Wednesday, March 25, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
R e a l
E s t a t e
S p e c i a l
13
R e p o r t
The state of Sisters Country Real Estate
Jim Cornelius
News Editor
The Sisters Country real
estate market is getting stron-
ger year to year — while it
still faces challenges around
inventory and affordability
for young families and first-
time buyers.
“It is continuing to
strengthen from last year
and years past,” says Kevin
Dyer, principal broker at
Ponderosa Properties in
Sisters. “However, it is still
transitioning to a new normal.
Inventory is low in compari-
son to standard expectations,
which I believe actually
inhibits some buyer activity
due to poor selection. But as
values increase, more sellers
should be enticed to enter the
market.”
Jeff Jones, principal bro-
ker at Metolius Property Sales
said, “The past year has been
pretty darn good. The market
has stabilized; interest rates
are good. It’s a stable mar-
ket; it’s not tilting one way
(toward buyer or seller).”
That overall impression of
stability is a consensus point
among Realtors in Sisters.
Phil Arends of Howells
Realty Group, reported 25
sales in the January-March
timeframe in 2014 and 28
in 2015. Days on market are
fairly consistent, too — 196
in 2014, 222 to date in 2015.
“When I look at that, I feel
like we’re kind of stable,” he
said.
Dyer reports that “the
majority of recent sales have
been between $200,000 and
$400,000. However, the
majority of active listings are
over $400,000.”
Peter Storton, princi-
pal broker of RE/MAX
Revolution, reports that “the
high-end homes ($500,000-
plus) are struggling,” but
that end of the market
is also showing signs of
strengthening.
Geff Kinnaman of
Coldwell Banker Reed Bros.
Realty reports that “bare land
and building parcel sales are
also on the rise by four per-
cent as compared to this time
last year. Now is a great time
for folks who have tried to
sell unsuccessfully in the last
couple years to give it a go
istoCkphoto.Com/tanialerro
now. There is growing activ-
ity and people looking to buy
in Sisters.”
The things that make
Sisters attractive “didn’t go
away during the recession,”
Storton notes. That means
people want to move here
— but Storton is concerned
about lack of inventory.
“ T h e r e ’s a s c a r c i t y
of homes,” Storton said.
“Hayden (Homes, Northwest
developer) has sold every-
thing they can build on the
property they have … we
need lots to put the houses on
— and, more so, in a subdi-
vision setting (which) is the
most sellable.”
Jones agrees that inventory
is an issue, but he believes the
market will adjust itself as it
continues to strengthen and
sellers feel it is time to act.
“I think that’ll naturally
take care of itself,” he said.
“We’ve got plenty of build-
able residential lots; that’s
really not a problem.”
Local Realtors say that
the second-home market
remains generally quiescent.
However, Arends notes an
interesting trend at Black
Butte Ranch, where he does
the majority of his work.
Many prospective clients
are “young families in a posi-
tion to buy who had some
experience with the Ranch
(on family vacations).” They
are looking to give their
See reAl eStAte on page 19
Just what you’re looking for!
290 E. Cascade Ave., Sisters
Mon-Fri, 9 am-5 pm | Sat 10 am-4 pm
541-588-6614 | Fax: 541-549-6339
www.metoliuspropertysales.com
SISTERS
n
Downtow
546 E. Jefferson
Sisters!
4-bdrm., 2.5-ba. home
with quality details on a
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Views!
Mountain
69340 Hinkle
Butte Dr. Wonder-
ful home on a 4.85-
acre open lot with Cas-
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shop. Freshly painted,
very well-kept home.
Large front deck. A
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hood. $290,000
— Beautiful custom-built home! —
754 E. Coyote Springs Rd., Sisters
Located in Coyote Springs, one of Sisters’ premier
neighborhoods close to downtown and all its amenities! Large
sunny corner lot. Landscaped with covered porch and back-
yard porches. Impeccably kept and move-in ready! $565,000
BLACK BUTTE RANCH
Golf Home 34
e View!
Golf Cours
Great home looks onto
the third fairway of Big
Meadow Golf Course.
Quality construction,
plank hardwood fl oors
in living room. Master
on main, large guest
suite has own entrance.
Ideal for vacation or
residence. $685,000
Jeff
Jones
Linda
Brooksby
Ross
Kennedy
541-480-7201
541-977-4488
Principal Broker
Broker
Golf Home 212
in!
Cozy Cab
Wooded 0.4-acre lot
with a well-maintained
cabin. Stone fi replace in
greatroom. Open fl oor
plan, lots of windows.
Lives large. Master
upstairs, 2 bedrooms,
bath down. Easy access
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Great New
Golf Home 275
Price!
This home has it all!
Newly expanded and
remodeled
kitchen,
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fl oors, 4 spacious bed-
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and trail. Turnkey with
furnishings. $489,000
Ellen
Wood
Suzanne
Carvlin
Lana
Labuda
Kimberly
Gorayeb
Chuck
Harper
Doug
Roberts
Carol
Zosel
541-408-1343
541-588-0033
541-595-8707
541-408-4144
541-639-5551
503-915-9417
541-280-6199
503-616-8712
Broker, CDPE
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E-PRO, GRI
Principal Broker
MBA. GRI, SFR
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