Any advice / experience in Washington State

[haha]

We could start an ER commune in Washington state.  UncleMick and "the women" could come.  Brat, Sheryl, Carolyn, UncleMick's women, and I could live lives of leisure.  Greg could cook. 

Damn Martha, you are planning a hippie commune with all that implies, and I who need it more than anyone, am not invited?  Cruel and unusual punishment from where I sit. I will be talking to my attorney. 

Ha

 

[CyclingInvestor]

I'd also take a look at Wenatchee, a bit farther up the Columbia in WA.

Dry, 4-season climate in the beautiful orchard country, great outdoor recreation nearby

Wenatchee is on my list also, but it is a bit further from civilization (major airport)
than I like. I am also looking at the more western areas, but it is much tougher
finding good housing values there. Here is an excellent example of the values
in Goldendale, $27500 for 8 acres and a 1 room "house" :

http://accessdb.net/GetReal-Estate/GRRead.asp?fIdSelected=707

and I beg to differ with Brat, but Corvallis is the classic cycling town
(although Eugene is also nice).

 

[haha]

Wenatchee is on my list also, but it is a bit further from civilization (major airport)
than I like.

Wenatchee is beautiful with lots to do, wonderful summer weather and passable winter weather. Perhaps to illustrate some of the disadvantages of small, non-university towns, Wenatchee achieved national fame 10 or 15 years ago with a child sex witch-hunt that (supposedly) involved forcing children to have sex with dragons along with other oddities.

I believe all the convicted folks were eventually pardoned or had their convictions reversed. The town and local authorities fought tooth and nail to keep them in prison.

I used to hunt elk outside Wenatchee, as well as go trout fishing in the Methow to the NW of Wenatchee.

I wouldn't live there even if someone gave me a house. IMO, educated people should stay the hell out of cracker strongholds. Even if you are not looking for like minded company, the tone of a place can get oppressive.

HaHa

 

[CyclingInvestor]

Wenatchee is beautiful with lots to do, wonderful summer weather and passable winter weather. Perhaps to illustrate some of the disadvantages of small, non-university towns, Wenatchee achieved national fame 10 or 15 years ago with a child sex witch-hunt that (supposedly) involved forcing children to have sex with dragons along with other oddities.

I believe all the convicted folks were eventually pardoned or had their convictions reversed. The town and local authorities fought tooth and nail to keep them in prison.

Yeah, I am leery of small non-university towns for reasons like that, but I don't rule them
out completely. My own first CA town of Manhattan Beach went through a similar
debacle (remember the McMartin trials? - searching for secret underground chambers,
animal sacrifices, etc), but it was still a nice place to live in 1980.

 

[greg]

Damn Martha, you are planning a hippie commune with all that implies, and I who need it more than anyone, am not invited? Cruel and unusual punishment from where I sit. I will be talking to my attorney.

Ha

Haha: I'm the negotiator in the family. So what do you bring to the table besides salsa lessons? Do you have any skills in growing . . . umm . . . different forms of higher quality plant materials? Do you have seeds? Can you keep the groupies that will be attracted to my bean dishes happy and content--after they have eaten? Can you make apple wine from real apples, not just frozen juice? Many skills--besides 'the salsa'--will be needed. But we do have an armpit band for dancing. This could be better than the '70s--more like real life. Got cow?

--Greg

 

[REWahoo]

Got cow?

Greg, don't know if Ha's got cow, but here's where you can get (more) bull..

http://bulls4u.net/

REW

 

[Brat]

CyclingInvestor..   That is not to say that Corvallis is bad, but Eugene is the place to be.  You must factor in the fact that I am a Duck (University of Oregon grad for those out of the area).  The advantage is that the communities are in close proximity.  My understanding is that Corvallis housing is less expensive.  Either way you will never lack for something to do.

Generally speaking living in a community with a strong public school system or a University supports not only home values but also cultural activities. 

If Oregon is still on your list McMinnville, home of Linfield College, is worth a look.  It isn't the sleepy town it was 15 years ago.

 

[wabmester]

I'd LOVE to be near the water -- maybe somewhere on the Olympic Peninsula.

Bummer, I just sold one of my investment properties, and it would have been perfect for you. No-bank waterfront about 5 minutes from the Southworth ferry with a view of the Space Needle. Sold it to a SoCal couple.

The Southworth area of Port Orchard is probably still your best bet if you want to be near the water with a "reasonable" trip to Seattle and a "reasonable" price tag. Although, if you're willing to rent, a downtown Seattle condo might not be a bad idea. I lived in Belltown for a couple of years, and it had a lot of advantages. I'd walk into downtown, walk to the waterfront, bike to Magnolia and Queen Anne, and if I had to drive somewhere, it was only a minor nightmare.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

CyclingInvestor.. That is not to say that Corvallis is bad, but Eugene is the place to be. You must factor in the fact that I am a Duck (University of Oregon grad for those out of the area). The advantage is that the communities are in close proximity. My understanding is that Corvallis housing is less expensive. Either way you will never lack for something to do.

Generally speaking living in a community with a strong public school system or a University supports not only home values but also cultural activities.

If Oregon is still on your list McMinnville, home of Linfield College, is worth a look. It isn't the sleepy town it was 15 years ago.

Yeah, I would love to live in OR, but unless they repeal the income tax, its off to WA. I
have most of my money in an IRA, and have alot of SEPP / Roth conversion to do before
I move to an income tax state. Eugene is my 2nd favorite town in OR though, a tough
admission for a Beaver to make.

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Wenatchee is beautiful with lots to do, wonderful summer weather and passable winter weather. Perhaps to illustrate some of the disadvantages of small, non-university towns, Wenatchee achieved national fame 10 or 15 years ago with a child sex witch-hunt that (supposedly) involved forcing children to have sex with dragons along with other oddities.

I believe all the convicted folks were eventually pardoned or had their convictions reversed. The town and local authorities fought tooth and nail to keep them in prison.

I used to hunt elk outside Wenatchee, as well as go trout fishing in the Methow to the NW of Wenatchee.

I wouldn't live there even if someone gave me a house. IMO, educated people should stay the hell out of cracker strongholds. Even if you are not looking for like minded company, the tone of a place can get oppressive.

HaHa

What do you have against "crackers"? Try them with smoked oysters........

JG

 

[Mr._johngalt]

Wenatchee is on my list also, but it is a bit further from civilization (major airport)
than I like. I am also looking at the more western areas, but it is much tougher
finding good housing values there. Here is an excellent example of the values
in Goldendale, $27500 for 8 acres and a 1 room "house" :

http://accessdb.net/GetReal-Estate/GRRead.asp?fIdSelected=707

and I beg to differ with Brat, but Corvallis is the classic cycling town
(although Eugene is also nice).

I see a lot of talk about Eugene (know it well), but not much about
Bend. Howcum?

JG

 

[Martha]

Damn Martha, you are planning a hippie commune with all that implies, and I who need it more than anyone, am not invited? Cruel and unusual punishment from where I sit. I will be talking to my attorney.

Ha

You can come and clean.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

As a native who has travelled much, I find Oregon and Washington some of the best places in the world. I wish I could afford to live there.

Warning #1: Be aware that west of the Cascades (local north-south mountain range) it rains a lot. More some places, less others, but winter can be depressing. SADS was "invented" in the Pacific NorthWest. Summer begins July 5, and a good thing, too. On the 4th of July all the kids love to shoot roman candles into the woods. It is much better if it rains that day.

East of the Cascades, less people, more sun (300 days a year, more or less), lower cost of living, more rednecks. Bring your own job.

Bellingham: My home base. Wife and kids live there; I have to work around the world and get to come home to visit sometimes. Warning #2: DAMN LITTLE WORK IN BELLINGHAM. If you can't bring it with you, forget it. Or become an independent contractor and sell drugs on Railroad Ave.

Also, if you want to retire in B'ham, come before you register for Medicare. The local health care industry will not take new patients already on Medicare. You have been warned.

Did I mention that it rains?

Not to discourage anyone, of course. It is retirees are who are moving to B'ham and supporting the housing market. Y'all come! Buy my house so I can move to Mexico.

Gypsy

 

[Brat]

It is true that Oregon has an income tax, I used to budget 6% of my gross.  However Washington has a significant sales tax, a little over 8%.  My take on taxes is that for a given level of service the cost will be taken out of your hide one way or the other.  The two exceptions in the west are Alaska and Wyo who live on resource taxes. 

From a taxation POV which to choose depends on wheter or not you are buying stuff, or if you anticipate significant taxable income.  CycleInvestor, if you move to WA and  convert your regular IRAs to Roths, then move to Oregon you chould have the best of both worlds (withdrawing from a Roth is not a taxable event). 

 

[wabmester]

Warning #1: Be aware that west of the Cascades (local north-south mountain range) it rains a lot.

Unless you're in the Olympic rain shadow, like Sequim:

Washington has a significant income tax, a little over 8%.

I think Brat means sales tax, which also applies to some services (such as contractors).

 

[greg]

REW: You reminded me of my Bull story: In my youth while attending college, I worked at the local bus depot. In August a number of large (20 gal.) containers came thru filled with bull semen and liquid nitrogen. My job was to transfer baggage and packages between buses. One busy Friday afternoon (all the college students took buses home in the good old days), my bus arrived, I opened the cargo door, and slid the container toward me so that I could lift it over to the cart. As I tipped it onto my thighs, about a cup (maybe only half a cup, but it felt like a cup) of liquid nitrogen splashed on my . . . um . . . private area. (The cap had not been secured properly.) All of a sudden steam started pouring out of my . . . area, and I dropped the container and ran for the baggage room. I started pulling on my zipper flap to keep the cold away. All the students, girls, and other passengers watched as I ran the forty feet to the door. Just before I got to the door, I realized I had been hurrying on my tip toes the entire time as the steam poured out, and I held out the crotch area of my tight blue jeans. Girls laughed. I was young. I was embarassed.

I stepped inside the baggage room doors, dropped my pants to my ankles, and examined my . . . um . . . frozen areas after pulling out the spandex on my shorts. Just then my older co-worker stepped in and said "Are you alright?." I said "I think so." Then he said "Jeez Greg, the girls weren't THAT good looking out there."

I drove to the ER for treatment (another embarrassing story I can't talk about--involving middle age nurses). I took a month of kidding from bus drivers and ticket agents. A general and horrid experience for a young man about town.

The only good that came out of it was a story that can't be told in mixed company. Suffice to say it involved a young lady-student and ointment some time later in the healing process.

--Greg

 

[Nords]

The only good that came out of it ...

Geez, Martha, I sure hope you heard this story (from him!) BEFORE the nuptuals...

 

[REWahoo]

... about a cup (maybe only half a cup, but it felt like a cup) of liquid nitrogen splashed on my . . . um . . . private area.

Out of respect for Martha, I'm going to restrain myself and not respond to this post.



REW

 

[CyclingInvestor]

CycleInvestor, if you move to WA and convert your regular IRAs to Roths, then move to Oregon you chould have the best of both worlds (withdrawing from a Roth is not a taxable event).

This is high on my list of eventual possibilities, unless I decide I like Washington too
much to leave after living there for a decade or so.

I see a lot of talk about Eugene (know it well), but not much about Bend. Howcum?

Bend used to be a very nice town of about 10000 a decade or 2 ago, but it has
been "discovered", and now has about 65000 people, much higher housing prices,
even some traffic trouble from the rapid growth.

 

[REWahoo]

...about a cup (maybe only half a cup, but it felt like a cup) of liquid nitrogen splashed on my . . . um . . . private area.
--Greg

It's a shame you weren't working at the bus depot in Edinburgh. Might have saved you a trip to the emergency room.

The streets of Edinburgh on a frosty New Year's eve is a place not to be missed. Those raven haired Scottish lasses can really warm the cockles.

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

REW

 

[Martha]

Hey, I thought you were going to spare me.

 

[OldAgePensioner]

REW,
his cockles would have been steaming none the less but in a better way.

Hogmany can be nearly as cold as Liquid Nitrogen but a few Newcastle Browns will fix a reveler right up.

Good story Apoc, I'm considering buying some thermal underwear and trying that out to impress the ladies.

 

[haha]

You can come and clean. 

That is really sweet, Martha.  Anything is OK, just as long as I will be near you, Hon.

Ha

 

[dougdo]

I have a friend who left Seattle a few years back, sold his house in what he considered an overpriced market (he should see it now), moved to Austin, TX, bought an equivalent house for much less and basically ER'd on the difference.

If I was living in California right now looking at the real estate bubble I'd be considering a similar move to someplace cheaper. Although Seattle itself isn't much cheaper, there are of course other places that are if you like smaller towns. Bellingham and Port Townsend come to mind.

My tactic was similar: sell in Seattle and move to Vancouver, BC. The real estate isn't really any cheaper in Vancouver but the other cost of living factors are.

Check out my blog's Washington State section at Travel Blogs Washington for more info and photos if interested.

 

[Brat]

If you aren't Canadian how is it that you can just move in?