I am new to Lane County. The home I moved out of in eastern Oregon would likely be worth $270K+ in Lane County. I looked for weeks for a home to buy here and everything that I was shown that was in my price range---similar price to the home I was selling---called for razing or at least extensive remodeling and repair before moving in. I am still confused as to why but I now have some clues. I found land to build on is both limited and priced unreasonably. I found that builders want to make at least 30% on the deal, with many tacking that on after charging extra for materials. But most egregious of all is the share the city takes for building new homes or even remodeling old ones. Although the continued costs of taxation is expected, I was quite surprised to be robbed on Fees that have little or nothing to do with services provided.
I blame the accountants of course. They have taught us to claim shares as a percentage so that every deal is better when it involves more money.