Bend Premier Welcomes Kim Gilchrist

Bend Premier Real Estate is pleased to announce Kim Gilchrist has joined the brokerage. Kim has lived in Central Oregon for over 24 years and brings many years of experience representing buyers and sellers in residential properties. When she is not involved with real estate clients, Kim volunteers as a CASA (Court appointed Special Advocate for Children), teaches yoga, and belongs to the Central Oregon Trail Alliance.

Kristin Long Has Joined Bend Premier Real Estate

Kristin's real estate career spans nine years, during which time she established herself as a trusted professional and a go-to resource for both new and returning clients. Beyond market trends and property values, her passion for Central Oregon extends to understanding the heartbeat of Bend – the hidden gems, local hotspots, and the best trails to explore. These are just a few of the reasons people love living in this part of Oregon.

Active community involvement is deeply important to her. Kristin serves on the Leadership Board of the Bend Ronald McDonald House Charities and is acting liaison to the Portland Governing Board. Kristin is committed to making a positive impact.

Whether you're buying your first home, envisioning your forever property, investing, or looking to relocate, Kristin recognizes that buying or selling a home is a significant life decision. Kristin can provide valuable insights, strategi...

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What's In the January, 2024 Bend Premier Real Estate Newsletter?

• Bend Home Prices Leveling Off
• Chocolate Covered Tuxedo Strawberries
• The Best Things to Do in Bend During February
• Jack Lake to Three Fingered Jack
• Winning Plays

Bend Home Prices Leveling Off

The January 2024 Bend real estate market shows some stabilization. Although the average and median price per square foot are both up, the average and median sales price on sold homes comparing January 2024 to January 2023 show little movement. The issue most Bend home buyers are still dealing with is lack of inventory which provides few choices for people looking to purchase. Although mortgage interest rates have come down from the high rates pushing 8% seen last fall, they are still in the mid sixes which also impact the purchasing power for home buyers.

When the January 2024 sales for Bend single family homes on less than an acre are compared with those from January 2023, the following changes can be seen:

• Average sales price down 1.9% to $842,669*
• Median sales price up 1.5% to $699,950
• New listings down 14.7% to 99
• Homes for sale down 28.4% to 204

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Bend Real Estate Sales Were Limited in 2024

Probably the biggest challenge for Bend Home Sales in 2024 was mortgage interest rates. Mortgage rates started the year at 6.48% and ended the year at 6.62%. During the middle of the year, the mortgage rates rose to 7.79% which greatly limited the buying power for most Bend homebuyers who needed to finance in order to purchase. Home sales in Bend continued, but at a greatly reduced rate than experienced during Covid when mortgage rates under 4% were normal.

High mortgage rates also kept many Bend home sellers from listing. The thought for many was why sell and give up a great mortgage rate of less than 4% to exchange to one over 7% on a different home? Many Central Oregon real estate brokers discovered that many listings were limited to just those who had to sell for a job tra...

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