According to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors, first-time buyers comprised 32 percent of the nationwide home sales in 2016. Low inventory, rising home prices, rising rent costs, and rising mortgage rates are the biggest challenges facing first-time homebuyers. The report states that 2016 housing inventory declined by 11 percent compared to […]
Take Me Home
Posted inNews
What Does Buying a Home ‘As-Is’ Mean to Buyers?
In recent months, I have noticed more “as-is” sale transactions in which sellers are unwilling to make repairs. I have had two such unexpected experiences in the past month, both with homes on the market for more than seven months. This is a reflection of our current seller’s market. So what does it mean for […]
Posted inNews
Bend Real Estate Statistics for 2016
The Beacon Report, which is based on real estate statistics from our local MLS, recently came out with December 2016 figures which allow some interesting comparisons to last year’s Bend single family residence sales of 1 acre or less. According to the report, closed sales in 2016 increased by about 4 percent over the prior […]
Posted inNews
Tight Credit Woes
As a result of the housing crisis, tighter credit standards have made it difficult for buyers with less than stellar credit to get a mortgage even though many, if not most renters are paying more than they would for a mortgage. This increases the demand for rental housing which contributes to our skyrocketing rents. The […]
Posted inNews
Another Report Ranking Bend-Redmond #1
Bend has once again caught national attention. According to the Milken Institute 2016 Best Performing Cities Report, the Bend-Redmond area was ranked first in the U.S. Best-Performing Small Cities index, up from last year’s ranking at eighth place. The report bases its rankings on nine different indicators, and Bend-Redmond posted gains on seven of the […]
Posted inNews
Winter is a Good Time to Sell a Home in Bend
Winter in Central Oregon might not seem like a good time to sell a home given the weather and the holidays, but it is actually much better than it seems. The weather this winter has definitely created challenges for buyers to view properties; when everything is covered in snow it makes it hard to fully […]
Posted inNews
Year in Review for Bend and National Housing
What is happening in the national housing market appears to be very true for Bend as well. According to the Beacon Report for December 2016, based on November MLS statistics, prices for Bend single family homes have increased by about 16 percent for the period of November 2015 to November 2016, but housing inventory has […]
Posted inNews
How the Fed Interest Rate Hike Will Affect the Housing Market
As anticipated, the Federal Reserve voted Dec. 14 to raise the federal funds rate by a quarter point. I thought it would be “fun” to show the effects of interest rate hikes on a $300,000 mortgage with a 30-year term: As you can see, a quarter point difference is not that significant, but a half […]
Posted inNews
Tiny Homes for Retirement
Tiny home living is often considered to be an alternative housing option for younger people—but in actuality, between 30 and 40 percent of tiny home dwellers are age 50 or older. The biggest appeal is cost. According to TheTinyLife.com, the average price to build your own tiny home is $23,000, or have someone build it […]
Posted inNews
Tips on Staging Your Home During the Holiday Season
Holiday decorations are an important part of the holiday experience for many homeowners, but it is important to take a few items into consideration if your home is on the market during this time. 1. Keep your windows clear. Try not to have the tree in front a window or decorations on your window. This […]