There's a reason scenic Central Oregon is one of the fastest-growing communities in the country: More and more people have discovered its extraordinary charms and decided to make what was perhaps intended as a visit into something permanent. It's easy to understand why. With 300 days of sunshine, a temperate climate and some of the most spectacular scenery in the country, Central Oregon provides exactly the sort of environment the rest of the country can only envy. The first thing to know about Central Oregon (other than that it's an incredible place to live) is that it's anchored by three main cities: the golden triangle of Bend, Redmond and Sisters. Sisters, located at the foot of the Cascade Mountains, secures the northern tip of the triangle, with Redmond to the east and Bend to the south. Keep heading east of Redmond, and you´ll find the towns of Powell Butte and Prineville; journey south of Bend, and you'll find first the popular destination resort Sunriver (along with its new cousin, Caldera Springs), then the recently incorporated city of La Pine. Last but definitely not least, there's the tiny little hamlet known as Tumalo. It's a truly unique community of mostly rural ranch properties located between Sisters and Bend (I like to describe it as not a location but a state of mind).
If you're new to Central Oregon, you may not know that each location has a very distinct personality, topography and climate, and most vary markedly. For example, there's sophisticated, culture-rich Bend; the close-knit Frontier-influenced Sisters; and rugged Redmond. When it comes to geography, you´ll find everything from snow-capped vistas to desert landscapes. On this website, you'll find useful info about everything involved in making an informed real estate decision in today's Central Oregon real estate market -- whether you're a home seller, first-time buyer or experienced investor. Just click on the menu buttons and begin your search. Once you're ready to work one-on-one with a dedicated Central Oregon property specialist, call or email me and I'll immediately get to work for you.
If you're interested in buying or selling a distressed property, I can help. I earned the Certified Distressed Property designation in April 2009.
Featured Listings
SOLD! (1-29-10) A Great Escape - Sisters
A private oasis amid the pines minutes from Sisters, this horse property has it all. The 2,500-square-foot log home features a large kitchen with stainless appliances, 2-story living room with wood fireplace & spiral staircase leading to the large master upstairs with attached loft bonus room. Expansive 2nd bedroom downstairs is easily convertible to two bedrooms. Other highlights: 1 bedroom log guest cabin, barn w/heated tack room, large workshop, 2-car garage, greenhouse, garden, treehouse, round pen, 2 working outhouses. 1 year home warranty included. $599,000
Two-Story Charmer in Crossroads - Sisters
This beautiful 3100-sf home in a quiet setting adjacent to National Forest is filled with quality details. Two-story greatroom features soaring ceiling, large picture windows, surround-sound system, pellet stove & patio access. Kitchen features granite counters, knotty alder cabinets, oak floors, recessed lighting & Elite appliances. Master bedroom located on the main level. The 1.18 acre-property is landscaped & hot-tub ready; subdivision is zoned for horses.
This is Sisters living at its most inviting. The 2-story, 3-bedroom home features a cozy living room with mahogany floors, cast iron woodstove and reading nook. Kitchen is ideal for entertaining, with center island, 2 pantries, dining area, desk nook & window seat. Downstairs office offers enviable mountain views. Upstairs master boasts panoramic mountain views framed by dramatic Paladin windows.
December 2009 Real Estate Market Snapshot for Sisters, Oregon
At the end of 2009, Sisters had begun to make some decent headway in reducing its inventory (from 176 Active listings in November to 147 in December and a 2009 high of 219 in July). That helped bring the overall supply down from 18 months to 14 months for Single Family Residences and from 34 months to 30 months for Residential with Acreage listings. That means that at the current rate, it would take 14 months to sell the existing Single Family Residences on the market, and 30 months to sell the existing RW listings. Not exactly ideal, especially when it comes to homes on acreage (a balanced market should have about six months of inventory), but it´s at least a step in the right direction for sellers. One plus for buyers is that the median sales price for Active Single Family Residence listings in Sisters is still trending down ? in December it was $349,450, compared to $389,000 in November (and the 2009 high of $492,500 in June). The median sales price for Active Residential With Acreage listings, on the other hand, increased in December (from $699,000 in November to $724,000, with the 2009 high of $797,000 in August). Go figure3;
Here are a few December highlights of the Sisters real estate market:
LISTING ACTIVITY Active Residential Listings in Sisters:147 (82 Single Family Residences; 65 Residential with Acreage) Contingent Residential Sales in Sisters:0 Pending Residential Sales in Sisters:5 (3 SFR; 2 RW) Residential Sales in Sisters:9 (7 SFR; 2 RW) Average Days on Market:238 days for Active SFR listings 286 days for Active RW listings 202 days for the SFR listings sold in December 584 days for the RW listings sold in December Median Sales Price:$349,450 for Active SFR listings $724,000 for Active RW listings $365,000 for the SFR listings sold in December $280,000 for the RW listings sold in December
INVENTORY Single Family Residence:14-month supply (70 sales in the previous 12 months) Residential with Acreage: 30-month supply (27 sales in the previous 12 months)
SALES PRICE: Least-Expensive Single Family Residence Active Listing: $142,990 Least-Expensive Residential with Acreage Active Listing: $175,000 Most-Expensive Single Family Residence Active Listing: $1,325,000 Most-Expensive Residential with Acreage Active Listing: $4,900,000 Price Point with the Most Active Listings:
December 2009 Real Estate Market Snapshot for Tumalo, Oregon
Tumalo ended the year on a positive note: by once again making headway toward a more balanced market, with decreases across the board. Once again, the number of Active Residential with Acreage listings shrank (from 76 in November to 61 in December). Similarly, the supply decreased, from a 21-month supply in November to a 16-month supply in December.
Meanwhile, the median price for Active RW listings in Tumalo decreased notably (from $695,000 in November to $649,000 in December), and the number of Active million-dollar listings fell below 20 for the first time this year (from 24 to 19).
As a horse-property specialist, Tumalo has always been of particular interest to me because that´s where you´ll find many of the most desirable horse properties in Central Oregon. Because its boundaries are up to interpretation, please consider the following statistics a general barometer of the area´s real estate activity that includes most, but not necessarily all, of the listings in Tumalo.
Here are a few December highlights of the Tumalo market:
LISTING ACTIVITY Active Residential With Acreage Listings in Tumalo:61 Contingent Residential With Acreage Sales in Tumalo:2 Pending Residential With Acreage Sales in Tumalo:5 Residential With Acreage Closed Sales in Tumalo:2 Average Days on Market:248 days for Active RW listings 64 days for RW listings sold in December Median Sales Price:$649,000 for Active RW listings $297,050 for RW listings sold in December
INVENTORY: Residential with Acreage: 16-month supply (45 sales in the previous 12 months)
SALES PRICE: Least-Expensive Residential with Acreage Active Listing: $89,900 Most-Expensive Residential with Acreage Active Listing: $2,099,900 Price Point with the Most Active Listings:
$450,000-$499,000 & $1,500,000-$1,749,999 (each w/7 listings) Listings at $1,000,000 or more:19
