Your Guide to Buying a Home in Ashland, OR

Buying a Home in Ashland, Oregon

(Covering 93 acres, Lithia Park is a place of beauty and solitude)

Ashland is located in Jackson County

You are standing in one of Eastern Oregon's most beautiful settings at the southern end of the Cascade Range. This area is better known as the Rogue Valley, named after the river which flows through the Cascades. Now, imagine a town in the foothills of a snow-capped peak, surrounded by mountains. In this town are a state university, a major theatre company, joined by other smaller theatres, art galleries, a museum and fine restaurants. Now imagine the people. From lifelong residents, solidly rooted in small town living, to former metropolitan area residents, looking for a more relaxed pace and a better quality of life, these same people are the fabric of a living quilt. Ashland. Our town. It's a small town of great diversity, whose residents differ greatly in their lifestyles and their goals, but who share a set of core values ... the importance of community, appreciation of beautiful country and good weather, and an understanding that quality of life counts as much as ambition. Where giving, not getting, is a value. Ashlanders don't talk much about "quality time" because it's all quality time.

It's a town where people make a difference. Residents know what the current community issues are and everyone has an opinion. Citizens' committees help guide city government, and City Council meetings are open to the public and broadcast live on a local cable channel. It's rare to walk downtown and not see someone you know. People feel they live here. Ashland is a unique blend of small town values and a simpler way of life, a wide range of cultural opportunities usually found only in cities, and the physical beauty of the Rogue Valley. It's a special place to live ... ask anyone who lives here.

There is a tremendous and diverse amount of cultural activity going on around here. Nestled in between beautiful mountains and rivers, one would think that we were rather isolated. Take a closer look: Ashland is culturally diverse and exciting. Almost everyone who visits falls in love with this town. It's one of those northwest towns that combines recreational, cultural and intellectual activities. Southern Oregon University is here. Thirteen Victorian homes on the National Register of Historic Places are here, as is the country's only wildlife forensic lab. The best-known cultural attraction is the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. From mid-February through October it presents eleven plays - four by the Bard - on three unique stages. Backstage Tours and the Exhibit Center where you can actually try on costumes, adds to the unique experience of Shakespeare. Ashland's outdoor theater was patterned after the Fortune Theater of 16th Century London. Adjacent to the outdoor theater is Lithia Park, a 100-acre tract of rare and unusual flora.

Art galleries, great shops on the town square, the Park, a Grower's Market in the summer and seasonal festivals can be a feast for the eyes as you walk through town.

The gold rush town of Jacksonville is one of only eight U.S, cities named as a National Historic Landmark. Shady, tree-lined streets, restored Victorian homes and a Gold rush Era cemetery assure nostalgia lovers a full day of exploring. After you've been to the Jacksonville Museum and read some of the "stories", you'll really be hooked on this fun little town. Horse-drawn trolley rides, the 1876 Beekman House, magical Christmas festivities and Old West days just add to the atmosphere.

The Britt Festival is one of Jacksonville's greatest draws. The Festival, referred to by locals as just "Britt", is a series of outdoor concerts ranging from jazz to rock to classical music. The deal is that you get there early, really early - like two hours before the show begins. You spread your blanket, sit back and sip a glass of wine or a micro-brew, visit, and get in the mood for an evening of entertainment under the stars.