Crazy house prices. (agriculture, areas, cities)

[PDXJ]

Originally Posted by KJoe11

I don't get this "climate refugees" theory. Why would anyone leave due to drought?

Eventually a drought is going to limit the number of people that can live and prosper in an area - almost all economic activity (industrial, commercial, residential) requires freshwater. Historically, droughts have ended entire civilizations and are much more damaging than floods. More reservoirs won't help if there isn't any runoff to capture. There probably hasn't been much of a tangible effect on southwesterners yet, but people may be getting out ahead of the trend.

[Bluesmama]

Originally Posted by KJoe11

I don't get this "climate refugees" theory. Why would anyone leave due to drought? Does it greatly affect income, health, or safety? People would leave due to historical politics that did not prepare for the drought. Rather than build reservoirs, water filtration... officials spent money on other pet projects; they did not properly plan and prepare.

If Californians are trying to escape government ineptness they are not going to get much relief moving to Oregon.

Only if they're paranoid about the drought. Because it's farmers who have the biggest concerns, and I don't think any of them are scarfing up farmland in Washington County (Idaho has been one of their choices). I think a lot of people are just leaving there for other reasons besides drought.

But MY theory on climate refugees are those regions suffering harsh long winters and batteries of devastating tornados, etc - that kind of thing. Which would make more sense.

[liselee44]

Originally Posted by AndyAMG

Our buyer is asian and has a California address.

If this is the case it may be an investment for their family and the like. Overseas Chinese investors are a big reason as to why the Southern California market is sky high especially in places like Irvine, and around college areas. Lots of well to do Chinese looking to get out of Shanghai/etc where prices are 3-4X more for apartments, so even CA prices are cheap. This isn't a bubble imo. CA displaced -> move north -> displaces others.

[liselee44]

Originally Posted by Nell Plotts

What is driving up the price of housing in the Bay Area is the refusal of the cities to increase density..

At least in Los Angeles, it's due to parking requirements (2 spot requirement per apartment/house/etc), so they're only building luxury places. Add to that a 1978 law (I think) that froze housing taxes (until a house is resold) and you have a recipe for budget deficits and high house prices.

Originally Posted by KJoe11

I don't get this "climate refugees" theory. Why would anyone leave due to drought? Does it greatly affect income, health, or safety?

No, they're not leaving for climate (at least not yet and won't for a while). They're leaving because the housing market has nothing available and is 50-60% up from three years ago, and a lot of it is due to foreign investment (Chinese looking to bring their families over and paying above asking asap), especially in places like Irvine and other college areas.

I have to say that if the tactic to keeping people out of Portland is "act isolationist and insult away" it will probably not work, but just makes natives look bad. The fact is, most people in SF and LA looking to move out are not natives, but are mobile people looking for new places to live, and some of them are either bringing jobs with them, or providing essential services other places may be low on (medical). So they're not originally from California, and the regionalism that I've seen between Portlanders (especially) and California is amusing but also very juvenile.

[Nell Plotts]

The Californians who are buying in Oregon and Washington are growers of grapes.

[The Cactus Leaguer]

As I've said before - keep coming, keep boosting the value on my house, just don't get mad when I glare at you when you wear your Kobe jersey at the Blazer game. This is our house!

[The Cactus Leaguer]

Oh also don't whine every time it rains. Thank you.

[Yankeemama]

The Cactus Leaguer- good advice for any transplant going anywhere. Don't whine about the weather. My kids who are growing up here are reminding me everyday of what it is to be an Oregonian.

[KJoe11]

Originally Posted by The Cactus Leaguer

Oh also don't whine every time it rains. Thank you.

Here is hoping for a long stretch of gloomy/rainy days in the fall. This will clear out some of the sun worshipers

[PDXJ]

Originally Posted by KJoe11

Here is hoping for a long stretch of gloomy/rainy days in the fall. This will clear out some of the sun worshipers

Cheers to that, brother!