Bend Home Inventory is Up With Closings DownThe data has been published and the early spring trends year over year for 2025 reflect Bend's single family home real estate market with prices still rising, inventory up considerably, pending sales up, days on market up, and overall closings down.The increased inventory has provided more options for Bend home buyers and many sellers are willing to negotiate price and terms in order to get their property sold. Those sellers unwilling to do this are often finding their property sitting with little activity. The importance of hitting the market with correct pricing, top photography, top staging, and top curb appeal right from the start has become more important than ever. And those home sellers working with knowledgeable brokers should be heari... 05/08/2025

Lava Butte is Located Just South of Bend Lava Butte is part of the Lava Lands Visitor Center which is the interpretive hub for Newberry Volcanic National Monument. Located just south of Bend on the west side of Highway 97, the Visitor Center is closed from the middle of October through the beginning of May. However, the parking lot remains open year round (snow permitting) for people who hike the 5.5 mile Sun-Lava paved path over the lava fields or hike the 3.3 mile round trip up Lava Butte. The road up Lava Butte is traveled by a shuttle during the summer, but during the off season a gated fence stops vehicles from making the trip. However, hikers and bicyclists can access the butte through a person gate in the fence and enjoy the trek up the butte and views from the top. Those who wa... 04/22/2025

Bend Home Prices Appear to be Leveling OffSpring 2025 has begun with many economic and political changes within the country. The uncertainty of tariffs and the stock market may ultimately result in a pull back in home sales. However, the beginning of April has had strong real estate sales for Bend Premier Real Estate brokers. It could be with people not having confidence in the stock market, the proven reliability of real estate to consistently gain value over time coupled with more certainty in mortgage interest rates leveling or even dropping could result in a boom in Bend home sales. The next few months could be a roller coaster, or perhaps a more steady-as-she-goes market.For Bend home sales, March of 2025 compared to March of 2024, the data reflects the following changes: Homes sol... 04/10/2025

Bend Real Estate Inventory is Way UpThe real estate trends for Bend single family homes are reflecting a changing market. Sales are dependent upon a mortgage interest rate that works for the majority of home buyers, but also upon available homes from which to choose. February 2025 saw a shift in both categories with a large increase in home inventory as well as a more moderate reduction in mortgage interest rates. Buyers are finding many more homes on the market that may meet their search criteria. Sellers are finding that in order to make their home stand out, pricing the home correctly right from the start can be the difference between selling quickly and sitting on the market.When February of 2025 is compared with February 2024 for Bend single family homes on less than an acre, the f... 03/07/2025

What Happened With Bend Luxury Homes in 2024? 2024 was a year that reflected changes for Bend Oregon real estate. The high end luxury home market had more listings and more activity in 2024 compared with 2023. In particular, homes listed in all categories over $1,000,000 had strong sales with the only exception in the $1,300,000 to $1,599,999 category in which there was a 14.4% decrease in home sales. In this same category, days on market were up over 113% with an increase of 85% in months of supply (up to over 5 months). Based on an earlier 2024 review of the Bend luxury market, it was determined that many listings taken in this price point required price reductions, sometimes significant reductions, in order to receive offers. Despite this anomaly, overall more listings in almost all... 02/20/2025

2025 Bend Home Sales Have Started Off With a BangAfter the slower market traditionally experienced in December, Bend home sales started 2025 with an strong uptick. Many home sellers are no longer waiting to spring to list their properties, and many buyers are back in the market, despite the 30 year mortgage rate near 7%. Both new listings and new sales were significantly up in January 2025 compared with the previous year.Historically, during a presidential election year, home sales slow across the country. However, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR), home sales have increased the year after nine of the last eleven presidential elections (the exceptions were in 1981 and 1989). If this trend holds true in Centr... 02/05/2025

What's in the January 2025 Bend Premier Newsletter? More Inventory and Moderate Price Increase the Norm in 2024 Creamy Mushroom Pasta Cozy Ideas to Transform Your Living Room This Winter Hike Smith Rock for a Winter Challenge Get Ready to Sell a Home in 2025 Check out more newsletters at Bend Premier Real Estate's website.  01/10/2025

More Bend Home Inventory and Moderate Price Increases Were the Norm for 2024 Sales 2024 Bend home sales experienced modest price increases for the year, but Bend home buyers were fortunate to have more options. Sellers who had hesitated putting their property on the market during Covid and following when mortgage interest rates were close to 8% finally had more inclination to do so when mortgage rates dropped to the mid 6% range during the summer of 2024. Delayed moves which were offset by high mortgage rates for a subsequent purchase finally made sense when rates dropped. Although there was an increase in home prices and sales for Bend single family homes, it was modest. With more inventory on the market, Bend home buyers could be more discerning with their purchase and homes which we... 01/07/2025

More Inventory Means More Choices for Bend Home BuyersThere are more homes on the market for potential Bend home buyers to choose from than there were at the same time last year. With more inventory, there has been more motivation for sellers to negotiate price and terms with buyers. This in turn has resulted in homes selling for less than asking price, often after price reductions in order to generate offers. While the overall sales price is up slightly over the same time last year, the months of supply is up over 11%.When the data from November 2024 for Bend single family home sales on less than an acre is compared with those from November 2023, the following changes can be seen: Average sales price up 4.1% to $888,821 Median sales price up 2.6% to $711,875 New listings up 29.5% to 11... 12/06/2024

Bend Home Prices Up In October The trend seen over the past four months changed in October when year over year Bend home prices rose rather than fell. Both average and median Bend single family home sales prices were up, perhaps a reflection of lower interest rates seen in September which enabled more home buyers to purchase higher priced homes or an unusual anomaly which was reflected with a large number of million dollar plus homes (over 35% of total home sales) closing. Typically in the fall, home sellers which did not sell their properties during the summer peak selling season will often discount their asking price - often generating offers. Of the sixty Bend homes that closed in October for over a million dollars, forty-seven closed significantly under their original asking price ... 11/05/2024

Bend Luxury Home Inventory is Up For Bend buyers looking for their ideal luxury home, there was a significant increase in the number of homes for them to pick from in 3rd quarter 2024. When we look at Bend million dollar homes, the categories of homes for sale over $1,300,000 had anywhere from 45% to 89% more listings for buyers to consider. It appeared that more sellers were willing to list their property in 2024 than in 2023, perhaps tied in with lower mortgage interest rates experienced in this time period; the cost to sellers for their financed replacement home would be less with lower rates, often making the seller determine that the time to list was then. Is it a Seller's Market for Bend Luxury Home Sales? We are seeing changes in the Bend high end market. Homes that sold quickly... 10/23/2024

Bend Home Sales Up With More Inventory and Lower Mortgage Rates It appears that the tide has turned and Bend home buyers are now experiencing lower prices, more choices with more inventory, and better interests rates. This has enabled more buyers to enter the market and more sellers to have confidence listing their home, knowing that their replacement property will cost less than it did just six months ago. This has generated more early fall business than we normally see and a more balanced Bend real estate market. When September 2024 is compared with September 2023, the following changes to Bend home sales can be noted: Average sales price down 11.3% to $837,153* Median sales price down 4.7% to $713,500 Original list price down 4.3% to $882,186 Median sales price down 2.8% to $737,400... 10/08/2024

What's in the September 2024 Bend Premier Real Estate Newsletter? Are Lower Mortgage Rates Spurring Bend Sales? Summertime Fruit Salad 10 Things to Do in September Take the Climbers Trail to Middle Sister Early Forecasts for the 2025 Housing Market See Bend Premier Real Estate for more great blogs. 09/13/2024

Are Lower Mortgage Interest Rates Spurring Bend Real Estate Sales? Mortgage interest rates have come down to their lowest rate in a year with the 30 year mortgage now at 6.35%. This has made a difference in both the buying and selling side of Bend home sales with buyers now being able to afford more than they could just a few months ago and sellers, who have been sitting on the fence on whether or not they wanted to give up their great mortgage rate for a new, higher one on a different home, feeling comfortable enough to at last list their home.  We are seeing more listings at lower median and average listing prices and more pending sales in August as a result. When August 2024 is compared with August 2023 for Bend single family home sales on less than an acre, the following changes ca... 09/09/2024

Bend Real Estate Sales at a CrossroadsThe data has been published and the trends we have seen for many years for Bend home sales have changed. Instead of seeing home sales prices increasing year over year, in July 2024 home sales prices decreased year over year. This change directly reflects on the increased inventory levels the town has experienced in the last few months. The Covid pandemic resulted in tremendous demand for Bend homes which drove the price up when inventory could not keep up with the number of people wanting a Bend home. Now, at a level pushing four months of supply, the Bend home market is at a transitional time with many more homes and a more limited buyer pool. High home prices and high mortgage interest rates have priced many out of the Bend market and sellers are ... 08/09/2024

Bend Luxury Home Buyers Have More Options The figures are out and the first six months of 2024 reflects an increase in Bend homes for sale over $1,000,000. The amount of Bend luxury home inventory is significantly up compared with 2023 and 2022 which leads to more options for the Bend home buyers who can afford a high end home. The days on market are rising and home sellers who really need to sell are recognizing that with more competition, asking price needs to reflect today's market.Bend Luxury Home Listings Are Often Experiencing Price Reductions During Covid Bend home listings were bid up with multiple offers to a point in which many homes sold over asking, even among the high end. In today's market, however, we are often seeing Bend home listings with price reductions. Sellers who... 07/23/2024

Bend Home Prices Up As Are Inventory Levels Bend home prices are up year over year but so are inventory levels. The rate of the increase in Bend home prices has dropped, but we are still not experiencing overall reduced home prices. While buyers have more options, mortgage interest rates (just short of 7% as of July 3, 2024) remain high which has limited the buying power for many. July typically is the busiest month of the year for Central Oregon home sales and it remains to be seen whether the combination of high prices and high mortgage interest rates will curtail Bend real estate sales this summer.When June 2024 is compared with June 2023, the following changes for Bend single family home sales on less than an acre can be noted: Average sales price up 5.9% to $969,547* Median sales ... 07/09/2024

The Hike To Tumalo Mountain Still Has Snow 6-22-24 After a winter which had good snowfall, hiking into the high Cascades has been delayed due to the snow accumulation. However, the warm days experienced over the past week have aided snow melt.  Last Saturday, June 22, 2024, enough snow had melted on Tumalo Mountain to enable hikers to walk the 1450 feet of elevation gain in two miles from the trailhead to the top. It appeared as if half the time the trail was covered by snow, but it was fairly easy to follow the route until the last 1/2 mile; GPS helped navigate this as did microspikes over ice.The hike up Tumalo Mountain is only 2 miles, but the views from the top toward South and Middle Sister, Broken Top, and Mt Bachelor can be spectacular. For those who take the hike early in the d... 06/25/2024

What The Puzzling Trends For Bend Home Sales Tell Us The May 2024 data has been published and it appears that Bend home buyers have more options. Inventory levels are up, but so are prices and overall sales are down. Basic economics tells us that as supply increases, prices should decrease. But right now, the supply of Bend homes has grown along with a slight uptick in home prices with sales significantly down from the year before. Adding to the confusion are mortgage interest rates. According to Freddie Mac, mortgage interest rates were above 7% for most of the month of May which impacted the purchasing power of many potential Bend home buyers.                      What Were The Bend Real Estate Trends May 2024? When May 2024 is compared with May 2023, the following data reflects Bend... 06/06/2024

Are Bend Luxury Home Prices Stabilizing?It has been a while since we have done a careful analysis of the high end Bend home market. Overall, the Bend real estate market has seen growth in inventory levels along with high mortgage interest rates and a more normal increase in home prices. The same cannot be said for the luxury market. For Bend luxury single family homes on less than an acre, inventory levels and sales prices appear to have stabilized with only a slight increase in the number of homes priced between $1,000,000 and $1,600,000. For homes priced over $1,600,000, there has been a decrease in sales price over the past twelve months. The Number Of Bend Luxury Homes Selling Is Down Along with high mortgage interest rates comes issues with affordability. Even with the luxury home ... 05/17/2024