As the holidays approach, many Bend homeowners find themselves asking the same question: Should I list my home now or wait until after the New Year?
The truth is, there's no one-size-fits-all answer—but there are compelling reasons to consider making your move before the year ends.
Don't be scared of a tough listing — sometimes the biggest fright hides the brightest opportunity.
Every agent has that one listing that gives them chills. You know the type — the one that lingers on the market while others fly off the shelf, the one buyers love online but vanish after the showing. For one Bend agent, it felt like the house itself was haunted.
A Spooky Reputation
Perched on a quiet, tree-lined street, the craftsman looked perfect from the curb. But once inside, visitors whispered that "something felt off." Lights flickered during showings. The air felt drafty. Doors creaked when no one was near them. Word spread quickly — the house was haunted!
Before long, even seasoned buye...
If you stepped back from your home search over the past few years, you're not alone – and you're definitely not out of options. In fact, now might be the ideal time to take another look. With more homes to choose from, prices leveling off in many areas, and mortgage rates easing, today's market is offering something you haven't had in a while: options.
Experts agree, buyers are in a better spot right now than they've been in quite a long time. Here's what they have to say.
Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist at Bright MLS, says affordability is finally starting to turn the corner:
"Slower price growth coupled with a slight drop in mortgage rates will improve affordability and create a window for some buyers to get into the market."
Mortgage rates have e...
A few years ago, inventory hit a record low. Just about anything sold – and fast. But now, there are far more homes on the market. Listings are up almost 20% from this time last year. And in some areas, supply is even back to levels we last saw in 2017–2019. For sellers, that means one thing:
Your house needs to stand out and grab attention from day one.
That's especially true when you consider why the number of homes for sale is up. Here's how it works. Available inventory is a mix of:
Data from Realtor.com shows most of the inventory growth lately is actually from active listings that are staying on the marke...
If you paused your plans to move because of high rates or prices, it may finally be time to take a second look at your numbers. Affordability is improving in 39 of the top 50 markets, according to First American. And that's the 5th straight month where buying a home has started to get a little bit easier.
Let's break this down into real dollars, so you can see the difference this could make for you (and your move).
One of the clearest signs of this shift is in monthly payments. The latest data from Redfin shows mortgage payments on a median-priced home are now $283 lower than they were just a few months ago (see graph below):