Talent and Phoenix New Construction: Rebuilding After the Almeda Fire

If you have been shopping for new construction in Medford and wondered what is going on in the smaller towns just south on Interstate 5, the answer is: a lot. Talent and Phoenix are in the middle of a quiet homebuilding revival, much of it born of the 2020 Almeda Fire. Here is what buyers should know about the new construction scene in these two Rogue Valley towns, from the communities being built to the price points I am seeing.

Both towns hug Highway 99, with I-5 just to the west, sitting between Ashland and Medford. That location makes them easy commuter towns, and their rebuilding has created a wave of brand-new homes that sell for less than much of what you will find farther north. For buyers open to a smaller-town feel, these are two of the most interesting corners of the Southern Oregon new construction market right now.

On the morning of September ​8, 2020, a fire that started near Almeda Drive in northern Ashland swept north through Talent, Phoenix,and toward Medford, driven by strong winds. It burned roughly ​3,000 acres and destroyed an estimated 2,600 to 2,800 homes across the corridor, along with hundreds of businesses. Phoenix and Talent bore the brunt, including an estimated 1,500 manufactured homes in about ​19 mobile-home parks along Highway 99.

The rebuild has been steady, but it has moved at different speeds in different pockets. By September ​2025, Talent had issued about ​350 certificates of occupancy for rebuilt homes and businesses, with another ​25 or so active permits. That works out to nearly ​385 rebuilds complete or under way in that city alone, and that count does not even include manufactured homes. Phoenix officials report that site-built residential reconstruction is largely complete, while replacement of manufactured homes has lagged. State-funded recovery projects, including those backed by Oregon Housing and Community Services, have completed housing recovery for roughly ​324 households.

New construction in Talent and Phoenix spans everything from small attainable cottages to factory-built affordable housing to stick-built family homes. Here are the projects and builders I am watching right now:

There is more happening beyond those named communities. In Phoenix's Old Bridge Village neighborhood, Harmony Modern Homes has been putting up craftsman-style single-family new builds, and recent Talent listings have ranged from around $395,900 for a mid-size single-family home up to about $619,990 for a larger four-bedroom build. Because new listings come and go quickly in these towns, the exact available inventory changes week to week.

One silver lining for buyers is that these homes are being built to today's standards. Across the corridor, rebuilt and new homes have gone up to updated energy-efficiency and wildfire-resilience standards, which matters in a fire-adapted valley. You get modern building science, fresh finishes, and warranty protection that older existing homes simply cannot offer.

Inventory is modest compared with Medford. At the time I last researched this market, listing portals showed about six new-construction homes listed in Talent and roughly ​19 in Phoenix. That limited supply means desirable lots and plans do not sit long, and new phases tend to release in small batches. Buyers who wait too long to lock in a lot sometimes watch it go under contract while they deliberate.

The price spread is wider than most buyers expect. From about $195,000 for the Oak Ridge townhomes to the low-to-mid $600,000s for larger single-family builds in Talent, there really is an option at several price points. That makes Talent and Phoenix worth a stop even if you started your search convinced you could only afford an older home farther north.

• Get preapproved before you tour. The new-home inventory in these towns is small, and builders move quickly with preferred lenders. Knowing your number means you can say yes when the right lot comes up.
• Bring your own buyer's agent. The on-site agents represent the builders, not you. Having someone on your side through the design selections, inspections, and closing table makes a real difference, and in most cases the builder pays the commission.
• Ask about home hardening. New does not automatically mean fire-proof. Ask what fire-resistant materials, ember-resistant details, and defensible-space landscaping are standard, and what upgrades are available. A hardening checklist should be part of your tour questions in this valley.
• Compare the whole corridor. Talent and Phoenix sit minutes from one another, but the communities differ, from cottage-style offerings in Talent to townhomes and factory-built options in Phoenix. See all of them before you pick, because the right fit depends on your lifestyle, commute, ​and budget.

Lisa Sears, REALTOR®, eXp Luxury

Serving Southern Oregon