Moving from San Francisco to Portland Oregon ; 5 things you need to know.
In 2014 my husband and I were broke newlyweds living in an overpriced apartment an hr outside of SF and commuting daily across the bridge. Hemorrhaging money time and sanity. We knew we couldn’t stay there. The cost of living alone was driving us further and further into debt and the possibility of owning a home? Forget it who can afford a million dollar home at 23? We knew we needed to move for our survival. So we began researching and applying for jobs. We ended up both finding work in Portland Oregon and rented a 1 bedroom apartment sight unseen in a little neighborhood called “North Tabor” with our 6 year old Collie dog for $950/ month. It was 650 sq ft, had in unit washer and dryer and was 1/2 the cost of our rent in the bay area. We took a leap of faith and never looked back.
We’ve now been in this magical city for 8 glorious years and I firmly believe that we made the best choice we possibly could have. But when we moved I had a really hard time finding resources on what the big differences in life would be moving from SFO to PDX. So I thought I’d share 5 things I wish I’d known before I moved.
I wish we would have bought a home right away.
Everything is cheaper, but income taxes are higher.
I wish we’d embraced public transportation sooner.
The rain isn’t bad.
I wish I’d moved here sooner.
I wish we’d bought a home right away.
This is my number one regret. We were in a position where we could have bought a house when we moved here. We had the cash for a downpayment but like many people who move to a new place we wanted to “get to know the area” before we chose a house. And while this is a sensible strategy what it really did for us was caused us miss out on equity. We could have easily come up for a long weekend, done a ton of house-hunting with our realtor and moved directly into our first home. Instead we paid first and last months rent, and a deposit and a pet deposit. Lived in that apartment for 2 years and then paid to move all of our stuff again. Costing us almost our entire downpayment in move in/ move out costs. I remember looking at houses here in the low 200s. And thinking that a $1300-1500 per month house payment sounded exorbitant and expensive. Even though it was less than what we were paying for our 400 sq ft apartment in SF. Now literally those same houses are in the mid $600 -800s and I kick myself for missing out on those opportunities. If you think you’re going to move here and have the funds. Buy. Just buy. You can always move to a new house if you find you like another neighborhood more. But you can’t take back the time and equity growth you lose through renting. As of right now its a much better time to buy in Portland than sell and if you’re moving from the Bay Area for the same cost or less you can own a beautiful home. For example if you’re living in Portola paying $4500/ month for a 1 bedroom apartment walking distance to shops and restaurants you could have your own HOUSE in Sellwood or Alberta Arts. Or pay less and live in up and coming neighborhoods like Lents, Brentwood Darlington and Foster Powell with a big expansive yard for gardening and outdoor entertaining. Or better yet, buy a duplex and live in one side and have your tenant pay most of your mortgage!
Everything is Cheaper… But income taxes are higher.
This was an unpleasant surprise for us. Growing up in CA I was lead to believe I lived in the most expensive tax state in the union. When actually it’s Oregon. For the first time in my life I owed on my taxes the year we moved here. And it was a bummer. Our overall savings and quality of life were 10xs better in Portland but I wish someone had warned me taxes would be a little higher. We have no sales tax and overall property taxes are MUCH lower. So for us the savings was still greater than the tax liability. So my advise is to make sure you confer with your CPA on the tax differences before moving so you’re not surprised. If you don’t have a CPA I recommend this guy. Just tell him I sent you. But remember, it's a 15 minute drive from Vancouver WA to Portland Oregon and WA has no income tax.
I wish I’d embraced public transportation sooner.
Growing up in SF public transportation was OK but inconsistent due to frequent strikes and underfunded transportation dpt. I don’t think I ever worked a job where it was cheaper/ easier for me to take public transport when I lived in the bay area. But in Portland it’s really easy to get around using the bus/ max systems. I personally wish we’d sold our car after moving here as our first place was really close to a max station and we had a super easy time getting to work on public transit. It’s also CHEAPER than BART. It is 100% possible to be totally car-less in Portland if that’s something you want.
The Rain isn’t bad, in fact it’s kind of lovely.
Being a California girl most of my life I was concerned about living in a “dark rainy” place. I had family members and friends who coincidentally didn’t want me to move, tell me that I was going to be miserable with all the rain and darkness in the Pacific Northwest. But you know what, I loved it. I love the cooler temperatures most of the year and the stunning greenery and foliage that comes with our wet winters. I love waking up on a December morning to a blanket of snow in my garden and watching birds drink from icicles on my front porch. It’s lovely. The weather isn’t severe. We don’t get multiple feet of snow and we don’t have massive power outages etc. I have a large and beautiful collection of knitted sweaters, hats and scarves that I enjoy wearing and when you’re properly equipped for the cold getting outside in it is awesome. People here run, hike, bike and eat outside in all weathers. You invest in a good waterproof jacket and foot wear and you embrace hot lattes and teas. I have a hanging electric heater on my front porch. It’s awesome. And fyi- Fall is the most magical thing in Oregon. Colors like you wouldn’t believe. You can’t get that in dry sunny CA. Also from April-August we have very little rain and stunning sunny long days filled with wine tasting, fresh berries, stone fruits and bbq’s.
I wish I’d moved here sooner.
I spent years of my young adult life scraping and scrimping in the bay area. I didn’t know anything else was an option. I wish I’d been braver sooner and moved to Portland right after graduation. I would have had less debt, less stress, and a more full life. So if this sounds familiar to you and you’re on the fence. Take the leap. You won’t regret it.