Most times of the day, downtown Portland is just seven minutes away. Zip to the Rose Garden for the Blazers. Pop downtown for a play, concert, shopping or night on the town. If you're a commuter, you might want to consider the Expo Center MAX Light Rail stop on N. Marine Drive, just south of the I-5 bridge.

You'll also find easy access to the airport and the freeways leading to Mt. Hood, ocean beaches, the Gorge and the all season outdoor recreation of the Bend/Redmond area.

Cost of Living: Portland vs. Vancouver

This may come as a surprise to many of you, but your purchasing power is greater in Portland! Following is an example based on an $869,000 purchase price.

	Portland, Oregon	Vancouver, Washington
Purchase Price:	$869,000	$869,000
Sales Tax (new home)	none	8.1% = $ 70.389
Total:	$869,000	$939,389
Property Tax	$10,688	$10,471
	Calc.: $869,000 X .6150 (2006 change prop ratio=$534,435 $20 per $1k of assessed value=$10,688	Calc.: $869,000 X .012049 per $1k of assessed value=$10,471
Now, a few years later, when it's time to sell Washington State would like a share of your profit.
	Selling price $1,000,000	Selling price $1,000,000
Real Estate Excise Tax Percentage of sold home price due upon closing	$0 due at closing	1.78% = $17,800 due at closing