Category: Aurora Oregon News

Aurora, Oregon: Ground Zero For Disaster

On By Roy WidingIn 97002, Aurora Oregon, Aurora Oregon History, Aurora Oregon NewsLeave a comment

People camping just outside of Aurora, Oregon today are enjoying life at the site of an erased civilization. They have no clue they’re standing at ground zero of the most violent, destructive natural disaster in Oregon’s recorded history. Click the image below for Part 1 of this compelling story.

And though it remains the granddaddy of them all…you’ve never even heard of it….even with the epicenter nearby. And while Aurora’s town and rural areas were hit hard, outskirts like this were wiped virtually clean. There were winners and losers, with one nearby community holding on and the other now inhabited mainly by passing tourists, with no idea of what happened. So what was this disaster and why haven’t you heard about it? This is the battlefield of a community that fought…and lost badly …with that big battle occurring under a frightening set of events.

BIGGER THAN 1996
Whether it’s an earthquake, lightning strike or flood, natural disasters each tend to provide their own frame of reference. Many Oregonians recall the 1996 flood in much of the Willamette Valley. That regional soaker became a benchmark for water disasters. Yet here’s what’s left out: There’s a flood by comparison that was worse…and it isn’t even close. The flood of 1861 stands as the all-time record holder for the most disasterous on the Willamette River. That 1861 flood barrelled through at 635,000 cubic feet per second, being half again worse than the 1996 flood and packing more than seven times the punishing power of Niagara Falls.

AREA MAP: LAY OF THE LAND

CALM BEFORE THE STORM
The 1861 Willamette River flood was the result of a perfect storm: A ‘Pineapple Express’ weather event that unfolded in two distinct phases. Because November, 1861 was unusually cold and snowy, first came heavy snow accumulation. Then the situation got worse…much worse…because after that massive snow drop, next came a tropical cyclone with strong winds…and that part happened fast…with most of the warmer rainfall compressed into just 72 hours, rapidly melting the dense snowpack. 

The result? Flash flooding…which is what made the 1861 disaster so devastating. It triggered a sudden surge of runoff into the Willamette River, with a flow greater than the mighty Mississippi, raising water levels to record highs. As a result of that thousand year event, much of the Willamette Valley became a freshwater ocean…the size of 273,000 football fields and more than half the size of Rhode Island.

WHEN THE RIVER BECAME A WEAPON
In 1861 around Aurora, water was cresting by December 5th. Yet the real damage was just getting started, because here’s something people don’t realize: Water alone wasn’t the deadliest part. That’s because the Willamette River was now weaponized. Water cresting, the river was armed and dangerous, fully loaded with a quiver of mountain timber. Soil now softened, fir trees were uprooted and fell like dominos, then raced torpedo-like with the fast running current. Local Butteville pastor Reverend Michael Fackler wrote in amazement about pitch-black currents carrying massive fir logs up to 200 feet long.

SHOWDOWN AT GRAHAM’S FERRY
Graham’s Ferry was at a critical bend in the river and where colossal trees were turning into battering rams. They tore ferry cables, leveled orchards and pushed buildings over with ease. Imagine waking up in the freezing darkness of December to the sound of roaring water and 200-foot missiles snapping your house in half. Use heavy, low-frequency “thuds” and wood-splintering sound effects in the audio mix. Timber pierced through the current, slamming into lowlands around Graham’s Ferry and Butteville Road to devastating effect. The sheer force of massive logs, swinging Paul Bunyan-like, clubbed everything in their path, leaving heaps of scattered lumber across French Prairie as the water receded.

FLOODING AND FIGHTING
By December 1861, the United States was entering its first, bloody Christmas of the Civil War as President Abraham Lincoln struggled to heal the fractured Union. Back east, soldiers prepared for the brutality of battle by digging trenches in Virginia. But here in Oregon, pioneers fought a very different enemy, digging out from the massive heaps of French Prairie mud covering where their towns used to be. As Civil War soldiers raced toward each other, in Oregon, survival depended on racing from a rising river.

At Champoeg—the very birthplace of Oregon’s first government—the water reached a mind boggling 30 feet depth. Famous as the site of Oregon’s first provisional government, Champoeg was submerged under about 30 feet of fast-moving water. Every structure was swept away except for the Hudson’s Bay Company warehouse.

AFTERMATH
During the late 1800’s, railroads gradually replaced the steamboat for transporting the area’s freight and passengers, with Champoeg declining as a trade center. Some residents attempted to rebuild, but another flood decades later permanently ended their efforts as the buildings at Champoeg were again swept away. The hopelessness of re-establishing a town at Champoeg was eventually understood, leading to its abandonment in 1892. Champoeg is now a State Park.

Aurora Oregon history including details about local communities like Butteville, Champoeg, Donald and French Prairie
Steamboats at Champoeg, Oregon

WINNERS AND LOSERS
Yet an Aurora area community survived…and though it’s small, it’s still here. That place? Butteville, Oregon.

So what about another nearby French Prairie area, like nearby Donald, Oregon? Donald didn’t even exist then, developing into a town decades later. As a result, damage to that area was pretty much limited to what was then largely French Prairie farmland.

WHY DID CHAMPOEG DIE WHILE BUTTEVILLE SURVIVED?
Geography helped. Champoeg wasn’t destroyed because it sat dramatically lower than Butteville. Instead, it was just a few extra feet of elevation. Yet when floodwaters spread across French Prairie, that made all the difference. This hill just outside of Butteville—known by its French Prairie derived name of La Butte is a hard volcanic basalt escarpment that gave Butteville its name. At 427 feet elevation, it doesn’t seem that tall. Yet this seemingly non-descript hill would have represented higher ground to those seeking refuge during the 1861 flood. The elevation of La Butte was above the 30-foot floodwaters that also completely obliterated the lower-lying town of Champoeg.

Along with Champoeg, the 1861 flood completely destroyed several other Willamette Valley towns, mills and bridges never designed to withstand such pressure. A few of these were:

1. Linn City: The bustling mill town of Linn City was swept away and eventually replaced by the town of West Linn.

2. Orleans: Just across the Willamette River from Corvallis, Orleans was completely washed away and never re-established. 

3. Santiam: A short drive from Albany, the town of Santiam is another community erased by the 1861 flood and and never rebuilt.

So the next time you’re driving around Aurora between Butteville and Graham Road along Butteville Road, or camp at nearby Champoeg Park, look around. You’re on the site of Oregon’s greatest-and most forgotten-disaster.

Jury’s Out On Aurora Jail

On By Roy WidingIn Aurora Colony, Aurora Oregon, Aurora Oregon History, Aurora Oregon News, Aurora Oregon Public SafetyLeave a comment

This is the Aurora, Oregon jail, located just behind Aurora’s city hall. Passing by, you might not give it a second thought. Like what’s the big deal about an old gray building no longer being used? That is, unless you start asking questions. Any building this old must have a story. Like who built it? And if the walls could talk, what kinds of things would you learn?

Aurora, Oregon’s Old Jail

The door of this jail remains open, in more ways than one…and it’s also smaller than you might guess. Once inside, it seems tiny. And it is, about the size of a large garden shed.

It features a decorative exterior, three individual cells and a narrow corridor to enter and exit. Three bumps above the entry make for a classy flourish on a building meant to lock people inside. Imagine spending a night in this jail…not as a willing visitor, but as someone held against your will. No privacy. No way out.

With no insulation, comfort was clearly not a consideration. That’s one good reason jails are sometimes referred to as “the cooler.” Those bars over the windows stress what was far more important.

Aurora Oregon Jail Window With Bars
Aurora, Oregon Old Jail Window

Looking around, rust on the interior walls indicate a century of Oregon weather, each season adding another faint layer. Exposed metal rebar is randomly visible through the concrete, underscoring how time and the elements can soften even the toughest material, sometimes even a hardened criminal. A single toilet with zero privacy sits in full view for all and the extra heavy steel door ensures you don’t leave.

Aurora Oregon Jail Interior
Aurora, Oregon’s Jail Interior

Jails strike legitimate fear in many of us. They’re a place virtually no one wants to go.
So what’s the story behind this place…and was it really so bad?

Jailhouse Rocked
But this jail’s story takes an unexpected turn…because Aurora’s old jail, the place that once struck fear, more recently has had an appointment with the wrecking ball. With the walls themselves closing in on those four walls, it’s ironic that this once threatening place is now itself threatened.

The Threat
That’s because in August 2024, an Aurora committee met to determine if the deteriorating structure was too far gone to keep. A consensus determined the old building wasn’t feasible to move, so the decision was made to take it down. A plan was devised to save the door, the bars, one cell and take the rest down. That discussion didn’t choose complete erasure, but selective preservation. There’s something sincere in that compromise, yet something sad about it, too. A door alongside photos in a display case can show what a jail looked like. But this century old structure is the real deal.

Aurora Oregon Jail Interior
Aurora, Oregon’s Jail Interior

Closing The Door
Remembering Aurora’s past, including structures like this, gives a truer perspective of Aurora long ago. And once it’s gone, it’s gone. Then, there’s no way to experience the reality of just how truly small this jail was, what it felt like to be inside and how confining the sensation. That’s when once living history turns into photographs and fading memories. It’s curious how the century old jail sits steps away from Oregon’s first historic district designation, yet the jail itself was never included. History, it seems, is in the eye of the beholder.

True Mystery
For starters, a little digging reveals the Aurora, Oregon jail is older than anyone thought. That’s because one old newspaper clipping from 1893 leaves this tantalizing clue:

“Ground has been leased and the contract let for the building of a city jail…C. Zimmerman being the contractor. Work will commence on the building in a few days, weather permitting. The council deserves much credit for the prompt action taken in this matter.” That phrase “prompt action” hints the town of Aurora needed a jail sooner, rather than later. Aurora’s apparent jail builder, Christian Zimmerman, was a longtime Aurora resident. Assuming he built the jail when referenced, in 1893 Mr. Zimmerman was then 55 years old.  

The Inmates
As with any old building, history leaves clues and here are a few. Dramatic stories survive in old newspapers. We even know a few things about some of the prisoners held here, though years apart. They include a chicken thief and two men traveling through town after burglarizing a neighboring community.

Aurora Lawman Eyes Trouble
Among the earliest records is from 1921, when two men aboard a local freight train stopped in Aurora one Saturday morning, while the train loaded water for the train’s steam engine. Aurora’s own Marshal George Fry recognized them as the pair he helped arrest in Woodburn a few days earlier, taking them immediately to the Aurora jail. Marshal Fry’s instincts were correct that the men were escapees and he returned the two men to the Oregon City jail, where the fugitives had escaped on a charge of burglarizing a home between the two towns.  

From the Henhouse to the Hoosegow
Another Aurora jailbird was held in 1935 on a charge of stealing chickens. He was given a bail of $250, then lodged here when he wasn’t able to pay. That alleged poultry pilferer had been found guilty on a morals charge the year before, leading to him to spend 30 days in the jail. Yet he was eventually cleared of the chicken thievery charge by a grand jury, a few months after his later arrest.

What to do with a jail like this is often considered settled. But in this case, not yet. It seems the term ‘doing time’ cuts a little differently for jails. That’s because when it comes to this century old building, there’s no firm agreement yet on what the appropriate sentence is. But first, why does it even matter? Some might say it’s an old building….Time to make room for something new and relevant.

Determining the fate of a historical building with a mindset of ‘newer is better’ misses the entire point, especially in this town itself older than the state of Oregon, with a historic district and a stream of events celebrating Aurora’s early origins. And given Aurora’s small size, even seemingly minor decisions like what to do with an old jail, get inflated.

Why It Matters
Aurora’s old jail matters for at least three reasons: History, identity, and stewardship. History shows how the community operated. Identity says something about how Aurora sees itself now. Stewardship shows Aurora’s priorities.

Possible Reprieve
The old Aurora jail still stands and that’s really the story for now. Between the 2024 deliberations by town leaders and the wrecking ball, the jail is receiving at least a temporary reprieve. That’s because a 2025 town meeting underscored the consideration being given by Aurora’s leaders for the old jail, even inviting input from the Aurora Colony Historical Society, an institution that truly knows the importance of Aurora history. It’s been said that those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. And by all appearances, Aurora’s leaders remain open to dealing with their town’s past…even if it’s an old jail.

Ideas have ranged from preservation to tourism use to partial reconstruction—but no final direction has been set. As a possible tourist attraction, visitors taking photos around the jail, then posting them on social media could be another unique way to help promote Aurora.What some may see as a town’s delay in deciding the fate of this old jail is frustrating. For others, it’s a chance to get it right, with a real shot at resolving an issue deferred for decades. Sometimes a town’s monetary balance sheet is exceeded by its ample historic ‘balance sheet,’ of less tangible assets. Beauty, history, education and even an old jail can provide benefits in addition to monetary considerations.

Aurora’s jail and cemeteries have something in common, because their presence makes a statement about the treatment given to those that each facility holds. Here’s a related story about one Aurora, Oregon hero to remember with that video below.

So for now at least, the door to Aurora, Oregon’s old jail remains open…both literally and figuratively.

Doing Time
whether the jail’s future ultimately involves preservation, adaptive re-use, relocation, documentation, or demolition, its story will always be part of Aurora’s history.

So what’s lost when a place like this disappears—not a cathedral, not a battlefield, just a one-room jail behind a small-town city hall? Maybe just the fact that something happened here, against this wall, beneath a scalloped roofline someone once thought worth the extra concrete. So after an initial vote for demolition, the historic Aurora jail remains. For now.

Aurora Oregon Old Jail Door
Aurora, Oregon’s Old Jail Door

The Slammer
A salvaged jail door shows you what a jail door looked like. Yet you won’t know what it felt and sounded like, while closing on those being held under the force of law

Aurora Oregon Jail, Aurora Oregon History, Aurora Oregon
Aurora, Oregon’s Old Jail Reimagined

Aurora, Oregon’s Confusing Daniel Boone Connection

On By Roy WidingIn Daniel Boone, 97002, Aurora Oregon, Aurora Oregon History, Aurora Oregon NewsLeave a comment

You’re driving one of Oregon’s oldest roads. Not a freeway, not a bypass, but a road with a story, stretching back nearly two centuries.

But here’s what most people miss.

Many assume this road was named for Daniel Boone — the famous frontiersman. And they’d be wrong. Daniel Boone never set foot in Oregon…but his grandson, Alphonso Boone, did.

Like his grandfather Daniel Boone, Alphonso looked west.

Through brutal terrain, river crossings, the constant threat of illness and hostile territory, the Boones made it across the Oregon Trail in 1846 with ten kids in tow, settling along the Willamette River, not far from the town of modern day Aurora.

When Alphonso and his family arrived in Oregon in 1846, they saw what was needed: A way to cross the river.

By 1847, Alphonso Boone and his eldest son Jesse built a ferry crossing on the Willamette, appropriately named Boones Ferry.

The Boone family insisted the ferry run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — in a time with no electricity, no engines, and no guarantee of traffic. This meant manual labor using oars.

But a ferry alone wasn’t enough. To make the crossing useful, you also needed a road to get to it.

So as the ferry moved people across the river, Daniel Boone’s great grandson Jesse began clearing the path to make a road connecting Portland to Salem.

Driving Boones Ferry Road today, no one pictures the challenge of what building a road then and there meant, without today’s machinery. Plus when rains hit, ground turned to mud. The need was real.

So logs were split in half lengthwise, then laid flat-side up across the road surface — creating a continuous wooden mat over soft ground.

As a result, the labor intensive, corduroy constructed log road ran north toward Portland and south toward Salem, passing through Marion, Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah Counties. That road became Boones Ferry Road.

So why does all this matter today?

Because Boones Ferry and the road leading to it were the commercial and cultural spine of Oregon. Boones Ferry Landing and the road connecting to it became the first viable land link between Oregon’s key cities, including Salem, our state capital and the booming Portland/Vancouver region.

Farmers, merchants, government officials — everyone moving goods and transacting business passing through here used Boones Ferry Road. So the road you’re driving right now, was once the busiest corridor in the territory, literally bringing the state together.

So what does that mean to you and me?

Fast forward to now, nearly two centuries later and Boones Ferry Road is still doing what it was built to do: Move people. Interstate 5 runs right alongside it, almost exactly where the Boone family cleared the trail now known as Boones Ferry Road.

First came Boones Ferry Road and then the I-5 highway. Boones Landing is where it all started. The community that grew up around it was named Wilsonville in 1880, after the town’s first postmaster.

But if you think that’s surprising, consider this:

The ferry itself operated for an extraordinary 107 years and shut down in 1954 with the completion of Interstate 5 and Boone Bridge, a literal stone’s throw from the original ferry landing.

The Oregon Trail spirit — move west, build and connect people — runs directly beneath your tires every time you take Boones Ferry Road…and Aurora is at the heart of it.

So the next time you’re on Boones Ferry Road, you’re basically driving the same path a family began in the Aurora, Oregon wilderness in 1846. If you want to learn about another side of Boones Ferry Road few know about, check out that interesting feature article here or its companion YouTube video below…about ‘Booze Ferry.’

Aurora, Oregon’s Little Known Olympic Double Win

On By Roy WidingIn Aurora Oregon, Aurora Oregon News, Aurora Oregon ReservoirLeave a comment

One secret to Aurora, Oregon’s Olympian achievements is hiding in plain sight on the edge of town. In the fact-filled video below, learn how this small Oregon community dreams big in ‘going for gold.’

Aurora Oregon Goes For Olympic Gold, Swimmingly
As an Olympic bronze medalist in the 2026 Winter Olympics, Aurora, Oregon native Jackie Wiles has given Aurora an Olympic-sized claim to fame. Her success brings to mind an Olympic-sized feat of a different kind, right here in town.  

Aurora Oregon Water Reservoir

It’s Big
That’s because Aurora’s new water storage facility includes a massive 1.2 million gallon reservoir. The Olympic connection? That’s enough water for nearly two Olympic-sized swimming pools. The project comes with an Olympic sized price tag, too.

It’s Expensive
That’s because in late 2024, the city awarded a construction contract for more than 6 million dollars to an Oregon-based firm. The reservoir is now in place and expected to begin operation later in 2026. Constructed from long lasting, pre-stressed concrete, the reservoir has an expected lifespan of at least 40 years.

It’s Futuristic
As one of Aurora’s biggest public works projects in history, this new reservoir is designed to secure the city’s future water supply far into the future. But it’s more than a giant tank. It also includes a new high-capacity booster pump station, including a powerful 1,500-gallon-per-minute fire pump to strengthen Aurora’s fire-fighting capability.

Why It Matters
Why does this all matter? With concerns about Aurora’s water storage capacity and emergency preparedness, the need was real and Aurora’s new reservoir should dramatically improve water reliability throughout the city. Plans include several thousand feet of new water pipeline too, along Cole Lane and Ehlen Road, connecting with Aurora’s water system. The configuration takes Aurora into the modern age, with electronic controls, fiber-connected monitoring, emergency backup power and an on-site stormwater pond.

But Wait, There’s More
If that isn’t enough, a new well is also in the planning stages on the reservoir’s Cole Lane property to replace an older well near the city park causing interference with other wells.

This Small Town Has Big Plans
What makes this project especially significant is its scale. Given Aurora’s relatively small size, this is a sign city officials are planning not just for today, but for our future growth and resilience. In the end, Aurora Olympian Jackie Wiles and the City of Aurora, Oregon have something very special in common — both dream big as they reach for the gold. And with this significant investment in Aurora’s future, imagine what we’ll look like in the next few decades!

Aurora, Oregon Realtor Review

On By Roy WidingIn Aurora Oregon Home Sales, Aurora Oregon Homebuying, Aurora Oregon Homes, Aurora Oregon Homeseller, Aurora Oregon Homeselling, Aurora Oregon News, Aurora Oregon Properties, Aurora Oregon Property, Aurora Oregon Real Estate, Aurora Oregon Realty, Aurora Oregon Recent Home Sales, Finding An Aurora Oregon Realtor, Oregon AuroraLeave a comment
Aurora Oregon, Aurora Oregon Realtor, Aurora Oregon Real Estate, Aurora Oregon Real Estate Agent

When’s Too Soon to List My Aurora, Oregon House for Sale?

On By Roy WidingIn Aurora Oregon, Aurora Oregon Home Sales, Aurora Oregon Homebuyer, Aurora Oregon Homebuying, Aurora Oregon Homes, Aurora Oregon Homeseller, Aurora Oregon Homeselling, Aurora Oregon News, Aurora Oregon Properties, Aurora Oregon Property, Aurora Oregon Real EstateLeave a comment

When to list your Aurora Oregon house for sale

‘When’s too soon to list my Aurora house for sale?’ is a common homeseller question. There are a variety of factors that influence a good time to sell. When considering the best time to sell your Aurora home, several factors stand out. One is the amount of homeseller competition based on predictable seasonality, such as Springtime, when many homesellers place their property on the market. Another related, but independent factor is competing homeseller inventory, which can fluctuate wildly. Curious about factors to consider when timing your Aurora, Oregon home sale? 

Aurora Oregon Real Estate
Combining high homebuyer motivation & reduced competition can ignite activity

Each season of the year has some built in advantages, even during the holidays. But especially enticing for home sellers hoping to beat the Spring rush is the dynamite combination of highly motivated buyers, plus reduced seller competition. Speaking of competition, it’s helpful to understand that when the balance of more sellers enters the equation, buyers have more of a choice and are in a better position to pit one seller against another in search of their best deal.

Aurora Oregon
A Spike in New Listings Increases Homeseller Competition from March-September

Charting Your Course
A month-by-month new listings chart illustrates the seasonality of real estate. In Oregon, the months between October through February provide the lowest homeseller competition, with fewest homes placed on the market. This means March through September is typically our ‘hottest’ time for home sales. Does this mean if you don’t have your home on the market before March, you’re ‘out of luck?’ No, because seller competition is but one element to consider.

That’s because housing inventory fluctuates, irrespective of season. And depending on how many homebuyers are looking, demand can be considered relative. We can help adjust for seasonality to better determine buyer demand by using a buyer/seller ratio. For example, typical housing demand in a particular community or neighborhood might be 100 buyers interested in 50 homes in June, a 2 to 1 ratio, then fall to 50 buyers showing interest in 25 homes in January, also a 2 to 1 ratio. Under such a scenario, relative demand would be the same, which should result in a similar amount of real estate activity.

Yet while relative housing demand may be a functional rule of thumb in theory, it doesn’t take into account one other extremely important factor: Motivation. That’s because in less active periods, homebuyers frequently have a more urgent need to buy, or they would be looking during the more usual times of Spring and Summer. Looking for a house in the bad weather typically indicates a higher-than-usual need to purchase. In addition, some buyers beginning in April or May have the luxury of months to ponder their next move.  

Aurora Oregon

‘Seize The Gray’
To address the question of how soon is too soon to list your property for sale, the short answer is that it’s often never too early to place your home on the market…for good reason. That’s because even in the midst of Winter, highly motivated homebuyers often make a home purchase their New Year resolution and start looking early…sometimes before Christmas.

Some homebuyers take a week or two off during the holidays, but beating the Spring homeseller rush gives you an early advantage against a very large number of competing homesellers who will be ‘up and running’ during Oregon’s earliest good weather. This clever strategy places your property before these highly motivated buyers before a glut of competing homesellers goes head-to-head against you.

But the good news is that in order to take advantage of seasonal ‘soft spots’ in seller competition, homesellers needn’t place their properties on the market during the holiday season, or even immediately adjacent. There’s plenty of ‘gray area’ to go around throughout the year and that’s typically enough to help make your house stand out even more from the competition. Navigating around May through August is usually enough to help counter higher-than-usual competing listing activity. And if you happen to notice lower than usual housing inventory, that can be a big help for homesellers, too, regardless of when you sell…including between May and August in Oregon. That’s because low housing inventory helps sellers.

Aurora Oregon
Time Can Be Used to Your Advantage, But Be Careful

Timing Your Sale—Without Unpleasant Surprises
If the goal is to get a ‘jump start’ in selling your Aurora home with less competition, consider several factors. This includes getting an honest evaluation of your property by a licensed Realtor. But first, ask your agent for an honest opinion. Not sure you want an honest opinion? Check out our previous podcast and feature length article ‘Can You Handle An Honest Real Estate Agent?’ here. 

The experience and objectivity of an expert Aurora Realtor is difficult to overstate. Take repairs, for example. If you truly want to maximize your return and your home has some needed repairs, it’s unrealistic to expect buyers to absorb, for example, that complete spendy roof repair ‘hit’ by themselves by coming in with a full price offer on your property. Before listing your property what you’ll need is a professional analysis of necessary repairs that could make a difference in discouraging homebuyers. And aside from repairs, sometimes it’s what you don’t do that can make a difference. Like maybe don’t put in new carpet or have the exterior painted, if it’s going to push your price up considerably. Normally, carpet and paint are frequently good ideas to have completed. Yet few updates provide a 100% return, so consult your Realtor for details.

Aurora Oregon
School Cycles Can Affect Buyer Activity

The ‘School Year’ Equation
Some buyers aren’t the likeliest candidates for ‘off season’ marketing by homesellers. This can include families with children, a significant homebuyer pool for many. That’s because many families with kids begin their home hunt around the end of school in late Spring, usually settling into their next home by September. On the other hand, much of the impact of losing these buyers using ‘off season’ marketing depends on the property type you’re selling. Are you selling a tiny house on a postage stamp sized lot, or a 5 bedroom home on acreage? Big homes with fair sized yards, or those located close to parks are often better matches for larger families. Conversely, if you decide to sell a smaller home out of season, marketing to other suitable buyer groups can substitute for larger families, with significant success. Good prospects for smaller or more urban homes might include ‘Baby Boomers,’ professionals, singles, or ’empty-nesters’ with grown children.

Aurora Oregon

Now You See It…
Regardless of season, one interesting real estate phenomena can occur when buyer interest suddenly increases for a home that’s been sitting on the market for a while, with little buyer interest. Then suddenly: ‘Whoosh,’ multiple offers on the table! What could possibly create such a positive shift for homesellers? Buyer activity can spike quickly once a competing property is sold, or otherwise off the market. Price changes aside, sometimes it’s because the most similar competing home is now off the market. This has the effect of buyers then turning their attention to the next closest suitable replacement and the ‘substitution principle’ in action. That’s where the maximum value of a property is often achieved, due to the cost of acquiring an equivalent substitute property with similar use and features.

Aurora Oregon
Oregon Realtor Roy Widing

Thinking About Selling Your Aurora, Oregon Home?
Go with professionalism, experience and results. Roy’s also been an Aurora resident for more than half a century. Contact Roy with Certified Realty, with decades of Oregon real estate expertise.  For a free Aurora homeseller consultation, call Roy at (971) 258-4822, or use the convenient contact form below. 

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