It’s time once again for the COBA Tour of Homes. Held each year during the last two weekends in July, the tour (which the Central Oregon Builders Association introduced back in 1989) offers a peek at the handiwork of some of the finest builders in Central Oregon — folks like Pahlisch Homes, SolAire Homebuilders, Sun Forest Construction, Schumacher Construction, Woodhill Homes and Pacwest Homes, among others.
Homes included in the tour run the gamut of price ranges, with everything from entry level to million-dollar options. This year, there’s also an interesting new entry in the sub-$100,000 market (a rarity in these parts!): an 800-square-foot, two-bedroom “kit” home priced at $97,500. Created by a new Hayden Homes offshoot, WiseSize Homes, the home (located at 376 35th St., in Redmond) was designed for off-the-grid living.
The tour is an outstanding opportunity to check out some new design trends. So if you’re considering building a home in Central Oregon (and, these days, there’s plenty of that going on — building is up 30 percent since last year), you’ll definitely want to check it out.
Like last year, there are a number of green-built homes on the tour, including a “net-zero” home (a structure that produces as much energy as it uses) at 2163 NW Lemhi Pass in Bend. Other interesting design features found on the tour: a custom “floating steel” staircase (at 61557 Hosmer Lake Dr., Bend), Frank Lloyd Wright influences (2157 NW Lolo Dr., and 2181 NW Lolo Dr.), a Pentaquartz countertop (at 2163 NW Lemhi Pass), hand-troweled plaster veneer (at 195-8 Todd Lake Ct., Bend) and an endless pool with hydro spa (679 Widgeon Road, Eagle Crest).
The 45 homes featured are scattered throughout Central Oregon, with stops in Bend, Redmond, Terrebonne, Powell Butte, Brasada Ranch and Caldera Springs. (There are no homes featured in Sisters, however). With nine homes included on the tour, Bend’s popular NorthWest Crossing neighborhood has the most entries (by far). Upscale newcomer Tetherow also has several high-end entries.
The homes will be open for touring this Friday from noon-6, & Saturday & Sunday from 10-6. Free admission (no tickets required). For more information, call 541-389-1058.
Here’s an online map of the tour.
Here’s a list of this year’s award-winning tour homes.
And here’s detailed information about each of the homes on tour.
About the Author
Lisa Broadwater, GRI, CDPE, is a Central Oregon-based real estate professional who specializes in listing and selling homes, especially in Sisters, Tumalo, Bend and Redmond.