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

    The Sisters market saw only subtle changes from March to April, with a minimal increase in inventory --which remains high -- and a slight increase in sales activity. Days on Market changed little also, for both Single Family Residences and Homes on Acreage. Meanwhile, the Average price for listed SFR listings increased slightly (from $500,457 to $508,622), and the Average price for Homes on Acreage decreased from $981,523 to $949,320. Here are a few April highlights of the Sisters market:   LISTING ACTIVITYActive Residential Listings in Sisters:  180 (100 Single Family Residences; 80 Residential with Acreage)Contingent Residential Sales in Sisters:  3 SFRPending Residential Sales in Sisters:  4 (2 SFR; 2 RW)Residential Sales in Sisters:  2 (1 SFR; 1 RW)Average Days on Market:    17... 05/14/2009

In March, the spring-market listing surge continued in Sisters, with a significant increase in inventory in Single Family Residences (from 78 to 98), with the biggest jump in the $550,000-$599,999 range (from 8 to 14 listings). Luckily, there was only a minor increase in Homes with Acreage (homes on one acre or more), which is already flooded with inventory (there's a three-year supply!). Once again, sales in both categories remain sluggish, with all pending and completed sales below $420,000. Here are a few March highlights of the Sisters market:   LISTING ACTIVITYActive Residential Listings in Sisters:  171 (98 Single Family Residences; 73 Residential with Acreage)Contingent Residential Sales in Sisters:  1 RWPending Residential Sales in Sisters:  3 (2 SFR; 1 RW)Residential Sales in S... 04/08/2009

In February, it appeared that Sisters sellers were already anticipating the spring market surge; there was an increase in inventory in both Single Family Residences and Homes with Acreage (homes on one acre or more). Unfortunately, there wasn't a comparable increase in sales -- in fact, there was a slight decrease in sales, from a total of four pending sales and seven completed sales in January to one contingent sale, two pending sales and three completed sales in February. On the plus side: Average Days on Market for both categories of Active Listings were slightly down from January's numbers.   Below are a few February highlights of the Sisters market. LISTING ACTIVITYActive Residential Listings in Sisters:  150 (78 Single Family Residences; 72 Residential with Acreage)Contingent Resi... 03/14/2009

I'm guessing that when the folks who proposed building two destination resorts in Jefferson County's Metolius River Basin initially developed their master plans, they had no idea of the intensity with which the plans would be debated. But, in fact, the discussion about destination resorts and their place (or lack thereof) in Jefferson County just seems to be getting more complicated. It all started in January 2007, when the Jefferson County Commission signed off a new comprehensive plan that included two proposed destination resorts (a first for Jefferson County): The Metolian, a 627-acre project northeast of Suttle Lake by Dutch Pacific Resources LLC that would include 180 lodging units and 450 residences; and The Ponderosa, a 3,000-acre, 2,500-unit project along Green Ridge, owned by ... 03/02/2009

After two years of planning (and, at times, spirited debate), the new post office opened in Sisters this morning. It's been a long time coming: The move was first announced in 2007, after the USPS determined that the existing site on Fir Street couldn't meet the future needs of the community. The Postal Service broke ground on the site last summer. Many residents were initially put off with the idea of moving the post office from the south side of town (the hub of downtown activity) to the north side (the town's industrial hinterland). But after an unsuccessful pitch from then-mayor Brad Boyd for home delivery, the postal service agreed to install cluster mailboxes on the south side of town for those who preferred not to make that cross-town trek. Like all city buildings in Sisters, th... 03/02/2009

When it comes to the Sisters real estate market in January, it was a tale of two markets: Residential (Single Family Residences) vs. Residential with Acreage (homes on one acre or more). On the one hand, the number of SFR listings decreased, from 73 to 70, and the number of pending and closed sales increased, from seven to 11. That's good news for sellers and the market in general. On the other hand, the number of Acreage listings increased, from 59 to 66, and the number of its pending and closed sales decreased, from three to zero. Yikes! Let's hope that's not a trend that continues. Below are a few January highlights of the Sisters market. LISTING ACTIVITYActive Residential Listings in Sisters:  136 (70 Single Family Residences; 66 Residential with Acreage)Pending Residential Sales in... 02/18/2009

Folks who'd like to combine a good time with a good cause are encouraged to attend a benefit concert for Sisters residents Doug and Katie Cavanaugh on Feb 27 at Three Creeks Brewery. Last month, a devastating fire in the early hours of Jan. 22 destroyed the workshop that housed Doug's business, Cavanaugh Logging, along the couple's music venue, Harmony House (Katie, a former Realtor with Coldwell-Banker Reed Bros., in Sisters, is also a well-known folk singer-songwriter, who performs often with Doug). The fire, which was started by an electrical short-circuit, not only leveled the workshop but destroyed several vehicles, Doug's tools and much of his logging equipment. Insurance won't cover the cost of rebuilding the shop, which was deemed a total loss. Shortly after the fire, the Sister... 02/16/2009

    Central Oregon received its first big snow in December -- just in time for Christmas. Meanwhile, the Sisters real estate market continued to cool. It was nice to see yet another dip in the number of listings (down from a summer high of 243 in July to 132 in November). No one should be too surprised to find a slight decrease in the number of sales (from a high of 11 in June and July to seven in December). Below are a few December highlights of the Sisters market. LISTING ACTIVITYActive Residential Listings in Sisters:  132 (73 Single Family Residences; 59 Residential with Acreage)Pending Residential Sales in Sisters:  2 (0 SFR; 2 RW)Residential Sales in Sisters:  7 (4 SFR; 3 RW)Average Days on Market:   231 days for Active SFR listings;                                        257 day... 01/23/2009

    Well, we've weathered two snowstorms since last week, and it looks like the third is on its way tonight. Definitely a white Christmas here in Central Oregon! The photo for the card above was taken on Tuesday, just outside the boundary of one of my clients' horse properties in Sisters. I encountered a large herd just after showing the property to a couple who gamely  forged through a foot of snow to survey several outbuildings. A beautiful sight to behold. Merry Christmas to all,.. 12/25/2008

    With winter approaching, the Sisters real estate market again experienced only minor changes. In November, we continued to see a dip in the number of listings (down from a summer high of 243 in July to 170 in November), but the number of sales again decreased slightly (from a high of 11 in June and July to eight in November). Below are a few November highlights of the Sisters market: LISTING ACTIVITYActive Residential Listings in Sisters:  170 (100 Single Family Residences; 70 Residential with Acreage)Pending Residential Sales in Sisters:  5 (4 SFR; 1 RW)Residential Sales in Sisters:  8 (7 SFR; 1 RW)Average Days on Market:      213 days for Active SFR listings;                                            232 days for Active RW listings;                                            218... 12/23/2008