News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Century 21 Sterling Properties real estate agency has closed its doors in Sisters.
Agency owner Beverly Toney told The Nugget that her health, which had been poor since last March, got worse in October, making it difficult to maintain the real estate business.
"That's the main reason I'm closing the business -- under doctor's orders," Toney said. She said she has not decided on her future plans, but that she would have to "take some time off."
Toney said the closure was not prompted by a weak real estate market, although she noted that the closure of Highway 20 due to a washout last February caused numerous cancellations of Black Butte rentals, hurting the business.
"I think the (real estate) business is going to be pretty healthy this year," she said.
Kathleen Buchser, who worked at the office as an agent, agreed that the real estate market in Sisters is strong. She attributed Century 21 Sterling Properties problems largely to the lack of strong hands-on leadership due to Toney's health problems.
"Due to illness or whatever, she (Toney) has not been a presence in the office," Buchser reflected. "We had a sense of going it alone...But we really needed a hands-on presence."
Buchser noted that it is a demanding challenge to take on the overhead of buying a real estate agency and starting a business.
"You've got to be prepared to handle that overhead," she said.
Buchser, who has moved to Century 21 High Crest in Tumalo, said that agency would continue Century 21's presence in the Sisters market. Buchser said she plans to stay active in sales in the Sisters area.
Former Century 21 agents Howard Dugdale and Sylvia Valdez have joined the sales staff at Sam Goodwin and Associates in Sisters.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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