Home AppreciationBy Jason Boone

Buyers are off to a brisk start to the year apparently, leaving an almost historically tight market for single-family homes in Bend.

How tight is the market you ask? Through the month of March, the Bend market offered up about 2.3 months of inventory, according to data recently compiled by the Skjersaa Group. That is tied for the lowest mark in at least the last 10 years, equaling the 2.3 month of inventory in June 2013.

Part of the reason why the market is tight is that buyers appear to be getting a jump on the buying season. Bend saw 185 sales in March, up from 125 in February and 164 in March 2015. But sellers are moving a bit slower, though. In March, there were 383 active listings, the exact number as in February and down from 401 active listings in March 2015.

The math is relatively simple: a brisk sales pace coupled with fewer active listings equals a tighter market. And a tight market, not surprisingly, generally means an uptick in prices.

March sales

True to form, March delivered.

The March median sales price — the midpoint in which half the homes in Bend sold for more and half for less — landed at $346,000. That is up from $331,660 in February. Through the first three months, the year-to-date median stands at $333,045, up from $322,800 in the first quarter of 2015.

And as the weather warms, there appears no end in sight to the fast pace. March ended with 276 sales pending, which is on par with the 278 pending sales in March 2015. Only one other March in the last 10 years has topped more than 200 pending sales (209 in March 2013).

Some more interesting data from the Skjersaa Group’s March report:

  • Interestingly, and perhaps counterintuitively, the average sales price was 95 percent of the average list price. That is the lowest average sales-price-to-list-price ratio since 2011 and breaks a four-month streak of a ratio of 99 percent. Most likely that is statistical noise, but it is worth watching in the coming months.
  • Buyers in the market for a homes priced at $625,000 or higher should find a nice array of choices. That price range offered up 120 active listings on April 1, the most of any price range. Predictably, the next heftiest market is with homes priced between $325,000 and $425,000. That range began April with 85 active listings.
  • The average days on market for a home was 130 days, a drop from 142 days in February. The average days on market was in line with March 2015, which boasted an average of 132 days.
  • Homes priced between $225,100 and $325,000 represented 69 of March’s 185 sales, easily the highest-selling price range. Forty-four homes sold between $325,100 and $425,000, the second-highest range.
  • The market for homes priced at $225,000 or less in Bend is almost nonexistent. In March, there were just eight homes sold in that range, and the month brought just five new listings in that price bracket.

Knowing how the data applies to each buyer or seller takes expertise. I can help navigate the market and find the perfect Bend, Oregon home.

To learn more about Bend home prices, get started with listing your Bend home, or to view area homes contact me call (541) 383-1426, or visit Bend Property Search to connect with me through my website.

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