Starview
From the upper deck at 3282 NW Starview.
Oh Starview. One of the prettiest houses I’ve ever spent time in. The temperature is always right. It never feels drafty. The woodwork is stunning. The doors and the hardware are substantial, and at every window there is something beautiful. Snowy mountains, beautiful mature trees, wildlife, and weather viewing. Notice I didn’t say neighbors?
The great Greatroom.
I took over the listing of this house in late January of 2025 confident I could sell it, after it had already been listed in 2024. I knew the story of the family who hunted for the perfect lot, found the best architect and the best builder. I had watched them raise their 3 children in the house and knew how beautifully it functioned. I didn’t yet understand the finicky market we were in or the demographics of the buyers hunting for homes using cash and not concerned with interest rates.
Towards the end of summer 2025 we had finally found our sweet spot. The house had been freshly painted which really brightened it up and made it glow, we staged it, which gave it a more modern, less craftsman vibe, and we got the price under $2.5 million which really increased showings. I held the house open every weekend and was busy each time. Finally, in late October we received not one, but two offers. We chose the offer with a cash buyer who had seen the house many times and was ready to go.
These buyers did their due diligence and in addition to a whole house home inspection, and a sewer scope, they conducted a radon test. Yep, this 4700 sq. ft home, custom built into the side of Awbrey Butte with views from every window tested very high for radon.
This definition is from Google AI. “Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless, radioactive gas formed from the decay of uranium in rocks, soil, and water, which can seep into buildings through cracks and accumulate indoors, posing a significant health risk, primarily causing lung cancer, especially with long-term exposure. It's a silent hazard because it's undetectable without testing, but it's the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after smoking.”
I’ve learned through this experience, that Awbrey Butte, does have a risk for radon in homes. We don’t hear about it much because, well… we don’t test much. So next steps involve “Radon Mitagation” There are currently no companies doing radon mitigation in Bend. We have testers, but no one fixing the problem. After hunting for companies through other realtors who have also dealt with this we got two bids. One company out of Eugene, and another out of Portland. We went with Cascade Radon from Portland.
First came Thanksgiving, then Christmas and New Years and bad roads and freezing fog. Our first set of buyers got discouraged and walked away from the deal. It was taking too long and the numbers were dropping; then spiking. It didn’t take us long to find new buyers, but the radon levels over 4.0 kept plaguing us.
On February 20 we finally closed. It took a great buyers agent, steadfast sellers willing to go the distance, and the help of Cascade Radon to get the numbers down and to continue to monitor. I earned a degree in Radon Sceince for realtors during this process.
Happy to have new Bend residents moving into this fabulous house. They will make a few updates, and eventually call Bend home. The Cowgirl Properties team would love to help you, or people you know, sell their home in Central Oregon and navigate the process!
