With Oregon State Parks Closed, Try Something Different

Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit Central Oregon five weeks ago, we have been looking for places to hike which are still fairly easy to access yet not subject to closure restrictions. This weekend we found Gray Butte.  Every Central Oregonian knows iconic Smith Rock with its fabulous rock formations and the destination of many rock climbers from around the world. We have often hiked in this state park and enjoyed watching those climbing and rappelling down Monkey Face or the other cliffs many times. We have climbed Misery Ridge and enjoyed hiking many of the trails as well. One path we have never hiked before, however, is the looming Gray Butte immediately to the east of Smith Rock - although we have noticed peop...

Click Here to Read More...

Central Oregon Cities Show Varied Growth

Out of area buyers often think of Bend exclusively when they consider moving to Central Oregon. However, Central Oregon has several towns and small cities, all with their own urban "vibe" and lifestyle.  Bend is by far the largest town with its population now pushing 100,000. However, Redmond has been a great neighbor to Bend with home prices considerably less than the larger city to the south. 

Besides Bend and Redmond, Sisters offers both a closer location to the western half of the state plus a more intimate small town feeling, permeated by seasonal tourist traffic from nearby Black Butte Resort and such renowned festivals as the Sisters Quilt Show and the annual rodeo.

Prineville, Central Oregon's oldest city and the original county seat of much of Eastern Oregon, is now experiencing a building boom with new construction and...

Click Here to Read More...

Central Oregon Cities Show Varied Growth

Out of area buyers often think of Bend exclusively when they consider moving to Central Oregon. However, Central Oregon has several towns and small cities, all with their own urban "vibe" and lifestyle.  Bend is by far the largest town with its population now pushing 100,000. However, Redmond has been a great neighbor to Bend with home prices considerably less than the larger city to the south. 

Besides Bend and Redmond, Sisters offers both a closer location to the western half of the state plus a more intimate small town feeling, permeated by seasonal tourist traffic from nearby Black Butte Resort and such renowned festivals as the Sisters Quilt Show and the annual rodeo.

Prineville, Central Oregon's oldest city and the original county seat of much of Eastern Oregon, is now experiencing a building boom with ne...

Click Here to Read More...

Take the Path Off the Green Lakes Trail to Find this Hidden Gem

We have hiked the Green Lakes trail into the Three Sisters Wilderness many times over the years we have lived in Central Oregon. Located off the Cascade Lakes Highway, the hike to Green Lakes is among the most popular in the Cascades and is well worth the experience; we have blogged about this hike in the past -  see our Green Lakes Blog. Today, however, we took the path to the left at roughly 2 miles into the Green Lakes hike and walked another 1.5 miles to find Moraine Lake.

The path from the Green Lakes trail took us through old growth forest with beautiful trees and absolute silence. It is the...

Click Here to Read More...

Numbers of Central Oregon Single Family Homes for Sale Up

One of the key components on the health of a real estate market is the inventory levels of the homes selling. In a balanced market, there are 6 months of supply.  In Central Oregon, there has been a great lack of inventory for several years in most of the cities which has led to a seller's market with rising home values, multiple offers and in some cases, a certain desperation for buyers to find a home.  Full price offers or even offers over asking have been the norm at certain prices for a while.  However, there appears to be a shift happening in much of Central Oregon with the number of single family residential homes available for sale rising.

The following chart shows the las...

Click Here to Read More...