forms of remuneration you earned through your cushy safe little job? |
1: Who ever said I questioned the entitlement to a pension? My point is irrefutable: when the government taxes MY earnings, and gives it to others, including military personnel, it is a form of socialism. YOU conflate the term with "unearned dole" not me.
2: I am 35 years old. I fully expect to get nothing in the way of SS or Medicare. It's YOUR generation hoovering up the wealth, and mine expected to pay for it.
3: Please advise which "cushy little job" you are referring to. I am self employed and have been for years. Choking dust, eating crow, and busting my ass to stay afloat. I've now achieved some financial stability for the first time in my life, and if you had ever had to make it in the private sector, you would appreciate how difficult that is. Let alone over the last few years.
isobars wrote: |
DAMN but there are some SCUM out there! You insult every fireman, policeman, soldier, airman, sailor, marine, and coastguardsman out there, and expect anyone to regard you as a member of the human race? You are very fortunate that you uttered such onerous blasphemy online rather than to any of those people in person. |
No actually, now I'm just insulting you. You decry the government's grasping, wasteful, spendthrift ways, yet you are the direct beneficiary of it. Your cognitive abilities are clearly not up to the task of parsing the irony.
And finally stooping to the "You're lucky you're behind a keyboard" is simply laughable. Everyone's a tough guy on the internet, and you're apparently the toughest of them all. So sincerely, from one keyboard commando to another: Up Yours. |
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