MissKNG Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 We are in the beginning stages of moving west and dh has mentioned Oregon. We are looking for an area that is small town but within 30 minutes of a mid sized city. We are looking for a house with some land to be able to do a bit of homesteading while being able to survive on a modest income. Dh is a "labor" sort of guy, currently works in a mine, nothing office like. We are interested in the southern portion of the state. I googled a map of Oregon and obtained some of the bigger towns but of course, the small towns aren't shown on the map. Some of those towns of interest are Altamont, Lakeview, Ashland, and Fields. Are there any towns near those place that are nice? Or anywhere else you may recommend? Any help would be great! Again, we are in early stages so this is all very new to me! Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnae Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Well, I don't know anything about Altamont and Fields. Lakeview is in the middle of nowhere, and I wouldn't really consider it a mid-sized city. The last time I was there, there wasn't much there. I'm 30 minutes from Ashland. It's a beautiful town, but very liberal, which is not a problem if you're very liberal. I'm not, so the politics there would drive me crazy. It's a nice place to visit, though. I have friends who do a bit of homesteading out of Rogue River. There's actually a lot of smaller areas around here to do some homesteading. I'm partial to Central Point, but there's areas outside of Eagle Point, Grants Pass, Ruch...and they're all within driving distance to Medford/Grants Pass (depending on where in the valley you settle). Those two cities will likely have everything you need. Anywhere in Oregon, at least along the I-5 corridor is beautiful. The eastern part of the state can be kind of deserty and desolate, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violamama Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Define "mid-sized city" because it sounds like Oregon is more sparsely populated than where you're from... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 I don't know about the others, but Ashland is a wonderful town. The housing market is higher than surrounding areas, but it's super friendly and beautiful and has a lot to do for a small town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyK Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 I love Ashland but it has gotten fairly expensive as a retirement destination -- it has wonderful culture with the Shakespeare festival, great restaurants, etc. Lakeview is not a big place -- I haven't been there in years -- but as I recall it is dry. I'm about as far from homesteading as you can get, so apologies if this is off-base, but I think it would help if you have any climate preferences. Southern Oregon in the Willamette Valley is warmer than the northern Willamette Valley but it definitely seems like a climate that you could grow a lot. I don't know if you are looking at the coastal areas at all but it is a different climate, also lovely. I'm a big fan of Central and Eastern Oregon and as I remember Lakeview fits with that climate. But it is dry, more temperature extremes. More like ranching than farming country. It is our favorite part of Oregon to vacation but it may not be what you are imagining when you think of Oregon. Are you interested in the southern part of the state because of jobs or some other reason? Is there any way you can come out and drive around and see the different areas and towns? If you are not wedding to southern OR for a job, I would look at the other parts too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violamama Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 For real estate gawking in Oregon, I love the John L Scott website with the interactive map: www.johnlscott.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 What about the Medford or Grants Pass Areas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted January 27, 2013 Author Share Posted January 27, 2013 Dh was interested in moving to CA so I figured southern Oregon was close by. I will check out central Oregon too and all of the towns you all have listed! Thank you so much...this will give me something to work with. We live in NY State so this is completely different. I guess I didn't realize how rural Oregon is. Thanks! Off to research! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violamama Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 In that case, Eugene is pretty cute, though not really southern oregon. The land around it is incredibly rich and there are lots of homesteaders. I think you could probably homestead just about anywhere in OR, though the desert regions would pose more of a challenge with water. I adore the Willamette Valley, which is again more north. It's a temperate, beautiful, easily cultivated and relatively inexpensive area to live. Have fun looking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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