Welcome to Silverton Oregon - One of the best kept real estate secrets in Oregon?

Silverton is the gateway to Silver Falls State Park, Oregon's largest state park, and the 4th largest tourist attraction in Oregon. It is also the home of the Oregon Gardens, an 80 acre botanical park. Each summer, Silvertonians celebrate their most famous citizen in the Homer Davenport Days festival and parade. Also notable is the farmers market on Saturdays where local farmers and artisans sell their wares. The first bank robbery and chase scene in the movie Bandits (starring Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton) was filmed in Silverton. Silverton has also been coined as the Christmas tree capital of the world.

A real estate "secret"?
Well, maybe and maybe not, depending on who you talk to of course. It's my theory that certain small towns in Oregon are gaining interest due to what I call the "Bend effect". The town of Bend received national attention for it's amazing boom in growth and values, especially in 2005 and 2006, until about May 2006 when the real estate market started to change. However, the aftershocks of the appeal of Bend is having a rippling effect and Silverton, in my opinion, is one of the benefactors.

First, Silverton is a popular tourist destination that is "off the beaten track" which enhances its appeal. The two main attractions mentioned above are Silver Falls State Park and Oregon Gardens. However, Silverton in its own right has also become and is fast becoming a tourist destination due to the town's charming historic architecture and buildings combined with upscale restaurants and shops that appeal to tourists from larger cities. New residents from larger cities have relocated here creating an eclectic population mix with both locals and "relocated locals", working together to manage growth while maintaining a small town atmosphere and charm. It is working like a charm so far, and it seems as if they want to keep it this way. It's a "happening place", with a lot of fresh ideas and creativity being deployed here.

Just visit the Red Thai restautrant and ask the owner what motivated him to relocate from Miami Beach to open this fine dining establishment, or visit the Silverton Hospital, ranked in the top 100 in the nation, or plan out a stop ay Mac's, a 107 year old pub that used to have a notorious reputation as the local brothel.

For local real estate information, we have a team approach that represents years of both experience and local expertise in the Silverton market. Contact us today. (503) 302-2333

David Brown
Realtor
Prudential Real Estate Professionals