Median price drops in April, as does inventory of homes for sale
The median sales price of a home in Bend, Oregon, dropped in April compared with the month before, but the inventory of homes for sale fell for the third month in a row, leaving the tightest supply in more than 10 years. The median sales price in April was $389,950. That’s 1.3 percent lower than...
What are a buyer’s options after receiving a home inspection report?
After having your offer on a home accepted, a common next step is to have a home inspection. Rare is the home that will yield an inspection report that doesn’t call for attention to at least some non-trivial matters. A buyer has two primary ways to respond to an inspection report. One is to submit...
Mortgage rates falling despite Fed’s increase
When the Federal Reserve Board raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a point in mid-March, the consensus prediction was that mortgage rates would rise as well. Instead, the interest rate on the popular 30-year mortgage last week fell for the fourth week in a row. It was 4.08 percent...
Sales prices approach highest on record
March homes sales in Bend, Oregon, picked up compared with the previous month and registered the second-highest median sales price in the last 10 years. The median price climbed to $395,000 in March. The only month in our data set (dating to the start of 2007) that figure has been higher has been...
Housing market continues to rise from depths of foreclosure crisis
More than 7.75 million homes went through foreclosure in the 10 years ending with the close of 2016, but recent employment and economic trends in the United States show the potential to drive the future number of foreclosures to below the pre-housing crisis levels. A report by CoreLogic, a...
How to find a lender that’s right for you
If you’re in the market to buy a home, you’re probably in the market for a mortgage, as well. Here are some suggestions on choosing a lender. Know your options for obtaining a mortgage. You’re not limited to a bank with nationwide branches or one of the big online lenders. Credit unions and...
4 tips to make sure you’re happy with home you buy
I love it when a client of mine buys a home. It is the culmination of a process that can be exciting but exasperating, rewarding and enriching -- in ways even an appreciating asset like a home in Bend can’t touch. Most important, though, I want all homebuyers -- not just my clients -- to be happy...
Median price drops in February amid overall mixed data
Looking solely at February’s median sales price of a home in Bend, Oregon, one might be struck by the decline from the previous month. But other data from the real estate market indicate the demand for homes remains strong. February’s median sales price was $354,853. That’s 4.3 percent lower than...
Scarcity of inventory drives increase in home prices
Anyone who has followed the Bend, Oregon, real estate market coming out of the great recession has probably wondered: How long can prices keep rising? After all, mortgage interest rates have moved off their historic lows and appear headed for further increases. Higher interest rates cut into...
Changes might bring banks back into the mortgage game
By Jason Boone Even as the housing market rebounded from the depths of the recession, big banks largely stood on the sideline. They watched as nonbank institutions -- companies that only make loans and don’t offer traditional banking services such as savings and checking accounts -- gobbled up...