In all the years we have lived in Central Oregon, we have never been to Clear Lake, much less hiked around it. Located off Hwy 126 just south of the junction with Hwy 20 in the Willamette National Forest, the Clear Lake trailhead is next to the parking lot of the Clear Lake Resort where cabins, fishing supplies, boats and kayaks are available for rent. We arrived early before the parking lot filled and started our hike along Clear Lake's western shore.  When we reached the southern edge of the lake, we took the cutoff trail to the Sahalie and Koosah Falls loop, which extended our hike and enabled us to view these beautiful waterfalls from the western side as well as the well known eastern viewpoints. 

After completing the loop around the falls, we returned to Clear Lake and continued our hike up its eastern edge, passing the spring which is the headwaters of the McKenzie River and the northern edge of the lake. In reading up on Clear Lake, we learned that the lake was formed 3000 years ago when lava from Sand Mountain reached the river and backed up the water to form the lake. Hikers and boaters can still see remnants of the drowned forest in submerged trees still standing under 120 feet of water. The water is near freezing which is why these trees have not fully decomposed after 3000 years.

The northern part of the lake provides for views of North and Middle Sister. It is also here that we saw beautiful reflections in the lake, which at times had a turquoise tint. In returning to the lodge, the parking lot was filled to overflow. Our entire hike, including the waterfall loop,  was just less than 10 miles and under 1000 feet of elevation gain. People wishing to see the beautiful colors need to hurry before the leaves fall.

Kerry Knouse has joined Bend Premier as a Principal Broker.  Kerry brings over 10 years of experience representing buyers and sellers. Kerry had a long career in construction prior to becoming a real estate agent and really understands the Central Oregon market, including its varied neighborhoods and communities. Bend Premier is pleased he has joined us. To read more about Kerry, click on Kerry's website.

What's in the October, 2023 Bend Premier Newsletter?

• Bend Home Sales Down While Rate of Price Increase Drops
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Beginning with Pre-Approval
• Hike Pamelia Lake to Grizzly Mountain
• Explaining Today's Low Housing Supply

Brasada Ranch is a Destination Luxury Resort Community in Powell Butte

Developed prior to the housing crash of 2008, the first 200 homesites offered at Brasada Ranch sold out in a weekend. This special community offers three clubs - athletic, equestrian or golf - as well as privacy and panoramic views. While the development suffered as did all Central Oregon real estate during the great recession, Brasada Ranch came out of those challenging times stronger and with a great vision. It quickly became a very popular destination for many looking for a vacation home or a year-round residence offering the peace and tranquility of the high desert, while all the while enjoying three great active clubs and their amenities. The residents of Brasada Ranch believe as do the readers of Conde Nast Traveler that it is among the "Best Resorts in the World (2021), The United State...

Click Here to Read More...

Bend Home Sales Down While Rate of Price Increase Drops

The Bend real estate market is in transition. With high mortgage interest rates impacting the buying power of potential Bend homebuyers and with sellers who may currently own a home financed under a low mortgage interest rate not listing, low inventory levels are keeping home prices up while the number of sales have dramatically dropped. We are seeing fewer new listings hitting the market, resulting in fewer pending sales and closed transactions. This is beyond the normal slow down that happens in Bend after school starts. This change is being felt nation wide and fewer home sales are happening with mortgage rates now approaching 8%.

Bend Real Estate Sales Impacted by Rising Interest Rates

We compare Bend Home sales year over year in order to be consistent in our data. When September 2023 sales of Bend single family homes are compared with those from September 2022, the following changes can be noted...

Click Here to Read More...