Thom Gardner  

ABOUT REDMOND

While Bend garners national press attention and attracts lots of white collar folks and retirees, Redmond operates as the blue collar base for Central Oregon, where country music, pickup trucks, and friendly faces still have a home on the High Desert. People here often have horses, as there are many small acreage ranches and farms close to and even in town, and there are also lots of rental neighborhoods full of multi family units, as many people who can’t afford to live in Bend but still need to work there, use Redmond as a home base and commute. Redmond real estate has a little of everything, as there are some custom homes to be found on the outskirts and around the Butte, but primarily there are small acreages and subdivisions filled with families large and small.

Redmond is undergoing many of the changes that occurred in Bend a few years before. Upscale homes have gone in on the outskirts, on the ranches, and on the hill that sits on the South side of town. Downtown is in the beginning stages of a renovation, to try to bring the same sort of excitement that pervades Bend’s downtown. While folks in Bend have qualms about having a Super Wal Mart there, it was welcomed with open arms here, and now Lowe’s and Home Depot have built their stores here as well. There is a larger Hispanic community here, with few of the racial tension found in other areas nearby where immigrants have moved into a previously Caucasian-dominated area. Many homes in Redmond have great views of either the Cascade volcanoes, or of the stratified reddish brown cliffs of Smith Rock State Park. 

Redmond is approximately 15 minutes from Bend, and currently has a population of about 25,000, growing faster than her sister city to the South. It is about 500 feet lower than Bend, at just under 3100 feet, and so has fewer large trees and more of a desert landscape. Of course, it rarely gets snow, even when Bend can have a foot or so, and is generally warmer by a few degrees year round. It is just minutes from several recreational opportunities, including fishing at Lake Billy Chinook or the Crooked River, world class rock climbing at Smith Rock State Park, Boating and Water Sports at Billy Chinook and Haystack Reservoirs, and endless possibilities for horseback riding, hiking, and some off road sports at Cline Falls State Park.

Redmond also has something Bend doesn’t- a regional airport that has direct flights to Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. It is served by Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, and a few smaller carriers. A flight to Portland takes approximately 40 minutes. And, Redmond is also home to the Deschutes County Fairgrounds, where in addition to the fair, concerts and trade shows take up residence during most of the year.

Nearby is Eagle Crest, an upscale, golf community just outside of town, right next to Cline Butte (where Barack Obama, among others, stayed while in Bend). More retirees and white collar folks live here, and homes generally start in the 300s and go well up from there. However, in town proper, you can still find a home in the low 100s, which is next to impossible in nearby Bend or Sisters. For this reason, many first time home buyers buy in Redmond. And, just to the North is the little town of Terrebonne, a bedroom community with lower priced homes as well as multi million dollar ranches, owing to the proximity to the gorgeous views of Mount Jefferson, and especially Smith Rock State Park and the Crooked River.
 

ABOUT SISTERS

Ahh, Sisters. Adored by tourists, railed at by motorists who happen to pass through during one of its many festivals or the big Rodeo, it is an enigma in Central Oregon. Many celebrities live here, including NFL Quarterback Dan Fouts, as there are ample opportunities for privacy on the large acreage, rural properties scattered throughout the Ponderosa Pines the area is famous for. There is even a little airport community, where you can taxi your own plane right down the street to your own hangar. Sisters is all about shopping and tourists, and is situated on Highway 20, along which you will find shop after shop of Western items and crafts. People love to go there from Bend just to stroll and shop, or stroll and eat. Its biggest tourist bringing events are the Sisters Quilt Festival and the massive Sisters Rodeo, which practically shuts down the highway for three days in July.

Sisters is the one town that has survived the downturn in housing with very little impact, and home sales have barely dropped and in some cases have increased. Property here tends to be among the most expensive in the county, but gets a little cheaper if you get out of the trees and towards the more desert areas towards Redmond or Bend. The town has a very Western, Americana sort of feel, which it has honed over time for the tourist crowd. Many folks think it is higher than Bend, as it gets more snow and has more trees, but it actually is only about 3200 feet, 400 feet lower than Bend. The weather and tree difference is just due to it being closer to the mountains. And close it is, as one of the most scenic highways in the world, the McKenzie highway, takes off from town and heads through some of the most amazing volcanic landscapes anywhere. Numerous hiking trails, high lakes, camping, and climbing opportunities such as Mount Washington and Three Fingered Jack are very close. It is a gateway to the Three Sisters Wilderness, and the Pacific Crest Trail. The highway often does not open until late June or even the fourth of July, but should not be missed.

Of course, horses are a big part of life in Sisters, and horse ranches are everywhere. If you are not into Western Americana, it’s probably not your town. In Sisters you will find vacation homes and second homes galore, as it is tough to make a living in town without your own tourist based business. Sisters, Oregon Realtors are few, and most buyers use one of Bend’s real estate agents to handle their purchase, as this way they are not limited to using someone who only deals in the small market there, but has a broad spectrum of knowledge of similar bare lots, homes, acreages, and properties in other parts of Central Oregon that might favorably compare. Population is currently around 1700 people.

We generally have homes listed in Sisters (2 as I write this), so check out our listings on the site!
 

    ABOUT PRINEVILLE and POWELL BUTTE

Picturesque and dry, Prineville is the warmest town in Central Oregon. It sits in a bowl that you drop down into from Redmond, and can be several degrees warmer than the other towns, year round. It rarely gets snow, and has a very quaint, from another time feel. There is a golf course right in town, and the Crooked River runs right through it. Ample recreational opportunities abound with world class fly fishing on the river, water sports at nearby Prineville Reservoir (where I keep my ski boat, thank you), canoeing and fishing at Ochoco Reservoir, and the wilderness of the Ochoco Mountains, where you will find fewer tourists, more hunters, and more solitude in general.

Prineville real estate has had a rough time with its recent growth spurt, as it exploded in 2005 and 2006 when it got its first Starbucks! Developers moved in, it was touted as the next Bend, homes were built in large subdivisions in and just outside of town, and then the bottom dropped out. Home sales have fallen sharply here, and this presents a real opportunity for buyers, as houses start in the low 100s. It is still picturesque, it is still warm and balmy, it still has fabulous recreation, but you should be able to make a real lowball offer on a newer home here and make out like a bandit. It also boasts something VERY rare on this side of the Cascade Mountains--Lakefront properties on Prineville Reservoir, which is about 15 minutes away. Population is approximately 10,000.

Powell Butte is Prineville’s upscale neighbor, where small acreages are the norm, life is slower, and some gorgeous views of the Cascades abound. If you are looking to become a gentleman rancher, this is the place. About ten minutes from Prineville and 15 from Bend, Powell Butte is home to some beautiful homes with gorgeous green grass, irrigation, horses, and laid back attitudes. Properties with homes start in the high 300s and go through the roof from there.

We would love to represent you in your Prineville or Powell Butte Home search (If for no other reason than to visit my ski boat, which sits at Prineville Reservoir all Summer long!). As longtime Central Oregon Real estate agents, we are very familiar with the area, and can help you find just the right property, house, or bare land just over the Crook County border.

~Thom Gardner