Oregon law gives you 30 days to get an Oregon driver’s license and register your car at the DMV. In metropolitan areas your car must pass a Vehicle Inspection Program smog check at a DEQ facility before it can be registered. U-turns are illegal unless posted otherwise and you cannot pump your own gas. There are 22+ red light cameras at Portland intersections. In order to receive your red light ticket in the mail, you’ll need to do a change of address with the post office. At the end of the process you’ll have the chance to print out some coupons which might be useful to have in the moving process.
A cold shower is the least of your problems when the hot water heater fails. Repairs of most major home parts run hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. An American Home Shield warranty replaces or repairs major systems throughout your home for the cost of the deductable under the terms of their contract.
Every city, county, and school district has different rules, regulations and processes that change without notice. Their websites have varying degrees of information and capabilities (and disclaimers). These websites will help you determine what you need to know about a property.
City of Portland/Multnomah County:
- PortlandOnline is the City of Portland’s main site.
- Bureau of Development Services is all things building related. BDS issues permits and has all existing permits on file. Want to know if you can add an addition or remodel? These are the folks to ask.
- Slightly addicting: Portlandmaps. This site includes building permit records from 2000, oil tank permits, crime statistics, zoning and a lot of other information.
- Questions and research about property taxes including appeals and current assessments: Multnomah Tax Assessor
Washington County:
Washington County has a Real Estate Transfer Tax. Multnomah and Clackamas Counties do not.
Clackamas County:
School information:
- Oregon Department of Education Report Cards
- Clackamas County School Locator (includes Lake Oswego)
- Portland Public Schools Locator
- Beaverton School District attendance information
- Tigard-Tualatin School Infomation
- Hillsboro School Information
Additionally, Portland Monthly publishes their Best Schools report annually. From their homepage you’ll find the link under the real estate heading. GreatSchools.org has been popular with our clients in the past for ratings and reviews of schools.
Professional Services & Disclaimer:
As Realtors we are not attorneys, accountants, general contractors, government officials, elementary school teachers, home inspectors, title officers, mortgage brokers or property managers. We do know several of each profession though. If you have specific items that are critical to your transaction and your situation, you should endeavor to get the answer directly from the source. Information degrades with each point of contact and interpretation and we want you to have the best information from the best sources. Please use us and our resources to help ensure that your real estate transaction is the best it can be. The Oregon Property Buyer Advisory, Oregon Property Seller Advisory and Agency Disclosure Pamphlet are all recommended reading.
