Why An Oregon Ranch?

Recently, an acquaintance and I were talking shop—ranches—when he volunteered the answer to the question of why buy an Oregon ranch. He was a good one to listen to, as he had shopped at least five other states. And his answer was simple: VALUE. He believed, for the money, he was getting both more ranch and a better proximity to cultural amenities than he had been able to find anywhere else in the Northwest. 

There are, of course, other factors to be considered. Oregon is a coastal state, with the advantage of having the ocean no more than a day’s drive from anywhere. Good highways offer pleasant traveling, and from many locations, direct aviation routes to major cities have become the norm, allowing out-of-area owners easy access to their ranches, or locals entree to big cities for shopping and recreation. 

The range of climate zones, from the high desert of Eastern Oregon, to the Cascades Mountains, to the lush Willamette Valley, gives many choices, with scenic variety included. And Oregon enjoys a reputation of having a relative lack of weather related disasters. We don’t have the Midwest tornados, the southern hurricanes, or the California earthquakes. Although recent years have seen some short water periods, they have been nowhere as severe as experienced in the southwestern U.S. (The one exception is the Klamath Basin irrigation curtailments in Southern Oregon caused by disputes over water allocation to fisheries.) 

The majority of Oregon’s population, which by U.S. Census 2009 estimate is 3,825,000, is centered in the northerly portion of the Willamette Valley. Government ownership of Oregon lands exceeds 60%. This makes most of the state quite sparsely populated, yet the government ownership decreases the availability of choice lands, particularly of recreational type properties. 

Northwest Farm Credit Services’ Knowledge Center, March 31, 2010 issue, states that “investor-type properties with a significant agricultural production component are stable to appreciating in value.” 

Ranches, particularly recreational ranches, are often held by owners for years, thus not tending to come on the market with any degree of frequency. The recent recession may make more properties available than would be the norm, and this may also be accelerated by the aging factor of many agricultural property owners in general. Opportunity knocking? 

Price. Climate. Scenic beauty. Location. Recreation. Cultural activity. To those seeking either a primary or secondary residence in one of our great rural settings, yes, Oregon can offer great value in its ranches.