4 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Portland's Public Image Isn't Making It Any Cheaper to Buy a Home There
Portland, Ore., is Cathryn Epley's hometown and where the 67-year-old retiree lived most of her life. 'I meant to stay,' she said. But after 2020, things changed: There were 17 break-ins in her building, her wallet was stolen at Trader Joe's, and 'strung out drug addicts' were always hanging around the pharmacies, she said. Last year, Epley sold her condo in Northwest Portland at a loss and moved to Idaho, despite having no family or close friends nearby.
After searching for a year for the right city, Rachal Cronin and Thomas Schweinfurth moved in September from Chicago to Portland, where they bought a new house in the Southeast neighborhood of Sellwood. Cronin, 28, who works for Meta, and Schweinfurth, 32, who is in cybersecurity, are excited to live somewhere where they can walk to restaurants and shops but still have a backyard. 'It's downtown, but green,' said Cronin.
