Editor’s Note: Welcome to Portland Monthly’s new “Property Watch” column, where we’ll take regular looks at interesting homes on the market in Portland’s super-competitive real estate market (with periodic ventures to the burbs and points beyond, for good measure). This week: A chance to live small—yet large!—in Bend. Got a home you think would work for this column? Get in touch at [email protected].

Jesse Russell built his first tiny house in a friend’s backyard in Bend in 2015, and has been devoted to the small home movement ever since. After debuting his creation at the Bend Design Conference, Russell went on to experiment with several different tiny structures, including a tiny tavern on wheels, two mini pubs for 10 Barrel Brewing Co, and a food truck at Brasada Ranch.

But the big dream was always a whole community of tiny houses, which Russell completed in Bend in 2019. Called the Hiatus, that community has 22 homes, most under 600 square feet, and sold out quickly when they hit the market for prices between $229,000 and $306,925.

Now, Russell, whose company is called Hiatus Homes, is venturing into slightly bigger territory with the Hiatus Roanoke, a development on Bend’s Westside that includes ten 2 bedroom-2 bath homes that top out at 1200 square feet. Up first is Lot 9, which has a 357-square-foot garage—essential for central Oregon—and two floors of living space spread over 910 square feet, now for sale for $895,500.

The main entry is via an exterior staircase, which leads to the upper deck, where you can pause to take in views of Drake Park, downtown Bend, Pilot Butte, and the smokestacks in the Old Mill District. Much has been done to expand the feel of the smaller footprint, including vaulting the ceilings, wrapping the living spaces in clerestory windows to bring in plenty of natural light, and making the focal point a stacking glass door that opens wide to the deck, effectively extending the living room outside.

The overall look is modern, with a charcoal and white palette warmed by engineered hickory wood floors. The kitchen is outfitted with two-toned custom cabinetry, quartz counters, and a breakfast bar. In the bathrooms, large format gray tile covers the showers. There’s one bedroom upstairs, and the main suite occupies the lower level. It has plenty of storage, a private deck, and access to the garage, which is finished with an insulated floor, hand-textured walls, and recessed lighting, so as to also be a potential flex space. Ping pong, anyone?

Even better is the environmental ethos—the home has been wired to be Net Zero ready in the future, and was built to be 40-50 percent more energy efficient than a typical code home. From the FSC-certified exterior siding to the GreenGuard insulation, materials are non-toxic, and there’s an HRV clean air exchange system in place to further filter out unwanted pollen or wildfire smoke.

Is this the home of the future? It’s certainly ready to be. A 14-panel photovoltaic system and Tesla Powerwall Solar battery are optional add-ons.

Listing Fast Facts

Address: 934 NW Quincy Ave Lot HR09, Bend, OR 97703
Size: 910 square feet/2 bedroom/2 bath
List Date: 9/22/2021
List Price: $895,500
Listing Agent: Carey McQuate, Cascade Sotheby's Int'l Realty