I'm from Los Angeles. My partner was accepted into Portland State University for a master's program. Myself and the girlfriends father will both be putting down $70,000 (20%) as a down deposit on a budget for a 350k home.
We preferably would like to live in portland or up to 30 min commute time. Can you give us recommendations around the area or a zip code? We plan to house hack and get a 4 bedroom home to rent out the two bedroom to help out on mortgage.
Any recommendations to buying in portland or Vancouver, wa?
Rental Property Investor · Portland, OR · Member since 2019 · 73 posts · 49 votes
6y
Congrats on the acceptance and the upcoming move. PSU is right in town (west side) but with your budget (which will be tight for a 4-bed in Portland) I’d look in Saint Johns, SE Portland, North Portland, Beaverton/Raleigh Hills. There are some great neighborhoods farther out but will be more than 30 mins in traffic (Gresham maybe). Vancouver might be cheaper but I don’t know much about it’s neighborhoods.
Rental Property Investor · Centralia, WA · Member since 2017 · 75 posts · 85 votes
6y
I'm moving back to WA state next month. This whole summer, I ended up looking for a house to purchase all over the I-5 corridor from Vancouver to Olympia. I found a new housing development in Ridgefield, WA, just north of Vancouver, 30 minutes to Portland. The Ridgefield area, when I passed through it, is pretty much brand new, mix of country and suburb. The home prices were $300,000-$400,000 and I almost put an offer for one before deciding I wanted to live closer to Olympia.
Lender · Vancouver, WA · Member since 2015 · 482 posts · 316 votes
6y
I have lived all over the Portland Metro area, and I love Vancouver. It is slower pace to raise the kids, and it is less dense. Any the dollar stretches further. A nice 4-bedroom home can be had for $450,000. Let me know if you need help.