It has been know this is a good time to buy real estate in Bend, Oregon.  Property values have hit lows not seen in many years in Bend and all of Central Oregon.  Combining this with extremely low interest rates has created an affordability index that is talked about all over the country.  What may be the hidden secret in all of this is right now may be a great time to list your property for sale, at least in several key price categories.

It is commonly believed by real estate industry experts that a balanced market, meaning no advantage to the buyer or the seller, has approximately 6 months of inventory for sale in a price category.  If there is more than 6 months it is said to be a “buyer’s market” if less than 6 months then prices tend to go up as there are in theory more buyer’s than homes for sale.  Are we starting to see a shift towards a “seller’s market” in Bend, Oregon?  The numbers seem to suggest this would be true at this time.

In the key first time home buyer segment, priced between $150,000 to $250,000 as of December 31, 2010 there was a low 3.1 months of inventory for sale.  In the “move up” second time real estate buyer categories of homes priced between $250,000 and $400,000 the available inventory per price point ranged from 4.1 to 4.9 months.  Still under the 6 months “balanced” number.

These real estate figures can be attributed to many things, including buyers devouring up great values.  While there certainly are still great values to be had in homes priced between $150,000 and $400,000, buyers are currently seeing a smaller selection to choose from. 

What may be most surprising to some is perception vs. reality in several price categories for luxury homes.  From $500,000 to $600,000 there are less than 5 months of inventory and between $800,000 and $900,000 there is 4.7 month of inventory.  While the news makes many feel that sellers of luxury homes will have to wait eons to sell their real estate, the numbers in these price points suggest otherwise.

Have you considered selling your real estate in Bend, Oregon?  Is your home valued in the price points with less than 6 months of inventory?  If so the numbers would indicate this just be a very good time to market your real estate for sale.

Give me a call so we can get started.