The Buzz: Wild about "Wild" filmed near Bend

            Central Oregon and other areas of the state are in for a new wave of attention thanks to the pre-holiday  release in theaters of the new film, Wild.

            Early positive reviews praise the performance of Reese Witherspoon, who stepped in with her indepedent production company and bought the rights to the book by Portland author Cheryl Strayed.

            The story is based on Strayed’s account of her 1,100 mile trek on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) with her life at a low point after a trail of bad decisions, divorce and the death of her mother.

"Wild" as featured on opening page of PCT web site

            Among the publicity for the movie  is a Dec. 5  New York Times feature by Bend resident Tim Neville who visited some of the Oregon locations for the filming.  He points out that all but seven of the locations were filmed in Oregon and only two of those on the PCT.

            The locations are stand-ins, so to speak, for actual sites along Strayed’s PCT adventure.

            One of the most recognizable locations is Smith Rock State Park, which was used as a backdrop still photo of Witherspoon in the movie’s promotion trailer. The crew set up at  the Ranch at the Canyons gated residential estate working ranch in Terrebonne for that filming.

"The Postman" star Kevin Costner at Smith Rock

The PCT trail overview

           The imposing scenery around Smith Rock has also been in other movies including Swordfish, The Postman and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.

            Other Bend-area locations for Wild  include Paulina Lake Lodge, the Alfalfa Store, and Oregon Badlands Wilderness.  Scenes also were filmed around Crater Lake, Ashland, the Timberline Ski Bowl area and Portland.

            The film is expected to substantially increase hiking and visits to points along the 2,650 mile PCT that begins at the Mexican border and ends in Canada.

BRIEFS: Population growth...brighter economy...green light for Bend water project

         

Deschutes again leads state in population growth rate

            More people are arriving in Central Oregon along with a better economy, and Deschutes County now leads the state in the percentage growth of  incoming residents.

That is a snapshot revealed in new population figures for Bend and Deschutes County and a report on the improving business climate.

            In its latest report, Portland State University’s population research center  estimates that the county’s population increased 4.2% in the 12 months before July 1, 2014  measured by the center.

            That translated to 3,875 new residents and a total of more than 166,000 in the county. State population grew by only 1.1% over the period according to the research center, or to about 3.4 million.

            Deschutes County was well ahead of the second highest growth county, Hood River County, which grew by 1.9%, but with only a total population of 23,730.

            Bend, as the county’s largest city, joined Salem, Beaverton, Eugene and Corvallis with growth of more than 1,000 residents in the July to July period. Portland grew by 9,390 residents.

A bright economic outlook

            On the economic side, an economic report from the University of Oregon sponsored by the Bend Bulletin, indicates a continuing increase in the Central Oregon Business Index in the third quarter of 2014 compared to the comparable quarter of 2013

            The Bulletin reported that the index, using a baseline of 100 in 1998, grew 4.3% to 124.3.

            Economist Tim Duy who directed the research attributed the growth in part to housing, but added that the increase did not signify a real estate “bubble” similar to the one that popped during the recession.

            The Bulletin reported that Duy’s research shows tourism continues to be a mainstay of the regional economy. Supporting that conclusion, lodging room taxes jumped from $1.7 million in the third quarter of 2013 to $2.2 million in 2014.

Another bright spot was employment growth of 5% year-to-year, which

brought total jobs to within approximately 3,000 of the peak 2007-2009 period.

           

A green light for Bend water project

            A decision by U. S. District Judge Ann Aiken has cleared the way for the City of Bend to proceed with construction of the much-delayed Bridge Creek water project that will include replacement of an existing pipeline along Skyliners Road.

            Aiken ruled that the Forest Service, which had issued a special use permit for construction across federal land, was not required to assess potential impacts for future withdrawals from Tumalo Creek that exceed 18.2 cfs, the current limit.

            The estimated $24 million pipline is part of a larger project that will include a new water filtration treatment system. The city has already received extensions from the federal Environmental Protection Agency which has determined the city’s current system needs to be upgraded to prevent potential contamination from cryptosporidium and other bacteria.

            Opponents including Central Oregon Land Watch have argued the environmental review did not adequately consider the effects of withdrawals on fish and future climate change. Other objections maintained that the city should rely more on less-costly groundwater withdrawals from additional wells instead of diverting surface water directly from the Bridge Creek-Tumalo Creek basin.

            Initial estimates for the entire project, including the pipeline, have approached $60 million with legal costs added to that.

The Tree Farm unites veteran developers-could be on market in late 2015

            Although awaiting a decision by a land use hearing officer, the Tree Farm residential community of larger lots in the “urban interface” just outside Bend’s westside boundary could be on the market by late 2015, one of the partners told a group of real estate professionals.

            Tree Farm would encompass about 530 acres off Skyliners Road and bordered on the west by Shevlin Park, with more than 400 acres in open space including publicly accessible trails. Some of the lots would be along the rim above the Tumalo Creek canyon.

The property is owned by the Miller family, owners of Miller Lumber Company with Charlie Miller and his sister, Connie, representing the family. Their father, former Bend mayor Bill Miller, purchased the property in 1955 and the family last harvested it in the late 1990s.

          Kirk Schueler, a principal in The Tree Farm LLC and  veteran Bend developer, said Thursday (Nov 20) that the development group hopes to have 30 of the propsed 50 lots ready for sale by the Fall of next year

            Besides the Miller family and Schueler, the development group also involves West Bend Property 2, which includes Brooks Resources, Tennant Development and Ron White. Brooks is responsible for development of Awbrey Butte, North Rim and Black Butte Ranch and teamed with Tennant Development, led by Mike Tennant, on the successful Northwest Crossing to the east of the proposed Tree Farm.

            Schueler is a former President and Chief Financial Officer of Brooks Resources and in more than 17 years with at the company was involved with Awbrey Butte, Northwest Crossing and other well-known Bend communities.

Objective not to hold lots

             In bringing Tree Farm lots to market, Schueler said,“The goal is to price them competitively. We hope to sell them out in two years,”  He cited Tetherow across Skyliners Road, and North Rim, a Brooks Resources project on ther north edge of Awbrey Butte, as possible pricing comparables.

             But he added the  strategy would likely be to wait on pricing lots until “probably a month before release.”

            Thus far CCRs and design guidelines have not been finalized. But Schueler said that at present there is no plan to establish time-to-build deadlines. Minimum or maximum lot sizes have also not been set and he acknowledged that smaller homes of less than 3,000 square feet might be a possibility.

            Essentially, the project would follow “the old Awbrey Butte model-not Northwest Crossing,” Schueler said.

Master Plan site map

            Awbrey Butte, originally developed by Brooks Resources, was begun in the 1980s as a larger lot project by Brooks Resources and partners. Northwest Crossing came to market in the early 2000s with mostly smaller lots of less  than 6,000 square feet.

             Schueler also revealed that West Bend Property 2 members have an option to purchase from the Miller family 240 acres just east of the project. This could possibly be brought into Bend’s urban growth boundary (UGB).

            The purchase would be “entirely subject to UGB,” Shueler said.  The property, now referred to only as Northwest Crossing II, could add 750-800 housing units in a combination of single family, townhomes and apartments. The original Northwest Crossing currently has potential for 1,300 units at buildout.

            Schueler acknowledged Bend’s protracted process to gain state approval of an urban growth plan. Given the problems, Northwest Crossing II could be “2, 3, 4, 5 years” out “if the UGB gets into the quagmire as it is now,”  he said.

            Bend’s state mandated urban growth plan to provide land needed for residential and commercial development was remanded in 2010 by the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission. Among other issues, LCDC said the plan did not adequately address increasing density in potential development areas already within the existing city growth boundary.

County hearing officer hears testimony 

             Schueler’s presentation at AmeriTitle in Bend was followed that evening by a public hearing before county hearing officer Karen Green. Although recommended for approval by the county planning staff, several groups and individuals have raised questions about Tree Farm.

             The county staff findings specifically address the developers application for a cluster development for 10 lots on 109 acres, although that segmeent was reviewed concurrently with the other four parcels which would have an additional 40 lots.

Among the issues Green has under review  are impacts on wildlife habitat, traffic and fire protection and suppression.

            At the Tuesday evening hearing in response to Green’s questions,  representatives for the developers addressed a number of issues:

• confirmed there were no plans to later bring open space in Tree Farm into the UGB
• said that  deer habitat and migration corridors would not be adversely affected, noting that most deer would migrate along the Tumalo Creek corridor
• maintained that the project would be a leader in Oregon for establishing National Fire Protection Association standards of fire protection, and that adequate water in case of fire would be supplemented by cisterns.
• said that it was unlikely that there would be “industrial activity” such as timber harvest on adjacent Forest Service land, which is mostly used for biking and hiking trails at present.

        Green said she would keep the record open for additional written comments and planned another site visit.

            County staff staff report noted the planners had sent notice of the proposed project to landowners within 250 feet of the project but received only two comments.

One of these were joint comments from two persons favoring the developer plans for open space, clustering to prevent sprawl and extension of trails access north to connect with Shevlin Park.

         An opponent expressed concern that affordable housing is a need in Bend and that adequate home sites are currently available in other projects for, “the most fortunate of us.” Traffic congestion and the potential for contributing to, “another housing bubble..” were also mentioned in the response.

         Last minute comments were also filed by Central Oregon Land Watch, often an opponent of growth and new development. Those were not available for the public attending the hearing.  

New home sales rise with economic rebound

            New home construction and sales in Deschutes County continues at a brisk pace through 3^rd Quarter of 2014 according to newly-released statistics from Deschutes Builder Services.

            The company’s report of top builders by closed sales volume shows that the leading 10 builders in the county accounted for 421 new home sales for a total of $123,686,835.

            Heading the group in first place was Pahlisch Homes, with 117 sales reported on volume of $40,785,902, followed by Hayden Homes with 172 sales totaling $37,067,575. Together the two builders accounted for more than 68% of total units sold and 62% of volume.

            Pahlisch had the widest price point range, with a high of $825,000 and a low of $186,000. Hayden’s sales were from a low of $135,440 to $446,675.

            The chart below indicates the span of the market recovery for new construction as conditions have steadily improved over the past three years.

            Data provided by Deschutes Builder Services

www. NewHomesSalesData.com.

A new vision for Mirror Pond-but no quick fixes

       Like any problem that has existed for many decades fixing Bend’s cherished Mirror Pond on the Deschutes River as it flows through the city will not be accomplished quickly.

            But after several recent years of debate and public input the group charged with developing alternatives has unveiled what it believes could be a creative solution to accommodate various  interests.

            In an early November report the group proposed a plan that would remove the Newport Avenue hydroelectric dam that has caused sediment buildup threatening to turn the pond into a marsh.

            The river would then return to a more natural flow but additional work along banks would also help retain much of the pond’s current features.  

            The pond begin to build up and deposit sediment with construction a century ago of the Newport Avenue dam, now considered in poor condition and generating little electricity for PacificCorp. It was last dredged in 1984 before current regulations now making that a considerably more expensive solution.

      Perhaps the potentially most controversial aspect of the plan would be for the city to sell two parking lots bordering Drake Park and adjacent  Mirror Pond just west of the downtown core, and use the funds to update storm water systems and build a parking structure. Then the city would encourage formation of an urban renewal district that would attract private development of mixed use retail, office and residential facilities. 

Mirror Pond full Spring of 2013

An excerpt from the Mirror Pond and Downtown Redevelopment report citing responses to public surveys notes:

            “While respondent first choice interests were divided between keeping the pond and returning the river to a natural-like path, there was a second choice scenario that satisfied most respondents. It maintained the pond while improving wildlife habitat and providing fish passage.”

The new vision is the work of the Mirror Pond Steering Committee, Management Board and Ad Hoc Steering Committee bringing together local government, business and at large citizen members.

       Earlier options presented by the group have included scenarios of no-action at this time to combinations of dredging and dam removal. Cost estimates in the earlier options ranged from $4.2 to $5.3 million to remove the dam to $3.5 to $6.4 million for dredging depending on the methods used. The new vision paper does not include estimated costs. 

       As the current discussion of what to do with Mirror Pond gained momentum, local developer Bill Smith and heavy equipment contractor Todd Taylor purchased options to buy the land underlying the water from descendants of a pioneer family. The businessmen have said they prefer a solution that would retain features of the current pond.

       The new  plan would involve:

November 2013 after drawdown to inspect dam

• PacificCorp relinquishing ownership of the dam and moving the existing power substation to another location.
• PacificCorp gifting the dam to a public entity, such as the City of Bend or Bend Park & Recreation District,
• The city overseeing conversion of the dam into an area with a series of pools and riffles. This in turn, the report says, would cause the river to rise and preserve Mirror Pond at its near-historic levels.

      The result of the instream work would create fish passage now blocked by the dam while banks along the river would be reshaped to reduce sediment and improve habitat.

     With the dam and substation gone the report envisions the city selling the present Pacific Park near the site north of Newport Avenue and using the proceeds to create a new park where the substation now sits. This would also improve access along the current Deschutes River Trail. 

       Including Drake Park, the city parks and recreation district owns approximately 60% of land ajacent to Mirror Pond to the south  from Newport  to Galveston Avenue.

Overview of proposed project

Closer view of new potential development

Resort land sales rebounding--Caldera Springs leads among new resorts

            Not that long ago Bend resort sales reached peak levels, driven in part by out-of-state buyers flush with accumulated real estate equity complemented by often lax  lending standards.

            Beginning in 2005 several new resorts came to market, joining the existing legacy ones -- Sunriver, Eagle Crest and Black Butte Ranch -- that had established Central Oregon as popular vacation and getaway home area.

            Among this “new era” of resorts were Pronghorn, Tetherow, Brasada Ranch and Caldera Springs, the latter an expansion of the existing Sunriver resort complex south of Bend.

Since 2005 this group of properties has accounted for a total sales volume of $213,617, 292 according to statistics extracted from the Multiple Listing Service of Central Oregon database.

Of the four newcomers to the resort-vacation home market, Caldera Springs has led the pack through the third quarter of 2014 with a total of 375 sales and volume of $108,909,449, more than half the historic volume of the group.

Over the period Brasada Ranch and Pronghorn weathered the most trouble in the form of short sales and foreclosures. At  Brasada Ranch more than 40% of MLS reported sales through third quarter 2014 were short sales or bank owned, and  35% at Pronghorn.

As for recent performance, Tetherow, just outside Bend's west boundary, has led all unit sales in 2013 and 2014 with 80 closings on volume of $20,448,313--more than double the volume of each of the other three projects in the “new era” group. Median price at Tetherow thus far in 2014 is $258,742.

Brasada Ranch has recorded 83 sales in the 2013-2014 period, at a median of $125,450, as the resort under fresh ownership of Northview Financial has mounted aggressive marketing programs to attract visitors and potential owners.

Note: Table 1 is for newer resort-vacation home projects. Table 2 with the bar chart includes all Central Oregon properties in the resort-vacation home category.

TABLE 1

TABLE 2

Dislaimer: Information provided is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Contact me at leemvnews@aol.com should there be a significant error that needs correction.

The Fall vineyard harvest in Central Oregon-on the way to wine

            The sun rose over the rust-colored, jagged spires of Smith Rock State Park on a day in what had been an unusually warm Fall.

            A diverse collection of mostly volunteers with work gloves and pruning shears were snipping ripe grape clusters and carrying them in buckets to a bin pulled by a small tractor.

            And on this October day Kerry Damon, the man generally considered the godfather of Central Oregon viticulture,  was breathing more easily. It would be the final harvest of the section of Frontenac grapes. It is one of several varietals he has nurtured over seven years to establish Monkey Face Vineyard as the cornerstone of a nascent wine industry in this high desert environment.

Picking the Frontenac vines

            For the past few days Damon had sampled grape clusters to determine the “brix,” or sugar content, that would be most ideal to complete the final harvest day. He had shared the information with the winemaker at Pallet, a custom crush facility about 180 miles away in Medford. And together they had decided the optimal day to pick.

            This had been a good grape year for Monkey Face. An unusually early and warm growing season had extended well into Fall, with only a couple of evenings where the grapes had to be protected from frost by an overhead misting system.

            Birds were more of a challenge. And Damon had been busy checking the netting that would provide some barrier from the avian intruders.

            Also retarding some of the growth had been leaf hoppers, a gnat like insect, that can sap nutrients from the leaves. The brix readings for sugar and PH for acid were slightly less than usual, but cooler and potentially rainy weather was forecast.

            “Timing is everything,” observed Damon. And it was time to pick the last section of the vineyard.

            All-in-all Damon expects the all of Monkey Face’s production to reach 8.5 tons, about a half ton more than the 2013 crop. 

Damon and Robert Dunkelburger discuss the harvest

 Blending hybrids with vinifera grapes

            The vineyard name derives from the  Monkey Face rock formation, an imposing 350-foot semian-like pillar that is a legend among accompished technical climbers for its variety of difficult routes. The climbing rock rises from its base in Smith Rock State Park, just across the Crooked River from the vineyard.          

Initially planned as an amenity for the gated Ranch at the Canyons luxury home community, the influence of Monkey Face Vineyard has reached beyond the residential “working ranch”   to become the nexus of a growing regional industry.

            Until 2014, the Monkey Face grapes had been mostly purchased by  commercial winemakers, who would often blend it’s cold-hardy French-American hybrid varietals with more well-known vinifera grapes, such as cabernet, syrah or chardonnay.

            In the immediately past few years, Monkey Face owners-- the Ranch at the Canyons homeowners association--had sold most of its harvest to another winery-vineyard operation, Faith Hope & Charity, the latter still a year or two away from maturity of its 15-acre vineyard.

            The result was an award-winning, 100% Monkey Face white varietal, La Crescent, bottled with the Faith Hope & Charity label.  Now Damon is following the same path as FHC by having Pallet in Medford turn Monkey Face grapes into wine bottled with its own label relecting the Ranch at the Canyons location.

            Among the other hybrids grown at Monkey Face are Marechal Foch, Frontenac, Frontenac Gris and Vignole, most of these familiar in colder regions of the upper Mid-west and Finger Lakes region of New York than in warmer climes of California, Oregon and Washington--the nation’s leading vinifera growing states. 

The answer is "Yes, Yes and Yes!"

            The importance of tolerance to frigid weather in Central Oregon was dramatically illustrated in the winter of 2013-2014. Then a protracted cold snap of sub-zero temperatures essentially wiped out the new vinifera vines of Maragas vineyard and winery, a Monkey Face neighbor a few miles to the north.

            From Damon’s perspective, Monkey Face and a few other growers have answered the questions--Can you grow wine grapes in Central Oregon? Can you nurture them to maturity? and Can you make good wine from them?.

The answer, he repeats often, is “Yes, yes and yes!”

            Cindy and Roger Grossmann at Faith Hope & Charity have bought into Damon’s positive attitude for the potential of a Central Oregon viticulture industry.

Lunch after the harvest

            Their 312-acre farm property is home to the first winery permitted on exclusive farm use zoned property in Deschutes County by virtue of planting a minimum of 15 acres as required by Oregon law.

In 2015 the Grossmanns plan to harvest their first “estate wine” grapes, a crop with many of the same cold-hardy varietals already established at Monkey Face Vineyard.

Meanwhile, FHC hosts weddings and regular music, food and wine events in its scenic setting with views of the Three Sisters Peaks, and only a couple of miles to the Deschutes River.

In order to comply with wine sales requirements of the country land use permit, FHC for now offers wine bottled with its label and sourced elsewhere in the Columbia River AVA appellation bordering Oregon and Washington.

The Grossmanns and Damon have been leaders in the Winegrowers Association of Central Oregon, which also has members that include Scott Ratcliff's successful Volcano winery in Bend and labels by OJ Merrill, Naked Winery and Maragas. None of these have high-production vineyards in Central Oregon although Volcano and Maragas have blended some of their wines with Monkey Face varietals.

Other smaller vineyards are also in various stages of development, including Double Eagle by the Dunne family along the Deschutes River just a few miles between Monkey Face and Faith Hope & Charity.

(See Vineyards and Wineries for previous posts)

Slicing the market by price-clues to demand and trends

            One of the best measures of the characteristics of  a real estate market is the concentration of sales by price segments.

            Analyzing unit sales in various price ranges can reveal demand trends and provide clues to future market direction.

            As examples, these “metrics” can answer such questions as to whether the luxury market is growing, static or declining. Or they can identify the price ranges attracting the most sales activity.

            Builders, brokers, lenders, home sellers and buyers all benefit from the information in making real estate decisions.

            So what do the price ranges show in Bend and Central Oregon for the first nine months of 2014? (see the table below)

·        More than half of all sales in both Bend (59.81%) and all of the region (52.42%) are homes in the $200,000 through $399,000 category.

·        By far the the most sales in Bend (39.60%) and all of Central Oregon (34.85%) are in the $200,000 to $299,000 price range.

·        But the numbers diverge for the next highest sales range. In Bend 20.81% of sales are from $300,000 to $399,999. In all of the region, including Bend, the 2^nd highest category is $100,000 to $199,000. 

            Moving farther up in the pricing ladder sales in Bend alone account for another 24.04% in the $400,000 through $699,000 range, but only 17.83% for all of Central Oregon.

            And, significantly, sales beyond the $700,000 level to the highest priced closings in the region (three above $2,000,000) only amount to 5.63% and 4.24% in Bend and the region, respectively.

            The number of sales above $1,000,000 are a very thin slice of the overall market, with only 1.65% in Bend and 1.25% throughout the area in that range.

            Altogether there were 31 sales in Bend at more than $1,000,000 through the third quarter of 2014, compared with 25 in the comparable period of 2013 -- a nice percentage gain but a relatively small number of units. Of the Bend sales, two were in the Pronghorn resort between Redmond and Bend, which has a Bend address.

There were another 10 sales in 2014 above $1,000,000 elsewhere in the region--three near Sisters, two each in Crosswater and Sunriver and one each in Black Butte Ranch, Aspen Lakes and Vandevert Ranch.

The three sales of more than $2,000,000 were a 560 acre property on Wychus Creek north of Sisters, at $3,335,444; a 342 acre property bordered by Forest Service land west of Sisters, $2,400,000;  and a home in Crosswater, $2,100,000.

Regional recovery continues - Bend tops $300K median

            As the 2014 third quarter ended the Central Oregon real estate market showed continued strength in its long recovery with single family unit sales and price appreciation especially robust in Redmond year-to-year.

            And for the first time since 2007 the median price of a single family home was on track to top the $300,000 threshold in Bend, by far the largest regional sub-market with more than 55% of homes sold.

            The tables below (click to enlarge) provide a comparison of the first nine months of 2013 and 2014. Note that Table 1 if for single family sales on all acreage and Table 2 for more urban homes on less than an acre (up to 0.99 acre).

            Some trends that emerge:

·        Total regional sales volume has already topped the $1 billion mark for the third consecutive year since 2012.

·        Median prices for all homes in Bend increased by 6% while units sales were flat, dropping by 3% for the period

·        As the second largest sub-market, Redmond had gains across the board with median prices up, unit sales 12% and total dollar volume an impressive 22%.

·        Although it accounted for only 6.4% of sales in the region, Jefferson County-Madras posted the largest gain of all sub-markets in median prices, up 24%; unit sales 22%; and sales volume, 41%.

·        Sisters was the only sub-market to show a loss in median sales price, down 10% for homes on all acreage, and was off 7% for homes on lots on less than an acre.

·        Of the 2014 sales through the third quarter, 551 were completed in 2013 and 2014, indicating strong demand for new construction.

·        Assuming that real estate commissions would be at least 4% (possibly up to 6%), the total personal and business  income for real estate brokerages and agents would range from more than $42,000,000 to $63,000,000.

·        Factor in construction related jobs and the multiplier impact of an improving market is substantial for the in terms of buying power across the regional economy for retail and other sectors.

Additional Q3 reports for other market segments will be posted in coming days, including a breakdown of sales by price range.

Bend and Whitefish...distant cousins in real estate investment

  A recent trip to Montana illustrates that real estate investment capital tends to share connections that reach across regions--especially in areas that have similar natural, demographic and other characteristics.

 In this case I had a first hand experience in Whitefish, Montana, a scenic historic town north of Flathead Lake and only 30 minutes from the entrance to Glacier National Park and in sight of the massive Bob Marshall Wilderness complex.

Although still a major economic factor, the region’s timber industry--with companies such as Plum Creek Timber--is now facing environmental challenges that have reduced forest harvesting and related employment, as elsewhere across the West.

Whitefish Mountain ski runs as seen from downtown

The economy, according to the Flathead County web site, is now experiencing “attraction development” with recreation and tourism creating more service jobs.

With a population of only 6,357 according to the 2010 Census, Whitefish is dwarfed by Bend’s approximately 80,000, although the Flathead County officials estimate its population increases by 40% from June through August.  

As a recreation and vacation home hub, Whitefish has a thriving downtown with clothing boutiques, specialty retail shops, antique stores, galleries, bookstores, a brew pub, local coffee roaster and cafe, a range of casual and fine dining and a weekly farmer’s market in the central town park.

Expanded shopping in “big box” stores such as Costco, Best Buy, Bed Bath and Beyond and others is only a 15 minute drive from Whitefish to Kalispell, the county seat and commercial hub with more than 20,000 residents. 

Whitefish is also situated on a namesake lake with views into Glacier National Park from several vantage points. And like Bend and Mt. Bachelor, Whitefish also has a major ski mountain, Whitefish Mountain Resort, formerly known as Big Mountain.

Although the total 2010 census reports only 90,928 residents in all of Flathead county air service and the Amtrak line running through Whitefish link it to major population centers. As such the area is easily accessible to international travelers visiting Glacier National Park and its neighbor Waterton Lakes across the border in Alberta, Canada.

Fall in Glacier National Park

Glacier International Airport between Kalispell and Whitefish offers nonstop or direct flights by major carriers, including Alaska, Delta, United and affiliates, to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Denver. Amtrak’s Empire Builder has regular service from Seattle through Sandpoint, Idaho and on to Chicago.

In my trip to visit a friend and float-fish the Flathead River and its tributaries I took time out to tour downtown Whitefish and stopped by the Glacier Sotheby’s International office.

While chatting about the comparative real estate markets with a Sotheby’s broker, who visited Bend some years ago, I inquired as to who owned the local Sotheby’s franchise.

And at that point I heard the bell ring, so to speak, for a Bend-Whitefish nexus.  

The Whitefish Sotheby’s franchise, and those throughout Montana, are owned by companies connected to Bill Foley, (William P. Foley II) founder and chairman of Fidelity National Financial, a publicly-traded Fortune 500 company, and parent of Fidelity National Title company, the nation’s largest group of title insurance companies, and other subsidiaries.

Foley also has a hand in Cascade Timberlands LLC, the company that bought out creditors in the bankruptcy of Crown Pacific LP thereby acquiring the prized 33,000 acres of commercial forest that protects the view corridor to the Three Sisters Wilderness between Sisters and Bend. Altogether Cascade Timberlands purchased more than 290,000 acres of the Crown Pacific holdings, extending all the way down the Cascades spine to the California border.

According to a 2008 SEC filing, Fidelity National Financial, the parent of Fidelity National Financial www.fnf.com and other companies, controls nearly three-quarters of the Cascade Timberlands forest lands portfolio.

The original plan for the Bend to Sisters land was to develop a few thousand acres of the property as an estate lot community, leaving more than 30,000 acres available for purchase by the Deschutes Basin Land Trust. Although negotiations are periodically said to be still alive, there has been no recently announced movement on the plan.

In the Whitefish area, a Foley company purchased the former Big Mountain ski area in 2007 and rebranded it with some local controversy as Whitefish Mountain Resort.

View from road to Whitefish Mountain Resort

Besides the Sotheby’s franchise and  ski area, through another company Foley, a West Point graduate with an MBA from Seattle University and law degree from the University of Washington, also owns four Whitefish restaurants. One restaurant has a wine bar featuring a dozen labels under the Foley Family Wines company, among those Firestone, Sebastiani, Merus, Lincourt, Kuleto, Foley Estates, EOS, Chalk Hill and Altvs in California, Three Rivers in the Walla Walla area and several in New Zealand. www.foleyfamilywines.com, based in Sonoma, California.

By membership in the Foley Food & Wine Society, members can participate in wine events related to Foley’s holdings, order wines, stay at affiliated lodges and resorts, or ski Whitefish Mountain. www.foleyfoodandwinesociety.com.

Down the road from Whitefish in Deer Lodge, MT a Foley company is developing the 30,000 acre Rock Creek Cattle Company, www.rockcreekcattlecompany.com, described as a historic working ranch, with 240 gated home sites and Tom Doak-designed 18-hole  golf course. And the Foley portfolio also includes the Glacier Jet Center with charter and other aviation services based at Glacier International. www.glacierjetcenter.com.

As is often the case, the highly mobile top tier of the demographic ladder often divide their time between several residences.

Although Foley has a 10,000 square foot plus home on Whitefish Lake, and locals consider that his primary residence, he also has ties to the Santa Barbara, CA and Jacksonville, FL areas.