An off-grid mansion outside of Roseburg is on the auction block with bids to start at $2.5 million. The buyer will have to pay cash for the 160-acre estate that is considered the largest residential property for sale in Oregon that’s independent of public utilities.
Solar panels, a wind turbine and a backup generator mean the power won’t go out in the sprawling house with 4,789 square feet of living space or the 1,416-square-foot guest yurt, bathhouse or shop.
“This sun- and wind-powered home ensures quality living separated from the worries of the world,” according to marketing materials.
The land also has a fenced orchard, 1,100 filbert trees, irrigation ponds and 100 acres of merchantable timber.
For outdoor entertaining, there is a covered patio with a built-in grill off the kitchen, swim spa and skeet-shooting range.
Despite Oregon’s housing shortage and home buyers’ desire for more space to work remotely, the auction reserve for this property at 4801 South Deer Creek Road in Glide is $300,000 less than its asking price in 2014, 2016 and 2017, according to public records.
Like many hobby farms and dream estates, this one might sell for far less than the original owner invested, said auctioneer John C. Rosenthal of Realty Marketing/Northwest Oregon.
Rosenthal has been selling Pacific Northwest properties since 1988 when he found a buyer for restaurateur Stuart Anderson’s 1,000-acre Black Angus Ranch near Ellensburg, Washington.
Anderson’s estate with a custom house and event barn sold for more than the reserve, said Rosenthal.
A published reserve price means the seller can reject any lower bid, counter the offer or accept the offer.
Other high-end properties Rosenthal has sold over his career include:
- A 464-acre estate with a custom home in Klamath County’s Poe Valley was sold by an owner who acquired the repossessed property from a bank. The current owner purchased the property 18 months ago to replace a home near Talent damaged by the 2020 Almeda Fire.
- A 10-acre Kachess Lake retreat near Snoqualmie Pass in Washington state was acquired by a real estate investor.
- A 300-acre estate with Willamette River frontage and a restored barn near Dundee was sold to a buyer who lived in the area.
- A 280-acre equestrian estate with a house and barn near North Bend, Washington was purchased by a resident of China, Rosenthal said.
Of these four auctions Rosenthal has conducted, he sold one at the seller’s reserve price and the others at 91%, 80% and 72% of reserve.
“The two that sold at 72% and 80% were bank-owned and had deferred maintenance,” he said.
Not all auction properties are owned by a bank or lender. Traditional sellers seeking an alternative marketing strategy also call in auctioneers.
“Some calls I get on estate properties are from owners who paid too much or had other business ventures that used the estate property as collateral,” said Rosenthal.
In most of Rosenthal’s auctions, a luxury residential property lingered on the traditional real estate market because it was overpriced.
“These properties were owned by a combination of private parties, trust and lenders,” says Rosenthal. “Oregon and Washington do not have the same demographics as California or Nevada with mega estates near major cities or resort areas. Zoning in Oregon is also a factor. “
An off-the-grid Roseburg estate is on the auction block with a $2.5 million reserve.RE/MAX Integrity/Realty Marketing/Northwest Oregon
The Roseburg house was custom built in 2010 about 13 miles east from downtown Roseburg in Douglas County.
There is a fireplace in the step-down great room, formal dining room and primary suite.
The kitchen has two large islands with granite countertops and a Viking gas range with an eight-burner cooktop and double ovens. A breezeway with bar area connects the kitchen to the formal dining room.
The house also has a library, three bedrooms, four bathrooms and a powder room plus an artist’s studio and a 342-square-foot loft that can be used as a den or office.
Sealed bids are due June 8. Realty Marketing/Northwest Oregon is working in affiliation with RE/MAX Integrity.
Buying a house at auction is unlike a typical real estate transaction. An agent doesn’t write up an offer. The property can include furnishings and movable structures.
Bidders are to conduct their own research and due diligence before making an offer. Some “as is” properties are sold for cash while others can be financed before the deed changes hands.
Each auction has its own rules, terms and conditions but all require preregistration and a deposit.
Every successful bidder also pays closing costs such as escrow fees, back taxes and broker commissions.
Other properties on auction by Realty Marketing/Northwest include:
- A 14,709-acre, industrial-grade California North Coast timberland portfolio with 186 million board feet of Douglas fir, redwood, western hemlock and carbon projects. “This is one of the largest offerings of timberland along the North Coast,” said Rosenthal. Sealed bids are due June 30, 2022. The reserve price is $33,755,000.
- A developer liquidation of 29 lots and development site at Rose Village, a 55+ active adult community near Roseburg includes one lot that will be offered for sale with no minimum bid.
- Residential development sites in Southwest Portland and Kelso-Longview, Washington have a reserve from $295,000 and $695,000 with seller financing.
- A Lewis River tract in Woodland, Washington has a reserve of $35,000.
— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072
jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman
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• Modernist architect Neutra’s rare, restored Oregon house is for sale at $3,750,000
• Architect John Storrs’ midcentury modern house for sale in Hillsdale’s fabled ‘Storrs Quadrant’
• Midcentury modern architect William Fletcher’s first Portland house is for sale for the first time
• Portland homes designed by Pietro Belluschi come with camaraderie
• Oregon’s ‘Terrible Tilly’ lighthouse on private island for sale at $6.5 million
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