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Well, we finally made it to Florence.
Not an easy road for us. May have mentioned in previous post we were remodeling our Mojave Desert/ Sierra Nevada California home to sell before moving. We couldn't afford two mortgages at once. It required a deluge of logistics both time wise, arranging moving vehicles and storage.
Won't bother going into the moving part, everyone deals with that in their own way. I absolutely hated the experience. Our home sold a day after listing in September.
Before then, we had moved a portion of household items to storage in Eugene.
First and foremost, I can tell you finding storage in Oregon, be it Florence, Eugene, Cottage Grove or else is near impossible, and each proprietor has to put you on a waiting list. Not an ideal condition if your going to be homeless at close of escrow. Actually it was the same from the town we were moving from. After living in my own homes for the past 30 years, enough room for all worldly possessions, I'd never thought every storage facility we had driven by was completely full.
Be forewarned. We got lucky in Eugene, paid in advance for a 12x24 unit. $285.00. This was the only unit available.
Truck rental. We first moved up belonging, and had reserved a 26 foot U-Haul truck far in advance.
That's not to say when you go to pick up, you will get what you reserved....Be forewarned.
Penski may be a better service, and it will come with a cost. About $1200 more than U Haul, but trucks are generally available in the size you request. Second trip up, just after our home going into escrow, we reserved a 20 foot, at pick up, had to take a 15 foot and trailer. Arggg!
Point out, UHaul trailers do not have a jack up front to raise and lower the trailer. If you have it nose heavy, you'll never lift it off the ball, much less have a stand to set it level. Another UHaul incident, 30 miles out of town, the trailer jumped off the ball. The attendant didn't tighten up the tongue, and I didn't check.....UHaul did provide great service getting a local dealer out with a few floor jacks, and with no damage to the hitch, got us on our way in an hour. The trailer whipped pretty good from 55mph down, the load had shifted substantially, but little damage. More of a pain to unload.
Next effort went into finding a rental in Florence. Saying it's a tight market is an understatement. We went to RP Properties, and they had a 3br apartment coming up October after it being cleaned up. At the time, this was the only unit we found in town. When calling to confirm, another fully furnished 2br apartment was available, pets allowed for $300 each. As we were not going to arrive until end of Oct, we paid the first months rent just to hold the apartment. Good thing there was a bit of equity in our home RP properties did a serious credit check, but in the end it was a no brain deal. Month to month, week to week, didn't really matter with the apartment we got. It's mostly rented out to travelers like hospital types. $1300.
We've been scouring the real estate market here for a few years. Not being here, and still tied with our old mortgage, so many great deals that really fit our dreams (we will be spread across the ocean here) got away. Very frustrating. So when we arrived late October, there was really nothing at all on the market. We did get lucky, a pending sale fell through, and while being far what I really wanted, the wife absolutely fell in love with it. We made an offer and it was accepted.
We close escrow December 9th.
I want to thank Dee at the Florence Banner Bank for the help she provided applying for a loan, and Bobbi at the Washington mortgage branch of Banner Bank for walking me through the myriad piles of information the underwriters required. No matter what the long time locals say, it's a great bank to work with So is OPB by the way Sara at Berkshire Hathaway was just fantastic, the cute smile and work ethnic went far with this old pessimistic fart.
I don't think I've ever been in a more friendly town. We've already obtained our Oregon plates, transfered auto and home insurance through a AAA affiliate in Eugene. Oscar has worked his butt off getting us a great auto and home rate, near $700 less than our California policy, same coverages through Travelers Insurance.
Good thing too, traffic on the 101 is a nightmare! Always approach from a road with traffic lights.
Prices seem to be the same as 1000 miles south east down. There are numerous small business to pretty much meet every need. We've already made a local mattress purchase and wife picked up a new bike at the local bike shop.
The beaches are fantastic. If I were 20 years younger, I might complain the surf sucks, but now at 60, I'm not inclined to paddle out to catch the big one. Good thing, the surf here is rough as heck.
We made it to the VE Day parade, fun event. The cinema has screens in fantastic condition, making viewing an experience. Dr. Strange was great. First theater I've ever been in where you can buy beer
So much more to do and see. Well be busy moving everything from Eugene to here very soon, furniture shopping and looking for a rescue dog to fill the house with
Been a few years
We're still here. Wife loves it and has settled in well. She volunteers at the animal shelter as many here do, is involved with the writers group, will be going back into the library now it's reopening. She's not really had luck finding employment to suit her skills, however the museum is making good use of them
We've made a few trips back to visit her family in the Netherlands since moving. Ther'e not really vacations so to speak. Her Pa is in care, and we try to visit him as often as possible. Last trip for her was November of 2020, I'd stayed behind to hold down the fort, and keep the kitties inline. I'd went in July of 2018 just after losing my dad, an escape from dealing with his loss, the estate and siblings. Got to cross off an item on the bucket list (don't have many), and we stayed 5 days in Iceland. Just the basic tourist thing. She wants to visit again, have to say once is enough. At least, a car rental to drive the country would be recommended. And lots of cash, it's expensive.
On the contractor front here, did manage to have a driveway removed and replaced, and wheelchair width sides around the house. If I start racing motocross again, might use them at 65! Also had a Tough Shed Barn expanded to 12x28 with loft, gives me a place to tinker. While I loved to stream fish in the Sierra Nevada, I've not managed to feed them up here since moving. It's been a whirlwind since 2016. Soon.
Wife is vegan, dining out is pretty much limited to Home Grown, Off Bay Street, and Bridgewater. All decent, comparing to what was available in the upper Mojave Desert before.
While it took most all our resources, buying this home will workout equity wise. Market is up, and likely not to drop mainly due to inventory. Lot of new homes being built for far more.
I glance at listing in the Siuslaw News just for the heck of it. If moving from an area where managing a windfall property sale, there's decent places being built in the upper 500 too 700k range. We got into a 1989 home for 299. Not what I wanted, but it's working out. 4br, have my own computer/electronics room, wife has her "Dutch colored" room, master and guest, all pretty small.
Most the tax we do pay in Oregon is property tax. After President Trump adjusted the tax tables, we're not even close to having to pay income tax here. While there isn't a sales tax, what is called the govornor here enacted a tax on business over 1 million in sales, so that's passed down. Some even print it separately on the receipts just to let you know. Oregon's don't like sales tax
Utilities are more than from where we moved. There is no energy usage discounts from the local power utility, so its a straight rate. Water bill, with fees, runs $100/mo with minimum use. No natural gas here, so if you want gas, propane is the only option.
The automotive repair shops are not bad, plenty of parts houses. True Value almost always has needed widgets, but it's not Home Depot.
Find I can stay out of Eugene for most things. Love the drive there, then I'm in a big Dodge Ram 4x4 2500 4 door long bed and feel safe. The 126, or rather the idiot drivers makes that road not unlike driving highway 395 (death highway).
As I'm typing this in July, one of the few min overcast days, it's actually warm. I don't think I'm one to be able to judge weather here, for me, a nice summer was 108, and here if you see 75-78 3 times a year it's an anomaly.
This year's winter rains were nothing like 2016 (and snow!), that comes and goes annually it seems.
Was it a "good move"?
Wife loves it, happy wife happy life.
Me, love the mountains, beach, dunes, rivers, lakes. It's just always too damn cold for me. Wind, yes, it's here. But 20mph is nothing like 70mph in the desert, for sure!
It's the middle of July, and no matter what time of day, going outdoors is extremely unpleasant in little Florence. Haven't been able to sit out on the deck for over two weeks. I've given up trying to have a greenhouse, and god help us if a fire gets started with these winds. The Californians are welcome to it. Florence doesn't even feel like Oregon to me anyway.
Florence isn't worth it. Stay away unless you want to live in a California retirement community where the two major pastimes are complaining and virtue signaling.
They introduce their dogs as "my rescue." This is Fifi, my rescue." They cry endlessly that locals "don't want to work!!!" when no one answers their Facebook ads seeking someone to do odd jobs or housekeeping for $10 an hour.
It's the middle of July, and no matter what time of day, going outdoors is extremely unpleasant in little Florence. Haven't been able to sit out on the deck for over two weeks. I've given up trying to have a greenhouse, and god help us if a fire gets started with these winds. The Californians are welcome to it. Florence doesn't even feel like Oregon to me anyway.
Florence isn't worth it. Stay away unless you want to live in a California retirement community where the two major pastimes are complaining and virtue signaling.
They introduce their dogs as "my rescue." This is Fifi, my rescue." They cry endlessly that locals "don't want to work!!!" when no one answers their Facebook ads seeking someone to do odd jobs or housekeeping for $10 an hour.
I gotta say that the statement above isn't too far off the mark. I'll add that the local government, including the judicial system is highly corrupt and the illicit drug problem is off the charts bad.
Florence is definitely a "good ol' boys" kind of place. It's not what you know, it's who ya know.
I gotta say that the statement above isn't too far off the mark. I'll add that the local government, including the judicial system is highly corrupt and the illicit drug problem is off the charts bad.
Florence is definitely a "good ol' boys" kind of place. It's not what you know, it's who ya know.
I've re-read this a few times and I should clarify some things.
I don't mean to say that Florence is a horrible place, quite the contrary. It's stunningly beautiful, has several lakes right in town and the Siuslaw River is right there so fishing is abundant, some great hikes and gorgeous scenic drives but it does have more than its share of faults. It's not a place that you're going to make a career or likely find a high paying job. Rents are outrageous if you can find one, homes are very expensive if you're looking to buy and the weather for most of the year is not conducive to outdoor activities unless you enjoy being cold, wet and sand blowing in your face.
Personally, after 25 years I grew tired of the inner workings of the town but mostly the weather finally drove me south and warmer temps and blue skies.
The problem with Florence is that it doesn't have much reason to exist anymore other than as a retirement community. The Siuslaw River bar is rather nasty and there aren't any fish processors there anymore so the commercial fishing industry has mostly migrated north to Newport or south to Winchester Bay. The timber industry is long gone. There isn't any other remaining industry in town or any reason for anyone not independently wealthy or retired to live there. Which frankly makes it similar to most other towns on the coast other than Coos Bay, Newport, Tillamook, and Astoria.
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RP properties did a serious credit check, but in the end it was a no brain deal. Month to month, week to week, didn't really matter with the apartment we got. It's mostly rented out to travelers like hospital types. $1300.
