r/Eugene • u/Demifiend101 • Dec 18 '22
I'm really starting to think moving here was a massive mistake. Moving
It was this, Huston Texas or north Carolina. I was just so sick and tired of living in a poverty state (WV) and wanted to make way more money.
Now I'm making 3600 a month, but the housing market is so competitive and high market I might as well be making 1200 back in the mountain state.
It's a complete god damn nightmare, currently staying in a motel that's costing me 2000$ a month just because I can't get in anywhere no matter how hard I try or applications I fill.
Applications which all have 50-80$ background checks. I've spent will over 1000$ in less than a month filling out those things.
Huston has a population of over 2.7 MILLION, and you can get a place there for just 600 a month still.
Where did it all go wrong here?
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u/washington_jefferson Dec 18 '22
As of August 13, 2022, the following applies in Eugene:
Cap application and screening fees at $10: Require landlords to charge no more than a set application and screening fee to potential tenants.
Who is charging you (OP) more than $10?
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u/NanaKaya426 Dec 19 '22
Is that real??? That’s awesome. When I was applying for places last the application fees were $30-$40 and it was such a drain.
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u/pand3monium Dec 19 '22
What's this quote from and does it also apply to Portland area or just Eugene?
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u/washington_jefferson Dec 19 '22
It was from the City of Eugene’s website. The city council approved rent protection measures for its citizens this summer. It’s a three-phased process, and Phase One began in August. The $10 rule is part of phase one.
I’m on my phone now, but if you just copy and paste what I quoted to google it should pop up.
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u/Ulterior_Motif Dec 23 '22
I’m all for low screening fees but it seems more realistic to cap them at the real price of a background check which is closer to $30.00
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u/washington_jefferson Dec 23 '22
Hmm, well I would agree $10 does not make sense, and I know there is a lawsuit over it. I just saw this text, though it’s not from a City webpage. It would make sense, though:
Applicant screening charges for tenancies located in Eugene shall not exceed $10 or the housing providers’ average actual cost of screening applicants, whichever amount is less.
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u/Ulterior_Motif Dec 23 '22
Yeah, regardless of what it “ought” to be landlords need to be following the law.
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u/erika1972 Dec 18 '22
Yeah. It’s bad.
When people ask if they should move here, the answer is often ‘it’s beautiful so yes, but make sure you’ve figured out jobs and housing first because it’s insane’.
Can you maybe rent in a nearby town? Little less expensive. Or rent a room from someone? I think those go for $800-1200.
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u/MadeWithLessMaterial Dec 18 '22
Do you have bad credit or evictions on your record?
What are the reasons you’re being declined for rentals?
(I know it’s a tough market out there. I’m just trying to drill down to solutions)
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u/thepriest_theycallme Dec 18 '22
Even if he did have those things, people have to live somewhere. I know what you're saying, but in a civilized society, these would not condemn you to homelessness.
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u/MadeWithLessMaterial Dec 18 '22
… riiiiiggght, but this guy is having problems now. Let’s maybe focus on a solution for him before diagnosing societal global ills, m’kay?
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u/puppyxguts Dec 19 '22
He may not even be getting declined, most rentals that are on the affordable side will already have 2-3 applicants within the hour. My last place had 50 applicants within two days, maybe one day actually. We actually weren't the first pick either, like 3rd. We were persistent though; when they posted the ad a second time I called them immediately and said we were still interested and luckily got in.
Another place I applied within 4-5 hours of the posting already had an applicant. When those folks didn't get the place, I got an email that the app opened, I submitted the app within an hour and I missed my chance.
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u/MadeWithLessMaterial Dec 19 '22
TBH it was that way when I moved to this region in 2013, too.
I would suggest to the OP persistence. Lots and lots of persistence.
And maybe a lucky rabbit's foot.
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u/puppyxguts Dec 19 '22
Those are probably the only things that will save you lol. I bookmarked all the rental properties besides bell and Von Klein, checked them all 4 times a day, pre filled out a rental application to copy over, checked Craigslist an equal amount..rode my bike around one day to check for for rent signs...it's like a full time job
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u/thorazaar Dec 18 '22
And we don't live in a civilized society anymore. No money? No one gives a fuck. Do u live in Eugene? Have you seen the homelessness here?
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u/sepia_dreamer Dec 18 '22
There aren’t many places in the so-to-say civilized world with as much population growth as we have here AND as much reluctance to build housing.
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u/foxglove0326 Dec 19 '22
Yea that’s great and all… but it’s not reality. I’d LOVE to live in a just and ideal world, but we don’t. Come back to earth.
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u/whackthat Dec 18 '22
We've got excellent credit, no evictions and med-high paying jobs and it took us 3 months + to find housing within our budget (didnt want to spend all of our income on housing) stayed a year, transferred to Portland which is its own nightmare! Ha!
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u/MadeWithLessMaterial Dec 18 '22
Out of curiosity, is the rental market that different in Portland from here?
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u/ShouldBe77 Dec 18 '22
ImO, as I've been recently in this boat, at least in what's considered "close in." (I don't have experience with the plethora of surrounding suburbs.) There's not a lot of in-between. There's big, old, beautiful houses (so much of pdx looks like the Whit to me), or apartments. So if you can afford a big house, it's comparable, $2500, 3bd with yard. It is very common to have roommates. The apartments are not as good of a value, but often come with amenities. The parking sucks, and most often, not included in rent. BUT the biggest difference is wages! The same jobs in Eug, is paid about $5 LESS an hour. The housing market does not reflect that difference! And don't even get me started on the housing cost/wage disparity in Corvallis. Now THAT is a shit show.
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u/sepia_dreamer Dec 18 '22
Interesting. So you’re saying it’s easier to afford costs of living in Portland than in Eugene.
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u/ShouldBe77 Dec 18 '22
Not necessarily. The food costs more. Every grocery store, not just a few items, across the board... the food is definitely more expensive. And the commute, to everything, is.. if you haven't "lived it," unimaginable. Most things that are 3-5 miles away from your house, not during peak hours, is a 10-25 minute drive. My morning drive DT, from NE (last 3 months), was 13 miles. If I left at 7:45-50am it took about 15-17 minutes. If I left at 7:55, seriously, the same route, to the same place... 25-40 mins! It feels like driving to the Springfield Winco, from W 11th Wal-Mart, at 5:30pm... to do anything. There's, "no good way." For some people, time iS money. The beer/cider is the same or better priced, so that's awesome 😁. The outside entertainment/heated/covered dining/social areas are wAy better, and in every neighborhood. So if that's something that brings you joy, being able to access it easily, could be of significant value. So I dunno.. the stuff to do there, far outweighs what's in Eugene. The variety of people makes it eaiser to find "fun" for most anyone. The fast pace, city lifestyle, is unique. There's a reason they call Eugene, "the biggest little town in Oregon!"
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u/honorarycat Dec 19 '22
I made the same mistake you did, except going to PDX. Was in a hotel for a month before I found a place. The challenge for me was everyone wanting your income to be at least 3x the rent.
Then I moved to Eugene because I was priced out of PDX. Secured apt here before moving though. That was 2016 which may as well be a generation ago.
You can't count on ads always though. I cold called low income apt complexes to find a place. Can't recall if the list I found was on a Lane County site or state one. Verify your income is low enough to qualify for them first so you don't waste time. If you make too much to be considered low income, cold call complexes in your budget with a decent number of units.
If nothing is available, ask to get on a wait list. "Worst" thing that can happen then is you find a suitable place before your name is at the top. An apt might not be ideal, but beats the motel/hotel deal.
Good luck finding a place.
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u/MadeWithLessMaterial Dec 18 '22
That's crazy about the wages! Thanks for letting me know. Portland is too big of a city for me to feel comfortable, but I keep hearing people go from Eugene up there, so it has me wondering.
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u/PufffTheDragMagician Dec 19 '22
Yep, this. I just moved back to PDX after 7 years in Eugene. I’m paying $1300 for a 1br apartment in a small complex, good central neighborhood, includes parking and shared laundry. My friend is paying $1100 for a comparable 1br in Eugene (no parking tho). I am making $8 more an hour here than I was in Eugene.
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Dec 19 '22
I moved to Eugene because I couldn’t handle Portland area rentals. 2017 was when I moved because my rent went up 40% in one lease. I think that’s no longer legal, but prices were going up fast. When I lived there the method of finding a place was to refresh craigslist and apply a to every new listing as fast as possible, because even if I filled out the paperwork and dropped the application with a check for the fee within an hour sight unseen, I was often 3rd or 4th in line to be considered.
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u/SantaClaws1972 Dec 18 '22
At this point unless you are at least upper middle class it is a risky business moving here. I don’t understand how people can just up and move somewhere without 100% having housing lined up.
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Dec 18 '22
Most people don't do that, fools do and then complain about winding up homeless or broke because their dumb asses couldn't think ahead two steps...
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Dec 18 '22 edited Dec 18 '22
Well if he moves to North Carolina he could do it without much of a plan.
In Oregon you just can’t. The market is low supply, Renters have too much gouging over application fees, and you get lower quality for significantly higher prices. Coming from WV you just aren’t used to it, and it is worse than you think it will be.
I moved from NC to Lebanon and was shocked to find how expensive and hard to find places are. For a 2 bdrm 2 bath I was paying 800 in a city of 150k people. In Lebanon for the same thing (that I was super lucky to find taking over someone’s lease) I was paying 1200 in a town of 10,000 people. I tried to move to Albany or Corvallis and commute to work but that in itself is a laughable concept.
There are so many price gouging rules about moving out too. You just don’t know how much shittier it is to find housing in Oregon until you make the move. Nothing preps you for how much of a downgrade you will settle with, and you feel like you are always being scammed. I mean who have ever lived in a $1000 dollar a month apartment and the management company were slumlords trying to steal your deposit. Not until Oregon.
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Dec 19 '22
You just don’t know how much shittier it is to find housing in Oregon until you make the move.
Or just read the local reddits(even the forums at city-data.com can have good info )of places you're considering before( as opposed to after) acting on a whim. Otherwise, it's just rolling the dice and praying to make a major move without doing some very serious intel first.
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u/tsunamiforyou Dec 19 '22
I think only a dimbaass would sign a lease on a place without seeing it (or the roommates)
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u/ajb901 Dec 19 '22
When you're moving from out-of-state with 4 weeks notice it's often the only option you have.
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u/Pleasant-Judge-7479 Dec 18 '22
It shouldn't be so difficult to find a house in this area. If this person is having trouble locating housing while immersed in the area, able to submit applications to all the local rental companies, how in the world could they have done it from our of state?
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u/Cloud_Shaped_Cloud Dec 18 '22
Sounds like you moved without doing research first.
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u/TheFrogWife Dec 18 '22
Not only do we have an issue with lots of sudden movers to the area but also we have a problem (along with much of the west) with hedge fund ownership of homes which really drives up prices.
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u/AdmirableDouble5 Dec 18 '22
We are our own evil sometimes. A few of my friends owned homes and did long term rentals but after all the rules went into effect regarding evictions it just wasn't worth the hassle anymore. Now they both do vrbo. When you spend months trying to evict someone who isn't paying rent and is trashing something you own costing tens of thousands of dollars it's not worth it. There used to be so many listings on craigslist of private owners renting homes out. Now they have all switched to VRBO because you don't have to deal with the headaches of trying to evict someone.
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u/ajb901 Dec 19 '22
Dang is someone forcing them to own second and third homes as speculative assets in the middle of a housing crisis?
I'm sure they would perfectly decent folks if it were up to them.
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u/stinkyfootjr Dec 18 '22
I keep reading about corporate ownership of homes but I haven’t seen any statistics what those local numbers could be. I know 2 real estate brokers and a person that owns a management company and between those 3 they own almost 2 dozen rentals of all types. Rentals because of the university has always been a lucrative business in Eugene, and they’ve always stuck it to renters.
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u/TheFrogWife Dec 18 '22
I've been investing for about 10 years now and I've personally noticed a trend in small funds being bought on the market that contain about 100 houses in their portfolios and that's it, they have a lot of movement especially when the pandemic started, I suspect big funds were panicking when the lockdowns happened and pulled their money from the market into real estate to keep it "safe" and that'll soon turn over when the market finally bottoms and there is money to be made again. I've been looking to buy a home as well and I've noticed homes that are being bought and sold with no occupancy in-between owners which is frustrating.
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u/thorazaar Dec 18 '22
Not to be mean, but did you research beforehand, at all? You could have seen the various Eugene reddit posts about this very subject
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u/thorazaar Dec 18 '22
I dont know that you are gonna get much sympathy from folks here. You may want to re evaluate how you live, if you want to be here (at least for a while) Too many people want to be here. There's not enough housing for the influx. People moving here drives up the price. It's very challenging to find a job that can even cover the essentials. WV is a big move
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u/mrxexon Dec 18 '22
After 40 years, I've decided to leave Oregon.
There's just no excuse for the real estate here being as expensive as it is.
Pure greed. I've had enough. Buying something out of state soon...
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u/Orcapa Dec 18 '22
Unless you move to the rust belt, it's like this almost everywhere. There's just not enough housing in the US.
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Dec 18 '22
That’s bullshit. There’s plenty of housing throughout the US. They just aren’t accessible to most people.
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u/sepia_dreamer Dec 18 '22
Yeah. They’re in the rust belt / Midwest.
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Dec 19 '22
Things are way better on the east coast compared to Oregon. I relocated from NC to Oregon due to work. And housing is just far far far better there, and you don’t get nickel and dimed like in Oregon
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u/MadeWithLessMaterial Dec 18 '22
I have to admit, I've plugged in Cleveland houses a few times in Zillow and wonder what makes them so bad that they're so cheap...
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u/OpticalReality Dec 18 '22
Lived there for four years. The answer is nothing. Cleveland is a great city that has a horrible reputation.
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u/Orcapa Dec 18 '22
Sure, there are places in the rust belt like Scranton where you can buy houses cheap, but there's no good jobs.
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u/xgalaxy Dec 18 '22
It does suck. But also you should have done some research into housing / cost of living before you moved.
It's a small city sure, but you are 2 hours away from Portland and not even half day driving distance to over 100 parks.
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u/sepia_dreamer Dec 18 '22
Tbh there are few things I’ve found less enjoyable than driving I-5 to Portland, or even Salem.
I like driving and I’ve driven in a significant share of the states in the US, but whether by car or motorcycle that route is just awful.
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u/deputyprncess Dec 18 '22
Agreed. Don’t jinx it though, it’s still a good straight shot up to either!
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u/Heuristicrat Dec 18 '22
I don't know that moving is your best option. There are a few people here who have offered to help troubleshoot your current situation and it might be really helpful. People do move here and make it work. It just takes creativity.
I'm sorry you feel shitty. I hope it gets better.
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u/DrLeePhDMd Dec 18 '22
I’ve live in Houston, Texas, and I’ve Lived in Morehead City, North Carolina.
Covid fucked up our area like everywhere else. Houston is cheaper yes. But its residents are mean, traffic is awful, humid AF, lots of bugs, dirty, and ugly.
Morehead city is beautiful. I love the marshland and it’s cheap, residents are super nice. But it’s still a conservative red state.
Too many people are moving here. Rent is INSANE right now. You’re honestly not going to find a deal.
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Dec 18 '22
$600 in Houston is such a trap. You’ll spend a crap ton of money on gas and car maintenance alone. And then, if flooding occurs, you might SOL bc insurance companies don’t want to insure flood damage. Also, crime has gone up exponentially in the Texas Triangle. I was driving to my parents’ place in West Texas from Austin, and there were several high speed pursuits resulting in crashes, blatant grand theft auto, and immigration stops. Damn cesspool the state is right now.
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u/Hungry-for-Apples789 Dec 18 '22
Sorry to hear that but I’m not really sure how you would accept a job and start working without looking into the housing market prior. But for some encouragement moving to a new place is always hardest in the beginning.
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Dec 19 '22
If you look at his post history he says he was in a place with roommates but they turned out to be untrustworthy and dangerous.
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Dec 18 '22
What is your budget and needs? Where are you running into trouble? Maybe there is some insight or suggestions we could help with.
I know it’s tough, but it shouldn’t be a total dead end. If you can’t find what you want, maybe the next best thing is finding what is good enough and then making more gradual progress. Where can you compromise?
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u/anonymous6789855433 Dec 18 '22
if you came from West Virginia what makes you think you have any idea what things are supposed to be like anywhere?
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u/tom90640 Dec 18 '22
What I see time and time again on all of these threads about high prices in Eugene and Oregon in general is no one is paying attention to the fact that people want to live here. People want to live in California and Hawaii and places where the weather isn't shit. The prices are high because demand is high. Prices are high because there is competition for housing in a nice place to live and that competition is measured in money. It's not measured in "I grew up here" or "it used to be a certain way". It's measured in "how much money do you have". You know where people don't want to live? Tulsa Oklahoma, Springfield Illinois and places like that. Prices are high here because it's a great place to live. The first house I bought was in California. It was one side of a duplex. We paid $67K and it maxed our budget. A couple of years later we sold it and moved back to Oregon. Sold it for $89K and thought we were kings. Bought a bigger house with a bigger yard here for $44K. Now the house in California is $550K-that's half of a duplex (2Br2Ba) and the house in Oregon is $370K. If you don't have enough money to live here, you don't have enough money to live here. My family didn't have enough money to live in Hawaii when I was growing up so we didn't live there. We had enough money for Springfield Illinois. Here's a couple of Zillow links: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/10613-E-25th-St-Tulsa-OK-74129/22139268_zpid/ https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/67-Oakmont-Dr-Springfield-IL-62704/75519493_zpid/
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u/Spore-Gasm Dec 19 '22
I have family in KS/MO and was curious what houses cost there. You can get a nice 4 or 5 bedroom place for sub-$200k. Good luck finding that here.
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u/LyannaSerra Dec 18 '22
If the property management companies are abiding by fair housing rules, they should only be processing one application at a time, in the order they are received. They offer to the first applicant that meets their criteria, and all others in line after them are refunded (it’s Oregon law that if your application is not screened for any reason they must refund your application fee). You may be due some refunds, maybe reach out to the companies.
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u/Wiley-E-Coyote Dec 19 '22
I'm a private landlord, but I've only ever charged the screening fee to the applicant that I've pre-selected based on their application, and if they were honest filling out the form then the house will be theirs. This seems like the fair way of doing it, interestingly though Eugene now has capped these fees at $10 (the screening I use costs me $38), so they are incentivising owners to do it the shitty way and try to collect fees from as many people as possible to recoup the expenses.
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Dec 19 '22
They were doing them at before anyway. There’s no added incentive, they have always been taking advantage of applicants.
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u/Wiley-E-Coyote Dec 19 '22
My point was, there is now an active disincentive to do it the way I do it, because you are guaranteed to lose money. I'm well aware that many (most?) major PM companies do it, as well as many other unsavory practices.
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u/Kaexii Dec 18 '22
Sorry people in this thread are being repetitive and unhelpful. This sub is hit or miss that way. It's really hard to secure a job and a house across the country and have the timing for both work out. Especially in this market. That's not your fault.
Springfield is a decent place to live if you don't have to be in Eugene proper. The market is oh so slightly better. And it's really not far. Plus Springfield has some good restaurants and pubs and way less traffic.
And for what it's worth, I think this was your best choice given the alternatives of WV, TX, and NC. Those states are all conservative shitholes.
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Dec 18 '22
Do not move to Eugene Oregon without the following actions completed in advance:
Have a job lined up that pays at least 3-4K per month.
Have a decent amount of money saved, like at least 3-4k, but really 10k to be safe
Have housing lined up.
Without these three things, you are likely to wind up sleeping in your car on Augusta. Even with them you may wind up sleeping in your car for a few nights.
Eugene is a decent place to live, but difficult to get established. Also, housing is expensive and jobs don't often pay enough to cover your rent.
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u/Spore-Gasm Dec 19 '22
I have no idea how people making local wages survive here. I only can afford it because I work remote doing IT.
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u/ChannelingBoudica Dec 18 '22
I secured a rental before moving here but I have a family. If I was young and single I could see this being a mistake I could have made. Regardless of how you got here , your in this position now. Best bet is add yourself to all the eugene rental/housing groups and sublease someone else’s old room in some shared housing, save up, and leave the area or save up and rent something here. I would hold out at my job to get enough experience and try to transfer somewhere more affordable or get a second job or a mate so you can eventually have something of your own here or somewhere else. Build wealth in the South like Texas where it’s easy money and come back when you have a down payment for something
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u/FuktOff666 Dec 18 '22
It took us almost 6 months to find a place that wasn’t an apartment under $1500. It really is a nightmare in Eugene and Springfield unless you want to rent some dive apartment or pay out the ass for something way over priced.
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u/Away_Intention_8433 Dec 18 '22
Moving here went wrong. This place is not ready from a bunch of people out of state taking advantage of the prices. It’s honestly disgusting to see people think it’s ok to pay 950+ a month for one bedroom as long as they don’t go back to wherever they lived from. They displace people who have lived here their whole lives. Then they complain and move away leaving all of us to pay more expensive rates
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u/noob_dragon Dec 19 '22
The reality is that this is a tragedy of the commons situation, AKA Game Theory where everyone chooses to screw over everyone else for personal gain instead of choosing the option that benefits everyone the most, AKA prisoner's dilemma.
The problem is that housing shortages somewhere in America, affects everyone in America.
All those assholes NIMBYs in the Bay Area, LA, and Seattle? It might sound like its not your problem, but it is your problem. You see, their actions cause housing stock to stagnate in their local areas, causing housing prices to overinflate and push out local residents to everyone else. Eugene is just a nice place for those getting pushed out. Someone that nabbed a good remote tech job from SV and moving out to Eugene would be living large.
Now that your housing supply is too small for the demand, it becomes our problem.
Honestly, the only thing you can do about it is push for federal level policies that disinsentive (too late for me to spell that right) NIMBY behaviour. Those usually fall under the umbrella of urbanism. Land value tax was a good one I heard before (/r/georgism for more info) but extremely unlikely to be implemented at a federal level anytime soon, seeing as how it would replace property tax and that tends to be a local/state level thing. Other prongs of urbanism are more likely to matter. Eugene to its credit is above average for the US (not great compared to international cities) with decent bike infrastructure. Not sure how bad the nimbys are in Eugene. /r/notjustbikes is a good urbanism reddit.
Also, ranpant car dependency in LA increases housing prices in Eugene. Just saying. Federal policies that promoted bike use and public transport use and lower car usage would make its way back towards making Eugene rent better. I know it doesn't make sense but it is reality lol.
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u/Cycloptishred Dec 18 '22
Texas is a great place to move if you want a low cost of living. San Antonio has houses for about 40% of what they would go for here. I could not under any circumstances advise someone to move here without a solid plan for housing, even at a higher income.
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u/sonthehedge42 Dec 18 '22
I'm assuming you mean Houston based on the population. I moved to Eugene from Houston and I like Eugene much better. Those $600 a month places you can find in Houston are few and far between and they are usually in really rough neighborhoods. Like drive by shooting crackhead trying to rob you rough.
Another thing is electricity and water is less expensive here. I believe in Eugene its 7 or 8 cents per kilowatt hour vs. Houston who has dozens of electric providers for any given address. They made it that way so it would supposedly be better for the consumer, but that's not how it shook out. If you have excellent credit you can still expect to pay at least 10 cents a kilowatt hour. Bad credit and your looking at 15 to 20 cents a kilowatt hour plus a $300 deposit.
I didn't even mention the heat. Houston is goddamn hot and humid all the time. And people are dicks because of it
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u/ChappaQuitIt Dec 18 '22
I might have some good perspective here. I mostly grew up in WV, moved to Texas in the late 80s, moved to Eugene last year. I agree with you first of all, and congratulate you for getting out of WV. I visited family in 2019 and honestly, I’ll never go back. It’s truly depressing what such a beautiful place turned into.
I assume you are talking about Houston. You would have absolutely hated it there. 100+ degree heat + 90% humidity all the time is soul crushing. It forces you to live/hide inside in air conditioning for your entire existence. And electricity costs there are far more expensive than here. There is no enjoying the outdoors. Yes, you’re close to Galveston but, it’s not that great. Expensive and overrated, tbh. Otherwise you have 2m people commuting around during the day, pissed off at the heat and traffic. Road rage is a huge problem there, as are murders and assaults. You live with your head on a swivel.
And for real, the places you could get in Houston for $600mo are not going to be safe places to live. TX housing costs are pretty damned expensive too, it’s not just here.
Having spent significant time in both WV and TX, there is NO WAY I would ever move back to either place. None.
It sounds like you’ve been cornered into a bad housing situation for sure. $2k mo is harsh, you CAN do better. But you gotta stay active in your search and be ready to pounce at a moment’s notice. That’s just the reality of this place. But remember it’s expensive for a reason. People really WANT to live here. And for all it has to offer, you can’t blame them.
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u/painfultaste Dec 18 '22
Are you only applying in Springfield? App fees are capped at $10 in Eugene and that took effect in August so there's no reason for you to have to spend $1,000 a month in app fees.
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u/foxglove0326 Dec 19 '22
Bro you are preaching to the choir that’s dealt with this issue a lot longer than you have. Sorry you’re struggling but it seems kind of poor planning to move somewhere without securing housing. Did you bother to look at the housing market here before you decided to up and move? Did you consider the fact that with higher income comes higher cost of living too? Did you bother to check?
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u/boosted_b5 Dec 19 '22
I wish there was a nicer way to say a little research would have likely helped you here. The PNW in general is just an extremely high cost of living area, especially anywhere along I5 or in the willamette valley. My advice to you is to get out while you’re still somewhat above water and consider it a learning experience. For what it’s worth, I am a PNW native and was finally pushed out about a year ago-currently in the Midwest. Oregon is a beautiful place but it’s damn near impossible to live there without a six figure salary.
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u/Temassi Dec 18 '22
Lots of new apartments getting built out in Junction City for what that's worth
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u/littlestghoust Dec 18 '22
We are currently paying about $1800 for a house at the edge of town which to me is a great price! But it took us almost 6 weeks to find a place after staying at AirBnB's and friends' places. We also had also been savings for nearly a year before moving here so we were able to secure a decent place. If you don't have at least $5K to $10k+ saved, I wouldn't suggest moving out of state regardless of the state or rental market.
As I said in another comment, where you are from changes how you see rent here. As someone from California, who was living in San Francisco, I'm still getting a sweet deal on my rent compared to what I could get if I moved home. And that was after having 'no rental history' (we sublet for 5 years cuz of Bay Area rent) though I made sure we had wicked high credit scores before packing anything.
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u/jawid72 Pisgah Poster Dec 19 '22
You have to leave Oregon because it's spelled Houston not Huston.
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u/tsunamiforyou Dec 19 '22
For a state with so much fucking lumber you’d think we could build some more houses
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u/Thundersson1978 Dec 19 '22
Hey from the choices you listed you did not make a mistake. You came from a backwards southern state and listed backwards southern states as your other alternative choices. Oregon is neither southern or backwards. We are the PNW & progressive. You didn’t make a mistake if you wanted change I know it is not easy making big changes, but you did not choose the backwards southern thinking states for a reason.
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u/quest-o-rama Dec 19 '22
The World Athletics Championship really went to Eugene’s landlords’ heads. There are so many horrid rat-infested hovels in this town, where nothing has been updated in 50+ years, and an endless supply of college kids has created pressure on the rental market. It sucks. 10 years ago I rented a 2/1 house for $850 (it nearly killed me from pneumonia). Now I rent a 2/3 for $2300/mo. Its cold and old. Eugene is getting full of itself when its really pretty infested w/ drugs, allergens, pollution. It sucks. Don’t move here.
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Dec 18 '22
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u/saucemancometh Dec 18 '22
$470
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Dec 18 '22
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u/saucemancometh Dec 18 '22
I meant that the correct way to put four hundred and seventy dollars into numerals would be $470. I see this a lot now. I don’t want to be that person but… Do they not teach this in school anymore? It’s not like it’s an abbreviation and saves time to state it as 470$. Is it because it’s phonetic to say “dollars” after the number? I genuinely don’t understand it
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u/registrationisstupid Dec 19 '22
Lots of other countries put the currency marker after the number.
I like to assume that when people are doing it with US Dollars that they are just transliterating from their local currency.(They probably aren't but it's nicer than thinking they are just idiots)
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u/New-Revolution5448 Dec 18 '22
I’m sorry you’re having a hard time. Check Craigslist you should be able to find a room
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u/heinousdutchdanish Dec 19 '22
You can always change your mind and move again. I'd give North Carolina a hard look if I were you. If my family weren't here I would be long gone.
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u/Oregonguy1954 Dec 19 '22
Many people write asking questions about moving here. Those who respond with the truth are accused of being overly negative and they get down voted.
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u/gthirteen_13 Dec 18 '22
Im going to link this thread to anyone that says “oh hey guys I’m thinking about moving to Eugene” but there is a lot of shit that doesn’t add up here as well. Like the application fees, the expensive hotel, the dollar signs after the number. 3600 After taxes might be sustainable living but 3600 before is near the poverty level here, sad to say. Hey I’m poor too, and I made 56k this year but now unfortunately got laid off, fuck you tech sector!
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u/KnockerFogger69 Dec 18 '22
Yeah, trying to find housing in eugene is an absolute nightmare. All your points, plus its all geared to be student housing. And as a student, its still a nightmare and way overpriced
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u/hookem419 Dec 18 '22
Came here from south texas and it’s all about planning ahead I have no family here no body to really help imo moving here has been the best thing I’ve ever done . It’s all about perspective I guess
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u/DogMomRed318 Dec 18 '22
Yea, housing in OR became unreasonable a few years back and has only gotten worse. I rented a 2bd apt in Bend for $695 in 2012 and last time I saw it advertised was around 2018 for $1350.
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u/bigsampsonite Dec 18 '22
Ya rent sucks and finding a place is horrible. But it just amazes me the lack of preparation people make when moving to another state let alone cross country. I travel all over because of the industry I work in. I call Oregon home though. Real estate and rent is up everywhere. Eugene has been a division 1 college town for a long time. People move here from all over the state and all over the world for work and education.
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u/hurricanekeri Dec 18 '22
I hope you find housing soon. Oregon is a beautiful state and has a better government than a lot of states. I have been in Oregon my whole life. The housing crisis effects pretty much everywhere in Oregon especially the cities. I have been renting the same place for 7 years. If I don’t get into low income housing (been on the waitlist for a year) by November next year (yearly rent increase) I will be homeless.
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u/sagmag Dec 18 '22
Lol... the reason you can get a house in Houston TX for $600 is that you are VERY likely to robbed burgled or murdered there.
Sometimes it's about more than money...
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u/frothyandpithy Dec 18 '22
I moved here almost 3 years ago from Kentucky. We have a 5 year old, so made sure we had jobs and living space before coming out here. You're in a tough spot, and that sucks.
When we first started looking around for rentals, we were in a Facebook housing group (and I can't remember what it's called, I'm very sorry). Through there we were able to find a rental. If you are okay with sharing a living space, you might want to check Craigslist. If you haven't already, get on some Eugene Facebook groups and put yourself out there. I know Facebook sucks, but it was helpful in this one circumstance for me. Also ask on here if anyone is looking for roommates. A few days back a woman posted about a room she had for rent.
Sorry that you're in this position. Winter can be depressing enough without the extra stress of a difficult living situation. I hope that you are able to find a place soon. Hang in there stranger!
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u/Dandelion-Fire Dec 19 '22
Housing before moving would have been good. This is one of the most expensive places to live. Stick it out if you love it and can, otherwise, I’d pick one of your other two options.
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u/Voodooyoudo1 Dec 19 '22
I’m in the same boat. My family and I made the decision to move back home to VA after only being here 2 years. My husband is disabled so me and his other partner work full time while he does online grad school.
We’ve applied to SO many places, two made it to “final review.” We never hear anything back after that. We’ve given so much in application fees to have nothing. We can’t afford $1700 for a two bedroom and we can’t even afford a bigger place with roommates. The housing market here sucks big time. I love Eugene and I’ve met so many cool people. I’m so sad that we have to leave.
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u/PapiCaballero Dec 19 '22
Now you see why so many people are living in their cars.
Buy a cheap van get a gym membership for showers and rough it out til you find housing?
Idk, smaller town, people don’t want to leave, housing gets filled up and doesn’t turn over. It’s like trying to find parking at a lot during the Middle of the concert with like 30 cars actively roaming around hoping someone leaves early and they swoop up the spot. You try finding housing in Lebanon or something?
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u/aJakalope Dec 18 '22
Now just you hold on, I talk a lot of shit about Eugene, but let's get one thing straight.
Houston sucks because it takes 2 hours to drive from one side of the city to the other. The urban sprawl is a nightmare. Sure, you can get a place "in houston" for $600/month, but who the fuck knows how far you will be from the city center.
Eugene (like all Oregon cities) has an Urban Growth Boundary. This means we can only build within these boundaries to prevent every town in Oregon from becoming an ugly suburban sprawl.
That being said, there is a lot to be done with Eugene Housing issues. There was a new city bill to restrict application fees to $10. I don't know when this takes effect.
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u/foreveraway01 Dec 19 '22
The minimum wage is also garbage in Houston... Hence the low cost of living
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u/cakewalkbackwards Dec 18 '22
I’m sorry this is going on, OP. I’m nervous every day that something will happen to my dad and I’ll lose the place I live and my workshop. I’ve thought about putting out a wanted ad with a little background on myself if I’m ever in that position. It is truly sickening what is going on with prices/availability.
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u/EyeJustSaidThat Dec 18 '22
As I understand it, rental applications are now legally capped at, I think, $10 each. So if you're actually paying for background checks as part of your application you're getting ripped off and it's criminal. Now if you're paying for background checks for some other reason then maybe it's legit. There's a lot in this post that makes me wonder what's actually going on though. Don't get me wrong, housing here is ridiculous but people want to live here (ie: you) and that comes with capital holding people that will exploit that popularity and charge more.
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u/BigBlue541 Dec 18 '22
Find someone looking for a roommate if you’re single. I live on a ten acre farm in Springfield with two roommates and pay $850 for the master. I have barns, ponds, gardens etc. If you want something dope and affordable and you’re not a weirdo, find an open room and make a good impression. I’ve done this over and over in this area in incredible houses with incredible people. Never have paid over 1k, and never lived in an apartment complex. I’m just chill with sharing space. If you are too then find an open room for sure. Plus it’s a good way to get to know some locals
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u/dogtownbiscuits Dec 19 '22
I came here in same situation except I was using airbnb. I offered $100 more than asking price for rent and started out in Springfield. After 1 year I then moved to eugene and eventually bought a house and even that was shit. The 1st home I offered $50k over asking and still didn't get it.
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u/Br0dy Dec 18 '22
Look, the amount of you who are saying, “BUT DID YOU RESEARCH FIRST?.” 12 other people said that, it’s not the most helpful. The rental and housing market here is not sustainable for a massive amount of people who are looming. It’s a small town and should be able to handle someone moving here who makes an adequate living.
What’s the answer? I honestly don’t know aside from stricter laws on rentals and cost of rent.
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Dec 18 '22
Limiting rent tends to favor existing renters, but doesn't tend help people looking for housing. It's not a bad stop gap short term aide but there needs to be a long term plan to follow it up.
Unfortunately the only reasonable long term plan is to build a lot more housing, which I just don't see happening here. No one wants the city to sprawl, and no one wants to tear down all the single family houses and build highrise apartments.
The most likely situation is that prices will continue to climb and we'll become a small city that only upper middle class and wealthy people can live in. Perhaps we'll keep a service sector living in cottage grove and junction city.
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u/Wh1ppetFudd Dec 18 '22
That income is too high to aim for low income housing and the waiting lists tend to be at least a year long. If you want to find a place that is at least semi affordable, you need to be looking for a housemate or a roommate situation and probably not a place to yourself. Renting a room in a shared apartment or house, and quads are probably easier to find available than a whole apartment.
All that said, if I were making the amount that you are, I would be looking at getting myself an RV or motorhome to live in and getting a mailing address at a mail center. In the long run, it would be much cheaper to live that way and if one managed their money well could pull together enough to invest in actually buying a home. You could either hunt for a place to rent a spot to park it with utilities, which wouldn't be as cheap as living mobile but would definitely be cheaper than most apartments unless you actually picked an RV park to stick it in, which is comparable to living in a hotel.
The only downside to living on wheels is that it makes getting a loan much more difficult. You would need someone to let you use their address as a residential address other than a box and a mail center because pretty much no one will approve alone without a residential address. Credit cards are a different matter, as I managed to start building my credit at a time when I was living in my car waiting to get into low income housing, as I got disgusted with playing the housemate games and was financially much better off just living in my car. Getting a motorhome I can live in is actually on my to-do list if I don't get a section 8 voucher before I can finance one.
If you did go the route of living mobile, there is only one rule you need to follow to avoid hassles from the police and that is not to park in the same spot for more than three nights before moving. When in my car, I had four different places I switched between.
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u/deputyprncess Dec 18 '22
I’m curious- do you know if the st Vinny’s on hwy 99 is accepted as a physical address? I know you can have mail sent there, but have never been sure. There’s also white bird that lets you use their address. I feel like if it’s not an address people are familiar with then it could be accepted as a physical address, but if it is then they’d still demand something more concrete.
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u/Wh1ppetFudd Dec 18 '22
Shelters and homeless support locations like The Station or Whitebird Resource Center are not accepted as residential addresses for the purpose of getting loans and financing purposes. It can count as a residential address for the purpose of getting foodstamps, welfare and low income healthcare. And Shelters but not homeless mailing centers can be used for the purpose of getting a Lifeline phone. For the purpose of credit cards and general banking, any legit mailing address works. Credit cards only care about your credit worthiness and not whether or not you are a flight risk, which is what I understand the residency requirement is about... to reduce your chances of running with the money and creating a better legal trail to track you down if you do.
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u/deputyprncess Dec 19 '22
Thank you. That’s exactly the information I was looking to find out. And that makes sense.
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u/Hard4Dpp Dec 18 '22
Eugene is borderline crazy to be sure, but Creswell, Veneta, some parts of Glenwood, are all areas where you can find some deals, but they are few and far between. Purchasing is the only real way you can find places at reasonable prices, long-term, but in the interim you might be screwed.
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u/HalliburtonErnie Dec 18 '22
It wasn't a mistake to move here! Smart people move here, you do not. You didn't move to Eugene, you're just visiting.
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u/azaza34 Dec 19 '22
The answer is dogshit zoning laws and protecting the “view” while the ground is filled with hours less people who have been destroyed by living outside because we can’t build a goddamn building with a grocery store on the first floor because Christ on a cross that would make our city too fucking nice.
But sure just tell the man it’s his fault when we can’t offer competitive housing in a city of <200,000 people.
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u/littleredwarremhood Dec 19 '22
You might check out The Preserve on Goodpasture. Rent is seldom cheap in our area, so I’m not going to say it’s cheap to live there, but you’d be paying about the same in rent as you are in a motel (which at least this would give you your own place). I think someone told me this complex has month-to-month options so you can decide if you like it or not. The complex is also brand new so you’d be the first tenant (& I’m always seeing rent specials online for them so it’s worth a shot). I’m sorry you’ve had a rough start here…It’s not a cheap place to live but once you have your footing I think you’ll really like it. Good luck. 😊
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u/Secure_Link6534 Dec 19 '22
I feel it i just dont like oregon because of the depressing weather and nothing going out here combined with a bunch of racist people
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u/canpig9 Dec 19 '22
College town.
And the realty business is about making money & driving prices for property higher, not about getting people a place to live.
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u/deadvibes1 Dec 19 '22
This is so funny, yeah it's expensive to live here but why the hell would you base your cost of living off motel rentals??
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u/LocalInactivist Dec 19 '22
Really? I’m renting an awesome 3/2 house for $2500. I feel like you’re leaving out some vital information.
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u/AntifascistAlly Dec 19 '22
Probably too obvious, but I’d ask people you work with for ideas about housing.
It wouldn’t hurt to add their collective eyes watching for opportunities, either.
Also you might try contacting property management companies directly. Maybe they could help match you with a place?
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u/whiteholewhite Dec 19 '22
$600 in Houston is somewhere you do not want to live. Unless you wanted robbed, killed, etc
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u/sunshineilu Dec 19 '22
I don't live in Eugene but try a rental agency so you only have to fill out one application and background check.
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u/Bourneinnyc Dec 19 '22
It’s not worth it I rather live in Houston or a bigger city. The college students are taking up housing imo
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u/Head-Owl7100 Dec 19 '22
I love oceans but I hate Lakes. Too much muck and grass to step in and you usually can't see s*** snorkeling. But then I'm from Miami
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u/alan_greenspan_20XX Dec 19 '22
This is not the place for cheap housing. A cursory google or zillow search would easily reveal that. Now ask yourself why its so expensive? Yes, there is a housing crisis, but there is a housing crisis anywhere worth living. It's expensive, because Eugene far outclasses other towns of similar size for the arts, and Oregon is beautiful. If you want cheap rent, move to the midwest.
I was just in Aurora Colorado. I stayed in a house that was 3,000 square feet and only $2400 a month! If you can stand suburban hell (and actual scary crime) you can get a sweet fucking mcmansion for a sneeze. Personally I would take my 600 square foot apartment by the river over the mansion any day of the week because I need to see green and flowing water daily to feel alive.
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u/jkvf1026 Dec 19 '22
I mean i have a 3 bedroom for 1295. Idk what you're doing man. I've also never paid an application fee, are you sure that you're not just super picky?
I don't mean to be rude it's just I also have a cat, & no cosigner w/ a 500 shit credit score.
I transplanted from southern Florida
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u/Paid-Not-Payed-Bot Dec 19 '22
also never paid an application
FTFY.
Although payed exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. The deck is yet to be payed.
Payed out when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. The rope is payed out! You can pull now.
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
Beep, boop, I'm a bot
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u/EpidonoTheFool Dec 19 '22
I recommend trying out umbrella properties and getting on there wait list, at least the application is free and if your patient you’ll get a place
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u/Soggy_Winter9708 Dec 20 '22
I am right there with ya’. I have good references, no evictions ever, deposit saved up and I can’t find anything. It is the reason I’m living in a tent outside freezing my buns off. I did the same thing with hotels, then I moved on to campgrounds because at least there I had a bathroom and shower. But, that was costing me about $850/month. Thank you for your post, I’m sorry you are going through this. You helped me not feel so alone. So many people look at me like I’m crazy when I try to explain this to them. I send my positive vibes your way and if there is anything a fellow frustrated Eugenian can do for you, please let me know.
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u/Comfortable-Seesaw15 Mar 13 '23
Try harder to settle for less. There are plenty of opportunities of rooms for rent, you just have to be quick. Paying 800/month that way is so, so doable, and opportunties arise fairly frequently.
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u/[deleted] Dec 18 '22
I live in a whole-ass house for less than $2000 a month.
Did you move here before finding a permanent place to stay? Why would you do that?