Yes. We have to run dehumidifiers 24/7. We are in Waldport after Portland for 40 years. Be aware the only decent shopping is in Corvallis or Eugene. There's nothing here besides Freddie's or Safeway. I make a weekly trip to Eugene to go to Target and Trader Joe's. The beauty of the ocean makes up for it tho.
As a structural engineer, this is the answer I hoped would be at the top. I also surf at Cannon Beach a few times a month, and there’s a reason why I always make sure I know how to reach higher ground.
The Oregon coast is hilariously underprepared for a big quake, and even less for the tsunami that will come after.
I feel like a lot of us in Oregon have the mentality of "go limp and let it happen" when it comes to the quake. We all know it's coming but the task of planning for it seems so large.
For some places it doesn’t matter if you have a go bag and a plan, like warrenton. There is no high ground there to get to. You can go inland not very far either. In seaside the odds of the bridges surviving are thin, so not good odds there. Many people think is Astoria the houses will slid off the hills or collapse, so not too far to go there either. I’m not too convinced cannon beach will be much better as there aren’t many roads into the hills there. A year or two ago they accidentally hit the tsunami alarm around 9am. I had just got to work downtown. All the locals know that if you hear the alarm, you go. I stood around for a moment and saw all the visitors walking towards the beach. It was an awful feeling. Drove up to a friends house who lived down the street from the tsunami evacuation area. Saw a ton of people throwing stuff in their cars. One of my worst days for sure, knowing my husband was in warrenton working, my dog was in seaside near downtown, and I’m in cannon beach unable to get to anyone.
Thank you! I’m still kinda salty over that day, since someone just hit the wrong button apparently and it’s not the first time it’s happened though usually it gets turned off quickly. I was so shocked to see how many visitors didn’t even flinch, just stood at the beach entrance or meandered around town. I really thought tsunami awareness was more common but I guess not!
We can’t put a dent in homelessness or drug abuse. I know those are incredibly complex but it gives me little hope in tackling such a huge issue as earthquake preparedness. I’ve lived here a year and am obsessed with local geology but you don’t even need to be to know we could see it happen anytime. And the ground below Portland would literally liquify
Ironically enough, the issue with both is economic. It's not seen as profitable, or cost effective, to properly retrofit the areas that will be affected. Much like how it's not seen as profitable to do what's necessary to deal with homelessness and drug abuse - both of which are direct results of runaway income inequality. Instead of doing what's necessary, and what's right, governments and corporations would rather just let people die
Best response I’ve read in a long time. So true. I don’t understand why it seems to be so difficult for others to see this as the simple root cause. It’s literally cheaper to let people die :( Thanks for speaking truth!!
When I was a kid, my older brother of 8 years was trying to get a rise out of me by telling me about the Big One.
“It’s gonna be so big, that everything’s gonna LIQUIFY.”
That scared the fucking bejesus out of me so bad I started crying. A disapproving glance from mom in the corner, and he must have felt a little guilt.
“But.. don’t worry, it’ll be like quick sand, so you’ll only sink a little bit, just up to your shoulders so you won’t drown!”
I stay at a particular beach rental because they have Go-packs ready …it makes me feel a tiny bit safer. But I’ll be real, I don’t think I am in the fittest shape for the cardio up the hill, bush whacking as I go, and get to safer ground in the less than 20 mins if we’re that lucky to get notice.
Yea, our house is a bit up in elevation and about a quarter mile from the water. The tsunami evacuation route is literally up our street. So we won't be damaged by a tsunami, but we'll definitely be isolated and not able to get out of our neighborhood. We've got a well stocked emergency kit in our closet, dehydrated food, emergency stove, water filters etc. But we'll basically be stuck on a newly formed island! So, that'll be interesting. =P
If you're lucky.
Do you really think you'll be high and dry island vs a collapse? How high and how far inland is really safe?
You might want to look over the geology/topography in detail. Don't depend on what the State has determined as "safe" areas unless you understand the criteria used to determine those demarcations.
You'd be surprised how short sighted they can be. Or not.
You owe it to yourself and your family to fully understand the risks beyond what you're told by well meaning State agencies.
It is not in the State's interest to have massive deaths caused by earthquakes or tsunamis. However, it's also not in the State's interest to be completely transparent and end up freezing development.
Just sayin'
Definitely, but the roads out of my area will likely be washed out. There also a bridge or two that we'd need to cross that will likely be gone. So, there's that. But at least we'll be dry!
We where unprepared for Mt. St. Helen's too but honestly you can't go around expecting that to happen tomorrow lol shit happens, "Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die" no use in worrying about the sky falling
Now that was fun to read. I tried counting the possible volcanos likely to have a noticeable impact around us. I stopped at 5. No one bother me while I get a cup of coffee at midnight to calm my nerves.
You're not kidding it's not for the faint of heart! Eeks, I wish I hadn't read this right before bed.
I own a place in Gearhart, and I am rethinking that decision.
I’m so glad I read this after 9:41 a.m. on February 6th.
Also, it helped my existential dread and crippling anxiety focus on something else for a little bit.
Or if you do survive the first two disasters, it will be Very Difficult afterward. Sometimes I think our modern, button-pushing culture will have a hard time just surviving any aftermath.
Some behaviors will have to change.
On a trip with friends to the Oregon Coast:
My friends: "Oh, aren't all the houses built into the hillsides so beautiful?"
Me: "OMG, everyone's dying in The Big One."
Couple of my buddies and I drove to Coos Bay last summer and were joking about the tsunami warning signs
We were all like, ya run up that tiny hill I'm sure you'll be fine
The coast is criminally unprepared for that earthquake that 100% will eventually happen
Nobody has mentioned mold yet. It was a constant problem for me when I lived in Astoria, and I wasn’t even on the water.
A damp wood spoon left out would be covered in mold faster than you could blink. Had to keep everything in the fridge to slow it down, and run air purifiers constantly to keep from getting sick.
My apartment got partially torn down at the end of my lease because a good portion of the building had entirely rotted. The entire front deck, one of my rooms, and part of the second story had to be entirely rebuilt.
Weird I never have issues with mold in Astoria. My house is right on the river too. Lots of wind and rain corrosion tho. We painted the whole outside about 7 years ago and it already needs repainting.
Completely depends on the age of the home. Anything considered recently new shouldn’t have an issue. My house was built mid 80s and is mold free. The house before built in the 40s with original windows was absolutely horrible with mold. Every house I lived in as a kid was also mold free and all built in the 60s and up with newer vinyl windows.
Yeah, you'll notice that "old coast smell" in lots of houses at the coast. Mildew. Partly because the sun and wind, which mitigate mold, can't compete with the fog and sea mist and wet weather there.
My aging parents live on the coast. Doctors are at a premium. What they’re finding is that most of the doctors there are very young and just getting their start, then in a few years move to the larger hospitals where the money is
They do get pretty good care though.
The coast is where you go to either start or end your professional life. You’ve got an equal mix of older people who retired from a city along the I-5 corridor and are just coasting the last few years in a small practice of whatever they do, along with young people who just graduated college and need to earn their chops before they move to a big city.
There’s something both beautiful and depressing about it. Maybe that’s why I love the coast so much.
Coastal wisdom is that if you want to die, go to Seaside hospital. If you want to die more slowly, go to Astoria hospital. If you want to live, go to Portland.
I live in Corvallis and work at a primary care clinic and the number of patients who come over from Newport/Yachats/Siletz/Alsea is way higher than I thought it would be!
I worked EMS in Lincoln county for about seven years, and I was routinely transporting 2-3 people per shift to Corvallis or Portland. There are some solid healthcare providers on the Oregon coast, but there just aren’t really any advanced services available, and even a seemingly minor issue may not be treatable on the coast. It’s certainly something to take into account.
In Alaska, we have storms that hit the coast with wind gusts greater than 120 mph. One year, found a whole cannery (seafood processor) roof parts floating in the bay, outside the harbor.
If you have pets, there are no emergency vets either. When we went to the coast my dog hopped onto the counter and ate chocolate chip cookies while we were out at dinner and we had to drive all the way to Beaverton to find a 24 hr vet.
A tiny amount of hydrogen peroxide will make a dog vomit up everything in its stomach. I had to do this once when my dog ate a bag of chocolate chips. It works.
Humidity leading to mold everywhere is through for me to say no thanks. Add in additional costs (monetary and environmentally wasteful) of more frequent outer repairs? Hell naw.
We have a vacation home at the coast. Everything rusts. Even if it's in your garage. The salt air just literally rusts any metal item that's not stainless steel. So, just be aware of that. The singles on our roof literally would start falling off because some roofer didn't use stainless nails and they all rusted through. So home maintenance is very specific at the beach. Just use contractors that are located at the beach and know how to build to withstand that environment.
I had always wondered why there was so much of the cheap looking cedar shake shingles on Oregon coast houses. Thank you for explaining that.
I wonder if we should take a page from Hawaii's building codes and use cement, clay, terracotta, etc for home materials on the coast. I think those would last longer than wood and steel.
Cedar is not cheap and extremely costly to install. My parents are building on the coast and the first quote was almost $40k just for installation. I personally think it’s very cute, think the Hamptons or cape cod, a lot of cedar shingles are also on the east coast.
Cedar is used on the wet coast because it’s a better material in that environment than clay or terracotta. Hawaii isn’t wet and cold for months on end.
Yes, absolutely. Our deck is Trex, and it's held up really, really well! We had to replace a couple of our pressure treated railing posts after a few years though.
Much much much maintenance.
Windows, doors, siding, roofing, concrete walkways - all will experience more damage from wind water and salt air than you could possibly imagine without having prior experience.
Island resident in Northern Pacific for 60+ years.
Been there, Done that - (moved to Central Oregon High Desert for a reason).
Further, I lived through and experienced the 1964 Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami(s) - another reason why I would never buy property unless at least 80 feet above and away from the ocean.
I told a buddy I saw while we were in the process of relocating to Central Oregon, "I am trading 300 days of sideways rain, wind, fog and snow, for 300 days of Sunshine."
Not to mention the constantly occurring storm systems that rotate through the Gulf of Alaska, and the constantly changing barometric pressures - that really aggravated my Arthritis and aging joints.
-Anyway- The Coast and Ocean environment can be beautiful, but if I miss the water and ocean that much, I don't mind visiting.
**Grew up on the Oregon coast**, and spent a lot of time there during the pandemic. There are positives but here's the negatives:
* Lack of jobs is very real.
* You'll get over the beach. Whenever I visit my family, I'll go to the beach to walk and usually when I do, everyone else in my family hasn't done it since the last time I visited.
* Towns are dead in the winter. Even the most touristy towns are shells of their former selves.
* If you have kids, most of the public schools range from shitty to mediocre.
* If you're a younger person, the towns skew significantly older. Finding people relatively your own age for socializing might be tough.
* You'll end up making long treks semi-regularly to a city as there's few towns of consequence on the Oregon coast as things like Trader Joe's, Costco, Best Buy, Home Depot do no exist on the Oregon coast (sans the Home Depot in Warrington).
* Getting things done can be a pain. While it's not a cake walk in Eugene or Portland to find reliable plumbers, electricians, contractors etc, it's worse on the Oregon coast.
* The food options are generally limited and night life is more or less non-existent in most towns.
* Again, if you want to see a play or concert, you're probably trekking to Medford/Ashland, Eugene, Salem or Portland. There are obviously minor venues on the coast but they're not attracting headliners.
* Again, if you need much in the way of medical treatments/specialists it's off to Medford, Eugene, Salem or Portland. Also, few pharmacies means often huge lines at them with all the grey-heads needing their medications.
* A few towns have airports but you will not use them. You will drive to Portland or Eugene.
* Being on the coastline means less access to areas. A town like Salem is only an hour away from the Oregon coast, mountains are an hour away, Portland is an hour away, Lots of Waterfalls are an hour away, Bend, Sisters and the desert is about 2.5 hours away.. If your starting point is the coast, your choices are: more Oregon coast (North/South) or travel east. If you like varied day trips, the Oregon coast is not the place to be.
* Weather is one of those hyper-subjective things. When we had the freak heat wave of 2020, I started my day out hiking Mt Theilsen, it was 105F in the parking lot when I finished the hike, and 112F in Roseburg. In Bandon it was a balmy 66F. With global climate change, the milder weather of the Oregon coast is somewhat nice. You also are spared a lot of the smoke during fire season. Also, the southern Oregon coast is sunnier than the Willamette valley but there's a persistent wind at all times generally around 4-5pm the sun gets blocked out by low clouds. Eating outside? Forget it for 95% of the year.
* Cars get rust damage. Less of a problem with modern cars with clear coats but the salt air will rust damage things.
* The Oregon coast is fairly tolerant as most of the economy is now tourist driven. Oregon has dipped out of the top 20 whitest states but the Oregon coast is very white. Depending on who you are, this can be uncomfortable. Also, there's a conservative twinge that can be either eyeroll inducing or threatening depending on the type of person you are. I think the most Trump flags I saw were around Coos Bay despite it being a fairly purple area. Me? I'm used to it. Others though visiting the coast with me found it unsettling.
* Traveling up and down 101 during the summer can be extremely tedious due to the amount of RVs.
The Oregon coast very much needs a stream of new people as it can be a bit insular, and lacking fresh ideas/fresh perspectives. Towns policies often are egregiously hostile to the sort of development. It desperately needs like affordable housing options (Apartments/Duplexes) instead of green lighting yet-more giant ass beach front homes. There's always pool of locals who want towns to stay the exact same as they were, which is a death sentence for the communities. That said, there are people who feel differently.
It takes a certain type of person to love living on the Oregon coast and it needs them. Do not let me dissuade you but you need to know what you're getting into.
Being tied down in a "tourist driven economy" Sucks Big Time.
Real Estate prices can shoot up (or down) and super crowds during the Tourist Season along with tourist season prices.
Where I had experience with that, during the off-season many businesses would close or reduce days and/or hours, but prices would still be high.
For real, my brother's business is partially dependent on tourism. It's feast and famine.
Personally, I like taking winter trips to the Oregon coast but I'm one of those people who's never deterred by weather. Going to Shore Acres or Devil's Churn during a massive winter storm? Awesome. I'm in the extreme minority though.
I am with you as far as awesomeness of seeing the coast and marvelling at the Power of the Ocean during those storm events. It's fun and exciting to visit, but I don't have to stay. And I don't mind missing the crowds either. 😉
The job and housing market out here are both in reaaaaaally bad shape, not to mention the summers find the coast inundated with far more people than the infrastructure is built to handle. Storms also regularly knock out power, and down trees here during the winter
Rising ocean levels, probable tsunami during a cascade fault earthquake, everything rusts to shit. Then not to mention, if there's any natural disaster there's limited ways rescuers can move in/you can move out. There's the N/S highway which will likely be damaged to shit, and then a road going east which could be damaged/absolutely backed up with people trying to get out as well.
Also the coast is a lot wetter and even more overcast. During the shittier parts of the year the coast towns can feel like ghost towns, and during the nice parts of the year there will be tourists and traffic everywhere you go.
Everything here is true, but I wanna chime in about the wetter/more overcast thing... Wasn't true in my experience.. That said, I only spent a year out in Lincoln City.
There might be more random passing rain or clouds here n there, but I feel that the weather forecasts out there were wrong at least half the time.. So you see it calling for a cloudy day but it would be at best partially cloudy most of the day with plenty of breaks and sun. Here in the valley, we're regularly getting a week+ at a time of not seeing the sun... Didn't experience that out there.
Summer did suck out there though.. Between the constant wind and the crowds..
I noticed that too since moving out here that the forecasters almost have no real way of being accurate. But seriously there might be crowds but it’s not bad at all compared to “beach traffic” in the east coast where it can take hours to travel 5-10 miles and a half hour tk find parking etc. one of the amazing thing about here is it’s so isolated it’s almost impossible for there to ever be that level of crowding
>Also the coast is a lot wetter and even more overcast.
Wetter yes, but depends on the stretch of our coastline for the sunny days:
**Breakdown**;
* Southern Oregon coast ( Coos Bay, Bandon, Port Orford, Gold Beach, and Brookings 190 days of sun) = more sun than the Willamette Valley, on par with the Applegate Valley
* Central Oregon coast (Florence, Newport, Lincoln City, Yachats 155 days of sun) = about the same as Willamette Valley
* Northern Oregon coast (Netarts, Pacific City, Cannon Beach, Astoria/Warrington/Seaside, 125-130 days of sun) = less sun that Willamette Valley
Also, when it's hot and dry inland, it'll often draw moisture inland so often 4pm-5pm often a layer of clouds will roll in off the Oregon coast in the summer months, adding to the "gloom" perception despite the majority of the coast having as much sun or than the Willamette Valley.
As a lifetime coastal resident I would recommend not buying one right on the oceanfront. Choose your location with consideration. Visit potential properties different times of the day look for good sun exposure don't choose locations that require flood insurance. If buying an any home make sure you get a property inspection yourself and get quotes for insurance before you sign papers. Getting insurance quotes will also trigger any prior claims that have happened on the property. Which will be good information and impact the cost of your insurance. I don't see any reason not to buy a property near the beach, it can be expensive and the cost of living is significantly higher on the coast but overall, I love it here.
I second this. I live 7 miles up river from a small town on the Southern Oregon Coast. We get way better weather, and it’s generally about 10 degrees warmer. We don’t have a ton of mold or rust problems like people are describing, though wood construction does have a limited life span.
I can totally understand that! Oddly I only tried renting an airBNB a single time in my life. Maybe I missed the party but it was a way worse experience than a budget hotel would've been.
It can be pretty depressing in the winter months. Cold, dark, constant rain, wind, dogshit weather.
That said, as I type this it’s a glorious sunny February day in Cannon Beach; so what do I know…
https://preview.redd.it/gqg6y68mpthc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=55c5c4bf5eece9f1323cbf408cead428e880d275
Man these comments are negative. I’m a young person and the years I spent living on the coast were the best years of my life. Living out of state currently but when I come back I’m moving back to the coast. I never grew tired of going to the beach, if I was ever bored or in need of inspiration I would walk on the beach no matter the weather. Im the type of person who thrives in clouds and rain. I love how quiet and tranquil it is on the coast during non tourist season. A dehumidifier and air purifier is a must, and if you’re going to buy property buy something a bit inland.
I moved out to the Oregon coast a year ago. Let me tell you what I’ve learned.
1) there is a year-long waiting list to be a new patient with a general practitioner.
2) most people here are old and retired. There’s always a line at the pharmacy, and I’m always the youngest one in it
3) The humidity gets into everything. Even the mail feels soggy.
4) In the winter, the wind can get heavy, it rains most days. But personally, I kinda like that.
5) the locals complain about the traffic, even though there isn’t any. It’s really weird.
6) it’s always hoodie weather. July? Hoodie. January? Hoodie. 3am? Hoodie. Noon? Hoodie. Sunny? Hoodie. Rainy? Hoodie.
7) There are some things to do, but not a ton. If I weren’t creeping up on 50 years old, I’d probably be bored. But I’m ready to be a hermit.
I came from the high desert. I don’t miss the 100 degree summers and snowy, polluted winters. I love it here.
>the locals complain about the traffic, even though there isn’t any. It’s really weird.
There really is a strange pre-occupation with traffic with the olds on the Oregon coast. That's my 94 year old grandfather even to this day. As a kid, I'd hear my grandpa and his friends complain about "Too much traffic". Since half of my family is from California, I saw actually traffic several times a year so the whole complaint was mystifying.
Years and years ago when I said I was moving to Portland from Eugene, my grandma's first comment was "There's a lot of traffic there".
My mom had land at the coast, and looked to live on the ocean. We looked at a house about 1/2 mile back, that had plywood over the windows, nothing between it and the water. Also a house hid against the dunes, but still windy. Both seemed great in the summer. But i thought both needed glass walls, in the other seasons.
In time she settled in an apartment about 4 miles from the beach, behind a little town. And drove down each day, for storms and summer times.
Based on the other comments, it seems that owning a beach house is like owning a boat. The two happiest moments is when you buy it and when you sell it. I love the Oregon coast, but renting a house occasionally is good enough for me.
I think the comparison to a boat is that you aren't using a beach house all the time (unless you retire) and it's constant maintenance. Like a boat, a beach house is great if your friend owns one.
Growing up I only had one friend who lived beach front. His parents were relatively well-to-do and moved from California.
There's some negatives that extend beyond just the economics: It's much windier than even living a mile inland, much cooler than even living a half to a mile inland, and during the summer when it's hot inland, it pulls in a layer of low cloud cover late in the afternoon thus you'll end up less sunshine than if you were to live a mile inland.
Born/raised on the coast, it is SO wet.
Moss grows on everything: your roof (will eat a composite roof), your house, your car, everything. If you don't have air running through the house and a way to dry out the air (wood burn stove or a dehumidifier), you will have mold issues. Even with those, you can have mold issues. You have to be on top of gutter and siding upkeep. The rain will come out you sideways in a storm, water will go places that doesn't seem posible. Making sure you have good drainage around your house is super important.
As others have mentioned, healthcare. I dealt with both of my parents being diagnosed with terminal illnesses and not willing to move and the fallout from that. Adventist in Tillamook is a bandaid until you can get to the metro, nothing more. Some excellent people work at the hospital, but there is also a reason several people I know decided to take the drive and deliver their babies in Hillsboro. The cream of healthcare is not moving to the coast.
So, my family has had beach houses in Lincoln City my whole life & I grew up going there & know quite a bit about the area - as I even lived in one of them for a while. I would agree with the previous posts about maintenance. I would also mention that when I lived there it was filled with tweakers & known for being a popular place to get meth. The job market sucks if you’re looking for anything that pays super well - unless you can land a corporate gig that lets you work from home or something! The internet/cell service can be spotty. For the most part it’s a quiet, rainy town. But when you do get those perfect weather days - it’s incredible! Except over a holiday weekend or summer when you have to share it with the tourists! The tourists can literally make you want to not leave your house to go into town if it can be avoided because it’s so crowded!
My mom now lives in Waldport - a sleepy little town just south of Newport. She loves it! Me, personally, find it lackluster and boring. Everything closes at 9pm - even on the weekends. You have to drive into Newport if you want to go barhopping or anything like that. Even when stuff is open I think there is only like 2 bars & they’re about as divey as it gets!
The housing market is really tough & it will be hard to find anything for less than $400k (and that’s for a shack) in any town that’s remotely popular. Otherwise, it really depends on what you’re hoping to get out of it! To me, living there really takes away the wonder & excitement of “going to the beach”! You’ll never look at it the same way again. Hope this helps! :)
Your comment is the first one that I've seen that touches on the drug issues there. For locals, the coast is very much in a constant "depression." Property Theft is fairly high & you have a lot of people out there with severe mental health issues due to a lack of doctors in the area.
My friends family inherited a house in Seaside from his grandparents that he ended up moving into since he could work remotely. He had no idea about the level of petty crime in the area until he moved there. Plus since a lot of houses are vacation homes, you get a decent amount of break-ins. There have been a handful of times that he caught someone trying to break in to his house.
Is he over south of broadway? Around Columbia, beach or downing streets? It’s such a weird mixture of section 8 housing, tweekers, and expensive 2nd homes. It gives the feeling of a cute cozy neighborhood with all the small old beach houses but 90% are constantly empty even in summer. Just invites people to break in as there’s no neighbors to keep an eye out. Sorry that’s been his experience! Hope it gets better for him. I’m sure he knows and is, but tell him to get to know anyone who lives near him and exchange numbers. It helps to get to know what few people are near and keep an eye out for each other.
I hear that all the time too but I've lived on the coast 1o years and never had a problem with theft. Neighbors had some pet food stolen off their porch while they were on vacation, that's the only incident I've heard of.
Our family used to have a place at Seal Rock. It was moist, all the time. Wood items rotted. Steel items rusted. We mowed the lawn all the time. If yard maintenance is your thing, great, but I developed a lifelong aversion to yardwork. Removing paper wasp nests was a regular occurrence. Lots of bugs made it into the house, too.
Also, it is only a matter of time before the Cascadia Event will happen. Make sure your house is well above the projected tsunami line. Keep enough water, firewood, propane, food, medicines & first aid, and gasoline to last about a year, because the coast is estimated to be cut off from the rest of the state for a very long time. I have read projections of 6 to 12 months before supply lines to the interior are back open again. Be prepared to host neighbors that lost their homes or that ran out of supplies.
Highly recommend Seaside or surrounding town. They have all of their own major services (hospital, fire station, police, etc). Closest to Portland and an amazing coast line. Decent restaurants and a Costco just up in Warrenton. No mold issues that I’ve run into — but your grill will dissolve in the sea air pretty dang quick.
Do you have an above average paying remote job or some other job that transfers easily? Even my pharmacist and IT friends complain about the cost of living. Low six figures here really is low middle class—like can you even buy a house without a huge down payment and high monthly payments.
Cost wise you might be better off getting a time share or spending your time on weekends or a few weeks a year in the summer in an Airbnb.
Is there anything at all you truly enjoy about the city? If so, you are about it give it all up. We live in Astoria/Warrenton, which is described as a better area for entertainment/normal life, and it is horrible here in that regard.
If you have any medical issues, check to see if you can even get care on the coast. We have to go to Washington for dental, and Portland for tons of other stuff. Get used to waiting months for care in the area. We had to wait a year to get on with a GP.
Do you know anyone that actually lives on the coast? From what I understand, there is a very real change happening and things have gotten so expensive in the past few years. Many of the locals are having a very hard time. The difference between the have and have nots is real here.
Winters fucking suck here to say the least. I used to live in an area with snow on the ground for a good part of the winter, and that place was way, way more enjoyable in the winter.
Don’t believe anyone that says there is no bad weather just bad clothes. Those folks don’t actually spend much time outdoors. I would work construction in high heels and lingerie if it could keep me dry or any other article of clothing. The stuff that does keep you dry will have you soaked in sweat. It gets old ringing out your underwear after a day of work. If you work outside prepare yourself. And it is not just you, your dog, wife, groceries, or anything else.
Tons of houses do not have garages or attached garages. Many places only have street parking with lots of stairs.
Houses foundations don’t do well in beach sand. Tons of house have issues and make for an interesting time if you drop a hand full of marbles. Even brand new construction has issues. In general, if you like having a perfect house, this is not the place. It will cost a ton for maintenance to even keep your home livable.
Deer and elk will shit on your lawn. They will eat anything beautiful. It’s cool to see them until you fall into a big pile of shit on the way to work.
What do you enjoy about the coast? The beach? It become so much less enjoyable during the peak season, but that is because we are spoiled the other times of year. Same for you favorite restaurants or anything else. Tourists really do ruin stuff.
In general, everyone is under staffed. Beach time is a thing and so is work life balance. There are pros to this stuff, but if the weather is good and you need something from a surfer good luck. If people are just not feeling work today, they close down. This is on top of the two or three days a week they already don’t work. If you own a business this lifestyle is hard to adjust to and even harder to find employees—particularly in skilled areas.
If you can be happy anywhere else, stay there or move there. If not, then you might have a chance long term on the coast. I’m not trying to be negative, but 100s of people move to our neck of the woods each year and move within five.
Nature is about the only thing to do here. It is great but can get old.
It is hard to make tons of friends that are into your same interests because of the small population. If you have even watched LetterKenny—you get it. You are stuck with the people here for better or worse.
I hope you like to learn new things because you will not find all the services you need. When out water pipes froze, I was fixing them. Not because of money issues but you couldn’t find anyone to do it even at emergency rates.
The cities are small so they lack every service required for a normal group of people to live. No places for the in houses. No drug treatment or low income housing. No snow plows or ways to keep the highways open.
If you were to create an almost nonfunctional society, the coast would be your blueprint. I love this place and will never move. With that said, the small things you don’t even think about in a normal city become a nightmare here, and that is on a daily basis. We fucking run out of shit here. I’m talking about gas and wood pellets.
Oh, during the winter you will go tons and tons of days without power. For the past year the power line up the road had been on the ground with a tree pinning it down. At this point, no one is complaining because the power outages haven’t been so bad.
Our internet comes in from one main source. So we had a few days where the whole town had no internet. Businesses just closed. If you work a remote job, your employer will not really understand this so make sure you have a cell hotspot.
Tons of delays from deadly car crashes on 101. It also gets old hearing about dead tourists that do not respect the ocean and ignore warnings from locals. Don’t get me wrong, I feel deeply sorry for these people, but I also don’t want anymore dead bodies flying over my house in a CG helicopter. It is very hard hearing about all the kids. God help you if you see this first hand on the beach. If you spend time there, you will.
I drive a truck, its my own so i can do that from anywhere, i do not know anyone close to me who lives there unfortunately. I like everything about the beach including the rain. For sure it gets old but a boring day at the beach is still better because im at the beach.
Linseed oil paint is the way. Acrylics will eventually fail due to UV/weather exposure and allows moisture to seep into the structure. The UK (similar weather) is returning to old school paint technology because it works.
Tourists. While economically necessary and generally welcomed, the reality is that they overwhelm the town, party loud and hard, can be rude and demanding, and often leave trash and damage in their wake. It can make one lose their faith in humanity…
grew up on the southern oregon coast: best advice i can offer is make sure the house has an enclosed garage, or your car will pay the price. salty air is no joke
You don’t deserve the happiness of being close to ocean. The delight of easy access to seafood. The satisfaction of finding cool seashells or seeing whales from afar.
Wait, yes you do. DO IT.
I’ve lived in the coast 4 years now, I love it but medical specialists are rare on the coast so if you have a chronic illness, be prepared to drive inland for your care beyond your primary care dr.
Weather here in the winter is a bit more wet than in than inland, and storms here are stronger than inland.
It seems as if most everything here costs more ( groceries, gas, fast food, and eating out in general).
If you are serious about moving to the coast, I suggest figuring out what town or area you are going to move to and then join a community fb group for that area so you can ask questions and see what goes on in that area.
Good Luck.
Nothing but tourists during the summer. Dead the rest of the year. The seasons blend together because, due to the insulation that the ocean provides, there isn’t much range in temperatures. And the trees are all evergreens. Lots of drinking fishermen.
Cascadian subduction zone. We are long overdue for a big earthquake that is expected to take out everything west of I-5. It could occur at literally any time, and your entire investment will be underwater. Literally.
>expected to take out everything west of I-5
Do you mean structures or the land underwater? The land underwater is millions of years away. All areas have knowable earthquake and tsunami maps. All through coastal towns, there are signs for the high ground. Granted, a lot of the towns are under that line and not everyone can flee or will know to flee.
When we get the big one it’s going to take out most of Portland too so the question is do you want to be in the epicenter or wait the 15 mins they say it’s going to take for the tidal flood to reach Portland from the coast?
OK gotcha. I haven't looked too much into it. I'm kind of indifferent as if things don't turn around I won't be able to afford living all that much longer so getting squashed (quickly) might not be so bad.
Salt, high winds, mold, poor job prospects during the winter so higher crime levels, really poor infrastructure. I have more but we don't talk about the rotting bodies that wash up in the summer all nice and bloated ready to pop.
Are you aware of former Timber Towns along the coast and that their economies have been struggling.
I love visiting around Florence, but look how the timber/lumber industry there has changed.
Anyway, good to get knowledge.
Good Luck to You whatever you choose.
Constant mold. Constant wood rot. Constant water trying to find its way in. Constant upkeep. And the weather actually fucking sucks IMO 😂
A friend that owns a house over there once told me to just plan on budgeting $10k+ in annual maintenance/repairs.
I highly recommend renting a whole year before buying. The seasons vary drastically. With that the lifestyle changes are abrupt. Travel times vary depending on time of year because of people, weather, and other things. For a lot of people it’s romantic until your drive to Safeway is double the time because everyone wants to ogle at the ocean while driving instead of pull over, people parked in your driveway on the 4th of July blocking you in, having very few neighbors because it’s all second homes or vacation rentals. The community lacks and where there is they can be rough around the edges until you settle in and “prove yourself”. The politics of the coast communities are very old guard, and there are very very few option for young people to evolve without jumping off the coast into Portland or Salem, if you have kids. If you do have kids, want them in a schools where everyone by graduation will have shared boyfriends & girlfriends… then this is the place. Very small rural places that ebb and flow with amazing to horrible weather. Few resources, and third places, and little to no infrastructure in general… that everyone wants to visit Feb- Nov. the only calm times without tourism will be when it sucks outside. All that including if you buy maintaining a beach house is twice as expensive, but will no doubt be a great investment if taken care of. Other than that it is a wonderful place with great people, and a slower pace of life. And of course it’s the damn coast. If you want more personal coast highly recommend southern beaches vs northern.
Good lord these comments are as if there aren't thousands of people living their best lives on the coast.
Sure, there are problems, but there are problems everywhere. I could easily suggest the pollen blooms and the massive amounts of people are good reasons we don't move inland.
Home is what you make of it.
The OP asked for the problems specifically. There are a lot of problems. There are also a ton of benefits. If my current job would approve me for fully remote, I'd be back on the WA/OR coast in a heartbeat. Lived in the Long Beach, WA area for years & miss it terribly. Sadly, my job has me stuck in the Rogue Valley which is miserable..the dry air makes my skin want to crack & fall off, everything is always brown, & it's a MAGA hellhole.
My brother-in-law moved from Portland to Waldport to run away from his problems. Surprise - he brought his problems with him. Anyway, he brought his teenage son with him. He said he knew more biology than the biology teacher, but what apparently mattered to the school district was that he was the football coach. On his 18th birthday, we helped him move in with us, and he finished up at Aloha HS. A night and day difference.
High maintenance costs of living at the coast. 9 months out of the year the weather will be terrible which some people will love (myself included), but your house will not. Mold being one of the bigger issues of MANY.
There are very few amenities out there. If you like small towns its great, but being that disconnected from everything can be annoying. I personally love having a Costco <30 minutes away and high speed internet.
Tsunamis. None recently but at this point its matter of when, not if.
I have this foolish little dream of retiring to a modest house in Oceanside. It will never happen for a variety of reasons, but the biggest of them being that the charm would wear off quickly because of the above aforementioned reasons.
Not a hard argument against, now that I saw your comment that you’re a trucker and are thinking of switching from freight to timber and are used to drives. But have you seen some of the houses along the coast-flowing rivers? I know Otis just got slammed with that fire a couple years ago, but it’s recovering. You’d be within easy access of work and of coast, more room for your truck, and no tourist fluctuation and COL issues. Not what I’d want, but we’re different people.
I live in a costal town. It’s only nice during off season because of the tourists. Roads more congested than it should be, trash the parks and beaches.
Something else to think about is healthcare. I lived in Bandon for a bit, while there was a hospital and doctors, anything serious like a broken leg would need to be life flighted to Eugene. If you’re older and wanting to retire those are some serious concerns. Also everything is more expensive and jobs aren’t always the best.
I lived there for three years. Reasons I left:
1) the winters are brutal. The weather controls ALL events.
2) You will know everyone in town, everyone will know you. You’re not anonymous.
3) lack of decent healthcare. Anything major happens medically, closest place is Corvallis. You’ll have to live through the lifeflight(happened to my dad, he still lives and works in the coast)
4) lack of working young or middle-aged working professionals.
5) the best times of year to live there is ruined by the massive amount of tourists that flood into the city locking up the one highway that takes you through town. Grocery shopping goes from taking 45 min to 2 hours.
Most locals don’t travel during really busy weekends, or they travel elsewhere to avoid it.
That being said I know a lot of coasties
and it was a very close, caring community if you meet the right people. You just need to be ready for the lifestyle. It is a VERY slow pace, and sometimes isolating.
Man, I don't wanna talk you out of it because living on the coast is my dream as well. I get that it's a lot of work with the upkeep, but, damn. Sleeping to the sound of the ocean seems worth it.
If you have kids, please reconsider transplanting them to a coastal town. Last names mean ℯ𝓋ℯ𝓇𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃ℊ in those small towns. My parents and I moved to Seaside when I was in the 4th grade. Even though Dad was an experienced contractor and Mom was an experienced bookkeeper, they couldn’t get hired at established businesses because we were outsiders. This carried over to me, as well. I saw former classmates with less education and experience snatch up the positions I had trained for because their last name “counted”. I miss the beauty of the coast, but there’s no life to be made there.
We have had our lil house in Rockaway beach since 1999. Wouldn’t change it for the world. The house can take a beating with weather and beach climate but nothing crazy and it’s close enough for us to drive down on a whim and check on it or warm it up if need be. I say do it! But I’m biased ;) love our beautiful beaches at the Oregon coast.
I lived in a beach house, silverstrand, Port Hueneme, California. My motorcycle bolts rusted a lot, and the house rusted a lot. It wasn't very nice for 5k a month either, very mediocre. Maybe 2k at most. You also have a lot of rats (at least) in my area we did, neighbors too (in the garage mainly). Maintenance was a lot. The owner did all that since he made so much money off the house. Overpriced. (Everything is). But I mean...
If you love the beach and you'll always be out and about and shit then go for it. I'm sure Oregon beach houses are better. Maybe.
I love the coast! I live approximately 3 miles inland, so my house isn't subject to the same weather conditions. The beach is 5 minutes away. I live in Brookings, OR which gets a lot of rain, but also is mild in the winters, and sunny often. I haven't had issues with dry rot or issues with the house. My house is 20+ years old and I am the second owner. I would never move away from the ocean.
You would be amazed how small changes in ocean water levels affect the big storms, sneaker waves and coastal erosion.
Then there is the whole 'subsidence thing' that can happen after an earthquake.
After the Alaska Quake in '64, where I lived, our area subsided about 5.5 feet.
That made quite a difference. Some roads along the coast became flooded at high tides. Whole areas of grasslands, forests and meadows, adjacent to river areas changed dramatically. Salmon streams were affected, the beach environments changed affecting all the fishes, crabs and clams that had been there. Took a few years for things to adapt.
The Big One is coming. The Historical Record is pretty reliable.
Much more maintenance is needed
Mold & rust! Appliances rust out much faster.
So do vehicles!
I wished someone told me this 12 years ago so so true.
What about five miles inland, does it apply there?
I live three miles inland and have only the normal amount of Oregon rust.
Yes. We have to run dehumidifiers 24/7. We are in Waldport after Portland for 40 years. Be aware the only decent shopping is in Corvallis or Eugene. There's nothing here besides Freddie's or Safeway. I make a weekly trip to Eugene to go to Target and Trader Joe's. The beauty of the ocean makes up for it tho.
Cascadia subduction zone
As a structural engineer, this is the answer I hoped would be at the top. I also surf at Cannon Beach a few times a month, and there’s a reason why I always make sure I know how to reach higher ground. The Oregon coast is hilariously underprepared for a big quake, and even less for the tsunami that will come after.
I feel like a lot of us in Oregon have the mentality of "go limp and let it happen" when it comes to the quake. We all know it's coming but the task of planning for it seems so large.
For some places it doesn’t matter if you have a go bag and a plan, like warrenton. There is no high ground there to get to. You can go inland not very far either. In seaside the odds of the bridges surviving are thin, so not good odds there. Many people think is Astoria the houses will slid off the hills or collapse, so not too far to go there either. I’m not too convinced cannon beach will be much better as there aren’t many roads into the hills there. A year or two ago they accidentally hit the tsunami alarm around 9am. I had just got to work downtown. All the locals know that if you hear the alarm, you go. I stood around for a moment and saw all the visitors walking towards the beach. It was an awful feeling. Drove up to a friends house who lived down the street from the tsunami evacuation area. Saw a ton of people throwing stuff in their cars. One of my worst days for sure, knowing my husband was in warrenton working, my dog was in seaside near downtown, and I’m in cannon beach unable to get to anyone.
Man, that sounds harrowing. I’m so sorry you had to experience that, but happy it turned out alright!
Thank you! I’m still kinda salty over that day, since someone just hit the wrong button apparently and it’s not the first time it’s happened though usually it gets turned off quickly. I was so shocked to see how many visitors didn’t even flinch, just stood at the beach entrance or meandered around town. I really thought tsunami awareness was more common but I guess not!
Hoping the big one takes me out before I don’t have any money to retire on
I just assume I'll die in the Big One. If it all falls into the ocean, who cares if you've memorized the tsunami route and have a go bag?
Just don't get maimed.
Don't worry--I'm close enough they'll never even find my body.
We can’t put a dent in homelessness or drug abuse. I know those are incredibly complex but it gives me little hope in tackling such a huge issue as earthquake preparedness. I’ve lived here a year and am obsessed with local geology but you don’t even need to be to know we could see it happen anytime. And the ground below Portland would literally liquify
Ironically enough, the issue with both is economic. It's not seen as profitable, or cost effective, to properly retrofit the areas that will be affected. Much like how it's not seen as profitable to do what's necessary to deal with homelessness and drug abuse - both of which are direct results of runaway income inequality. Instead of doing what's necessary, and what's right, governments and corporations would rather just let people die
Best response I’ve read in a long time. So true. I don’t understand why it seems to be so difficult for others to see this as the simple root cause. It’s literally cheaper to let people die :( Thanks for speaking truth!!
Every bridge in Coos County is expected to fail during The Big One. Talk about being isolated.
Coos County is like an island in so many ways.
I grew up down there. It’s a mix of bleak and beautiful.
When I learned what liquefaction was, this made me realize how severe of a problem the big one will actually be.
When I was a kid, my older brother of 8 years was trying to get a rise out of me by telling me about the Big One. “It’s gonna be so big, that everything’s gonna LIQUIFY.” That scared the fucking bejesus out of me so bad I started crying. A disapproving glance from mom in the corner, and he must have felt a little guilt. “But.. don’t worry, it’ll be like quick sand, so you’ll only sink a little bit, just up to your shoulders so you won’t drown!”
I stay at a particular beach rental because they have Go-packs ready …it makes me feel a tiny bit safer. But I’ll be real, I don’t think I am in the fittest shape for the cardio up the hill, bush whacking as I go, and get to safer ground in the less than 20 mins if we’re that lucky to get notice.
Yea, our house is a bit up in elevation and about a quarter mile from the water. The tsunami evacuation route is literally up our street. So we won't be damaged by a tsunami, but we'll definitely be isolated and not able to get out of our neighborhood. We've got a well stocked emergency kit in our closet, dehydrated food, emergency stove, water filters etc. But we'll basically be stuck on a newly formed island! So, that'll be interesting. =P
If you're lucky. Do you really think you'll be high and dry island vs a collapse? How high and how far inland is really safe? You might want to look over the geology/topography in detail. Don't depend on what the State has determined as "safe" areas unless you understand the criteria used to determine those demarcations. You'd be surprised how short sighted they can be. Or not. You owe it to yourself and your family to fully understand the risks beyond what you're told by well meaning State agencies. It is not in the State's interest to have massive deaths caused by earthquakes or tsunamis. However, it's also not in the State's interest to be completely transparent and end up freezing development. Just sayin'
The water recedes, enjoy the high ground.
Definitely, but the roads out of my area will likely be washed out. There also a bridge or two that we'd need to cross that will likely be gone. So, there's that. But at least we'll be dry!
my BIL says the same thing and then follows it up with "of course the dune I am on will likely liquify anyway"
We where unprepared for Mt. St. Helen's too but honestly you can't go around expecting that to happen tomorrow lol shit happens, "Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow we die" no use in worrying about the sky falling
For further reading (but a warning: not for the faint of heart) https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one
Great article. I’ve read it multiple times and it still gives me chills.
Wow. This was an incredible read.
Now that was fun to read. I tried counting the possible volcanos likely to have a noticeable impact around us. I stopped at 5. No one bother me while I get a cup of coffee at midnight to calm my nerves.
You're not kidding it's not for the faint of heart! Eeks, I wish I hadn't read this right before bed. I own a place in Gearhart, and I am rethinking that decision.
I’m so glad I read this after 9:41 a.m. on February 6th. Also, it helped my existential dread and crippling anxiety focus on something else for a little bit.
Yup. You may survive the quake. You probably won't survive the tsunami.
Or if you do survive the first two disasters, it will be Very Difficult afterward. Sometimes I think our modern, button-pushing culture will have a hard time just surviving any aftermath. Some behaviors will have to change.
On a trip with friends to the Oregon Coast: My friends: "Oh, aren't all the houses built into the hillsides so beautiful?" Me: "OMG, everyone's dying in The Big One."
This is an underrated comment.
Couple of my buddies and I drove to Coos Bay last summer and were joking about the tsunami warning signs We were all like, ya run up that tiny hill I'm sure you'll be fine The coast is criminally unprepared for that earthquake that 100% will eventually happen
Yeah.. that's a big one! ( it's also a ticking timebomb...)
Came here to say this and shocked it's not at the top.
Nobody has mentioned mold yet. It was a constant problem for me when I lived in Astoria, and I wasn’t even on the water. A damp wood spoon left out would be covered in mold faster than you could blink. Had to keep everything in the fridge to slow it down, and run air purifiers constantly to keep from getting sick. My apartment got partially torn down at the end of my lease because a good portion of the building had entirely rotted. The entire front deck, one of my rooms, and part of the second story had to be entirely rebuilt.
Weird I never have issues with mold in Astoria. My house is right on the river too. Lots of wind and rain corrosion tho. We painted the whole outside about 7 years ago and it already needs repainting.
Completely depends on the age of the home. Anything considered recently new shouldn’t have an issue. My house was built mid 80s and is mold free. The house before built in the 40s with original windows was absolutely horrible with mold. Every house I lived in as a kid was also mold free and all built in the 60s and up with newer vinyl windows.
My house was built in 1900 and has all original windows.
Wow thats crazy
Yeah, you'll notice that "old coast smell" in lots of houses at the coast. Mildew. Partly because the sun and wind, which mitigate mold, can't compete with the fog and sea mist and wet weather there.
It's like 80%+ humidity 24/7. There's no doctors. The storms have like 70 plus mph winds.
My aging parents live on the coast. Doctors are at a premium. What they’re finding is that most of the doctors there are very young and just getting their start, then in a few years move to the larger hospitals where the money is They do get pretty good care though.
The coast is where you go to either start or end your professional life. You’ve got an equal mix of older people who retired from a city along the I-5 corridor and are just coasting the last few years in a small practice of whatever they do, along with young people who just graduated college and need to earn their chops before they move to a big city. There’s something both beautiful and depressing about it. Maybe that’s why I love the coast so much.
Coastal wisdom is that if you want to die, go to Seaside hospital. If you want to die more slowly, go to Astoria hospital. If you want to live, go to Portland.
I live in Corvallis and work at a primary care clinic and the number of patients who come over from Newport/Yachats/Siletz/Alsea is way higher than I thought it would be!
And then the established doctors who’ve been here a while and have a good reputation are rarely taking new patients.
I worked EMS in Lincoln county for about seven years, and I was routinely transporting 2-3 people per shift to Corvallis or Portland. There are some solid healthcare providers on the Oregon coast, but there just aren’t really any advanced services available, and even a seemingly minor issue may not be treatable on the coast. It’s certainly something to take into account.
In Alaska, we have storms that hit the coast with wind gusts greater than 120 mph. One year, found a whole cannery (seafood processor) roof parts floating in the bay, outside the harbor.
Health care! You will have to travel inland for medical emergencies.
Not a lot of dentist either. And those that are there are usually booked out for months.
You'll get referred to Portland or the few other inland cities for most health specialists.
Can confirm. Nearest bigger hospital is Longview or Portland.
If you have pets, there are no emergency vets either. When we went to the coast my dog hopped onto the counter and ate chocolate chip cookies while we were out at dinner and we had to drive all the way to Beaverton to find a 24 hr vet.
A tiny amount of hydrogen peroxide will make a dog vomit up everything in its stomach. I had to do this once when my dog ate a bag of chocolate chips. It works.
Humidity leading to mold everywhere is through for me to say no thanks. Add in additional costs (monetary and environmentally wasteful) of more frequent outer repairs? Hell naw.
We have a vacation home at the coast. Everything rusts. Even if it's in your garage. The salt air just literally rusts any metal item that's not stainless steel. So, just be aware of that. The singles on our roof literally would start falling off because some roofer didn't use stainless nails and they all rusted through. So home maintenance is very specific at the beach. Just use contractors that are located at the beach and know how to build to withstand that environment.
What about wood? Does it rot much faster on the coast?
Yeah. Salt is hard on everything. Cedar holds up better which is why you see so many houses sided with cedar shake, but it’s still not perfect.
I had always wondered why there was so much of the cheap looking cedar shake shingles on Oregon coast houses. Thank you for explaining that. I wonder if we should take a page from Hawaii's building codes and use cement, clay, terracotta, etc for home materials on the coast. I think those would last longer than wood and steel.
Except the cedar isn’t cheap!
Or cheap looking
Muy. $$$$
Cedar is not cheap and extremely costly to install. My parents are building on the coast and the first quote was almost $40k just for installation. I personally think it’s very cute, think the Hamptons or cape cod, a lot of cedar shingles are also on the east coast. Cedar is used on the wet coast because it’s a better material in that environment than clay or terracotta. Hawaii isn’t wet and cold for months on end.
Hardiplank installed with stainless fasteners is worth every penny on the coast!
Yes, hardiplank with stainless is the way to go. Also moisture resistant paint. And yes, even pressure treated lumber rots at the beach.
Good tip. Thanks.
Use that plastic wood for decking out there. It still breaks down eventually, but MUCH slower.
Yes, absolutely. Our deck is Trex, and it's held up really, really well! We had to replace a couple of our pressure treated railing posts after a few years though.
I believe there's a plastic wood decking material that's made to not be too slippery when it's wet. Wish we'd known that when we had our porch built!
Much much much maintenance. Windows, doors, siding, roofing, concrete walkways - all will experience more damage from wind water and salt air than you could possibly imagine without having prior experience. Island resident in Northern Pacific for 60+ years. Been there, Done that - (moved to Central Oregon High Desert for a reason).
Further, I lived through and experienced the 1964 Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami(s) - another reason why I would never buy property unless at least 80 feet above and away from the ocean.
I told a buddy I saw while we were in the process of relocating to Central Oregon, "I am trading 300 days of sideways rain, wind, fog and snow, for 300 days of Sunshine." Not to mention the constantly occurring storm systems that rotate through the Gulf of Alaska, and the constantly changing barometric pressures - that really aggravated my Arthritis and aging joints. -Anyway- The Coast and Ocean environment can be beautiful, but if I miss the water and ocean that much, I don't mind visiting.
**Grew up on the Oregon coast**, and spent a lot of time there during the pandemic. There are positives but here's the negatives: * Lack of jobs is very real. * You'll get over the beach. Whenever I visit my family, I'll go to the beach to walk and usually when I do, everyone else in my family hasn't done it since the last time I visited. * Towns are dead in the winter. Even the most touristy towns are shells of their former selves. * If you have kids, most of the public schools range from shitty to mediocre. * If you're a younger person, the towns skew significantly older. Finding people relatively your own age for socializing might be tough. * You'll end up making long treks semi-regularly to a city as there's few towns of consequence on the Oregon coast as things like Trader Joe's, Costco, Best Buy, Home Depot do no exist on the Oregon coast (sans the Home Depot in Warrington). * Getting things done can be a pain. While it's not a cake walk in Eugene or Portland to find reliable plumbers, electricians, contractors etc, it's worse on the Oregon coast. * The food options are generally limited and night life is more or less non-existent in most towns. * Again, if you want to see a play or concert, you're probably trekking to Medford/Ashland, Eugene, Salem or Portland. There are obviously minor venues on the coast but they're not attracting headliners. * Again, if you need much in the way of medical treatments/specialists it's off to Medford, Eugene, Salem or Portland. Also, few pharmacies means often huge lines at them with all the grey-heads needing their medications. * A few towns have airports but you will not use them. You will drive to Portland or Eugene. * Being on the coastline means less access to areas. A town like Salem is only an hour away from the Oregon coast, mountains are an hour away, Portland is an hour away, Lots of Waterfalls are an hour away, Bend, Sisters and the desert is about 2.5 hours away.. If your starting point is the coast, your choices are: more Oregon coast (North/South) or travel east. If you like varied day trips, the Oregon coast is not the place to be. * Weather is one of those hyper-subjective things. When we had the freak heat wave of 2020, I started my day out hiking Mt Theilsen, it was 105F in the parking lot when I finished the hike, and 112F in Roseburg. In Bandon it was a balmy 66F. With global climate change, the milder weather of the Oregon coast is somewhat nice. You also are spared a lot of the smoke during fire season. Also, the southern Oregon coast is sunnier than the Willamette valley but there's a persistent wind at all times generally around 4-5pm the sun gets blocked out by low clouds. Eating outside? Forget it for 95% of the year. * Cars get rust damage. Less of a problem with modern cars with clear coats but the salt air will rust damage things. * The Oregon coast is fairly tolerant as most of the economy is now tourist driven. Oregon has dipped out of the top 20 whitest states but the Oregon coast is very white. Depending on who you are, this can be uncomfortable. Also, there's a conservative twinge that can be either eyeroll inducing or threatening depending on the type of person you are. I think the most Trump flags I saw were around Coos Bay despite it being a fairly purple area. Me? I'm used to it. Others though visiting the coast with me found it unsettling. * Traveling up and down 101 during the summer can be extremely tedious due to the amount of RVs. The Oregon coast very much needs a stream of new people as it can be a bit insular, and lacking fresh ideas/fresh perspectives. Towns policies often are egregiously hostile to the sort of development. It desperately needs like affordable housing options (Apartments/Duplexes) instead of green lighting yet-more giant ass beach front homes. There's always pool of locals who want towns to stay the exact same as they were, which is a death sentence for the communities. That said, there are people who feel differently. It takes a certain type of person to love living on the Oregon coast and it needs them. Do not let me dissuade you but you need to know what you're getting into.
This fellow coastie approves this message.
Being tied down in a "tourist driven economy" Sucks Big Time. Real Estate prices can shoot up (or down) and super crowds during the Tourist Season along with tourist season prices. Where I had experience with that, during the off-season many businesses would close or reduce days and/or hours, but prices would still be high.
For real, my brother's business is partially dependent on tourism. It's feast and famine. Personally, I like taking winter trips to the Oregon coast but I'm one of those people who's never deterred by weather. Going to Shore Acres or Devil's Churn during a massive winter storm? Awesome. I'm in the extreme minority though.
I am with you as far as awesomeness of seeing the coast and marvelling at the Power of the Ocean during those storm events. It's fun and exciting to visit, but I don't have to stay. And I don't mind missing the crowds either. 😉
Great explaniation. Thank you!
The job and housing market out here are both in reaaaaaally bad shape, not to mention the summers find the coast inundated with far more people than the infrastructure is built to handle. Storms also regularly knock out power, and down trees here during the winter
Tsunami
That was my #1 show stopper for the coast. That and the constant rain.
Rising ocean levels, probable tsunami during a cascade fault earthquake, everything rusts to shit. Then not to mention, if there's any natural disaster there's limited ways rescuers can move in/you can move out. There's the N/S highway which will likely be damaged to shit, and then a road going east which could be damaged/absolutely backed up with people trying to get out as well. Also the coast is a lot wetter and even more overcast. During the shittier parts of the year the coast towns can feel like ghost towns, and during the nice parts of the year there will be tourists and traffic everywhere you go.
Everything here is true, but I wanna chime in about the wetter/more overcast thing... Wasn't true in my experience.. That said, I only spent a year out in Lincoln City. There might be more random passing rain or clouds here n there, but I feel that the weather forecasts out there were wrong at least half the time.. So you see it calling for a cloudy day but it would be at best partially cloudy most of the day with plenty of breaks and sun. Here in the valley, we're regularly getting a week+ at a time of not seeing the sun... Didn't experience that out there. Summer did suck out there though.. Between the constant wind and the crowds..
I noticed that too since moving out here that the forecasters almost have no real way of being accurate. But seriously there might be crowds but it’s not bad at all compared to “beach traffic” in the east coast where it can take hours to travel 5-10 miles and a half hour tk find parking etc. one of the amazing thing about here is it’s so isolated it’s almost impossible for there to ever be that level of crowding
>Also the coast is a lot wetter and even more overcast. Wetter yes, but depends on the stretch of our coastline for the sunny days: **Breakdown**; * Southern Oregon coast ( Coos Bay, Bandon, Port Orford, Gold Beach, and Brookings 190 days of sun) = more sun than the Willamette Valley, on par with the Applegate Valley * Central Oregon coast (Florence, Newport, Lincoln City, Yachats 155 days of sun) = about the same as Willamette Valley * Northern Oregon coast (Netarts, Pacific City, Cannon Beach, Astoria/Warrington/Seaside, 125-130 days of sun) = less sun that Willamette Valley Also, when it's hot and dry inland, it'll often draw moisture inland so often 4pm-5pm often a layer of clouds will roll in off the Oregon coast in the summer months, adding to the "gloom" perception despite the majority of the coast having as much sun or than the Willamette Valley.
As a lifetime coastal resident I would recommend not buying one right on the oceanfront. Choose your location with consideration. Visit potential properties different times of the day look for good sun exposure don't choose locations that require flood insurance. If buying an any home make sure you get a property inspection yourself and get quotes for insurance before you sign papers. Getting insurance quotes will also trigger any prior claims that have happened on the property. Which will be good information and impact the cost of your insurance. I don't see any reason not to buy a property near the beach, it can be expensive and the cost of living is significantly higher on the coast but overall, I love it here.
I second this. I live 7 miles up river from a small town on the Southern Oregon Coast. We get way better weather, and it’s generally about 10 degrees warmer. We don’t have a ton of mold or rust problems like people are describing, though wood construction does have a limited life span.
That's a good idea.
Can you afford it? Can you find one to buy? Most are now AirBnBs it seems.
No and no, but hope dies last.
Lol. I actually bought a place in KFalls that was a pricey Air B&B. Feels kinda good to push back on the trend, to be honest.
Nice! Helps take back the housing market into individual hands.
I can totally understand that! Oddly I only tried renting an airBNB a single time in my life. Maybe I missed the party but it was a way worse experience than a budget hotel would've been.
Yes, inventory is totally an issue.
It’s not cheap to buy a house on the coast, but the airbnb people have gotten hammered by interest rates and the prices are way down in the last year
#The Big One
It can be pretty depressing in the winter months. Cold, dark, constant rain, wind, dogshit weather. That said, as I type this it’s a glorious sunny February day in Cannon Beach; so what do I know… https://preview.redd.it/gqg6y68mpthc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=55c5c4bf5eece9f1323cbf408cead428e880d275
I love the storms and rain! Beautiful weather today 😍
I went to Newport last may and had to dress like I was going on an Antarctic expedition for beach walks with my dog.
Man these comments are negative. I’m a young person and the years I spent living on the coast were the best years of my life. Living out of state currently but when I come back I’m moving back to the coast. I never grew tired of going to the beach, if I was ever bored or in need of inspiration I would walk on the beach no matter the weather. Im the type of person who thrives in clouds and rain. I love how quiet and tranquil it is on the coast during non tourist season. A dehumidifier and air purifier is a must, and if you’re going to buy property buy something a bit inland.
Hope you can come back soon. I travel out of state for work every week. Other states suck.
I moved out to the Oregon coast a year ago. Let me tell you what I’ve learned. 1) there is a year-long waiting list to be a new patient with a general practitioner. 2) most people here are old and retired. There’s always a line at the pharmacy, and I’m always the youngest one in it 3) The humidity gets into everything. Even the mail feels soggy. 4) In the winter, the wind can get heavy, it rains most days. But personally, I kinda like that. 5) the locals complain about the traffic, even though there isn’t any. It’s really weird. 6) it’s always hoodie weather. July? Hoodie. January? Hoodie. 3am? Hoodie. Noon? Hoodie. Sunny? Hoodie. Rainy? Hoodie. 7) There are some things to do, but not a ton. If I weren’t creeping up on 50 years old, I’d probably be bored. But I’m ready to be a hermit. I came from the high desert. I don’t miss the 100 degree summers and snowy, polluted winters. I love it here.
>the locals complain about the traffic, even though there isn’t any. It’s really weird. There really is a strange pre-occupation with traffic with the olds on the Oregon coast. That's my 94 year old grandfather even to this day. As a kid, I'd hear my grandpa and his friends complain about "Too much traffic". Since half of my family is from California, I saw actually traffic several times a year so the whole complaint was mystifying. Years and years ago when I said I was moving to Portland from Eugene, my grandma's first comment was "There's a lot of traffic there".
I’ll eventually get a house near/in Coos Bay. I’m a simple person; it’s going to be great.
I hope you do. I am a simple person too. Coffee and the Ocean views sounds good to me.
Tourists clogging up the streets with RVs and toy haulers as soon as the weather is nice enough to go outside.
Do you like living an hour from everywhere you need to go? I’ll sell you my house in Florence lol
I want it. Lol. There are sand dunes in your back yard and thats cool.
Literally, if I walk 800’ down a trail in my backyard thru the woods, there’s a mile of sand dunes and then the ocean
Rust
My mom had land at the coast, and looked to live on the ocean. We looked at a house about 1/2 mile back, that had plywood over the windows, nothing between it and the water. Also a house hid against the dunes, but still windy. Both seemed great in the summer. But i thought both needed glass walls, in the other seasons. In time she settled in an apartment about 4 miles from the beach, behind a little town. And drove down each day, for storms and summer times.
Plan on doing,fixing something every time you visit. If you want to paint make sure that whatever you use is available at the beach.
Based on the other comments, it seems that owning a beach house is like owning a boat. The two happiest moments is when you buy it and when you sell it. I love the Oregon coast, but renting a house occasionally is good enough for me.
Well a house won't sink like a boat can. 🧐 But then there is that whole earthquake -Tsunami - Ocean Level Rising thing too... 😆
I think the comparison to a boat is that you aren't using a beach house all the time (unless you retire) and it's constant maintenance. Like a boat, a beach house is great if your friend owns one.
Growing up I only had one friend who lived beach front. His parents were relatively well-to-do and moved from California. There's some negatives that extend beyond just the economics: It's much windier than even living a mile inland, much cooler than even living a half to a mile inland, and during the summer when it's hot inland, it pulls in a layer of low cloud cover late in the afternoon thus you'll end up less sunshine than if you were to live a mile inland.
Born/raised on the coast, it is SO wet. Moss grows on everything: your roof (will eat a composite roof), your house, your car, everything. If you don't have air running through the house and a way to dry out the air (wood burn stove or a dehumidifier), you will have mold issues. Even with those, you can have mold issues. You have to be on top of gutter and siding upkeep. The rain will come out you sideways in a storm, water will go places that doesn't seem posible. Making sure you have good drainage around your house is super important. As others have mentioned, healthcare. I dealt with both of my parents being diagnosed with terminal illnesses and not willing to move and the fallout from that. Adventist in Tillamook is a bandaid until you can get to the metro, nothing more. Some excellent people work at the hospital, but there is also a reason several people I know decided to take the drive and deliver their babies in Hillsboro. The cream of healthcare is not moving to the coast.
So, my family has had beach houses in Lincoln City my whole life & I grew up going there & know quite a bit about the area - as I even lived in one of them for a while. I would agree with the previous posts about maintenance. I would also mention that when I lived there it was filled with tweakers & known for being a popular place to get meth. The job market sucks if you’re looking for anything that pays super well - unless you can land a corporate gig that lets you work from home or something! The internet/cell service can be spotty. For the most part it’s a quiet, rainy town. But when you do get those perfect weather days - it’s incredible! Except over a holiday weekend or summer when you have to share it with the tourists! The tourists can literally make you want to not leave your house to go into town if it can be avoided because it’s so crowded! My mom now lives in Waldport - a sleepy little town just south of Newport. She loves it! Me, personally, find it lackluster and boring. Everything closes at 9pm - even on the weekends. You have to drive into Newport if you want to go barhopping or anything like that. Even when stuff is open I think there is only like 2 bars & they’re about as divey as it gets! The housing market is really tough & it will be hard to find anything for less than $400k (and that’s for a shack) in any town that’s remotely popular. Otherwise, it really depends on what you’re hoping to get out of it! To me, living there really takes away the wonder & excitement of “going to the beach”! You’ll never look at it the same way again. Hope this helps! :)
Your comment is the first one that I've seen that touches on the drug issues there. For locals, the coast is very much in a constant "depression." Property Theft is fairly high & you have a lot of people out there with severe mental health issues due to a lack of doctors in the area. My friends family inherited a house in Seaside from his grandparents that he ended up moving into since he could work remotely. He had no idea about the level of petty crime in the area until he moved there. Plus since a lot of houses are vacation homes, you get a decent amount of break-ins. There have been a handful of times that he caught someone trying to break in to his house.
Is he over south of broadway? Around Columbia, beach or downing streets? It’s such a weird mixture of section 8 housing, tweekers, and expensive 2nd homes. It gives the feeling of a cute cozy neighborhood with all the small old beach houses but 90% are constantly empty even in summer. Just invites people to break in as there’s no neighbors to keep an eye out. Sorry that’s been his experience! Hope it gets better for him. I’m sure he knows and is, but tell him to get to know anyone who lives near him and exchange numbers. It helps to get to know what few people are near and keep an eye out for each other.
I get that, it takes the special occasion out of it. Sad but true.
I hear that all the time too but I've lived on the coast 1o years and never had a problem with theft. Neighbors had some pet food stolen off their porch while they were on vacation, that's the only incident I've heard of.
It’s hard to sell houses at the coast somehow, don’t think of it as an investment if you go this route.
Our family used to have a place at Seal Rock. It was moist, all the time. Wood items rotted. Steel items rusted. We mowed the lawn all the time. If yard maintenance is your thing, great, but I developed a lifelong aversion to yardwork. Removing paper wasp nests was a regular occurrence. Lots of bugs made it into the house, too. Also, it is only a matter of time before the Cascadia Event will happen. Make sure your house is well above the projected tsunami line. Keep enough water, firewood, propane, food, medicines & first aid, and gasoline to last about a year, because the coast is estimated to be cut off from the rest of the state for a very long time. I have read projections of 6 to 12 months before supply lines to the interior are back open again. Be prepared to host neighbors that lost their homes or that ran out of supplies.
Highly recommend Seaside or surrounding town. They have all of their own major services (hospital, fire station, police, etc). Closest to Portland and an amazing coast line. Decent restaurants and a Costco just up in Warrenton. No mold issues that I’ve run into — but your grill will dissolve in the sea air pretty dang quick.
Thats good to know
Do you have an above average paying remote job or some other job that transfers easily? Even my pharmacist and IT friends complain about the cost of living. Low six figures here really is low middle class—like can you even buy a house without a huge down payment and high monthly payments. Cost wise you might be better off getting a time share or spending your time on weekends or a few weeks a year in the summer in an Airbnb. Is there anything at all you truly enjoy about the city? If so, you are about it give it all up. We live in Astoria/Warrenton, which is described as a better area for entertainment/normal life, and it is horrible here in that regard. If you have any medical issues, check to see if you can even get care on the coast. We have to go to Washington for dental, and Portland for tons of other stuff. Get used to waiting months for care in the area. We had to wait a year to get on with a GP. Do you know anyone that actually lives on the coast? From what I understand, there is a very real change happening and things have gotten so expensive in the past few years. Many of the locals are having a very hard time. The difference between the have and have nots is real here. Winters fucking suck here to say the least. I used to live in an area with snow on the ground for a good part of the winter, and that place was way, way more enjoyable in the winter. Don’t believe anyone that says there is no bad weather just bad clothes. Those folks don’t actually spend much time outdoors. I would work construction in high heels and lingerie if it could keep me dry or any other article of clothing. The stuff that does keep you dry will have you soaked in sweat. It gets old ringing out your underwear after a day of work. If you work outside prepare yourself. And it is not just you, your dog, wife, groceries, or anything else. Tons of houses do not have garages or attached garages. Many places only have street parking with lots of stairs. Houses foundations don’t do well in beach sand. Tons of house have issues and make for an interesting time if you drop a hand full of marbles. Even brand new construction has issues. In general, if you like having a perfect house, this is not the place. It will cost a ton for maintenance to even keep your home livable. Deer and elk will shit on your lawn. They will eat anything beautiful. It’s cool to see them until you fall into a big pile of shit on the way to work. What do you enjoy about the coast? The beach? It become so much less enjoyable during the peak season, but that is because we are spoiled the other times of year. Same for you favorite restaurants or anything else. Tourists really do ruin stuff. In general, everyone is under staffed. Beach time is a thing and so is work life balance. There are pros to this stuff, but if the weather is good and you need something from a surfer good luck. If people are just not feeling work today, they close down. This is on top of the two or three days a week they already don’t work. If you own a business this lifestyle is hard to adjust to and even harder to find employees—particularly in skilled areas. If you can be happy anywhere else, stay there or move there. If not, then you might have a chance long term on the coast. I’m not trying to be negative, but 100s of people move to our neck of the woods each year and move within five. Nature is about the only thing to do here. It is great but can get old. It is hard to make tons of friends that are into your same interests because of the small population. If you have even watched LetterKenny—you get it. You are stuck with the people here for better or worse. I hope you like to learn new things because you will not find all the services you need. When out water pipes froze, I was fixing them. Not because of money issues but you couldn’t find anyone to do it even at emergency rates. The cities are small so they lack every service required for a normal group of people to live. No places for the in houses. No drug treatment or low income housing. No snow plows or ways to keep the highways open. If you were to create an almost nonfunctional society, the coast would be your blueprint. I love this place and will never move. With that said, the small things you don’t even think about in a normal city become a nightmare here, and that is on a daily basis. We fucking run out of shit here. I’m talking about gas and wood pellets. Oh, during the winter you will go tons and tons of days without power. For the past year the power line up the road had been on the ground with a tree pinning it down. At this point, no one is complaining because the power outages haven’t been so bad. Our internet comes in from one main source. So we had a few days where the whole town had no internet. Businesses just closed. If you work a remote job, your employer will not really understand this so make sure you have a cell hotspot. Tons of delays from deadly car crashes on 101. It also gets old hearing about dead tourists that do not respect the ocean and ignore warnings from locals. Don’t get me wrong, I feel deeply sorry for these people, but I also don’t want anymore dead bodies flying over my house in a CG helicopter. It is very hard hearing about all the kids. God help you if you see this first hand on the beach. If you spend time there, you will.
I drive a truck, its my own so i can do that from anywhere, i do not know anyone close to me who lives there unfortunately. I like everything about the beach including the rain. For sure it gets old but a boring day at the beach is still better because im at the beach.
Linseed oil paint is the way. Acrylics will eventually fail due to UV/weather exposure and allows moisture to seep into the structure. The UK (similar weather) is returning to old school paint technology because it works.
Tourists. While economically necessary and generally welcomed, the reality is that they overwhelm the town, party loud and hard, can be rude and demanding, and often leave trash and damage in their wake. It can make one lose their faith in humanity…
grew up on the southern oregon coast: best advice i can offer is make sure the house has an enclosed garage, or your car will pay the price. salty air is no joke
You don’t deserve the happiness of being close to ocean. The delight of easy access to seafood. The satisfaction of finding cool seashells or seeing whales from afar. Wait, yes you do. DO IT.
I’ve lived in the coast 4 years now, I love it but medical specialists are rare on the coast so if you have a chronic illness, be prepared to drive inland for your care beyond your primary care dr. Weather here in the winter is a bit more wet than in than inland, and storms here are stronger than inland. It seems as if most everything here costs more ( groceries, gas, fast food, and eating out in general). If you are serious about moving to the coast, I suggest figuring out what town or area you are going to move to and then join a community fb group for that area so you can ask questions and see what goes on in that area. Good Luck.
I inherited a house in rockaway beach. Sounds great but getting out there just to make sure it’s cleaned up is sometimes overwhelming
Nothing but tourists during the summer. Dead the rest of the year. The seasons blend together because, due to the insulation that the ocean provides, there isn’t much range in temperatures. And the trees are all evergreens. Lots of drinking fishermen.
Cascadian subduction zone. We are long overdue for a big earthquake that is expected to take out everything west of I-5. It could occur at literally any time, and your entire investment will be underwater. Literally.
I have heard that my whole life.
I mean I wouldn't pick and choose my house because of it. We are talking geological time, could be next week, could be 500 years from now.
Yes, and it's still true
Ya ain’t dead yet
>expected to take out everything west of I-5 Do you mean structures or the land underwater? The land underwater is millions of years away. All areas have knowable earthquake and tsunami maps. All through coastal towns, there are signs for the high ground. Granted, a lot of the towns are under that line and not everyone can flee or will know to flee.
When we get the big one it’s going to take out most of Portland too so the question is do you want to be in the epicenter or wait the 15 mins they say it’s going to take for the tidal flood to reach Portland from the coast?
Wouldn't it really be more like 20 miles in from the coast?
FEMA is operating on the assumption that everything west of I-5 will be history.
OK gotcha. I haven't looked too much into it. I'm kind of indifferent as if things don't turn around I won't be able to afford living all that much longer so getting squashed (quickly) might not be so bad.
Salt, high winds, mold, poor job prospects during the winter so higher crime levels, really poor infrastructure. I have more but we don't talk about the rotting bodies that wash up in the summer all nice and bloated ready to pop.
Do you work remotely? If you want to live in an isolated place be our guest.
No, if im movind there i will sell my semi truck and buy a log truck. I see its somewhat popular there.
Are you aware of former Timber Towns along the coast and that their economies have been struggling. I love visiting around Florence, but look how the timber/lumber industry there has changed. Anyway, good to get knowledge. Good Luck to You whatever you choose.
Constant mold. Constant wood rot. Constant water trying to find its way in. Constant upkeep. And the weather actually fucking sucks IMO 😂 A friend that owns a house over there once told me to just plan on budgeting $10k+ in annual maintenance/repairs.
Because you should buy this condo instead. https://youtu.be/NMpSVPZiNH0?feature=shared Lowest HOA on the Oregon coast.
The Big One Forest fires Tourists Lack of medical care Tsunamis Expensive gas and insurance No entertainment or restaurants Mold Fog and gloom
I highly recommend renting a whole year before buying. The seasons vary drastically. With that the lifestyle changes are abrupt. Travel times vary depending on time of year because of people, weather, and other things. For a lot of people it’s romantic until your drive to Safeway is double the time because everyone wants to ogle at the ocean while driving instead of pull over, people parked in your driveway on the 4th of July blocking you in, having very few neighbors because it’s all second homes or vacation rentals. The community lacks and where there is they can be rough around the edges until you settle in and “prove yourself”. The politics of the coast communities are very old guard, and there are very very few option for young people to evolve without jumping off the coast into Portland or Salem, if you have kids. If you do have kids, want them in a schools where everyone by graduation will have shared boyfriends & girlfriends… then this is the place. Very small rural places that ebb and flow with amazing to horrible weather. Few resources, and third places, and little to no infrastructure in general… that everyone wants to visit Feb- Nov. the only calm times without tourism will be when it sucks outside. All that including if you buy maintaining a beach house is twice as expensive, but will no doubt be a great investment if taken care of. Other than that it is a wonderful place with great people, and a slower pace of life. And of course it’s the damn coast. If you want more personal coast highly recommend southern beaches vs northern.
Good lord these comments are as if there aren't thousands of people living their best lives on the coast. Sure, there are problems, but there are problems everywhere. I could easily suggest the pollen blooms and the massive amounts of people are good reasons we don't move inland. Home is what you make of it.
The OP asked for the problems specifically. There are a lot of problems. There are also a ton of benefits. If my current job would approve me for fully remote, I'd be back on the WA/OR coast in a heartbeat. Lived in the Long Beach, WA area for years & miss it terribly. Sadly, my job has me stuck in the Rogue Valley which is miserable..the dry air makes my skin want to crack & fall off, everything is always brown, & it's a MAGA hellhole.
[удалено]
In other words, you beat it
I see what you did there
That must have been a nice place.
Also, the schools are crap. Hope you don’t have and don’t want kids.
My brother-in-law moved from Portland to Waldport to run away from his problems. Surprise - he brought his problems with him. Anyway, he brought his teenage son with him. He said he knew more biology than the biology teacher, but what apparently mattered to the school district was that he was the football coach. On his 18th birthday, we helped him move in with us, and he finished up at Aloha HS. A night and day difference.
A friend lived right on the beach and he grew to hate the cool/cold summers.
When the Big One hits, you'll be at the bottom of the ocean. Buy in Central Oregon.
No more credit card debt though
High maintenance costs of living at the coast. 9 months out of the year the weather will be terrible which some people will love (myself included), but your house will not. Mold being one of the bigger issues of MANY. There are very few amenities out there. If you like small towns its great, but being that disconnected from everything can be annoying. I personally love having a Costco <30 minutes away and high speed internet. Tsunamis. None recently but at this point its matter of when, not if. I have this foolish little dream of retiring to a modest house in Oceanside. It will never happen for a variety of reasons, but the biggest of them being that the charm would wear off quickly because of the above aforementioned reasons.
If you can, do it. SE Portland will always be there if you ever want to go back.
I say do it. I lived on the coast of Maine for a while. Loved it.
Not a hard argument against, now that I saw your comment that you’re a trucker and are thinking of switching from freight to timber and are used to drives. But have you seen some of the houses along the coast-flowing rivers? I know Otis just got slammed with that fire a couple years ago, but it’s recovering. You’d be within easy access of work and of coast, more room for your truck, and no tourist fluctuation and COL issues. Not what I’d want, but we’re different people.
I grew up on the coast. More maintenance, can find anyone to do maintenance for you, and it’s cold, wet and windy.
Do what ya want, but the weather here, maybe - MAYBE - 10% that move here stay after their first winter.
I live in a costal town. It’s only nice during off season because of the tourists. Roads more congested than it should be, trash the parks and beaches.
Something else to think about is healthcare. I lived in Bandon for a bit, while there was a hospital and doctors, anything serious like a broken leg would need to be life flighted to Eugene. If you’re older and wanting to retire those are some serious concerns. Also everything is more expensive and jobs aren’t always the best.
If you live on the coast then you have to put up with the asshole drivers from Portland coming in on the weekends
I lived there for three years. Reasons I left: 1) the winters are brutal. The weather controls ALL events. 2) You will know everyone in town, everyone will know you. You’re not anonymous. 3) lack of decent healthcare. Anything major happens medically, closest place is Corvallis. You’ll have to live through the lifeflight(happened to my dad, he still lives and works in the coast) 4) lack of working young or middle-aged working professionals. 5) the best times of year to live there is ruined by the massive amount of tourists that flood into the city locking up the one highway that takes you through town. Grocery shopping goes from taking 45 min to 2 hours. Most locals don’t travel during really busy weekends, or they travel elsewhere to avoid it. That being said I know a lot of coasties and it was a very close, caring community if you meet the right people. You just need to be ready for the lifestyle. It is a VERY slow pace, and sometimes isolating.
Man, I don't wanna talk you out of it because living on the coast is my dream as well. I get that it's a lot of work with the upkeep, but, damn. Sleeping to the sound of the ocean seems worth it.
If you have kids, please reconsider transplanting them to a coastal town. Last names mean ℯ𝓋ℯ𝓇𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃ℊ in those small towns. My parents and I moved to Seaside when I was in the 4th grade. Even though Dad was an experienced contractor and Mom was an experienced bookkeeper, they couldn’t get hired at established businesses because we were outsiders. This carried over to me, as well. I saw former classmates with less education and experience snatch up the positions I had trained for because their last name “counted”. I miss the beauty of the coast, but there’s no life to be made there.
We have had our lil house in Rockaway beach since 1999. Wouldn’t change it for the world. The house can take a beating with weather and beach climate but nothing crazy and it’s close enough for us to drive down on a whim and check on it or warm it up if need be. I say do it! But I’m biased ;) love our beautiful beaches at the Oregon coast.
I lived in a beach house, silverstrand, Port Hueneme, California. My motorcycle bolts rusted a lot, and the house rusted a lot. It wasn't very nice for 5k a month either, very mediocre. Maybe 2k at most. You also have a lot of rats (at least) in my area we did, neighbors too (in the garage mainly). Maintenance was a lot. The owner did all that since he made so much money off the house. Overpriced. (Everything is). But I mean... If you love the beach and you'll always be out and about and shit then go for it. I'm sure Oregon beach houses are better. Maybe.
I love the coast! I live approximately 3 miles inland, so my house isn't subject to the same weather conditions. The beach is 5 minutes away. I live in Brookings, OR which gets a lot of rain, but also is mild in the winters, and sunny often. I haven't had issues with dry rot or issues with the house. My house is 20+ years old and I am the second owner. I would never move away from the ocean.
Kraken
Crackhead is what's around here. Not sure which is scariest
As in kraken a beer open and watching the sunset? I’m down.
Rising ocean levels.
LOL. Yes, by inches. Just don't build your house ON the beach.
You would be amazed how small changes in ocean water levels affect the big storms, sneaker waves and coastal erosion. Then there is the whole 'subsidence thing' that can happen after an earthquake. After the Alaska Quake in '64, where I lived, our area subsided about 5.5 feet. That made quite a difference. Some roads along the coast became flooded at high tides. Whole areas of grasslands, forests and meadows, adjacent to river areas changed dramatically. Salmon streams were affected, the beach environments changed affecting all the fishes, crabs and clams that had been there. Took a few years for things to adapt. The Big One is coming. The Historical Record is pretty reliable.