Mother Nature shone bright on the annual Sisters Christmas Parade on Saturday. Under clear blue skies and relatively balmy temperatures (40-ish), the holiday-inspired procession of floats, pets, people and contraptions sauntered down Hood Avenue to the appreciative applause of a very large, very receptive crowd. Below are some photos taken curbside.                                                                                                                                       About the Author:Lisa Broadwater is a Central Oregon-based real estate professional who specializes in listing and selling homes, especially in Sisters, Tumalo, Redmond and Bend. If you'd like to learn more about Central Oregon, please visit www.CentralOregonHome4You.com. 11/29/2009

It's been a particularly busy month or so for the Sisters business community. First, shortly after the closure of Wild Dusty Rose florist (located in the RE/MAX Town & Country building), Flowers by Deanna opened in its place. Next, Blue Skies Gallery opened downtown (upstairs at the Sisters Town Square on Cascade Avenue), along with the Spirit of Sisters, a consignment gallery located at the corner of Hood and Elm, owned by bead-maker Sue Purcell. Then the Sisters Dollar Store opened in the Three Winds Shopping Center adjacent to the new Bi-Mart -- just in time for plenty of Halloween hoopla (see photo below). A joint venture between one of my RE/MAX cohorts (Cynthia Hydes) and Sisters resident Matt McCurdy (husband of another RE/MAX cohort, Marina McCurdy), the Dollar Store stocks a bi... 11/23/2009

After two months of strong sales in the Sisters real estate market, the momentum slowed a bit in October, with 19 Pending and Closed sales, compared to 27 in September. On the plus side, the overall inventory continued to decrease (down from 217 in August to 180 in October). Meanwhile, the median sales price for Active SFR listings dropped from $419,000 in September to $399,000, while the median sales price for homes on acreage decreased from $795,000 in September to $736,500. Here are a few October highlights of the Sisters real estate market:   LISTING ACTIVITYActive Residential Listings in Sisters:  180 (102 Single Family Residences; 78                Residential with Acreage)Contingent Residential Sales in Sisters:  2 (1 SFR, 1 RW) Pending Residential Sales in Sisters:  7 (5 SFR; 2 ... 11/16/2009

As summer turned into fall, the Sisters real estate market continued to gain momentum. August's strong increase in sales carried through into September, with 27 Pending and Closed sales (up slightly from 25 in August). The difference this month was that all but one of the 14 Pending sales were Single Family Residences, with only one Residential With Acreage Pending sale). Also noteworthy is a significant decrease in inventory (down from 217 in August to 194 in September), which is a welcome change in what was an increasing inventory throughout the year (there were 136 active Residential listings in January). Here are a few September highlights of the Sisters real estate market: LISTING ACTIVITYActive Residential Listings in Sisters:  194 (111 Single Family Residences; 83 Residential wit... 10/12/2009

How fitting that just in time for my 100th blog post, Sisters was named one of the Top 100 Adventure Towns in National Geographic Adventure magazine. The October issue provides a handy state-by-state guide of the country's "top outdoor hubs," which touts the Sisters area for its hiking, rafting, road-cycling, mountain-biking and skiing. Receiving specific nods are the McKenzie River (for its Class III rapids), Black Butte (for its scenic hiking), Smith Rock (for its sport climbing) and Mount Bachelor (for some of the best ski runs in the West). Too bad the guide neglected to mention our much-closer (albeit less-glamorous) neighbor, Hoodoo Resort, located at the summit of Santiam Pass. I was also bummed to see that Sisters only ranked #84 -- until I gave the intro a closer read. The lis... 10/11/2009

Wow! August proved to be a banner sales month for the Sisters real estate market. After two months of slight growth in sales, Sisters saw a significant jump. In fact, sales almost doubled -- from 15 pending and closed sales in July to 25 pending and closed sales in August. Included in the mix was a strong showing of higher-end sales (six sales above $500,000, including one just under $1,000,000). Also noteworthy, however, is the dramatic increase in inventory since the beginning of 2009. In January, there were 136 active Residential listings (which include Single Family Residences and Homes on Acreage), compared to 217 active Residential listings in August. When looking at the previous 12 months' of sales, those numbers translate into an 11-month supply of homes in January compared to a... 09/13/2009

Earlier this year, I attended a free two-hour mortgage-counseling workshop in Redmond that was designed to provide struggling homeowners with information on the ins and outs of the foreclosure process. Hosted by NeighborImpact (the Redmond-based nonprofit group that provides a number of home-related community services to residents of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties), the program offered a wealth of information that is becoming relevant for more and more people in Central Oregon. Now NeighborImpact is offering a four-part series of free two-hour "financial-fitness" classes in Sisters, which will address everything from budgeting, banking and borrowing to credit-card management. Offered in partnership with the City of Sisters and the Bank of the Cascades, the educational program i... 09/10/2009

69436 Ox Yoke, Sisters OR$199,900Location:69436 Ox YokeSisters, OR 97759Map and DirectionsSingle Family Home2 Bedrooms1 Bathroom1 Partial BathroomInterior: 1068 sqftLot: 0.53 acre(s)DescriptionPERFECT Second Home/Cabin or..make Sisters, Oregon your primary home. Vaulted Ceilings, Wood Accents, Open Floorplan. Detached Carport. Newer Metal Roof, New Septic, Well maintained property. Beautiful .5+ acre lot with lots of trees. Located on a culdesac. BEST priced home currently available in Tollgate, just minutes to the town of Sisters. Lock this up quick, it will go fast.PhotosFeaturesSingle Family HomeBest Buy in Tollgate2 Story ChaletVaulted CeilingsGreat RoomDen/OfficeDining AreaLiving RoomPatio / DeckLandscapedSprinkler SystemNeighborhood InfoLocated in Tollgate Clubhouse / Rec room Po... 08/21/2009

July 2009 was a month of increases for the Sisters real estate market. Inventory continued to increase (from 212 to 219, with seven new Single Family Residence listings and no new Homes on Acreage). That high volume of inventory continues to be a long-term concern for sellers and helps explain this month's increase in days on market for both active Single Family Residences and Homes on Acreage. On the plus side, sales increased again this month, if only slightly (15 pending and closed sales), including the first million-dollar transaction since February. Here are a few July highlights of the Sisters real estate market: LISTING ACTIVITYActive Residential Listings in Sisters:  219 (129 Single Family Residences; 90 Residential with Acreage)Contingent Residential Sales in Sisters:  1 (1 SFR... 08/17/2009

Well, some folks said it would never happen (and some Sisters purists wish it never had), but the town's first discount retailer opened its doors today. And judging by the hefty crowds at the new Bi-Mart, plenty of folks in Central Oregon couldn't wait to see this new addition for themselves. Even before Ray's Food Place moved into its new location next-door last November, speculation ran rampant about what would happen to the former Ray's mammoth storefront. Soon, Eugene-based Bi-Mart was mentioned as the front-running candidate. Many locals had a hard time believing that was possible.  Certainly, the regional big-box discount retailer -- which boasts everything from a pharmacy, photo/sound department, housewares, sporting goods, automotive parts, hardware, health and beauty products, ... 08/12/2009

At last, the popular Old McKenzie Highway (also known as Highway 242) has opened for the season, a few days before its Aug. 15 deadline. A nearly $4 million dollar highway improvement project, funded by the Federal Highway Administration, caused the delay (read my blog post about the Highway 242 closure here). That multimillion-dollar price tag is a far cry from the historic wagon route's original toll of $2 for a wagon drawn by two horses (or $2.50 for a wagon with four horses, $1 for a man on a horse and 10 cents each for loose cattle and horses). The first route over the McKenzie Pass, which was completed in 1872, connected the Willamette Valley with Camp Polk, near what is now Sisters. The McKenzie Pass Highway became a seasonal scenic highway in 1962 with the completion of the Clea... 08/11/2009

Last Saturday, while returning a library book in Sisters, I stumbled upon an event I hadn't even realized was in town. Just around the corner from the library, folks had gathered for the first annual "Glory Daze Car Show," which meandered along Main Street (plus several side streets). Automotive aficionados are frequent visitors to Sisters because of the many scenic roadways nearby. So I wasn't too surpised to see that the show had gathered an impressive crowd of car buffs, both young and old alike, by the time I arrived mid-afternoon. There was something of interest for just about everyone, from classic hot-rods of all shapes and sizes (not to mention colors) to old-time pickups and vintage roadsters to my personal favorite: a luscious bright-orange-and-white 1937 Ford dubbed "Creamsic... 07/21/2009

  Original photograph of a doe and her twin fawns in downtown Sisters, Oregon, taken by Lisa Broadwater, Broker, GRI; RE/MAX Town & Country Realty, 178 S. Elm, Sisters, OR, 97759. 541-549-3333. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission For more images or for more information about Sisters, Oregon or information about real estate in Sisters, Oregon, visit www.CentralOregonHome4You.com. 07/19/2009

2009 Sisters Quilt Show Now Underway   Having lived here in Central Oregon for most of my life, I had always wanted to attend the Sisters, OR annual quilt show.  It is said to be the largest Quilt show in the entire United States.  For whatever reason it has taken my wife and I decades to finally attend it. I've always known it was a big event, however once we were heading out of Bend towards Sisters, there was a traffic road sign that said 'Caution Slow Traffic, Sisters Quilt Show.' Sure enough as we drove towards Sisters, about 1/2 a mile outside of town, there were cars that were parked alongside the Highway.  We decided to chance it and drive into the town itself hoping to find a parking space that some sun weary tourist might be vacating to go back to their hotel and catch a cat na... 07/11/2009

  Only minor changes from May to June in the Sisters real estate market. Inventory continued to increase (from 198 to 212, with the bulk of the new listings in Homes on Acreage) while sales remained in the double digits (14 pending and closed sales). However, there wasn't as much activity in the above-$300,000 markets as there was in May, and the overall high volume of inventory continues to be a long-term concern for sellers. Here are a few June highlights of the Sisters market: LISTING ACTIVITYActive Residential Listings in Sisters:  212 (122 Single Family Residences; 90 Residential with Acreage)Contingent Residential Sales in Sisters:  2 (SFR, 0 RW) Pending Residential Sales in Sisters:  5 (3 SFR; 2 RW)Residential Sales in Sisters:  9 (6 SFR; 3 RW)Average Days on Market:      185 da... 07/07/2009

 Original photograph taken by Lisa Broadwater, Broker, GRI; RE/MAX Town & Country Realty, 178 S. Elm, Sisters, OR, 97759. 541-549-3333. All rights reserved and may not be reproduced or reprinted without express written permission For more images, visit http://www.centraloregonhome4you.com/. 06/17/2009

Earlier this week -- just in time for the hallowed Sisters Rodeo  weekend -- a towering new symbol for our fair city rode into town. He's known as "The Wild Stallion," and he's the creation of renowned local artist Lorenzo Ghiglieri. Located in the center of town across the street from Lorenzo Fine Art, Ghiglieri's gallery on Highway 20 (aka Cascade Avenue), the Stallion is one of the first images that visitors encounter now as they travel through Sisters from the south. Talk About Memorable First Impressions...A spectacular 13-foot-plus bronze specimen of equine wonder, the Stallion has literally been stopping traffic for the past few days -- and traffic is sizable this weekend, what with both the rodeo and the Sisters Art in the Park event scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. One reason... 06/13/2009

In May, the Sisters real estate market began to pick up a little steam, with the number of sales (contingent, pending and closed) up in both the Single Family Residence and Homes on Acreage markets. Pending sales saw the biggest increase, from three SFR pending sales in April to six in May and from two pending Homes on Acreage sales in April to four in May. Another encouraging sign: For the first time this year, there has been an increase in the number of sales above $300,000. Previously, both SFR listings and Homes on Acreage had only one or two sales above $300,000 per month. Now, the not-so-good news for sellers: There is still way too much inventory. In fact, there was a sizable increase in inventory in SFR listings, from 180 in April to 198 in May. Homes on Acreage held steady at 8... 06/08/2009

The festival season in Sisters --always packed with entertaining cultural events -- launches this weekend with a new event that sounds like a real hoot: the first annual Ranch Life & Rodeo show. Designed to honor the town's rich Western heritage, the event is packed with out-of-the-ordinary activities. Perhaps most notably, in celebration of Oregon's 150th birthday, the Deschutes Historical Society is re-enacting an old-fashioned stagecoach ride between Bend and Sisters (the stage leaves from Sisters today and will return from Bend on Saturday (it's expected to arrive around 4 p.m.) On a similar note, Jenny and Jerry Andres, owners of Sisters View Clydesdales, will offer free stagecoach rides from the Sisters Chamber of Commerce (291 E. Main) to Sisters Art Works (204 W. Adams) and back... 05/29/2009

Much has been made recently about the struggles of the downtown Sisters business community. Last year, the town was classified a "severely distressed community" by the Oregon Economic & Community Development Department, which arrived at the designation after analyzing data in four areas: percentage of the population with a bachelor's degree age 25 or higher; unemployment rate (any community above 8 percent is considered "distressed); percentage of the population below poverty; and per-capita income. Sisters qualified for the moniker in all four areas, making it "severely" distressed, as opposed to simply "distressed." This year, the rest of Deschutes County joined Sisters in receiving the "distressed" classification, after countywide unemployment more than doubled, from 6.7 to 14.7 perc... 05/22/2009