Bend Oregon Real Estate

Bend Oregon Real Estate Expert
Homes and Houses for Sale in Bend Oregon

Our Bend Oregon Real Estate Expert web site will provide you with the latest information on Bend Oregon Real Estate including Homes for Sale, Luxury Homes, Vacation Homes and Houses for Sale in Bend and the surrounding Central Oregon area including, Black Butte Ranch, La Pine, Redmond, Sisters, Sunriver, Prineville, Terrebonne, Three Rivers South and other towns and cities near Bend. Provided by Bend Oregon Real Estate Agents Jim Johnson, CRS and Matt Johnson, a father and son team.

Bend Oregon REO Marketing

Bend Oregon Real Estate Agent, Jim Johnson, CRS

Your Bend Oregon real estate agent, Jim Johnson has been selling real estate in Oregon since 1976 and selling real estate in Bend since 1981. Jim is a Certified Residential Specialist and is among the top 4% real estate agents in the nation and one of the top Brokers in Bend Oregon!

Bend Oregon Real Estate Agent, Matt Johnson

Matt grew up around his dad who has been selling real estate in Bend since 1981. Matt joined Jim in his real estate business in 2003 and the rest is history. Matt is one of the top real estate agents in Bend and can help you with all of your real estate needs. He also knows all the golf courses and fishing holes in Central Oregon so call or E-mail Matt today. 541-480-2153

Bend Oregon Real Estate - Bend Oregon

We have tried to provide you with helpful links about Bend Oregon Real Estate, Oregon, Bend and Central Oregon real estate. If there is information you are looking for and can't find please let us know and we will find the answer for you and then place a link on our web site to help others. Any suggestion you may have to improve our Bend Oregon Real Estate web site would be appreciated. We are experts in real estate and hope we can be of service to you.

Bend Oregon Real Estate - Homes for Sale

There are hundreds of homes for sale in Bend today. If you are in the market to buy a home in Bend, or you're are relocating to the Central Oregon area, our Bend Oregon Real Estate Expert Web site will allow you to search for listings in Bend and Central Oregon through the Central Oregon Multiple Listing Service, Bend Oregon MLS .

Or you can receive newly listed homes the minute they hit the market through our New Listing Notification service through the Bend Oregon MLS. You'll be among the first to find out about homes for sale, Bank Repos and Short Sales in our Bend Oregon community. You'll receive an automatic e-mail the second these properties hit the market. You will also be automatically notified on all price reductions for the type of property you are looking for. If you are serious about buying Bend Oregon Real Estate you should sign up for this free service today.
"It's free, without obligation, and your privacy is guaranteed."

Bend Oregon Real Estate
Looking to Sell a Home?

Request a FREE Real Estate Market Analysis with no obligation. A comprehensive market analysis will help assure you of a quick sale at the right price. Ask about our 90 day sales program. We're experts at selling property at top market value even in a slow market. When it comes to Bend Oregon Real Estate we are the best qualified to help you in Bend.

Your Bend Oregon Certified Residential Specialist

If you are buying or selling Bend Oregon Real Estate Jim Johnson, Realtor, Designated Broker and CRS is the best qualified to help you with your transaction from negotiating the best price, writing the contract in your best interest, home inspections, appraisals, closing dates and possession dates. His real estate knowledge, experience and professionalism are what you need to make your move an easy one. Jim is your Bend Oregon Real Estate Expert.

Contact Matt or Jim Johnson CRS Today
for one-on-one expert help and advice ...

Our Bend Oregon real estate agents worked hard to make this site as complete as possible for your Bend Oregon Real Estate needs. We made available Real Estate Information for all parties; real estate agents, investors, sellers and buyers. Our real estate agent services incorporate the Bend and Central Oregon region.

Bend Oregon Bank Foreclosures

Whether you're selling or buying a Bank Foreclosure, Repo or a Short Sale you need an experienced broker who has the knowledge and experience to get the transaction done. Jim specializes in Short Sales and the sale of REOs, Bank Foreclosures, Repos and all Bend Oregon Real Estate. He has been working with Lending Institutions for over 30 years.

If you are looking to buy Bank Owned Homes in Bend and Central Oregon you should sign up for our New Listing Notification to be instantly notified when a Bank Foreclosure, Short Sale or any Bend Oregon real estate that fits you needs comes on the market.

Timing The Bottom Of The
Bend Oregon Real Estate Market

Are you waiting to time the bottom of the Bend Oregon real estate market? It is a very difficult thing to do. Real estate statistics lag so far behind the market we never know when there was a bottom until we are coming out of it and prices are starting to rise.

Once that happens buyer competition increases. You don’t know prices have started to go up until after the fact. Then you have missed the bottom. Buyer competition means multiple offers. So that is one sign to look for.

We are currently seeing multiple offers in today’s market. I sold 7 properties in the past few weeks and 3 of the 7 had more than one offer. Other Realtors are also seeing multiple offers on well priced homes, especially bank foreclosures.

Does this mean we have hit the absolute price bottom of the market? Maybe! Maybe not! Only time will tell. It does indicate there is pent up demand and buyers are jumping on good opportunities.

I do believe we are at or near the bottom of the Bend Oregon real estate market. Strong buyer activity and multiple offers are a good indication. Using the graph above I feel we are now in the “Lucky Zone.” People who buy now and this summer will be as close to the bottom as humanly possible. I may be wrong but I don’t think so.

Interest rates are near all time lows. Consumer confidence is rising. Prices are extremely affordable and Bend Oregon is one of the best places in the United States to live!

There is still some fear out there. It’s easy to buy when prices are rising rapidly. But look what happened to the people who bought in the “Unlucky Zone.” You can be lucky and smart by purchasing a home in Bend Oregon now. It’s for sure “Safe” to buy real estate in Bend now.

Avoid Short Sales in Bend Oregon

If you are looking to buy real estate in Bend Oregon I would recommend you avoid Short Sales. Short sales are not a bargain in today's real estate market.

At the time of this article there had been 30 short sales closed in the last 60 days. This is compared to 55 bank foreclosures that had closed escrow.

The average sales price of the sold short sales was $126.65 per square foot as compared to $115.08 per square foot for the bank owned properties that sold. The bank foreclosures were on the market for an average of 89 days.

The short sales averaged 273 days on the market. Days on the market starts the day the property is listed for sale until the day it closes in escrow. Regular sales averaged $150 per square foot. Bank foreclosures are a better bargain than short sales.

Another major problem with short sales is that you have to wait months before you even know if your offer is approved by the bank. The bank has to approve a short sale because the seller owes the bank more than the sales price of the property. The bank takes the loss in a short sale.

I am currently working on a short sale that is my listing. The lender is Washington Mutual which was bought out by Chase during my marketing of this particular property.

The first offer that was accepted by my clients and awaiting bank approval was on December 17, 2008. There were two back up offers. This party withdrew their offer 40 days later without hearing from the lender.

Then another back up offer was submitted to the bank. During this period 2 other offers came in. Both offers were substantially higher that the previous offers. The best offer was then submitted to the lender on February 25, 2009.

One month and 6 days later the lender sent an e-mail to me stating that the offer was approved by them and that I should receive an approval letter within 7 business days. I am not holding my breath on that one!

My son and partner Matt Johnson made an offer on behalf of one of his clients. At the time there were a total of five offers. A few of these were good offers. The buyers and brokers waited about 6 weeks to find out that the lender did not approve any of them and proceeded to foreclose on the property.

There are only a small percentage of short sales that eventually close. One reason is that the seller must prove there is a "hardship" and they don't have the ability to make the payments.

Most lenders won't even consider a short sale until the owner is behind in their payments. Just because the owner owes more than the property is worth doesn't mean the bank will approve a short sale.

If the owner has the income or other assets the bank will not allow a short sale. That's not an absolute however. If the owner falls behind in the payments and notifies the bank that they are going to let the property go into foreclosure the lender will sometimes allow the short sale.

Even though some short sales eventually close they are not that great of a bargain. I recently closed a bank foreclosure sale and currently have 2 bank foreclosures in escrow. The sale that closed countered our offer in 2 days and we put the sale together in 4 days. It closed in 30 days and my client is extremely happy.

So we closed this transaction and my client took possession of the property. This all occurred before you would ever hear back from an offer on a short sale. Short sales take months and months to close if they ever close. Plus they sell at higher prices.

The two sales that are in escrow went together as easily and will close soon. All three of these bank foreclosures will have been put on the market, sold and closed before the previously mentioned short sale will close. If it ever closes.

Bank foreclosures are better buys and you know you have purchased a home when the bank signs the offer. They want to sell their foreclosures. In fact they have to sell them.

My advice is to avoid short sales all together. They may look like a good deal but they are not. Bank foreclosures are the way to go. In fact there are some realistic owners that are willing to sell their properties at very affordable prices. Avoid the short sales!

Bend Oregon Real Estate

The Bend real estate market has been in a down turn for a couple of years now. There are hundreds of homes for sale and it is a strong buyer's market. Real estate in Bend and Central Oregon has proven a great long term investment in the past and today's real estate Bend Oregon market presents the wise buyer with some great opportunities to purchase a home or investment property.

Let Bend Oregon real estate agents, Jim and Matt Johnson help you with your real estate needs. Let our knowledge and experience help you find the best home or investment for your needs and help you negotiate a great price. Now is the time to buy Bend Oregon Real Estate! Call today! Here's a Virtual Tour of Bend.

Retire in Bend Oregon!

Bend Oregon is one of the best places to retire in the United States. It has everything a retired person could want. The recreational opportunities are abundant; everything from mountain biking, hiking, rafting, golfing, fishing, rock climbing, camping, downhill and cross country skiing, snowmobiling, general sightseeing and much more.

Bend Oregon Weather is perfect. Moderate days and cool nights characterize Bend’s year-round climate. Because of the high altitude and clear air, nighttime temperatures average 30° to 40° below the daytime highs. Evenings are generally cool, even in the summer, requiring sweaters or jackets.

Annual temperature extremes show that only one year out of five has a temperature colder than –17° or warmer than 100°. Frost can occur during any summer month.

The average annual precipitation in Bend is less than 12 inches, over half falls between November and February, often as snow. Brief thunderstorms usually provide most of the light summer rain.

The average annual snowfall is 33.8 inches. Snow rarely accumulates to more than a few inches in depth nor lies on the ground for an extended period. Snow depth in Bend exceeds 24 inches in only one winter out of twenty. At Mt. Bachelor, the ski resort 22 miles southwest of Bend, snow normally reaches depths of 160 to 180 inches.

Bend was originally called Farewell Bend and received its name because it was at this place that travelers over the pioneer roads had their last view of the river.

Today it is only a few hours drive to the Oregon Coast. Portland is 3 ½ hours away if you are looking for a big city. Redmond International Airport (Roberts Field) is only 16 miles North.

Bend is nearly the geographic center of the state and is also the most populated city in Central Oregon with a population of more then 75,000. To the east you will find high desert vegetation and to the west, Bend is surrounded by U.S. Forest Service land.

At an elevation of 3,628 feet, Bend enjoys the predominately dry climate of the Great Basin. Sunny days, low humidity and cool nights provide the most common weather pattern.

Bend has the highest average number of sunny days in the state. Clear days average 158 days per year with an additional 105 days that are mostly sunny. Many of the remaining days provide substantial sunshine.

Days that are totally cloudy do not often occur. Bend is the outdoor recreation capitol of Oregon, with snow-capped peaks dominating the skyline.

Bend is one of few places that visitors can literally ski in the morning and golf in the afternoon. Known as "the sunny side of Oregon," the Cascade Mountains act as a protective buffer, giving Bend only 12 inches of precipitation per year. That compares to 42" for Portland, 36" for Seattle and 20" for San Francisco.

St. Charles Medical Center is located in Bend and is the regional referral center for more than 230,000 people in a 32,000-square-mile area of central and eastern Oregon.

With more than 240 physicians on its medical staff, representing 40 specialties and sub-specialties, and more than 1,950 caregivers, it provides many services usually found only in larger urban areas.

These include open heart and neurosurgery, comprehensive cancer care, inpatient rehabilitation for stroke and major injury, sophisticated imaging technologies and more.

St. Charles is Oregon's only level 2 trauma center east of the Cascade Mountains and has the region’s only Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit. The hospital increased its inpatient bed capacity to 216 in late 2004 to keep pace with Central Oregon's population growth and is in the midst of expansions in facilities, technology and equipment.

St. Charles and the many other medical facilities in Bend provide state of the art health care for the retired person. Many of the nations top Physicians and Surgeons live in Bend because of the life style found in Central Oregon.

Bend also has golf courses for everyone. Central Oregon's spectacular high-desert landscape and ideal climate, four-star resorts, public, semi-private and private courses have been rated 23rd in the world as a golf destination by Golf Digest.

Choose from more than 25 unique courses, some easygoing to championship layouts like Sunriver’s Crosswater course, designed to challenge even the lowest handicappers.

Bend also has many volunteer opportunities. Habitat for Humanity, The Oregon High Desert Museum, Hospice, and Saint Charles Medical Center are only a few of the many opportunities to give back to the community.

Bend Oregon Fishing

Bend and Central Oregon has some of the best trout and bass fishing in Oregon. The Cascade Mountains just West of Bend are home to numerous lakes, streams and creeks that hold all kinds of fish. Wickiup Reservoir, Crane Prairie Reservoir and other lakes are home to large mouth bass, Rainbow Trout, German Brown Trout, Brook Trout and Kokanee Salmon.

The Deschutes River flows from the Cascades through Sunriver and Bend for some great stream fishing. The lower Deschutes below Bend provides world class fly fishing for rainbow trout, steelhead and salmon. Central Oregon has great fishing and Bend is right in the center of it!

Bend Oregon Golf Courses

There are many great golf courses in Bend. Central Oregon is becoming a Mecca for second homes and retirees are living here for the great summer time golf. There is no better place in the United States than Bend to play 18 holes during Spring, Summer and Fall.

Awbrey Glen Golf Club in NW Bend, Bend Golf and Country Club in SE Bend, Broken Top Club in SW Bend, Lost Tracks Golf Club in SE Bend, Pronghorn is NE of Bend, Tetherow, Widgi Creek Golf Club in SW Bend and River's Edge Club in NW Bend are courses that are in the immediate area. There are numerous other courses within an hours drive. There are over 20 golf courses in Central Oregon.

Courses open to the public in include River’s Edge Club, Lost Tracks, Widgi Creek and Tetherow Golf Club. Private Courses include Awbrey Glen, Broken Top and Pronghorn. Tetherow will eventually become private as they sell more property and there are enough members to support the course. There is a good selection of golf course homes for sale in Bend today.

Bend Oregon
Golf Course Telephone Numbers

Awbrey Glen Golf Club ……...................................541.385.6011
Bend Golf & Country Club ……….............................541.382.5771
Broken Top Club ……………....................……............541.383.8200
Rivers Edge Golf course ……...............……..............800.547.3928
Lost Tracks Golf Club ………...............……...............541.385.1818
Remington Ranch ……………...............….......….........877.730.7624
Pronghorn ........................................................800.541.9424
Tetherow ……………....................……………........ .....541.318.1234
Widgi Creek Golf Club ……...............……....…...........541.382.4449

Bend Oregon Real Estate

As a Certified Residential Specialist - the residential real estate industry’s most advanced “degree,” My knowledge of the market will help save you time and money when you’re buying a home house or increase your profit when you’re selling one. Call me, Jim Johnson, at 541-389-4511 for a confidential, no-obligation consultation. I would like to be your Bend Oregon Real Estate Agent.

I have lived in Bend since 1981 and know the market well. Dad and I have been partners in real estate since 2003 and provide quality service for our clients. Call me, Matt Johnson at 541-480-2153 for a confidential, no-obligation consultation. I would like to be your Bend Oregon Real Estate Agent.

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Jim Johnson Certified Residential Specialist Your Bend Oregon Real Estate Agent