Peter Skene Ogden Trail Is A Favorite Off Season Hike We have hiked from McCay Crossing to Paulina Falls multiple times, typically in the late fall and early spring when crowds are gone and snow accumulation is limited. We have always enjoyed the experience and have seen Paulina Creek and the numerous falls along the path in various stages of flow - spring run off, fall with lessened volume, and winter ice. Some of our favorite experiences have involved the ice, and we have named that experience "chasing frozen waterfalls." The hike we did 11-11-23 was in the fall after first snow, but after warmer temperatures had melted much of the snow in the lower elevations. We saw just a handful of people the entire day and our hike up and back was much faster than we experience when we have to ... 11/16/2023

What's In The November, 2023 Bend Premier Newsletter? Bend Real Estate Sales Lacking Listings Brussel Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans 10 Tips to Help You Prepare for Thanksgiving Hike to Broken Top From Todd Lake The Benefits of Buying a Multi-Generational Home Original post can be read at Bend Premier Real Estate's website. 11/15/2023

Bend Oregon Real Estate Sales Lacking Listings The October 2023 figures for Bend single family home sales have been produced and lack of inventory appears to be a consistent problem. Inventory levels have dropped year over year as have pending sales and sold homes. Despite a rise in new listings, the overall Bend real estate market reflects an anemic number of sales with prices remaining high and high interest rates greatly impacting the buying power of would-be purchasers.  When October of 2023 is compared with October of 2022, Bend single family home sales show the following changes: Average sales price down 3% to $795,928* Median sales price up 7.6% to $731,500 New listings up 6.9% to 140 Homes for sale down 33.1% to 297 Pending sales down 8.9% to 102 Sold homes down 21% to 128 Aver... 11/07/2023

Eagle Crest Is A Well Established Oregon Destination Golf Resort Community Begun in 1985, Eagle Crest is recognized by Oregon's Department of Land Conservation and Development as one of eight destination resorts in the state. There are three golf courses, spa facilities, two sports and fitness centers, three outdoor pools and one indoor pool, 13 miles of paved paths, hiking trails, and a conference center all within 1700 acres. A variety of housing is available at Eagle Crest with everything from large, luxury homes to condominiums with fractional ownership. There is even a 55 plus development within the subdivision. Eagle Crest Home Prices Have Stabilized Eagle Crest home prices for single family residences increased dramatically during Covid and into 2022. However, during the past tw... 10/27/2023

Deschutes Riverwoods Home Prices Trending Down Deschutes Riverwoods has long been a Bend subdivision desired by those enjoying its proximity to the city (it abuts Bend's southern boundary), but the freedom of large lots without Homeowner's Associations or CC&Rs. Homes here range from single wide manufactured to luxury homes overlooking the Deschutes River. It is also a neighborhood in transition with more and more of the older mobile homes being replaced over time with stick-built single family.  Home prices have dropped in Deschutes Riverwoods over the past twelve months in comparison to the previous year. This could be due to the type of home being sold, or a general overall reduction in home prices as home sellers adjust their asking dollar to accommodate higher mortgage interest ra... 10/20/2023

We have hiked to Green Lakes multiple times. However, fewer hike this popular trail when the weather turns cold and cloudy. Our experience hiking to Green Lakes on 10-14-23 was the first we had this year. The trail passes to Green Lakes are so hard to get that if you are 30 seconds past 7 am on the US Forest Service website, you will be too late. Despite trying weekly all year, last Saturday, the last weekend of the year where passes are required, we finally obtained two.  The weather was cloudy and cool, and during our hike the expected "ring of fire" eclipse occurred, resulting in a drop in temperature and a darker sky. However, after that event, the rest of our hike up to Green Lakes was uneventful, outside of hitting more and more snow the higher we climbed. At the second log bridg... 10/18/2023

There Are More Bend High End Homes On The Market The Bend real estate market has been in transition since Covid ended, with the demand for homes remaining strong, but rising mortgage interest rates greatly impacting the buying power of would-be homebuyers.  It has been three months since we last looked at the Bend luxury homes. During this time, there have been changes with fewer new listings, more homes on the market, and fewer sales. All four categories we look at with high end home sales are up significantly with available inventory. We are pushing closer to a neutral market with the highest prices where there is 5 to 6 months of inventory. We are not there yet, but there has been significant change over the past twelve months where higher priced homes are slower to sell. Number Of ... 10/18/2023

River's Edge Is An Established Bend Golf Course Community Located on Awbrey Butte's eastern flank, River's Edge Village was originally developed in 1987 along with the River's Edge Hotel and Convention Center and the first nine holes of the golf course.  The second nine holes of the course were built in 1992 and the next 200 homesites platted around this upper location of the development were released for individual purchase, creating a unique subdivision. Subsequent phases of River's Edge have been developed by Pahlisch Homes with the contemporary architecture that is popular in Bend today. The golf course was purchased by the neighborhood in 2022 and is a favored public course. Market Trends For River's Edge Single Family Home Sales Home prices are gradually increasing in River's Edg... 10/12/2023

What's in the October, 2023 Bend Premier Newsletter? Bend Home Sales Down While Rate of Price Increase Drops Butternut Squash Soup Beginning with Pre-Approval Hike Pamelia Lake to Grizzly Mountain Explaining Today's Low Housing Supply Original blog can be read at Bend Premier Real Estate's website.   10/09/2023

Bend Home Sales Down While Rate Of Price Increase Drops The Bend real estate market is in transition. With high mortgage interest rates impacting the buying power of potential Bend homebuyers and with sellers who may currently own a home financed under a low mortgage interest rate not listing, low inventory levels are keeping home prices up while the number of sales have dramatically dropped. We are seeing fewer new listings hitting the market, resulting in fewer pending sales and closed transactions. This is beyond the normal slow down that happens in Bend after school starts. This change is being felt nation wide with fewer home sales happening with mortgage rates now approaching 8%. Bend Real Estate Sales Impacted By Rising Interest Rates We compare Bend Home sales year over year in... 10/05/2023

Broken Top Is A Recognized Bend Oregon Luxury Subdivision Started in 1993, the Broken Top community and golf club have been one of Bend's premier subdivisions for many decades. Situated in Bend's west side, the private Morrish-Weiskopf designed 18 hole golf course and club have hosted professional and local tournaments and have been member owned for the past few years. Residences in the gated community include custom designed luxury homes on large lots, luxury townhomes, and a handful of vacation rentals which can also be used as year-round dwellings.  Market Trends For Broken Top Single Family Homes Broken Top real estate sales experienced the same pattern that much of Bend did during the Covid-19 pandemic with home prices and demand rising dramatically during 2020-2021, and then leve... 10/04/2023

🌟 Taking a Leap of Faith 🌟 Hey there, lovely souls! 🌸 I wanted to share a little piece of my journey with you all. 🗺️ Years ago, I was considering a big move to charming small city of Bend, Oregon! 🏞️ The thought of this adventure brought a mix of excitement and jitters, but I was ready to embrace the unknown with open arms. 💪🌈 🔍 Research & Plan: 📚 I dove into everything about Bend - from its cozy culture to the breathtaking landscapes. 🌄 Having a solid plan in place helped me feel more confident about this exciting step! 🌍 Embrace the Adventure: 🌟 Life is all about new experiences, right? I'm fully embracing this new chapter, seeing it as a chance to grow and explore in ways I've never imagined. 🌱✨ 🙌 Building Resilience: 🌼 I know there might be moments of challenge or homesickness, but... 09/25/2023

Awbrey Glen Is An Established Bend Luxury Subdivision Brooks Resources broke ground on Awbrey Glen in 1993 and completed the subdivision in 2006. Its 156 homesites were sold individually to buyers who were able to hire their own contractor to build their custom home, subject to architectural guidelines. This created a neighborhood of unique high end homes, many of which bordered Awbrey Glen Golf Course. Today there are 375 members of Awbrey Glen Golf Club, a private club offering the golf course, restaurant, pool, fitness facility, and many activities. People who live at Awbrey Glen tend to enjoy their home and social life. Awbrey Glen Sales Prices Dropping Unlike Bend in general, home prices in Awbrey Glen are going down. This may be partly because Awbrey Glen's listings are limited. ... 09/21/2023

Awbrey Butte Is One Of Bend's Premier Luxury Neighborhoods Originally developed by Brooks Resources in 1984, Awbrey Butte was "finished" in 2005. Containing over 1800 acres with 782 homesites, Awbrey Butte remains one of Bend's most prestigious neighborhoods. The development focused early on large homesites providing for privacy and retained much of the natural landscape and mature trees which existed there. Many homesites were situated to provide for Cascade Mountain, city or eastern views. A large number of the homes were built at a time in which natural woods were popular and the resulting neighborhoods often contained many large, lodge-style homes. Today's home buyers usually recognize the quality of these beautiful properties and may remodel them to a more current look while retai... 09/19/2023

Bend Real Estate Sales Cooling Fall 2023 While it is typical in the Bend and Central Oregon real estate markets to see a slowdown in sales once we enter into late fall, the change to our market seen in August 2023 does not follow the normal trends. With the 30 year mortgage interest rate now above 7%, the purchasing power of many potential home buyers has been significantly changed. In addition, the number of sellers willing to sell a home which has a mortgage of less than 5% has curtailed new listings coming on the market. This has kept inventory low, pushed prices up and greatly impacted the number of Bend real estate sales. Year Over Year Trends For Bend Oregon Single Family Home Sales When we compare August of 2023 with August of 2022, Bend single family home sales on less than an ... 09/07/2023

Many of our Brokers have outside interests, hobbies and sometimes additional jobs. Some Bend Premier brokers are passionate about charity, volunteering, serving on various committees (some real estate related and some not), and finding ways to stay involved and busy. However, I doubt any other Broker in Oregon has had such an active role in television and entertainment as Matt Wilson. Besides being an actor, Matt also has worked for NBC in television editing, and last winter worked on NBC's broadcasting of the XXIV Winter Olympics held in Beijing. He found out that he had won an Emmy for his editing work for NBC last month and his Emmy arrived in Bend this week.  Congratulations, Matt, on such an impressive award!Original blog can be read at Bend Premier Real Estate's blog. 09/06/2023

We have hiked Wickiup Plains in the past, reaching it after first traveling to Sisters Mirror Lake. Another time we hiked through it on our way to Moraine Lake, a wonderful destination or pass through for those hiking to the top of South Sister.  Last Saturday we had a break from the smokey air resulting from several forest fires and we capitalized on hiking to Wickiup Plains once again, this time with new plans. These included climbing two hills overlooking Wickiup Plains - Le Conte Crater and The Wife.  Wickiup Plain is mostly a cinder plateau through which the Pacific Crest Trail passes. However, there are fabulous views of the western flanks of South Sister and Broken Top from the plain that many never see. The trip up to the top of Le Conte Crater had a social trail we found which ... 09/05/2023

Northwest Crossing Is One Of Bend's Most Popular Neighborhoods Originally developed as the "affordable" option to most of Brooks Resources' subdivisions in Bend, Northwest Crossing quickly became one of the the most popular neighborhoods within the city, attracting many California transplants as well as locals to the healthy lifestyle characterized by the community. The initial style of homes - mostly craftsman bungalows - has evolved over the years with later phases built in the more modern design now desired by many. However, the resale value of the original craftsman homes has increased dramatically and the appeal of the neighborhood has remained among Bend's most favored. What Are The Market Trends For Northwest Crossing Homes? Northwest Crossing experienced the same market trends ... 09/01/2023

Crater Rim Trail Lightly Traveled Newberry Crater, including Paulina Peak and Paulina Falls, are often our go-to hikes when the weather doesn't cooperate in exploring the Cascades. At a lower elevation, we can often hike this area well into early winter when snow stops our adventures in the higher mountain regions. And its location, between Bend and La Pine, is an easy drive from home. Last Saturday, we ventured into Newberry Crater to avoid the choking smoke much of Central Oregon has been experiencing from the Bedrock fire and now Lookout and Pete's Lake fires as well. We were fortunate that the air stayed relatively clear during our day there and we could enjoy a great hike. We found a hike we had never done before last Saturday.  All Trails named it "Lost Lake to Crater Rim Trail" ... 08/29/2023

What's Up With Real Estate Trends In Sisters, La Pine, Madras And Prineville? We track on a monthly basis the real estate single family home sales trends for Bend, and on a quarterly basis those of Redmond. However, there are four other cities in Central Oregon which are important markets to our home buyers and sellers. The small city of Sisters typically has had higher prices than the other Central Oregon municipalities, but the access to the Cascades and other recreational opportunities has been a draw for those who like its quaint, western theme.  For many for whom Bend is too expensive, wonderful options are available in La Pine, Madras and Prineville.  For the past three years, all three towns have followed the same market trends for their single family home sales as we have seen ... 08/21/2023