The Destination is Far Better Than the Hike There

To reach Camp Lake, part of the Chambers Lakes in the Three Sisters Wilderness, hikers starting at the Pole Creek Trailhead have to trek trough 4 miles of dead trees, the result of 2012's Pole Creek Fire. We did this hike July 24, 2021 and it was a warm day. Despite the heat and the dry conditions, we saw some interesting things along the way, among them what we believe was a young Red Tailed Hawk sitting in one of the burned trees as it scouted the area for rodents. We also had fun crossing the North Fork of Whychus Creek as it flows out of Diller Glacier on Middle Sister.

The remaining 3 mile trek to Camp Lake is in alpine wooded areas with fabulous

 Some veterans are finding it difficult to obtain a Bend home in today’s market. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR):

“Conventional conforming mortgages (mortgages that conform to guidelines set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac), accounted for 74% of mortgages obtained by homebuyers in May 2021, an increase from about 65% during 2018 through 2019…The share of VA-guaranteed loans has also decreased to 7% in May 2021 from about 10% in past years.”

Recent data in the latest Origination Insight Report from Ellie Mae sheds light on the continuation of this trend. Below, we can see just how small of a share of total financing VA loans made up in June of 2021, according to that Ellie Mae report:The drop in VA loan usage can be

Bend Luxury Home Sales Have Spiked in the Last Year

When we think of luxury homes in Bend, we have a vision of a grand property with stunning mountain or river views, lots of elbow room, and fabulous amenities. Easy location to access the Bend lifestyle, which includes proximity to downtown, the mountains, the river, and the Old Mill also checks a lot of homebuyer's luxury wish lists. Having an up-to-date architectural design and interior features are also important to many who are making Bend their home. Yet with so many people moving to Bend over the past year and with inventory supply not keeping up with demand, homes that are not considered luxury have pushed the million dollar market into never before seen figures.

The chart below outlines

Some Highlights

• The language of buying and selling a Bend home may sound scary at first, but knowing how key terms relate to today’s market can help you. For example, current low mortgage rates and higher wages positively impact home affordability for buyers, while price appreciation continues to grow home equity, which sellers can use to fuel a move up.
• Terms like appraisal (what lenders rely on to validate a home’s value) and contingencies (which buyers can minimize to make their offer stand out) directly impact the transaction.
• You don’t need to know everything to buy or sell Bend Oregon real estate. Give us a call today. We can help.

Bend's Seller's Market Starting to Show Positive Moves

To say Bend has been in a seller’s market for some time now would be an understatement. There has been so much demand in our local market that Bend single family home prices are up roughly 40% from a year ago. Much of this is spurred by this new “Zoom” generation where, thanks to the pandemic, people are realizing they don’t have to live and work in the metro areas. Instead, they can live where they want and work from home and meet with people with teleconferencing software like Zoom.

However, amidst what has seemed like an impossible situation in Bend for home buyers who have missed out writing offers on numerous homes… and still not getting any offer accepted… there are a couple signs of

With home prices continuing to deliver double-digit increases, some are concerned we’re in a housing bubble like the one in 2006. However, a closer look at the market data indicates this is nothing like 2006 for three major reasons.

1. The housing market isn’t driven by risky mortgage loans.

Back in 2006, nearly everyone could qualify for a loan. The Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI) from the Mortgage Bankers’ Association is an indicator of the availability of mortgage money. The higher the index, the easier it is to obtain a mortgage. The MCAI more than doubled from 2004 (378) to 2006 (869). Today, the index stands at 130. As an example of the difference between today and 2006, let’s look at the volume of mortgages that

Green Lakes is a Stunning Destination

The Green Lakes trail, off Century Drive in the Central Oregon Cascades, has historically been one of the most popular hikes in Oregon.  It has been used by families, trail runners, day hikers and backpackers for years as a beautiful and fairly easy hike to accomplish with the 4.5 miles and 1500 feet of gradual elevation change pretty doable for most. Over the years, we have hiked to Green Lakes many times, usually traveling on the east shore to the northern most lake, but enjoying the views and wildflowers and waterfalls of Fall Creek along the way. We have seen a huge increase of hikers traveling to Green Lakes over the years, but 2021 is the first year access to Green Lakes Trail is subject to the Central

In today’s Bend real estate market, mortgage interest rates are near record lows. If you’ve been in your current home for several years and haven’t refinanced lately, there’s a good chance you have a mortgage with an interest rate higher than today’s average. Here are some options you should consider if you want to take advantage of today’s current low rates before they rise.

Sell and Move Up (or Downsize)

Many of today’s homeowners are rethinking what they need in a home and redefining what their dream home means. For some, continued remote work is bringing about the need for additional space. For others, moving to a lower cost-of-living area or downsizing may be great options. If you’re considering either of these, there may not be a

Bend Oregon Real Estate Prices Escalated During Covid

We typically look at Bend real estate trends based on comparisons each month - seeing what the data shows the same month a year previously.  This has resulted in some startling information, especially when trends over the past year are reviewed. The Covid pandemic impacted the Bend Real Estate market in ways we never anticipated when the initial stay at home orders were given. However, to get a full idea on what has happened to Bend home prices, it is often very helpful to look at a longer timeline. 

Ten years ago Bend was just starting to turn around from the Great Recession in which poor lending practices led to the mortgage melt down. Real estate brokerages' businesses consisted of working

Some Highlights

• Buyers hoping for more homes to choose from may be in luck as housing inventory begins to rise. Many experts agree – new sellers listing their homes is great news for buyers and the overall market.
• Although the supply increases are modest, more homes means more options for buyers. A rise in inventory may also help slow the price gains we’ve seen recently and could be a sign of good things to come.
• If you’re searching for a home, rising inventory is welcome news. Let’s connect today to discuss new listings in our area.