by Geon, Bryan
Several historic districts with attractive old homes border the State Capitol and the Willamette University campus; the neighborhood near Bush’s Pasture Park is particularly lovely. Hilly South Salem offers pleasant neighborhoods of postwar ranches and newer contemporary homes (some with mountain or valley views); prices here tend to be relatively high (for Salem). West Salem has an abundance of newer homes, with many of the McMansion variety, and prices here are also quite high by Salem standards. (Note that West Salem is in Polk County rather than Marion County.) South Salem and West Salem have traditionally been considered the most desirable parts of the city, but there are pleasant enclaves in other quadrants ars well. Home prices are generally lowest in North Salem and in the neighborhoods near Lancaster Drive, an extensive strip mall that parallels Interstate 5 on the city’s east side.
Salem is a good bet for people who intend to work here or in a nearby community. The commute from Salem to Portland or Beaverton takes at least an hour—much longer if there’s an accident—and traffic on Interstate 5 gets heavier every year. (The reverse commute from Portland to Salem is somewhat more manageable, but is still unpleasantly long.) Although many workers carpool or vanpool, there is little viable public transportation useful for commuters between the two cities; to get between the cities by bus, you would have to make multiple transfers and deal with two or three different transit agencies. Amtrak runs one northbound morning train and one southbound evening train; this option might work for commuters who work near Union Station in Portland.
If you are looking for a small town in this area, you might also consider Hubbard, Gervais, Donald, or Scotts Mills.
County Website: www.co.marion.or.us
The Columbia Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge, with its gobsmackingly dramatic scenery, is a popular destination for outdoor recreation, but for a select few it is also a place to call home. Although there are no sizeable communities between Troutdale/Washougal at the west end of the Gorge and Hood River/White Salmon, an hour east of Portland (in good weather), there are several small towns and numerous rural dwellings. Most Gorge dwellers live on the slightly less precipitous Washington side of the river, which also gets more winter sunshine. (This is not a feature of climate, but a consequence of the steep cliffs on the Oregon side of the river blocking out light when the sun is at a low winter angle.) The largest town is Stevenson (ci.stevenson.wa.us), the county seat of Skamania County, which is transitioning from a logging town to a more tourism-based economy; other settlements include Carson and North Bonneville. The only hamlet of any size on the Oregon side is Cascade Locks (www.cascade-locks.or.us), at the southern end of the Bridge of the Gods near Bonneville Dam. In addition to houses in these small towns, homes of various sizes and ages are scattered among the hills and dells on the Washington side of the river; these range from newer houses on high benches of land with spectacular views to moldering old single-levels and mobile homes tucked into shady canyons. A few old cottages stand next to the Historic Columbia River Highway on the Oregon side.
All this sounds idyllic to some people, and it can be, but the fantasy of Gorge living may be more appealing than the reality, for several reasons. First, the Gorge is a designated National Scenic Area, with extremely strict land use laws; you can’t simply buy a promising parcel of land and build a home, or necessarily even replace a dilapidated existing structure. Second, there is a limited economic base, which means that unless you have a home-based business you’ll probably need to commute. And this fact leads to the third issue: because the Gorge funnels cold interior air westward in winter, ice and snow storms that don’t affect Portland at all can cut off Gorge communities for days at a time. In addition, even during mild weather, the Gorge is subject to sustained strong winds that are great news for windsurfers but can be tedious or worrisome for residents. Wind speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour are not uncommon in exposed areas. If all that sounds enticing to you, then by all means consider living in one of the most spectacular settings in North America.
Finding a Place to Live
There was a time, you will be endlessly reminded, when Portland was considered one of the most affordable metropolitan areas in the country. No more. The steep and (at the time) seemingly inexorable rise in home prices that began in the late 1990s put the dream of home ownership beyond the reach of many Portlanders. Much of this spectacular rise in Portland real estate values was arguably due to newcomers bringing their equity from more expensive markets rather than to the robustness of the local economy. The median income had not (and has not) kept up with the price of housing, so many local workers were, and remain, completely priced out of the real estate market.
A noticeable slowdown in sales and in price appreciation and an increase in unsold inventory began in late 2006. Home prices peaked in mid-2007, and home prices began to decline noticeably in most parts of the metro area by 2008, although not evenly across the region and not to the extent experienced in such epicenters of the nationwide housing bust as Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Florida. By mid-2009, average home prices had declined by close to 20% from their peak, then began to rise, at first anemically, and then with more vigor. By 2014, housing prices in most parts of the metro area had recovered to, and in some places exceeded, their pre-crash levels. Even in the depths of the most recent housing bust, however, Portland real estate was hardly cheap, and in some popular close-in neighborhoods prices barely declined at all. The direction of real estate prices in the Portland area in the future is, of course, anyone’s guess.
Regardless of whether home prices rise or fall, Portland’s real estate is, and is likely to remain, the least expensive among the large metropolitan areas on the West Coast. If you plan to rent, Portland offers a wide range of rental housing types and prices (and landlord incentives in many large suburban complexes). Although the process of finding a place to live can be frustrating and time-consuming, remember that Portland is not, say, Manhattan or San Francisco. Eventually, you will be able to find a dwelling that works for you.
Getting to Know the Neighborhood
You should be able to narrow down your initial neighborhood options by considering factors such as the location of your new job, the availability of transit, your preferred housing type and style, the quality and location of schools, and the size of your housing budget. Once you come up with a short list of neighborhoods, how do you find out more detailed information about them? If you’re looking for housing in the city of Portland, be sure to visit www.PortlandMaps.com, a free city-run website. Simply type in an address or intersection, and you’ll be able to see detailed information about the size and assessed value of neighborhood housing stock, potential natural hazards in the area, reported crimes in the prior 12 months, airport noise, and a slew of other information; type in an actual address and you’ll get details about the building (number of bedrooms, property taxes, permit history, roof type, and much more). Many of the larger suburban communities offer similar (but usually less comprehensive) online tools.
Another useful online tool is the Street View feature on Google Maps (www.maps.google.com; after you have entered an address and the location is highlighted with a red marker on the map, click on the marker and then choose Street View), which allows you to virtually explore the street-level landscape (via photos taken from Google’s camera-equipped cars) for almost the entire metropolitan area; Street View is especially useful if you’ve narrowed your search down to a specific address or neighborhood. Note that Street View is not a real-time feature, so the view won’t necessarily reflect current conditions—the screen will display the month and year the image was captured, if you’re curious—but it should give you a decent sense of the look and feel of an area of interest.
Of course, you would be unwise to base your decision solely on maps, statistics, and photos taken by a goofy-looking vehicle. The best thing to do when house or apartment hunting is to visit prospective neighborhoods in person. Have breakfast or lunch at a local eatery an
d walk around—don’t just circle around in your car. Talk to people in the neighborhood to get some subjective opinions. Find out if the services and conveniences you are accustomed to are available nearby, and pay attention to your comfort level: if you don’t like the “feel” of the neighborhood, or if it just doesn’t seem like a great fit for you, you might want to explore other options.
Also consider the commute. If you plan to drive to work, test drive the route during both morning and evening rush hours to be sure of what you’re getting into. If you have a job in Wilsonville, at the south end of the metro area, it might be unwise to settle in Woodland, Washington, 53 miles to the north, unless you’re a huge fan of podcasts or audiobooks. Many people are able to commute by bus or light rail, but the usefulness of transit depends on where you live, where you need to go, how long the trip takes, and what time of day you want to travel there. If you intend to commute by bike, plan some potential bike routes and do a trial ride from your prospective neighborhood. See the Transportation chapter for more details.
For tips on researching schools, see the Childcare and Education chapter.
Crime And Safety
In addition to proximity to work and/or amenities, “feel” of the neighborhood, and other subjective or individualized factors in choosing a place to live, you may also be concerned about crime. Every major city in the United States has its “good” and “bad” sections, and Portland is no exception. The good news here is that the violent crime rate in Portland is relatively tame by big city standards—the murder rate is substantially lower than the national average, for example. In 2013, the city recorded only 16 homicides, the lowest number since 1971. (The rape rate in Portland is much higher than the national average, but this statistic may reflect a higher reporting rate by victims rather than a greater incidence of rape.) In general, while random violence is not unknown, it is not especially common either—despite the impression the evening news, with its “if it bleeds, it leads” ethos, might convey.
For most Portlanders, property crime is a bigger concern. In the city, relatively high rates of burglary, auto theft, and larceny, fueled in part by the financial needs of methamphetamine addicts and other drug users, exceed the national average. Property crime rates overall have dropped slightly over the last few years, but certain neighborhoods remain plagued by frequent burglaries and car prowls. You can substantially reduce the likelihood that you will become a victim by taking some common-sense precautions, like locking your home and car—a shocking number of burglaries involve a burglar waltzing into a house through an unlocked door or open window.
The Portland Police Bureau’s website (www.portlandonline.com/police) offers an online (nonemergency) crime reporting system that saves the citizen time and money. The site also provides a treasure trove of helpful information about crime and crime prevention. In particular, the online CrimeMapper tool (www.gis.ci.portland.or.us/maps/police/) is an excellent place to research crime rates in a given neighborhood; just type in an address, and you’ll be shown the days, times, and locations of crimes reported in the previous 12 months in the immediate vicinity. (This feature is also available on the PortlandMaps.com site.) Several surrounding communities, including Beaverton (beavertonpolice.org/crime/maps_stats.aspx), have less robust versions of this tool. Police reports from a number of suburban cities, including Gresham, Canby, Troutdale, and Sherwood, appear on the somewhat clunky CrimeReports.com (www.crimereports.com) site. You can also call the local police or sheriff precinct or department that patrols your neighborhood of interest.
To find out if a registered sex offender lives in the neighborhood, visit the Oregon Sex Offender Inquiry System (sexoffenders.oregon.gov). In Washington, go to the website of the Washington State Sex Offender Information Center (ml.waspc.org).
Renting vs. Buying
In the long run, buying may be cheaper than renting, and you end up with an asset to show for it—but then again, as British economist John Maynard Keynes helpfully pointed out, in the long run we are all dead. Many newcomers buy a house or condo too soon after moving to town, only to discover that the neighborhood, the commute, or the home itself is more than they bargained for or is simply not to their liking. Especially in light of the recent fluctuations in home prices in Portland, it might be wise to rent to allow time to get to know the city before deciding where to put down permanent roots. If you have school-age kids, you might be in a hurry to get them settled into a school—but what do you do if you don’t like the school? What if you come to hate the rain? What if your next-door neighbor’s hobbies include storing rusted-out cars on blocks in the yard? For most homeowners, buying a home is the biggest transaction they’ll ever undertake; it makes sense not to rush into a decision. And many people simply don’t have the financial resources to buy a home or qualify for a mortgage. Of course, if you know where you’ll be working and you know where you want to live, it can be a smart decision to buy a home—especially if you have enough money for a decent down payment.
For number-crunching assistance in deciding whether to rent or buy, try out one of the many online rent vs. buy calculators, such as the comprehensive calculator available at www.dinkytown.net/java/MortgageRentvsBuy.html.
Renting
As in other cities, rents in Portland are subject to the law of supply and demand. During the depths of the last recession, the apartment vacancy rate exceeded 6%—not quite a renter’s market, but a huge improvement over the 3% rate, which was essentially full occupancy—and rents had actually begun to decline after successive years of fairly steep increases. As a result, new construction ground to a halt. Then, as the economy recovered, demand for rental housing began to increase, vacancy rates plummeted, and rents began—you guessed it—to increase. New construction accordingly surged, but in the meantime, as of 2014 the Portland area has the second-tightest rental market in the country, with an overall vacancy rate of 3.5%, and vacancy rates of below 1% in certain popular areas such as close-in Southeast Portland. In short, bargains do not abound in the rental market. Some suburban areas have a higher vacancy rate (and lower rents), and in these areas it may still be possible to find incentives—a free month with a one-year lease, for example—to attract tenants.
Finding a Place
Be prepared to pound some pavement. Start by scanning the online or print classifieds, but don’t forget to go out and visit neighborhoods you’re interested in and look for “For Rent” or “Vacancy” signs. In the current hot rental market, many landlords don’t want or need to advertise; particularly in desirable, apartment-dense neighborhoods like Northwest Portland and Inner Southeast Portland, it is often easy enough to find tenants simply by hanging a sign outside a building for a day or two. Also check for vacancy notices tacked on bulletin boards at neighborhood coffeehouses or grocery stores. In suburban areas, look for signs on main roads, or call a complex’s rental office and ask about upcoming vacancies.
Online and Newspaper Resources
The Internet has changed the way people find real estate, and that goes for rental properties, too. There are plenty of websites, such as Move (www.move.com), Apartments.com (www.apartments.com), and) ForRent.com (www.forrent.com), that list Portland properties for rent. One of the most popular sites, especially for small landlords, is Craigslist (www.portland.craigslist.org). Hundreds of ads are posted in the “apts/housing” section on a typical day; you can narrow your search based on number of bedrooms, rent amount, and whether cats or dogs are allowed, and you can search listings for specific terms (e.g., neighborhood names, fireplace, garage, etc.), but it still can be pretty overwhelming. Craigslist has a map feature, but it is pretty clunky. The useful HousingMaps mashup site (www.housingmaps.com) superimposes Craigslist ads that include an address or intersection on a Google map of Portland; this feature can be very useful if you are targeting specific neighborhoods or communities. HousingMaps allows you sort by the same criteria as Craigslist itself. Other potentially useful websites for fining rental hous
ing include Padmapper (www.padmapper.com) and Lovely (livelovely.com). In addition to the commercial sites, HousingConnections.org (www.housingconnections.org) lists thousands of affordable, accessible, and special needs housing units in the Portland metropolitan area.
The old-fashioned way of finding out about rentals is to pore over newspaper classified ads. Be aware that many landlords and rental property managers use both online and newspaper advertising, and by the time a property appears in print it may already be “stale.” The following publications have the best selection of classified ads, although the number of print ads has declined precipitously in recent years:
The Oregonian; the Sunday edition of the biggest regional newspaper has the most comprehensive print rental and real estate listings for Portland and the surrounding communities. Rentals are listed by location, i.e., by city quadrant or suburban locale. Classifieds are available online at www.oregonlive.com. New listings appear daily in both the print and online versions of the classifieds.
The Portland Tribune has skimpier listings than the Oregonian, but its online classifieds (www.community-classifieds.com) include listings from more than 20 community papers.
The Columbian is the daily for Vancouver and Clark County, and is worth a gander if you’re looking for rentals in southwest Washington; visit www.columbian.com for online classifieds.
Willamette Week; this free news, arts and entertainment weekly is distributed each Wednesday. The paper often lists rental opportunities not included in the larger publications, but it is most valuable for those in search of short-term rentals, sublets, home share situations, or a roommate. To view ads online, visit www.wweek.com.