Mortgage interest rates for a 30 year conventional loan with 20% down have exceeded 5% for the first time in over a decade. Despite the decreased buying power this creates for many, especially first time homebuyers, the March 2022 pending sales of Bend single family homes on less than an acre are up an amazing 108% over the year before. Bend home prices are also up with the median sales price now at $775,000. Bend has become a town of the affluent and while affordability has been an issue for many years, it is now a level never before seen.
When March 2022 is compared with March 2021, the figures for Bend single family home sales on less than an acre are as follows:
2021 has come to a close and the Bend housing market has broken records when it comes to volume, price and inventory levels. The huge influx of residents moving to Bend which started with the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic continued in 2021. Bidding wars, multiple offers, and a general lack of inventory drove prices higher than they have ever been. Builders have not been able to keep up with the demand and the supply shortage of building materials has impacted the pace by which new homes can be completed.
When 2021 is compared with 2020, the sale of Bend single family homes on less than an acre show the following trends:
Central Oregon is now in the fall season and typically during fall, Bend real estate sales drop. However, Bend single family home sales in October 2020 were anything but typical with sales breaking historic records. Speed forward to October 2021. While lack of inventory is still impacting prices, compared with the frantic fall sales of 2020, home sales in October 2021 seem more measured with offers often undergoing counter offers and negotiations on home repairs back with most transactions. This is a win for Bend homebuyers and for sellers, a strong sellers' market makes it a great time to list.
When October 2021 is compared with October 2020 for Bend single family homes on less than an acre, the following changes can be seen:
As can be noted, home sales are down, new listings are down, inventory levels are down and prices are up. There is still a significant demand for Bend single family homes which continues to drive home prices.
Despite cooling temperatures as we move toward late fall, Bend home sales are still strong - and we anticipate they will remain this way through the remainder of 2021. Mortgage interest rates are predicted to rise in 2022, but as long as rates stay relatively low, homebuyers are purchasing. We predict more of the same through the rest of 2021.
Are we getting back to a normal, seasonal adjustment to Bend real estate sales? Typically Bend single family home sales drop off in the fall once children start back to school and regular fall activities resume. Bend's usual homebuyer in the fall includes retirees, the second home buyer and investors. However, Bend home sales fall of 2020 did not drop off with homebuyers snapping up available property at amazing levels through the end of October. Sales remained above normal even through the holidays.
As we reported in an earlier blog this year, Bend home sales started shifting from the frantic buying seen over the past 12 months to a more normal level in July, 2021 and this trend has conti...
Ask most Central Oregon Brokers what happened with July 2021 real estate sales, and they will tell you that they saw a change to the market during the month. Although prices were up considerably over those from a year ago, compared with June, 2021, prices actually were down on average. A good number of price reductions were seen on a daily basis and the pace and number of multiple offers on listings were dramatically down. Compared with a year ago, the trends we have seen over the past year remained consistent, but not at the extreme levels experienced during the Covid lockdowns. Some offers on properties are now experiencing counter offers and the days on market are lengthening. It remains to be seen whether or not these trends will continue.
But when we look just at the differences between July 2021 with July 2020 on Bend single family home sales, the following trends remain dramat...