February 27, 2013 by craigtomlinson

Camp Creek Road Real Estate, Lane County Oregon

The Camp Creek Road area and its many offshoots are unique and beautiful places to live in Lane County, Oregon. Hobby farms, country properties, and long-driveway out-of-sight houses are all present. Housing options range from country estates to humble dwellings with just enough land for a horse or two. I can’t think of another area that feels like Camp Creek, which is its own little pretty and serene enclave. And, while it’s many things country, it’s anything but the city.

The Camp Creek area is especially popular with retirees and commuters, since there are very few jobs or employers to speak of along Camp Creek. The entire road is only 8.5 miles, so it’s a quick trip to either Highway 126 at Walterville, where Camp Creek Road ends to the southeast, or Marcola Road, where it ends to the northwest. So, it’s about 10 or 15 minutes to Springfield, which is close-in country, by my definition. But definitely country–horses and cows are numerous and small farms are plentiful.

Camp Creek is one of the few small roads that span between two areas: The Mohawk Valley and the McKenzie Valley. At the Marcola Road end, Camp Creek Road is in the Mohawk valley and it has that feel to it. After a couple of miles, though, it changes to McKenzie valley, both by definition and in feel. Camp Creek Road hugs the base of the Camp Creek Hills, running between them and the McKenzie River. With a setting like that, it makes for a beautiful place to live.

The settled area of Camp Creek encompasses perhaps 5,000 acres, depending on which areas you include. Much of the property with dwellings on it is the low lying flat areas, occupying ancient flood plains. These areas are popular for farming and grazing, which is a trend that started in the mid-1800s when settlement by European-heritage people began. The Camp Creek Hills, per se, are generally in the 1000′-2000′ range and make good tree growing property, which is how they are most frequently used.

Property sizes range from under an acre to over 140 acres, when bare timber properties are excluded. Parcels that are 3-4 acres are especially common. Around 4 acres is a nice size for a hobby farm because when parcels get too large they tend to own you, which is to say they take a lot of time to maintain. Property values, according to the County, range from 12K to over 1.3 Mm, so there’s a huge range. Average house and lot value is around 250K, or $133/s.f., according to the County. There is a very large range in house sizes from about 400 s.f. to over 7,000 s.f., with average size being a little under 2,000 s.f.

There are more waterfront properties in the Camp Creek area than typical. Camp Creek Road follows the McKenzie River for several miles, affording some properties beautiful views. Nearby, is also EWEB’s Walterville diversion canal, which also provides waterfront properties. There is also Camp Creek and numerous other creeks that provide for housing options on or near the water.

Sales data from RMLS, over the last 24 months, reveal 13 actives, 2 pendings and 19 solds; information was current at the time of this posting. Prices ranged from about 27K to 850K. Approximate average values for the Camp Creek area are as follows:

List Price: 275K
Closing Price: 256K
Total House Size (s.f.): 1,680
Days on Market: 151
Year Built: 1974
Price per size $/s.f.: $123

Zoning designations common in the Camp Creek Road area are: RR, F2 and EFU. The area is not within any UGB designation, so land development and building permits are controlled by Lane County. The Camp Creek Road area is in the Springfield School District, and schools are Walterville, Briggs, and Thurston. Camp Creek Elementary School closed in 2011 after being opened over 60 years ago. Some of the Camp Creek Road area is within the 100 year flood plain so flood insurance may be necessary.

When houses were built in the Camp Creek area is interesting. The oldest house dates to 1900, according to County records. From 1900 to 1949 a total of only 76 houses were built. Poor roads, world wars, the Great Depression, and a lack of relative prosperity explain the low building rate. Building increased in the 1950s and 1960s, and 127 homes were built. Our economy was in a post-war boom and a growing middle class, due to the strong timber industry, wanted to have a little slice of country living and built houses along Camp Creek.

Time of building along Camp Creek.

The largest building spike occurred in the 1970s, with 155 houses being built in that decade alone. Relative prosperity and Oregon’s new-found popularity by the counterculture probably explain this. There were also many fewer restrictions to building in the country; Oregon’s restrictive land use laws were enacted in 1973 and made rural development much more difficult, a trend which continues to this day. Building was off in the 1980s due to hard economic times in Oregon. Lane County’s economy had recovered by the 1990s and building was up again, to over 100 houses.

The 2000s to present day have been marked by moderate building in the Camp Creek area. Much of the low hanging fruit had been picked, that is to say, many properties that were easy and made sense to develop were already built. And, the Great Recession that began in 2008 brought building to a near halt. Development in the last couple of decades has trended towards secluded country estates. There’s even a gated community now, which is pretty rare in Lane County.

The Camp Creek Hills are start of the Western Cascades. Some 30 to 40 million years ago this area was ocean and the volcanoes to the east of the shoreline erupted ash and lava to form the Western Cascades. The Camp Creek Road area is thought to be about 25-30 million years old At several times, the land tilted upward and the ocean eventually retreated to its present location, about 60 miles to the west. The area was glaciated from 2 million years ago, until about 11,000 years ago.

The Mohawk and McKenzie Valley area, and probably all of Lane County, is thought to have been inhabited for about the last 10,000 years. The aboriginal inhabitants fared poorly with the coming of European settlers, mostly because of disease. Europeans had antibodies which the Native Americans did not, and disease decimated the Natives. The few remaining natives in the Mohawk and McKenzie Valley were moved in 1856 to the Grand Ronde Reservation, which most widely known for the Spirit Mountain Casino.

1855 survey of the Camp Creek area.

When the original surveys of the Mohawk and McKenzie Valley areas were done around 1855 there were very few settlers present. Camp Creek Road has likely existed for a very long time since it’s a natural route along the McKenzie River. It was well established by 1855, and is shown on the original survey of the area. Now, of course, the area is built up and there are thousands of inhabitants. Most work in Eugene Springfield and the average travel time to work is around 1/2 hour.

There are many street like driveways off Camp Creek Road that aren’t named. Named roads and streets are: Sky High Drive, High Ranch Drive, Oakshire Drive, Ellington Drive, Easy Lane, Whitsell Lane, Oakpoint Road, Swearingen Road, Missy Lane, Barker Road, Upper Camp Creek Road, Worth Road, Gemstone Road, Cress Creek Road, Mitten Lane, Mitch Lane, Shenandoah Loop, Ermi Bee Lane, Maranatha Lane, Periwinkle Road, MJ Chase Road, Charley Lane, Stephens Road, Bowen Drive, Patrick Road, Emerald Way, Ruby Lane, Kickbusch Lane, Indian Ford Road, Heather Drive, East of Eden Road, Millican Road, Miller Avenue, Easton Lane, Bryant Lane and McKenzie Acres Drive.

The Camp Creek Road area is a beautiful spot to own real estate. Buying or selling country property in Lane County can be a challenge, but a good realtor who is familiar with the area can be a great aid to you.. If you are interested in real estate along Goats Road or other country properties in Lane County, Oregon, please contact me. Or you can search listings here.

Camp Creek.

McKenzie River in the Camp Creek area.

EWEB canal, Camp Creek area.

EWEB powerplant at Walterville.

BPA tower.

Windmill.

Old barn with mountains in the background.

A barn from days gone bye.

This building has seen better days.

Historic building.

Old church.

Restored old logging arch.

Beautiful horse pasture.

Horse property.

Grazing cows are common along Camp Creek.

Paper boxes in front of a gated community.

Fenced pasture along Camp Creek, Lane County, Oregon.

February 21, 2013 by craigtomlinson

Saunders Road Lane County Oregon Country Property

Saunders Road is a quiet little dead end street in the beautiful Mohawk Valley in Lane County, Oregon. Only a handful of country properties with acreage are there, and they are not frequently on the market. Saunders Road is very close to Marcola, and only minutes away from Springfield or Eugene.

The Mohawk Valley is east northeast of Springfield and generally follows Marcola Road through and past the town of Marcola. Saunders Road intersects Marcola Road, less than 1/2 mile from Parsons Creek Road. Saunders Road is less than a mile in length and there are only a few developed properties on it, ranging from 3 to 5 acres. There are also a few undeveloped lots for sale, awaiting someone to build their country dream home.

The County shows the value of properties along Saunders Road from about 91K to over 300K, with a median value of around 157K. Property Sales data from RMLS over the last 24 months reveal no actives, pendings or solds. Most houses along Saunders road were built between the 1960s and the 1980s. House sizes range from 880 SF to over 2,200 SF, with a median size of about 1,100 SF. Median house value, according the County, is about $142/SF, at the time of this posting.

Zoning designations common along Saunders Road are: RR5, and F2. It is not within any UGB designation, so land development and building permits are controlled by Lane County. Saunders Road is in the Marcola School District, and schools are Marcola and Mohawk.

Development of and along Saunders Road started in the 1960s with the conversion of forest property to rural residential. This continues today and there are several undeveloped F2 lots for sale, which is fairly rare, these days. Adherents of country living swear by it and would rather “fight than switch,” as some old ad jingle went. Building a house in the country is, however, more complicated and typically more expensive than one in the city. Finding and talking with someone familiar with building in Lane County is a good idea.

Saunders Road is a beautiful spot to own real estate. Buying or selling country property in Lane County can be a challenge, but a good realtor who is familiar with the area can be a great aid to you. If you are interested in real estate along Saunders Road or other country properties in Lane County, Oregon, please contact me. Or you can search listings here.

February 19, 2013 by craigtomlinson

Parsons Creek Road, Mohawk Valley Oregon, Real Estate

Parsons Creek Road, and its many offshoots, including: Pioch Ln., Rose Rd., Pentilla Rd., Regal Ln., Jones Acres Rd., Trestle Dr., Boiler Creek Rd., and Ewing Rd., are beautiful places to live in the scenic Mohawk Valley in Lane County, Oregon. The area has a secluded feel to it, and reminds me of Lane County from days gone by. Country properties are interspersed with timber properties and the area seems like you are up in the woods.

The Mohawk Valley is east northeast of Springfield and generally follows Marcola Road. Parsons Creek Road starts from Marcola Road, less than a mile from the town of Marcola, which is about 10 miles from Springfield. Parsons Creek Road is about 3 miles long, and eventually turns into logging road to the west. Parsons Creek Road and its offshoot roads, which I’m considering the Parsons Creek Road area, comprise an area of some 1,500 acres, lending to its enclave feel. There are around 375 properties with undeveloped timber property comprising more than half of the total. Parsons Creek was named after Richard Henry Parsons. He came to Oregon in 1853, and is known for establishing the Marcola post office and other civic works.

Houses in the Parsons Creek area date from 1900 with most of the development occurring after 1970. Developed property sizes range from under an acre to over 15 acres, with 4 acres and under being especially common. Undeveloped timber property is as large as 640 acres, a whole section or 1 mile by 1 mile, but small wood lots, under 5 acres are surprisingly common. Property information is below.

Developed property values, according to the County, range from minimal to over 680K, so there’s quite a range. Sales data from RMLS, over the last 24 months, reveal 1 active, 0 pendings and 4 solds; information was current at the time of this posting. Prices ranged from about 130K to 475K.

Zoning designations common along the Parsons Creek Road area are: RR, F, and EFU. The area is not within any UGB designation, so land development and building permits are controlled by Lane County. The Parsons Creek Road area is in the Mohawk School District, and schools are Marcola and Mohawk. Not much of the Parsons Creek Road area is within the 100 year flood plain. Wells and septic tanks are the norm in the Parsons Creek area.

Many would like to take an undeveloped piece of timber property and turn it into their dream country estate. This is possible, but can be difficult. Underlying forestry zoning, especially F2, can be a good candidate for this. There are County rules for the development process, but if the ground is poor for growing trees, or if there’s substantial neighboring development, or if the property is a long standing legal lot, then the development chances are increased. Land that is zoned EFU has a different development path, and showing a plan for annual crop income may help for this method of development. A safer bet is buying an existing house or mobile home cheaply, then turning this into your dream home. Development of country property is, unfortunately, its own esoteric and arcane field and there are experts that do nothing but this in Lane County.

The Parsons Creek area was settled after the rest of the Mohawk Valley. Not until the1880s did Parsons Creek get any settlement. For the early pioneers subsistence farming was their primary activity, and beginning in about 1850 they chose arable bottom land in the Mohawk Valley, rather than the heavily wooded, upland areas, like Parsons Creek. From the 1890s onward, the timber industry made tree growing land much more valuable, and interest in it picked up.

Settlement and development of the Parsons Creek area was initially due to logging and lumber. The Fischer mill had a camp for its workers on Parsons Creek, and in the 1920s there was a mill located near the creek mouth. An overhead flume ran from Parsons Creek to the Town of Marcola from 1906 until 1916. Railroads were also used to get the logs out of the woods, down to the mill in Marcola. The Fischer Mill in Marcola remained the major economic force in the area until 1956 when it was liquidated; it no longer was economically viable without the nearby source of big timber.

Parsons Creek is a major tributary to the Mohawk River. It is fish bearing most of its length with native cutthroat trout. Tributaries to Parsons Creek include Whiskey, Drake, Wendy and Small Creeks. The Parsons Creek watershed is said be less flashy (flood prone) than other Creeks in the Mohawk Valley.

Parsons Creek Road, Pioch Ln., Rose Rd., Pentilla Rd., Regal Ln., Jones Acres Rd., Trestle Dr., Boiler Creek Rd., and Ewing Rd. are beautiful spots to own real estate. Buying or selling country property in Lane County can be a challenge, but a good realtor who is familiar with the area can be a great aid to you. If you are interested in real estate along Parsons Creek Road or other country properties in Lane County, Oregon, please contact me. Or you can search listings here.

The actual Parsons Creek.

I like old barns.

There is no shortage of old agricultural buildings in the Mohawk Valley.

Cows and barns go together.

EPUD substation.

The start of Parsons Creek Road.

February 19, 2013 by craigtomlinson

Tree Farm Road, La Lone Road, Springfield, Lane County, Oregon Real Estate

Tree Farm Road, and its branch La Lone Road are private and peaceful places to live in the scenic Mohawk Valley in Lane County, Oregon. Hobby farms and country properties are common, but not frequently on the market. Tree Farm and La Lone Roads are at the eastern edge of the Mohawk River Valley flatlands, and trees are your only neighbors to the northeast. The area is still close to Eugene and Springfield, with both being only a few minutes away, making for a quick commute.

The Mohawk Valley is east northeast of Springfield and generally follows Marcola Road. Tree Farm Road takes off from Sunderman Road about midway down its length. Tree Farm Road actually runs all the way to Camp Creek Road, but a gate is encountered after a mile or two, effectively stopping it. Similarly for La Lone, it runs to Marcola, via Honeybee Lane, but a gate is encountered pretty quickly. Sometimes these gates are open during fall hunting season, allowing for passage through the private timber lands, but most often they’re closed. There are a little over 30 total properties on both roads. Information on the properties is below.

Real Estate information for Tree Farm and La Lone Roads.

Tree Farm Road was developed first, with the oldest house dating to the 1935. No new houses have been built since the 1960s. La Loan Road development dates back to the 1960s and development has continued until recently. Property sizes range from under an acre to a little under 10 acres, with around 5 acres and under being especially common. Values, according to the County, range from about 120K to 3900K. Sales data from RMLS, over the last 24 months, reveal no actives, pendings or solds; information was current at the time of this posting.

Zoning designations common along the Tree Farm Road area are: RR10, F2 and EFU. The area is not within any urban growth boundry, so land development and building permits are controlled by Lane County. The Tree Farm Road area is in the Springfield School District, and schools are Yolanda, Briggs, and Thurston. Some, but not much, of the Tree Farm Road area is within the flood plain. A few of the properties have had their water and/or mineral rights reserved from transactions having occurred in the 1890s.

Location of original settlers in the 1800s.

The area in the Tree Farm Road area was originally settled by two pioneering families a little after 1850, the Gullifords and Hardys. These families established their original homesteads here, between 1852 and 1855. Both appear to have come to Oregon via the Oregon trail in 1852. The original settlers chose the best ground for farming and grazing because their livelihoods depended on it. Farming and grazing exist to this day along the Tree Farm Road area.

Tree Farm and La Lone Roads are beautiful spots to own real estate. Buying or selling country property in Lane County can be a challenge, but a good realtor who is familiar with the area can be a great aid to you. If you are interested in real estate along Tree Farm Road or other country properties in Lane County, Oregon, please contact me. Or you can search listings here.