Hayden Homes and arts group collaborate

Hayden Homes held a ribbon-cutting open house for their latest phase of single-family homes being built at Village at Cold Springs (VCS) last Wednesday, November 1.

The public was invited to tour the furnished model home, The Umpqua, enter a drawing for a sneakaway package at FinePine Lodge, enjoy a free lunch, and view original artwork by local Sisters artists.

Hayden Homes is making concerted efforts on a number of fronts to become a collaborative member of the Sisters community. They are a member of the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce and will sponsor all three major events that are part of the Sisters Cowboy Christmas this year - the Christmas tree lighting ceremony on the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 24, at 5:30 p.m. in Fir Street Park, and the Christmas parade and visits with Santa on Saturday afternoon, November 25.

The homebuilders have also joined the Sisters Arts Association (SAA) and are collaborating with them by featuring artists from local galleries in their model home community art room, which is in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Kit Stafford, an advisor to the SAA Board of Directors, curated the current exhibit to complement the interior of the house.

Katy Wooderson, Hayden's representative for marketing in Central Oregon communities, met with SAA Board President Bob Burgess to work out the details for this endeavor that is new for both organizations. Burgess reported that Hayden plans to have an open house like last Wednesday's every month.

Hayden also will participate in the Fourth Friday art strolls, offering refreshments and featuring the community art room. The SAA gallery maps can be found in the model home. New Home Star Oregon community manager for Hayden Homes, Kevin Hudson, has educated himself on the SAA and will encourage visitors to the model home to visit art galleries in Sisters, according to Burgess.

"Hayden has been wonderful to work with. This collaboration ties right into our organization's mission," said Burgess. "For our 21 gallery members, this is a fantastic partnership that highlights the galleries, and the art association. Hayden is a great community partner for us."

The 20 homes in the newest phase of Village at Cold Springs include one- and two-story homes, ranging in size from 1,408 to 2,578 square feet, with prices beginning at $299,990 for the 1,408 single-story. There are a number of option packages available that can add $10,000 to $40,000 to the base price of a home. Some of the add-ons include upgraded flooring, upgraded hard surfaces like quartz countertops, gas options for the fireplace and stove top, and upgraded stainless steel appliances.

According to Hudson, Hayden's target audiences for VCS are young families with children and retired people who are looking to downsize.

There are currently 13 presold homes, with four already occupied and four more almost ready for occupancy. Three of the four occupied homes were purchased by local Sisters residents. Other buyers are coming from Portland and California. When all the single-family homes in VCS are built, there will be about 70 additional homes, including the current 20.

Simplicity, which is another branch of Hayden Homes, is building small cottages and a number of townhomes across Railway Avenue.

Hayden Homes was established in Redmond, Oregon in 1989 by Robert Watson and now has additional offices in Washington and Idaho, building mainly in towns located outside of larger metropolitan areas. Watson named his company after his son Hayden, who went on to become the CEO of the company.

For every home built and sold by Hayden Homes, a percentage of the profits is donated to the First Story foundation, which then selects applicants to receive an interest-free mortgage when purchasing a Hayden home. There are no set qualification requirements. Rather, each applicant is interviewed and awards are based on individual circumstances and needs.

Hayden Homes is represented in Sisters by New Home Star Oregon, part of a national realty group that represents home builders and developers in niche markets similar to those in which Hayden does business.

Hudson can be reached at 541-668-3068 or [email protected]