disturbing the comfortable

There was an AP story yesterday, about the number of people hiring United Van Lines so they could move to Oregon. That's just wonderful, yes. Bend is so crowded now the streets are overwhelmed at what we used to laughingly refer to as "rush hour." The thing is, these days, there really is a rush hour here. A lot of big SUVs and pickups, too—the traffic is disgusting. Combine the cars and trucks with bicyclists zipping along, big semi trucks here and there, and getting across town after three-thirty p.m. is an adventure. The city doesn't seem to know what to do, other than look for magic bullets. Round-abouts are the current favorites. The city is planning a round-about with two lanes in each direction. That will be an adventure.

The stunning thing about the article is the mention of "affordable homes" being one of the reasons people move to Oregon. The nearest affordable homes I've seen are in Burns or Condon; ain't none around here, folks.

Sunday, January 28, 2007 - 12:00 AM

Permission to reprint or copy this article or photo, other than personal use, must be obtained from The Seattle Times. Call 206-464-3113 or e-mail resale@seattletimes.com with your request.

Company says Oregon No. 2 destination for moving

The Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. — Oregon is the No. 2 destination nationally for people moving from other states, according to a study by United Van Lines.

***

The migration trend did not surprise Judy Yriarte, the director of relocation services for Prudential Real Estate Professionals in Salem.

"We saw a 58 percent increase in relocations last year over the same period in 2005," Yriarte said.

The majority of the newcomers moved into areas along the Interstate 5 corridor, from Portland to Salem to Medford, with some settling in Bend, she said.

Some of the reasons they cited include the weather, the landscape and quality of life and affordable homes, said Jeri Scott, the executive vice president of Coldwell Banker Mountain West in Salem.

***

Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company