Tarris Rogers - Bend Oregon Real Estate

So what kind of MLS tracked home sales did February 2008 hold for Bend Oregon Real Estate? It revealed two things. First that those who wrote offers in January, followed through in February and closed on them. The number of residential properties that went Pending (under contract) in January was 71. In February, 67 of that 71 closed sale.

The second thing it revealed is that the market has became more active. In February, 111 homes received accepted offers on them and are now under contract. It's also noteworthy that our inventory of homes currently for sale is significantly less compared to last years statistics according to Dana Bratton, Bend's leading Appraiser. If our housing supply continues to head lower, demand will undoubtedly move the price of homes upwards.

Prospective Buyers should be watching our market closely. At some point the market is going to turn and there is preliminary evidence to suggest that Buyers should be looking for a property now, while we have a nice selection of homes and Sellers are in a negotiating mood.

I must say that I LOVE Art! I am certainly no expert but I love it nonetheless. I remember my awe at seeing the Mona Lisa in Paris and having a hard time comprehending that the picture that I had seen in countless media from the time I was a little child, was now hung on a wall before me in all her glory. I'm not afraid to admit that it was an emotional experience. When it comes to the greatest piece of artwork my eyes have gazed upon, I cast my vote for Michelangelo's, "Statue of David" in Florence, Italy. How an artist with simple tools could hew away at cold stone and create veins that seem to pulse with blood, while capturing the tension and yet sense of certain victory over Goliath in the face and body of David is utterly indescribable. Art has a way of reflecting the soul of its community. Bend is no exception. In fact our public Artwork have become Bend landmarks, many of which are featured in Bend's traffic circles. Whether it is art inspired by Modern Living or a reflection of our Historical Past, the clues to where we came from and where we are going can be observed in the Art we have placed throughout our city. Nature has always reigned supreme in Bend and that is perfectly true when it comes to our public Art. I'm reminded of such pieces such as "Grizzly" "Salmon Dance" "Otter Knott" and "River Geese" to name a few, which pay homage to nature. When it comes to our past you'll find "Might of the Workforce" "Centennial Logger and Centennial Planter" as well as "Bueno Homage to the Buckaroo." A locals favorite would be a piece simply entitled "Art" and as Bends fortunes have risen and fallen throughout the century, "Art" stands as a testament to the fact that life is always changing including the ebb and flow of money.

When it comes to the future of Bend I'm reminded of several pieces. First, "Phoenix Rising" which I have a love/hate relationship with. First I hate it because it seems so garishly ugly, yet I love it for its message which for me is, however bad things get, life can begin anew and grow to another victory. Then there is the piece entitled "Bend Gate" which I find a bit disturbing. It's proportions seem inspired by the Soviet empire and its aura gives off a cold finalism. No community is perfect and that certainly goes for Bend, but I like the fact that Bend wishes to stop and ponder its roots and take aim at the future by memorializing it as landmarks you can find throughout our city.

We've finally reached the end of 2007. This was the year that national news on Real Estate was downright depressing. Bend, Oregon enjoyed unparalleled publicity, and home prices saw significant appreciation during the first part of this decade. With all the gloomy real estate statistics, did the Bend market come crashing down? Our 2007 MLS recorded home sales revealed that Bend Oregon Real Estate sales were on par with the total number of Bend homes sold in 2001. I was a real estate agent in 2001 and we agents were not complaining about how slow the market was. In 2001 our total number of homes sold was 1925 units. So what was the news for 2007? Our total was 1929. At our peak sales record in 2005 we sold 3644 units. That is a 48% decrease from our peak, but less than 16% for our 10 year average. As real estate agents we'd love that number to be less but given the intensity of all the doomsday talk about real estate, 16% is not a horrific number. What is also interesting is that, of the homes that sold in 2007, those sold in under 30 days fetched 98.72% of their listing price, whereas those that were on the market for 120 days or longer received 95.75% of their listing price. It must be noted that the list price at time of sale does not calculate any price reductions the homes might have taken before an offer was received, however most of those homes that sold in less than 30 days were likely sold with their original asking price intact.

Total home sales in Bend were over $858,000,000. That is nearly one billion dollars in residential real estate for one town! At the beginning of 2008 we have seen a nice uptick in real estate activity. I wrote a piece for ezinearticles about whether it was a good time to buy Bend Oregon real estate. I suspect that our numbers for 2008 will climb over 2007 due to the great prices and options available to Buyers right now. At the moment, the skies might be cloudy...but the Mountain is still there.

One of the things I love about Central Oregon winters is that we are not socked in with snow through the entire winter. Many people who are thinking of moving here from warmer climates often ask me how much snow we get. Here in Bend, we typically get light dustings. More substantial snowfalls typically happen 3 or 4 times throughout the whole of winter. It is rare that we ever get over a foot or more of snowfall. (Unless you are looking at Sunriver or La Pine) Thankfully the cold is offset by days of wonderful Central Oregon sunshine that keeps things bright and cheery. This gives us locals and visitors full advantage of the countless winter sports available.

Mt. Bachelor is certainly the center of gravity when it comes to winter recreation, however we have many others who love snowmobiling, snowshoeing, ice fishing, sledding, cross country skiing and of course everyone's favorite winter activity...cozying up with friends and family at one of our local Pubs. For those of you who aren't quite sure about winter, consider that you actually have more free time because all your yard work stops around the middle of November. That gives you several months of extra time for hobbies, study, travel, recreation or maybe signing up for a class of interest at our community college. Best of all, when you take that vacation in the middle of winter, you'll really appreciate the palm trees, sandy beaches and warm tropical breezes of your vacation destination.