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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend May 22, 2006 Young, restless heading to Bend Deschutes County attracts professionals on their way up By ANNA SOWA for The Associated Press BEND — One year ago, Jared Dairy, 24, decided to move to a city with a better business environment than his Eugene home. He narrowed his options to Bend and Portland. The High Desert won. "There's a lot of money coming into Bend," said Dairy, who works as a financial representative for Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. "It works well with being a younger person in business — there are a lot of other new people, so I don't have to be established for 20 years in order to make business contacts." Dairy is among a growing number of young professionals — workers primarily in their 20s to mid-30s — moving to the region, according to Economic Development for Central Oregon. Though the median age in Deschutes County is 38, the number of younger people is growing significantly. Young people are coming to Deschutes County at more than twice the state's rate, according to a population report from Portland State University's Population Research Center. Advertisement That's good news for the Central Oregon economy, according to a December 2005 study by the CEOs for Cities organization. The study reported that 25- to 34-year-olds — called the "Young and Restless" because they are well-educated, adaptable and mobile — are critically important to local economies that are adapting to retiring baby boomers and struggling to hire qualified workers. Young professionals also are more likely to be entrepreneurs, the study said, adding to the next generation of business that will fuel the economy. As a result, city officials should work to attract and retain these workers, the study said. Dairy, who bought a house with his wife three months after moving to Bend, says he's here to stay. He admits that housing prices are the biggest hurdle for young people moving to the region. But a hot real estate market also means job opportunities for workers vying for a piece of the pie. "I don't think the rest of the job market is extremely good here," Dairy said. "Most young people I know are in some way tied to real estate." Dairy is the co-chairman of the Young Professionals Network of Central Oregon, a new Bend Chamber of Commerce subcommittee that launches in June. Most of the network's top organizers hold jobs related to real estate, he said. Cheryl Kent, the network's co-chairwoman, is one of them. The 29-year-old Bend resident is a certified loan officer at HSI Mortgage. "Bend is a great place to be in mortgages," said Kent, who works on commission. Kent moved here from Medford in July with her husband, seeking a town with myriad outdoor activities and a good atmosphere to raise a family. She is promoting the Young Professionals Network as a way for anyone in the Central Oregon business community — regardless of age — to join a welcoming group that offers networking and support. "We want to pool young professionals together because there's not a lot of support groups in this community for the young professionals," she said. "Bend chamber events draw an older crowd and young professionals may feel alienated." New York Life Insurance Co. licensed agent Nathan Fincham, 23, plans to attend network meetings. The third-generation financial services professional grew up in Bend, then moved away to attend Colorado College in Colorado Springs. After graduating with a degree in mathematics and physics, he moved home to join the family business. "Bend is a wonderful place," Fincham said. "I moved here for the same reasons as everybody else: skiing, hiking — all those outdoor activities." Fincham, with his commission-based income, was able to buy his first house recently. He doesn't think Bend's cost of living or housing prices are astronomical, relatively speaking. "Where is it harder or easier than anywhere else?" Fincham said. "I'm not struggling. This is the place I've chosen to live, and I love this area." Fincham, Kent and Dairy consider themselves lucky for finding well-paying jobs that allow them to afford houses in Bend, where the median sale price was $327,500 in the first quarter of 2006. Other young professionals moving to the area aren't so lucky. Bend resident Andrea Hinkle, 32, moved here one year ago from Springfield, seeking a life change. She got a job almost immediately as a customer service coordinator for Bend Memorial Clinic. She feels her wages are adequate, but when she started looking to buy a house, she realized she would have to rent. "Housing, for just one person, is impossible," Hinkle said. "Unless I won the lottery or received money from a relative, I couldn't do it." Bend resident Shannon Hinderberger echoes that frustration. Hinderberger, 31, has lived in Bend two years. She is the campaign director for United Way of Deschutes County. She's renting an apartment with her husband in downtown Bend, waiting and hoping for the housing market to cool so she can buy. Hinderberger is happy in Bend, with a good job and close group of friends, but when she came here she found it hard to connect with other singles her age. "I had a really tough time meeting people," Hinderberger said. "It took six months before I really had a base of friends. I just didn't feel like people welcomed me with open arms." Housing prices were another disappointment. "When I moved here, I was a single," Hinderberger said. "A single person carrying a Central Oregon mortgage is really hard." Moving here from Omaha, Neb., Hinderberger said she took a small pay cut and was surprised to see that not even the money she made from selling her Midwest home could help her buy a house. "The Midwest is inexpensive to live and the jobs pay well, but you have to deal with the humidity, blizzards and wind chill," Hinderberger said. "You put that up against Bend and there are some trade-offs." After living in the flatlands her entire life, Hinderberger was awestruck by the High Desert's natural beauty. She would recommend the area to young professionals who like the small-town feel and laid-back lifestyle. "If you want to live somewhere that's beautiful, Bend's your place," she said. Buying a house on a single income, that's another matter, she added. ------ On the Net: Portland State University Population Research Center: http:www.pdx.edu/prc/ Economic Development for Central Oregon: http:www.edforco.org/ Bend Chamber of Commerce: http:www.bendchamber.org/ Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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