Thanks for your reply, bro. The only issue I've found with the short-term rentals on Craigslist is that they're usually a room in someone's house. We, ideally, prefer our own kinda scene. Been scrolling through the options on Tribe, as well.
I actually used to live around here (up in Vancouver, though) about 3 years ago. I went to school at East West College, the massage school, before they moved it from Belmont to Lloyd Center. Yea, I always liked that SE part of Portland though, I must admit, Belmont and Hawthorne seem to have become more "gentrified" since I was last here. I like NE alot, too, but I do know that it's a fairly rough neighborhood in some parts. Haven't spent much time on the westside. I have a couple friends still in the deep SE, by Clackamas. I heard it's fairly affordable out there. We're hoping to find something in the $300-$500 range. Hillsboro was recommended also.
By center, you mean more like downtown by the university?
Anyway, thanks for helping me get my mind around this situation; I appreciate your good vibes. We gotta move fast, I feel, because we're just living in my van and it's only getting colder^_^