Sunriver vs. Sisters vs. Tumalo (towns & communities outside of Bend) (Portland: for sale, real estate)

[Camo_Butterfly]

I will be relocating to the central Oregon region and was looking for a good town within one hour drive of Bend. The biggest thing for me is to be near the outdoors and have quick access to outdoor activities, like hiking, cycling, kayaking, and similar activities. I like what Bend has to offer and will visit often, but I don't want to live too close to the city, I like having access to outdoor space, trees, forests, rivers, lakes, etc.

My budget for a home is around 1.5 million. I won't be commuting to work or anything, so no need to take that into account.

From what I have read online, Sisters, Sunriver, and Tumalo seem like nice little communities, but it would be great to hear from actual residents. I also noticed another little community, Pronghorn Resort, that has homes for sale but it appears to be way out in the middle of nowhere, with no access to major roads.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Sisters is extremely artistic and full of little art galleries and craft shops. There are fun festivals every year: folk festival, quilt festival, assorted music festivals.


Sisters is the most beautiful location in Central Oregon. The location is excellent for mountain and lake sports. traffic is extremely heavy and often slow. Real estate is just about the highest priced in the area.


SunRiver is Disneyland by the Cascades: exactly what Southern Californians plan to find when they move to Oregon. The area is pretty. Other than better trees, you could be in Rancho Bernardo.



Tumalo is drier than Bend. It is central between Bend, Redmond, Sisters, so a good location to get to anywhere in the area. It is the area of expensive horse farms and hobby farms. There are a couple of decent restaurants in the tiny little village of Laidlaw (the legal name of Tumalo village which hardly anyone knows.) The real estate is expensive and the area is populated by people who can easily afford expensive real estate and expensive horses.


Pronghorn had nothing there for a very long time and as far as I know, there is still nothing there. At one point, I seem to remember that they were getting a golf course designed by a very high priced designer, but I don't golf, so wasn't paying much attention.


Crooked River Ranch is nice. High desert landscaping, laid back, it still feels like Oregon. You would be hard pressed to spend that much money on real estate there. but most of it has stunning mountain views and there are a couple of ridges where if you build on the top of that ridge, no one can get into your view. Real estate is slightly cheaper than Bend and it comes with more land.

[darnselfly]

You might look at homes here in Eagle Crest. It is a destination resort like Pronghorn but better situated, equidistant between Sisters and Redmond. Your budget would get you an awesome home. No acreage though, don’t know if you want that or to be part of a community.

We love it here. Friendly neighbors, resort amenities, 20 minutes to dining and shopping, 45 minutes to anywhere in Bend, approximately 60 minutes to the majority of trailheads (and local winter-hiking trails right out the door).

[BendLocal]

What size lot do you want to live on?

FWIW, I read that they changed the name of Laidlaw to Tumalo in 1915.

[texasdiver]

Sunriver seems like it is mostly AirB&B or VRBO vacation rentals or weekend homes for people from Portland. I'm not sure how many people actually live there permanently year-round and how many actual neighbors you would have that don't change out for new ones every weekend when the rental turns over. It is also kind of spread out in a weird way that makes the streets very woodsy but doesn't really leave you with neighbors that you see and interact with. I'm sure there must be a very networked community of permanent residents too. We've been there a bunch on vacations, but I think I'd get very bored living there permanently year-round.

I had an aunt and uncle who built in Black Butte Ranch near Sisters. Which is sort of a more spread out mini version of Sunriver. They eventually got bored being so far from everyone and everything else and moved back to the Willamette valley.

With that budget, I'd buy an acreage view lot on the edge of Bend. But that's just me I guess. I've done enough rural living to know I get tired of all the driving everywhere.

Properties in your price range move pretty slowly, especially outside the major cities. I'd move out here and rent first to get the lay of the land before dropping that kind of cash in a property that might be hard to get rid of if you find out it wasn't what you really wanted. Distances between towns are a LOT farther than they are on the east coast.

Rural Oregon can have a very downscale Appalachian element. One advantage to buying into an established resort style development is that you guarantee that you won't be living next to a bunch of meth-head gun nuts who like to bang on their car engines at 3 in the morning. Been there, done that.

[Thom52]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

.....

With that budget, I'd buy an acreage view lot on the edge of Bend. But that's just me I guess. I've done enough rural living to know I get tired of all the driving everywhere.

........

^^^^ this

Maybe something in the Johnson rd area, like Tumalo Rim Drive, or find something outside the Urban Growth Boundary on OB Riley.

Just check into the water, sewage, power situation for the specific home.

[Camo_Butterfly]

Originally Posted by BendLocal

What size lot do you want to live on?

The lot size doesn't matter too much to me, but I do want to be surrounded by nature, I'd prefer not to see my neighbor's houses.

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Sunriver seems like it is mostly AirB&B or VRBO vacation rentals or weekend homes for people from Portland. I'm not sure how many people actually live there permanently year-round and how many actual neighbors you would have that don't change out for new ones every weekend when the rental turns over. It is also kind of spread out in a weird way that makes the streets very woodsy but doesn't really leave you with neighbors that you see and interact with.

That's perfect, that is pretty much what I'm looking for. A quiet neighborhood that's surrounded by trees and wooded areas would jive well with what I'm looking for.

Originally Posted by texasdiver

With that budget, I'd buy an acreage view lot on the edge of Bend. But that's just me I guess. I've done enough rural living to know I get tired of all the driving everywhere.

Sunriver is only about 20 to 25 minutes from Bend, I'll probably drive into Bend about twice a week, so a half hour drive isn't too bad.

Originally Posted by texasdiver

One advantage to buying into an established resort style development is that you guarantee that you won't be living next to a bunch of meth-head gun nuts who like to bang on their car engines at 3 in the morning. Been there, done that.

Haha, that's definitely an important point too! I most certainly don't want to hear gun shots or loud 4-wheelers driving by my house.

What do you guys think of Terrebonne, north of Redmond? I saw a couple of homes on zillow that were slightly above my price range but very nice, definitely in a style that appeals to me.

[BendLocal]

Originally Posted by Camo_Butterfly

What do you guys think of Terrebonne, north of Redmond? I saw a couple of homes on zillow that were slightly above my price range but very nice, definitely in a style that appeals to me.

Is this what you are looking for? Ranch at the Canyons

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by Camo_Butterfly

........What do you guys think of Terrebonne, .....

Terrebonne is tiny and there isn't much there. The little grocery store has an excellent deli. Right inside Terrebonne, the area looks low-ish income



East of terrebonne, there are some truly fabulous horse properties, in the Smith Rocks area and on up the highway going towards Prineville. The places with views of Smith Rocks are gorgeous.


Terrebonne isn't too far to drive to Bend for shopping and events. It's very convenient for shopping in Redmond.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

Terrebonne is tiny and there isn't much there. The little grocery store has an excellent deli. Right inside Terrebonne, the area looks low-ish income



East of terrebonne, there are some truly fabulous horse properties, in the Smith Rocks area and on up the highway going towards Prineville. The places with views of Smith Rocks are gorgeous.


Terrebonne isn't too far to drive to Bend for shopping and events. It's very convenient for shopping in Redmond.

Yeah, the actual little town of Terrebonne along 97 is pretty nondescript. Small ranch houses and double-wides. My kids always like to pull off the road there to pet the alpacas at the big alpaca farm.

I guess the fancy homes are in the gated subdivision to the east next to Smith Rock that BendLocal referenced. I've never been in there but it might be what you are looking for. You'd have to drive into Redmond for your groceries and such. But it isn't that far. Look at how long some of those multi-million dollar homes have been on the market. One's been for sale for 2-years. Once you get up into that price range, real estate can take a LONG time to sell so be sure it is what you want. Those homes don't exactly flip.