Best place for retirees..Depoe Bay, Rockaway Beach, Manzanita, Waldport..elsewhere thoughts? (Springfield: health insurance, homes)

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by ESD2019

Thanks for all the responses. Getting older is not easy…haha. After reading all here I am now thinking twice about the coast. We are heading up there this week so I am going to have a lot of looking to do..but the thought of driving hours in the rain to get to a doctor..or a competent one is not high on my list. We will be there for a week and planned on driving up and down the coast but maybe we will also head back inland.

We are looking for “water”..we have lived in the desert for 7 years and I am done with the heat…

So, how about a lake near a major city…GO…

Camas WA has some beautiful lakefront property and is 20-25 min from Portland and also on the Columbia. We love it here and are still working but don't plan to go anywhere else when we retire https://youtu.be/z4vThZAuByQ

[StealthRabbit]

OR Coast weather varies greatly.

Southern similar to No CA, golf / sun / cool.
Northern OR quite cool, seldom warm (even in summer).

The friends and family who retired to OR coast have all eventually sold and moved to warmer coast, or inland.
SIL moved 5x within OR last 3 yrs. She ended her 30 yr OR stay and moved to a non-tourist Hawaiian island (quite inexpensive).

If OR coast is your choice, I would choose Manzanita. Not run down, closer to Portland metro for services, shopping, airport, colleges. Variety of beaches, terrain, access to fishing, river, estuary.

There are other Oregon options for access to water.
The Columbia River has several nice communities. Family in Hood River enjoy quick mtn and water access, and ~ 2 hours to coast.

Detroit Lakes is another of many choices (as is lake Billy Chinook). Very different climates and regional services. Popular with early retirees.

[ejisme]

There aren't a lot of lakes in the Willamette Valley, but several rivers you can buy on or near. Most areas in the Willamette Valley will be within an hour or two from the coast. Just pick the beach you love and move an hour inland and you can be close to a river and close to the ocean. The Corvallis area (Lebanon, Sweet Home (both have a lake near), Philomath or Albany. There are small towns outside of Eugene, as well as small towns to the West of Portland (Forest Grove, Newberg, or McMinnville for examples). The beach towns are great, but probably better for many visits vs. fulltime living. Hence why there are so many vacation rental homes. Good Luck and have a good visit.

[texasdiver]

If you want a big lake for sailing and water sports then I think Fern Ridge Reservoir right outside Eugene is the largest in the Willamette Valley. There are other big lakes and reservoirs up in the Cascade mountains that are mostly for flood control, but none that are really close to any towns except for Fern Ridge. It is the most popular location for small boat sailing in the PNW due to the sheltered water and reliable winds. I don’t think there is much in the way of shoreline property around Fern Ridge. It is mostly either wildlife refuges, parks, or probably flood plain. But the towns of Veneta and Elmira are right next door and would possibly be good retirement destinations as you are only about 15-20 min from Eugene and also close to the coast as both towns are to the west of Eugene and so already on the route to the coast.

Another option if you want water and shoreline property would be to look north to the Puget Sound area. Places like Whidbey Island northwest of Seattle are popular. As is Anacortes which is basically the gateway to the San Juan Islands and a nice place in its own right. Again, the more rural you get the further you will be from healthcare and other services, but most of Puget Sound is not so remote and isolated as the Oregon Coast. There are larger towns close by. Bellingham is another popular location for people in your shoes looking for water. Bellingham Bay is gorgeous as is that part of Puget Sound. And Bellingham is a gorgeous medium-sized city.

[Hawk J]

Originally Posted by ESD2019

Hi

Been looking for a home or duplex on the Oregon Coast. We will use it as a vacation home for the next year or so and then plan to move there when we retire.
While we understand that each coastal city has it’s own vibe, we are looking for a a few options and will be heading there next week to look at some properties.

My main concern is the lack of medical care on the coast, from what I read there is little or no medical care in the smaller coastal cities. What do older people do who need medical care? It seems that 1-2 hour drive to seek medical care would be a hindrance for older people but I know that there are many retirees on the coast.

We will be looking at ..Depoe Bay, Rockaway Beach, Manzanita, Waldport..
any other suggestions as to where we should look? TIA

It depends on where you will be living, but Mercy Flights has it set up where you can become a member for emergency medical transport by helicopter/ fixed wing aircraft/ ground Ambulance, for under $100 per year.
https://www.google.com/search?q=merc...client=gws-wiz

AMR Paramed ambulance membership program is $55 per year.

https://www.google.com/search?q=AMR+...4dUDCAk&uact=5

[Hawk J]

There are several freshwater lakes close to the OR coast, including Tenmile lake/s by Lakeside.
https://www.google.com/search?q=tenm...client=gws-wiz

Osprey Point RV Resort on Tenmile Lake.
https://ospreypointrvresort.com/?gcl...AaAnnjEALw_wcB

There are several inland freshwater lakes.
https://www.planetware.com/oregon/be...n-us-or-92.htm

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by Hawk J

There are several freshwater lakes close to the OR coast, including Tenmile lake/s by Lakeside.
https://www.google.com/search?q=tenm...client=gws-wiz

Osprey Point RV Resort on Tenmile Lake.
https://ospreypointrvresort.com/?gcl...AaAnnjEALw_wcB

There are several inland freshwater lakes.
https://www.planetware.com/oregon/be...n-us-or-92.htm

Yes, there are lots of lakes in OR. But the OP is looking for waterfront that is close to a larger city which makes the task much more difficult. Most if not all of the lakes you linked to are in remote locations that either lack any housing or towns nearby, or in the case of tenmile lake, are just as remote as the coast itself because they are on the coast.

If the OP wants waterfront property near a major city the options are going to be finding shoreline property near the Willamette or Columbia Rivers between Eugene and Portland, or looking at one of the lakes that is near or in a city like Lake Oswego, Lacamas Lake, etc.

Honestly, Western Oregon is plenty green and has plenty of water. But not a lot of actual shoreline property that isn't on the coast. And the nice places are going to be very expensive, like Lake Oswego, or Evergreen Highway along the Columbia in Vancouver. If shoreline property is a priority then Puget Sound is going to provide many more options. First, because the shorelines are so long and there are so many fjords, bays, and islands. But also because most shoreline in Puget Sound is in private hands unlike in OR so there is just a lot more available.

[ESD2019]

Thanks for all the responses..will be doing some more looking and figure out something. And, justsigned up for Mercy Flights.

[NW4me]

Originally Posted by slowlanes

The Oregon coast is a wonderful place. Clean air, salmon in the coastal rivers, endless beaches.

It also gets very crowded during summer, and becomes comparitvely quiet during winter.
To live there takes committment and acceptance that you're trading convienance for surroundings.

Does that also include the southern coast (Brookings, Gold Beach, Port Orford)?

[Willamette City]

I worked at Nehalem hatchery in the late 90's to early 2000's. I loved Manzanita with Rockaway beach a close second. We had no problem getting services. Good luck with your choice!