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Home
Cost-of-Living: Above the National Average
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Oregon Retirement
Communities
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Gainsborough |
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2555 Lansdown Road |
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Eugene, Oregon 97404 |
Eugene, Oregon's
Gainsborough, a 55+ Manufactured Home Community, is Small, Well-Kept
and Offers 25-Year Leases
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| Eugene, Oregon (population
150,000) is situated along the Willamette River
110 miles south of Portland and is nicknamed
"The Emerald City" for its lush
landscape and close proximity to the Cascade
Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. Within
this pretty city is the gated, 55+ manufactured
home development of Gainsborough, a small,
attractive community with just 73 homes on 23 acres.
This is an established development, built in
1994, and it has the peaceful ambiance of a quiet,
suburban neighborhood. |
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Gainsborough has a number of well-kept, nicely landscaped
homes for sale starting from $139,000 (1,600 sq. ft., 2
bedrooms, 2 baths, updated appliances, wood flooring, sprinkler
system, breakfast nook and more) and topping out at $215,000
(2,521 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, custom tile in entry way,
wide doorways for wheelchair, backyard fountain and
more). All homes have an attached 2-car or 3-car
garage, a solid concrete foundation, a private, fenced backyard,
a large lot and are energy efficient. In fact, these homes look
site-built. The average monthly fee is $447 and includes
land and property taxes, cable TV, amenities and common area
maintenance. Visit www.gainsboroughhomes.com or call (800)
689-1390 for more information.
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| Additional
costs include personal property taxes (on one's home and
garage), which run from $1,200 to $3,500 per year, homeowner's
insurance (roughly $800 per year) and utilities. All
leases at Gainsborough are 25 years long and are only adjusted
annually for taxes and cost of living increases. Over the
last 14 years, the cost of an average lease has increased
roughly $100 per month, from $350 to $447. Leases are not
increased to meet current market rates until the end of the
lease, 25 years down the road. Gainsborough leases are
also assumable after 5 years, allowing buyers to pay the same
price as the current owner for the remainder of the
lease. This is a huge plus when it comes to selling
a home here. Gainsborough
residents enjoy an 8,000 sq. ft. clubhouse with a craft room, a
dance hall and a fitness center. While not lavish, the
clubhouse is a pleasant meeting and socializing center and is
the site of various classes throughout the week. There are
also coffee get-togethers, potlucks, dessert parties, garden
parties, BBQs and planned outings. A lovely waterway
winds its way through the community, and walkways and waterfalls
create a relaxing outdoor environment. A favorite activity
is fishing (catch and release) because part of the waterway is
stocked with rainbow trout.
Residents
enjoy three beautiful seasons plus one rainy one (November to
April), which replaces traditional winter. There is
little snow, but rainfall averages 47 inches per year, and
winters can get a little dreary. Temperatures are moderate
and comfortable with average summer temperatures in the high 70s
and mid 80s, and average winter temperatures in the 30s and 40s.
Humidity averages 80%, which some people may find a little
uncomfortable. Eugene also has some air quality issues
during the summer and autumn when nearby grass seed farmers burn
their fields for pest control purposes.
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