(Treeline by Pahlisch Homes in NW Bend – One of the Variety of Newer Subdivisions Springing Up Across Central Oregon | Photo courtesy of Pahlisch Homes )
Subdivisions Springing Up Across Central Oregon Feature Eclectic Mix of Styles
An array of talented homebuilders from large-scale production to custom crafters has produced a varied range of new subdivisions across Central Oregon’s tri-county area in recent history, in something of a departure from the former ubiquitous Craftsman style to a more urban feel befitting a growing region.
Despite challenging forces such as stubbornly high interest rates and increasing building costs, construction of multiple lot projects featuring a green-conscious mix of housing types and sizes has continued apace.
Deschutes County, spanning Bend, Redmond and La Pine as well as smaller communities such as Terrebonne, has seen over 35 subdivisions take shape since 2018, Jefferson County, centered around Sisters, 19 in the same timeframe and Crook County 15 — the latter in part spurred by the economic boon provided by datacenter cluster growth in Prineville.
One of the biggest names in the subdivision building field is Hayden Homes, the homegrown success story that is now the largest privately owned new home builder in the Pacific Northwest.
Established in Redmond in 1989, Hayden Homes has provided over 25,000 new homes to price-conscious, value-driven homebuyers in mostly underserved, secondary markets, with expansion continuing throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana.
Locally, the company is currently working on five new subdivisions in Redmond including 121 West, Canyon Ridge, Dry Canyon, Cinder Butte Village, Crossing at Metolius and Sego Estates, as well as the community of Marketplace in SE Bend.
Additionally, the Hayden Homes brand family of companies includes Simplicity and Wise Size, offering competitive smaller home alternatives.
Hayden Homes has contributed $6.3 billion to local economies and has created more than 99,000 jobs since the company’s inception and supports philanthropic efforts in the communities in which it is involved.
It has contributed more than $70 million in charitable donations, with the flagship of its giving through the nonprofit, First Story, which to date has provided 117 families throughout the Pacific Northwest with an affordable home and a first step toward financial freedom.
Hayden Homes has been named #1 workplace several times in prestigious business publications in Oregon and Washington, and most recently received the prestigious Great Place to Work Certification, recognized as the highest honor among workplace ranking programs, and based entirely on employee feedback.
This year, 96% of team members said it was a great place to work — 39 points higher than the average U.S. company.
“Since 1989, Hayden Homes has worked hard to build a reputation for the quality of our homes and the passionate support we provide to our team members and the communities in which we live and work,” said Patti Murphy, vice president of employee engagement with Hayden Homes. “The balance of building and giving is essential to who we are.”
Another builder which has made great subdivision strides since moving operations to Central Oregon in 2003 is Pahlisch Homes, whose story began in the Willamette Valley in 1983 when Bev and Dennis Pahlisch broke ground on their first homes.
Northwest homebuilders, the Pahlisch Homes team says it has always stressed a commitment to creating lasting communities that reflect local cultures and values, and since planting roots here has expanded its reach across Oregon and Washington.
New Pahlisch Homes subdivisions locally include Treeline and Collier in the popular Northwest area of Bend, the masterplan community of Petrosa on the growing Northeast side, Trailside in Redmond, Crescent Creek in La Pine, and Ochoco Point in Prineville.
Other active homebuilders include Monte Vista Homes which has branched out to Madras recently with the Willowbrook new home community featuring mountain and golf course views. Other newer projects include Canyon Trails in the Dry Canyon Park System in Redmond and the Artisan’s Village and Acapella projects in Bend.
Bend-based Woodhill Homes’ current residential developments include Countryside, offering NW contemporary homes in SE Bend, Sagebrook Estates in Madras and Sunset Meadows in Sisters.
Newer entrants include Prairie Crossing, a custom-inspired Earth Advantage-certified homes community in Redmond by Grandir homes.
On the custom-build front, Discovery West is being developed by the same team behind award-winning NorthWest Crossing, to the west of that masterplan community, and will offer a range of home types and sizes by a select group of builders across some 245 acres.
Discovery West is being developed under the “transect” concept of urbanism, where density decreases the farther you get from the urban core. This approach helps to mitigate negative impacts on wildlife and the threat of wildfire spread.
It will be a fire-resilient community incorporating landscape and construction measures that help prevent the spread of wildfire should it ever be near.
Custom home builders at the Caldera Springs destination resort community in Sunriver provide a wide range of services — harnessing the skills of local-leading architects, designers, and builders — that ease the process of creating a dream home, from start to finish, as well as offering move-in ready homes.
Caldera Springs’ newest neighborhood is Forestbrook, offering luxurious mountain-style homes featuring an array of contemporary details.
Bend’s Rooted Homes, formerly Kôr Community Land Trust, is a nonprofit that creates sustainable, affordable homeownership communities for Central Oregon’s workforce.
The company just announced the completion of its second workforce housing employer selection — a milestone made possible with the support of five local business partners, who have been approved for its newest community, Rooted at Simpson, located on Simpson Avenue in Bend’s westside.
Each of the five employer partners is sponsoring at least one home for their employees. BASX is sponsoring two homes; MountainStar, two homes; St. Charles, one home; Mosaic Medical, ten homes; and Mid Oregon Credit Union, one home.
Employees of these companies who qualify based on income will receive preference points in the lottery, increasing their chance of being selected for one of the 40 homes available when the build is complete in 2025. Rooted at Simpson will be similar to Rooted at Poplar, the organization’s first workforce housing employer selection, which prioritized Central Oregon essential workers.
The single-family homes are all designed to the goal of net-zero energy standards. The design offers onsite vehicle parking, electric vehicle charging, covered bike parking, community gardens, and open green space featuring tree-lined walking and bike paths.
According to Jackie Keogh, Executive Director of Rooted Homes, the organization is proud to continue its goal of 100% of homebuyers being from the local workforce. She said, “We are being more intentional about partnering with the business community to not only move the needle on the affordable housing crisis but also address the economic challenges of hiring and retention that our community faces given the high cost of housing in Central Oregon.”
“We’re excited that more local employers are getting involved and helping their employees start the process of homeownership,” added Katy Brooks, Bend Chamber CEO.
Bend’s own Hiatus Homes — known for high-quality, ecologically sound, and intelligently designed home construction — brings small-living innovation to Central Oregon, including the communities of Benham, Roanoke, Roosevelt and Ninth.
The first such development, Hiatus Benham, is a cottage-style community located on Wizard Lane in Southeast Bend, featuring 22, 598-square-foot cottages built in the small- or tiny-house design style. The cottages are constructed with high-quality fixtures and surfaces, with a focus on livable design, while the community’s winding paths, trickling ponds, garden boxes, and cozy firepits provide community residents with a feeling of their own personal sanctuary.
Hiatus Homes plans to build more modern and highly efficient homes across the Mountain West, and, since his first tiny home, Bend native and Hiatus founder Jesse Russell said that – aided by his lobbying — the building codes and density restrictions in Bend are finally catching up to the real need for affordable climate-conscience housing.
Tiny homes and small house communities are gaining traction as minimalism trends and climate change speeds up, illustrated by the success of the inaugural Hiatus Benham, which sold out rapidly.
Industry advocate Russell says the small footprint of these homes help create urban density and provide more housing inventory during a time of national housing shortages.
