Check out the latest BUILD Magazines – Big Sky, MT & Whitefish, MT  (April 2024)

The Bend Boom

If you’ve driven around Central Oregon lately, you’ve probably noticed a flurry of residential construction activity. Fully recovered from the slowdown that followed the housing market crisis, Bend’s building boom is back. This time, says local industry experts, with greater emphasis on long-term financial sustainability.

As housing markets elsewhere — particularly in California — remain strong, baby boomers and others looking for a lifestyle change are naturally drawn to Central Oregon. Whether as a vacation or a retirement home, Central Oregon still offers value compared to pricier locales, says Jim Yozamp, president of Pacwest Builders, an award-winning Central Oregon custom homebuilder. Rather than throw money at a project, quality, service, reputation and value rank high on the list of priorities for mindful consumers considering a custom home build.

“They want quality, but they don’t want to overpay for it,” explains Yozamp. Just as Central Oregon attracts vacation home investments and retirees eager to build their dream home, the region’s renowned recreation amenities has also drawn superior craftsman.

“We’ve got some of the best craftsman in the country,” says Yozamp. “They all want to be here.”

With a population approaching 90,000 residents in one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, Bend’s current challenge is space. The city is expected to expand its urban growth boundary to the west, north and southeast in the next 18 months, which should ease the squeeze, at least in the short term, while a push to add density and “go vertical” are also under consideration.

What isn’t likely to change, however, is Bend’s appeal. Anyone who has experienced spring skiing at Mt. Bachelor followed by a round of golf at Tetherow and an evening casting on the Deschutes will tell you that.

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