OUR BEND OREGON REAL ESTATE BLOG
September 19, 2016 · by Cheri Smith & Molly Brundage
A lot of progress has been made since our initial blog post in 2014 about The Tree Farm subdivision on the west side of Bend, Oregon. In case you missed that post, The Tree Farm is a new development on the west side of Bend off Skyliners Rd. There will be just fifty 2-acre homesites offered for sale and 400 acres of open space that will be permanently preserved. Much of the land in the development will remain pristine and provide residents and the larger Bend community enhanced access to Shevlin Park and US Forest Service land. Development construction began in April 2016 and the neighborhood is really taking form. Roads have been cleared and rough graded and a prescribed burn was carried out to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health. Homesites have been marked and the developers are offering guided tours. The BrundageSmith team took a guided tour and we were impressed by the progress that has been made. (Please abide by the No Trespassing and Authorized Personnel Only notices. It is still an active construction site.) We were struck by the diversity of the landscape. Some areas are densely treed and have a “cabin in the woods” feel while other homesites will have big Cascade Mountain views.
A draft of the Design Guidelines has been released. The primary intent of the guidelines is to ensure that all improvements made to each homesite complement the surrounding natural beauty of the land. Limitations have been set for the total combined square footage of all structures, including attached garages and accessory buildings. The minimum allowable square footage is 2,500 and the maximum is 14,000. Structures may not cover more than 50% of the Building Envelope. Other considerations include the Wildfire Protection Management Plan (WPMP), and the Wildlife Habitat Management Plan (WHMP). Fire prevention and protection are key priorities at The Tree Farm. The Tree Farm Homeowners’ Association is committed to being a fire resistant neighborhood and a Firewise/USA Community. The western Homesites (lots 37, and 39-50) of The Tree Farm property are within a designated mule deer winter range, therefore, The Tree Farm must comply with the Deschutes County Wildlife Area (WA) Combining Zone which requires the preservation, protection and enhancement of wildlife habitat.
Finally, what we’ve all been waiting for, lot pricing will be released on Saturday, October 1, 2016. Prices and sales maps, Purchase and Sale Agreements, copies of all governing documents and the preliminary plat will be available on site at The Tree Farm any time between 10:00am and 3:00pm. Don’t fret if you aren’t local and you can’t attend the price release event. This information will also be emailed to those that have signed up for updates on The Tree Farm website. Interested parties have until noon on October 7th to submit offers. At 5:00pm that same day, offers will be reviewed. In the event that multiple offers are received on the same homesite, the buyers will be notified and will have the opportunity to amend their offer. We are counting down the days until prices are released. How much do you think these homesites will go for?
We hope you find this market update useful and informative, and we welcome any questions you may have. If you are interested in a market update for your neighborhood or any other segment of the market (e.g. bare land or acreage properties) please contact us for a custom report.
