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About the Klamath Falls, Oregon Area
Whether you're looking for a mountain
retreat, a spectacular lake view, an executive residence, a suburban family
neighborhood or a country home for you and your horses, Klamath County has it
all!
This is Oregon's City of Sunshine with an
average of 300 sunny days per year - Southern Oregon's best kept secret for
fabulous scenery, wildlife, birding, outdoor recreation, great quality of
living surrounded by natural beauty and affordable real estate.
 Klamath Falls has the advantages of steadily increasing attractions,
community services and beautification projects and solid employers locating new
facilities here.
The county covers 6,151 square miles, making
it the fourth largest county in Oregon. Klamath Falls, the county seat and
largest town, rests on the southern shore of Upper Klamath Lake, the largest
body of fresh water in the Pacific Northwest.
Located in the eastern foothills of the
Cascade Mountains, Klamath Falls is only 20 miles north of California via Hwy
97, an easy drive to Sacramento, San Francisco, Reno and Portland.
The Klamath Falls Airport offers commercial
air service as well as full general aviation services and is home to the Oregon
Air National Guard 173rd Fighter Wing. Horizon Air - Alaska Air service offers
several daily flights to and from Portland, Oregon.
Train travel is available on Amtrak's famous
Coast Starlight service that starts in Seattle WA and runs to Los Angeles. It's
a great way to see the coast and interior areas of the Pacific West.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Population:
Klamath County:
63,775
Klamath Falls Urban Growth Area: 40,100
Klamath Falls City Limits:
20,940
COST OF LIVING
INDEX
(National Average = 100)
Composite Index
103.5
Grocery Items 106.1
Housing 100.6
Utilities
87.8
Transportation 110.5
Health Care 103.3
Misc. Goods and Services
106.5
(Source: ACCRA Cost of Living Survey, Third quarter 2001)
WEATHER
Klamath County encompasses
many different types of terrain and the climate differs in these areas. Klamath
Falls International Airport is used for averages and may not apply to other
parts of the county. The high, arid climate produces warm summers and variable
winters. Klamath Basin at the Airport is 4,100 ft. in elevation. Surrounding
mountains soar to over 8,000 ft.
HISTORY
The Klamath Basin, a
depression formed by a huge prehistoric lake in the eastern foothills of the
Cascade Mountains, has long been the home of the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin
Indian tribes. Others first visited the Basin when trappers came into the
region in the 1820s. Later explorers came, searching for a southern route
through the Cascade mountains.
In 1863, Fort Klamath was established at the
northern end of Upper Klamath Lake. Because of the use of water for early
transportation, the fort's provisioner eventually extended his operations by
ferry to the southern end of the lake, where the Link River joined Upper &
Lower Klamath Lakes. This area eventually blossomed into the town of
Linkville.
Following the end of the Modoc Indian War in
1873, ranchers, farmers, and business-people began arriving to settle the area.
Rapid growth of towns and industry followed the advent of the railroad in
Klamath County in 1909.
As Linkville grew and eventually reached out
to encompass its neighbor, Altamont, the residents decided that the name was
inadequate to describe the area's beauty and potential. Thus Linkville was
renamed "Klamath Falls."
GEOGRAPHY
Klamath County
encompasses a wide topographical range. With elevations ranging from 2,750' to
8,938' the area is primarily mountainous and is classified as high desert. One
unique feature of the Klamath Falls area is the underground supply of
geothermal heated water. This system of thermal channels is used to heat many
homes and businesses within the city limits, including Merle West Medical
Center, Oregon Institute of Technology, as well as the sidewalks and crosswalks
along Main Street in Klamath Falls.
INDUSTRY
A mainstay of the Klamath
Basin's economy since early settlement, agricultural product sales accounted
for over $140 million during 1995. Cattle ranching accounts for over one-third
of farm income; followed by potatoes, grasses, sugar beets, and algae. In
recent years, economic growth has occurred in the areas of manufacturing,
communications, high tech, government and tourism, resulting in a more
diversified economy.
RECREATION & LEISURE
Klamath
County offers outstanding recreational opportunities, particularly for the
outdoor enthusiast. There are more than 82 lakes and streams in Klamath County,
including the world class Williamson River and Upper Klamath Lake, which covers
133 square miles. Fishing and hunting are popular sports. The Klamath Basin
also has hundreds of miles of cross-country skiing, mountain biking, and hiking
trails, leading deep into forests, wetlands, wildlife refuges, and
desert.
Spelunking opportunities can be found 30
miles to the south of Klamath Falls, at the caves in the Lava Beds National
Monument. Three downhill skiing facilities are within a two hour drive of
Klamath Falls: Mt. Shasta to the south, Mt. Ashland in the west, and the
Willamette Pass to the northwest. The Klamath Falls area has over 600 acres of
developed parks, five golf courses including the only Arnold Palmer designed
course at Running Y Ranch Resort, racquetball and tennis facilities, bowling
alleys, a roller skating rink and a variety of health and exercise
clubs.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Located in
Klamath Falls, the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) is the only
public polytechnic institute in the Pacific Northwest. OIT offers: bachelors
and associate degrees in the Engineering Technologies, Health Technologies, and
Nursing; bachelor degrees in Management Information Systems and Industrial
Management; and associate degrees in Arts and Sciences, and boasts an amazingly
high job-placement rating for graduates - one of the highest in the country.
Over 2500 students are enrolled at the main campus in Klamath Falls, with
another 500 students attending the branch campus in the Portland
area.
Klamath Community College (KCC) is
Oregon's newest institution of higher education, founded in 1996, and is
designed and developed for the twenty-first century. KCC's mission is "To offer
quality learning opportunities which enhance growth and development for the
individuals, businesses and organizations within our greater community." KCC
annually registers more than 4,000 people in credit and non-credit classes,
generating over 750 FTE in a wide variety of certificate and associate degree
programs. KCC's educational options include programs in Business Management,
Accounting, Marketing, Computer Information Systems, Early Childhood Education,
Criminal Justice, Corrections, Natural Resources, Technical Studies, General
Studies and Oregon Transfer.
The College also offers essential services
to local businesses and organizations, including training opportunities that
benefit both employers and employees. In addition, Community & Contract
Education classes are offered to the general population covering a wide variety
of special interest categories.
KCC recently renovated two buildings on 7
acres at 7390 S. 6th Street, commonly known as the Y Junction (Highway 39/140).
The new campus includes state of the art classrooms, Learning Resources Center,
computer lab, science lab, and administrative offices. An additional 50 acres
at the same site have been set aside for the development of a permanent
campus.
ARTS & CULTURE
The 800-seat
Ross Ragland Theater hosts performers of various musical genres from around the
world, as well as touring and local plays. A 30-year-old theatrical troupe, the
Linkville Players, produces four plays and a musical each year. The Klamath
Chorale, Klamath Symphony, Klamath Art Association, and many other cultural
groups all have seasonal performances and shows at various locations. Local
history and traditions can be found on display at several local museums, as
well as in contemporary events such as the Applegate Trail Rendezvous and
annual Pow-Wows. Favell Museum of Western Art and Indian Artifacts, is
acclaimed as one of the very finest museums anywhere.
REAL ESTATE MARKET
Compared to
other areas in Oregon and Northern California, Klamath Falls real estate is
more affordable. In the last few years, more upscale homes have been built
adding wider price and quality choices to our market inventories. Homes on
acreage and ranches abound, so there are great choices for people with horses
or just wanting privacy. In town, we have areas of classic older homes that are
quite popular and areas of brand new homes that offer all of today's amenities.
There are neighborhoods with CCRs that are strictly regulated as to appearance,
and older neighborhoods where diversity is the design.
We really have something for everyone here
in Klamath, it just depends on what you, the Buyer, want as your living
space! Would you like to receive my new listings and/or my monthly online newsletter? I add my newest listings to this web site right after the listing is signed. It can be some time before they appear in the local MLS or on national listings web sites! By signing up to receive my latest listings, I'll send you an email notice instantly -- as soon as my latest homes for sale go online. You'll find out first, before other buyers. There is absolutely no obligation, and this service is free of charge. Remember, I do not share your information with anyone, so your privacy is protected. Just fill out the form to get started... 
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Selling Your Home >The Best Real Estate Agents
The best real estate agents in today's marketplace are becoming even better about marketing the homes they list to the public, as well as to other agents who have potential buyers.
When you are interviewing prospective real estate agents to help you sell your home, ask how they find buyers. In the past, a "For Sale" sign would go into the ground, the basic information went into the Multiple Listing Service, and then there was an occasional Sunday classified ad and an "open house". If the house did not sell right away, the agent might recommend a price reduction.
Agents today are much more sophisticated and pro-active about getting people into their homes. They rely on computers, direct mail, telemarketing, and just plain clever ideas that no one else has tried. Ask prospective listing agents for two things--a written analysis of what is happening with housing prices in your area and a marketing plan which outlines how they would get your home from "For Sale" to "Sold".
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| Q |
Nearly every state has a mandate for seller disclosure. What must a seller disclose?
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| A |
The seller must disclose any existing problems, defects or conditions that could affect the value of the house.
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- NUMBER1EXPERT™ 
