Categories - Industry Insights

Development’s Role in Fire-Safe Communities 

Development’s Role in Fire-Safe Communities 

One of the biggest benefits to living in Central Oregon is its proximity to nature. Walk outside and see a forest, head to the middle of town to enjoy the river, or drive several miles and reach a mountain or a lake. It’s one of the main reasons for the population boom Central Oregon has been experiencing the last couple of decades. Bend, as many cities in Central Oregon are, is surrounded by the Wildland Urban Interface,… more >

Bend, Oregon Real Estate: Q&A with Compass Commercial’s Jay Lyons

Bend, Oregon Real Estate: Q&A with Compass Commercial’s Jay Lyons

To complement our residential real estate piece from last month, we sat down with a Bend, Oregon commercial real estate expert, Jay Lyons, Principal Broker with Compass Commercial Real Estate Services. He answered a few of our detailed questions about the commercial real estate market and how many COVID-related trends are affecting the space. We appreciate his insightful answers! Read on to learn more about exactly what’s happening… more >

Bend Central District – Q&A with Brooks Resources’ Dale Van Valkenburg

Bend Central District – Q&A with Brooks Resources’ Dale Van Valkenburg

Bend, Oregon is growing – and fast. This means that we need careful planning, forward-looking infrastructure and optimization of land use to accommodate our changing landscape and population. One area that has been “central” to these discussions about the city’s future is the Bend Central District (BCD). The BCD runs roughly from NE Penn and 2nd street south to the 3rd street underpass, on the west side of Highway 97. It is truly in the heart of… more >

Brooks Resources’ Kirk Schueler on Bend, Oregon in 2021

Brooks Resources’ Kirk Schueler on Bend, Oregon in 2021

We sat down with Brooks Resources president & CEO Kirk Schueler to talk about what’s going on in Bend, Oregon from a growth, infrastructure, business and housing perspective. With nearly 30 years in the region, his view is that these critical issues, while disrupted a bit by COVID-19, will eventually balance out as they always have done.  How is the growth we are experiencing now different than before?There have historically been periods… more >

What to Expect from The Bend Housing Market This Year

What to Expect from The Bend Housing Market This Year

While a new year typically signals new beginnings, fresh starts and endless opportunity, for those of us in the real estate industry, we choose to look back and see what history might say about the year ahead. And while no crystal ball exists, I find it helpful to review numbers from the past 4 quarters and year-end data compared to the previous year, and to look at economic trends to plan for 2019. Overall, 2018 was a good year for… more >

The NWX Building Blocks of Success

The NWX Building Blocks of Success

When the West Bend Property Company development team envisioned NorthWest Crossing back in the late 90s, in their minds’ eyes they saw tree-lined streets, diverse architectural styled homes and large, welcoming front porches. Twenty years later, it’s easy to see that vision became a reality—not by chance, but through thoughtful and strategic decisions made by the team. One of those decisions has been central to the success and visual appeal of the neighborhood—the establishment of a Builders’ Guild. Although nameless… more >

The Impact of Art on a Community

The Impact of Art on a Community

“The arts empower. The arts give a voice to the voiceless. The arts help transform American communities and, as I often say, the result can be a better child, a better town, a better nation and certainly a better world. Let’s champion our arts action heroes, emulate them and make our communities everything we want them to be.”   ~ Robert L. Lynch, President, Americans for the Arts    Inspiring words from a leader of an organization whose mission is advancing… more >

Working for the Minds Behind My Hometown

Working for the Minds Behind My Hometown

I took interest in community development three years ago during my first year at the University of Oregon. Never had I realized how privileged I was to grow up in a community where at a young age I could jump on my bike and ride to morning swim practice, to school, or to 7-Eleven for a $.99 Slurpee without even a second consideration. In the last three years, I have spent time travelling around the world and to different US cities while also studying transportation, city planning,… more >

The Bend Central District: Focusing on Diversity, Not Density

The Bend Central District: Focusing on Diversity, Not Density

We all know Bend, Oregon is growing rapidly. There are many reasons people are flocking to Bend: job growth, a strong entrepreneurial culture, recreation opportunities, amazing parks, a growing arts & culture scene, OSU-Cascades, and a favorable climate. And unless you’ve been under a rock, you know that the City is planning for this growth in a variety of ways, including a recently expanded Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). In the UGB plan that was approved and adopted in 2016, one… more >

Navigating the Risky Terrain of Real Estate Development

Navigating the Risky Terrain of Real Estate Development

I’m an adrenaline junky at heart. Most weekends you can find me shredding single track, back country trails on my bike. I love going fast through the forest, and the more technical the terrain, the more I feel that natural high. Of course, it doesn’t always go my way. There are the occasional involuntary dismounts that hurt my ego as much as my body. But I always get back on, searching for the next adventure that (hopefully) won’t kill me.   In… more >

How Architecture Can Shape A Neighborhood

How Architecture Can Shape A Neighborhood

David’s father, Eldon, sitting on the steps of 2110 De La Vina David’s grandparents home in California When asked about what fueled his love for architecture, Brooks Resources’ VP of Real Estate Development, David Ford recalls his grandparents’ home at 2110 De La Vina in Santa Barbara, California (yes, he still remembers the address). It was a lovely Craftsman bungalow where David and his two brothers spent most of their summers and holidays. The large, covered front porch with the… more >

Events: The Great Community Builders

Events: The Great Community Builders

As real estate developers, it’s easy to think about the physical, tangible elements that go into building a neighborhood or community. We do it every day. Street Design? Check. Infrastructure? Check. Engineering? Check. Geotechnical testing? Check. But what about the intangible things that encourage social interaction among neighbors and, you know, build community. There are many physical ways to do that of course. Wide sidewalks and large front porches encourage people to get out and meet one another. Garages off… more >

An Advocate’s View: An Interview with Mike Hollern

An Advocate’s View: An Interview with Mike Hollern

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”             ~ Theodore Roosevelt The power of advocacy gives us hope for change, particularly in today’s divisive political climate. It’s easy to throw up your hands and give in to the notion that change will never happen; that politics, red tape and bureaucracy stalls everything. And as an “ordinary” citizen, it’s difficult to know how to get involved and affect change. However, we’ve recently… more >

Living with Wildfire

Living with Wildfire

The Bend lifestyle has it all–stunning Cascade peaks, meandering rivers and clear, blue lakes. A thriving arts and culture scene, world-class dining, even a brewery or 20. It’s no wonder we’ve found ourselves at the top of lists on everything from Outside Magazine to Forbes. But to live in Bend is also to live in a community susceptible to wildfire. It’s an inevitable part of our eco-system and a healthy and natural way for forests to regenerate. It can’t  be… more >

How the “Mobility Revolution” will affect Bend, Oregon

How the “Mobility Revolution” will affect Bend, Oregon

Me and my Datsun circa 1983. My father owned a gas station, so I was always around cars growing up. My first car at age 16 was a 1972 Datsun 510. Living in rural southern Oregon, there weren’t a lot of transportation options to choose from, besides a bicycle. So as soon as I could, I spent $900 of my hard-earned, gas-pumping money on my Datsun. When it ran, that car provided freedom. It took me (and my future wife)… more >

Collaborations That Pay Off

Collaborations That Pay Off

Collaboration is defined as “the action of working jointly with others or together to create or achieve something”. It’s an overused word that you’ll find used in many businesses, sports teams and artistic endeavors these days. But the spirit behind collaboration is one that, as a company, we’ve found extremely valuable in the business of real estate development. In fact, some of our most significant and lucrative accomplishments have come about because of partnerships and good working relationships with a… more >