The Bend single family residential sales trends that we saw in July continued into August with record breaking prices, low inventory levels, and a large uptick in pending sales contracts greatly impacting the Bend real estate market. Lack of inventory remains a major issue with levels now below one month supply. This has driven home prices up and led to multiple offers on many properties.
When August 2020 is compared with August 2019, the following data can be noted for Bend single family homes on less than an acre:
We have been tracking Bend real estate sales for decades, but the summer of 2020 has provided for high end home sales that have never been seen before in the Bend market. High end homes have been part of Bend real estate since the early part of last century when the Shevlin-Hixon and Brooks-Scanlon lumber mills opened and logging became the main industry within the town. The land near Mirror Pond and Drake Park became the location where some of Bend's earliest luxury homes were built. Over the years, as various sections of Bend were developed, the luxury market expanded into Pilot Butte, Awbrey Butte, and the various golf communities in town such as Awbrey Glen, Broken Top, Pronghorn and Tetherow. However, as these communities were developed, what constituted luxury in those days rarely exceeded $1,000,000. Today, however, Bend million dollar home sales are breaking records.
The following chart shows July 2020 p...
We have been actively involved with Central Oregon real estate sales since 2000, and despite the boom and bust years, 2020 has proven, year to date, to be among the most phenomenal years we have ever seen - with July the pinnacle so far.
Ask any Bend real estate agent what is the situation with Bend home sales and they will tell you there is a severe lack of inventory. Many listings receive multiple offers, pushing the price up and discouraging buyers who lose out. Cash buyers have an upper hand, especially as prices reach a place where there is doubt the property will appraise. We are seeing new listings hitting the market at prices which just 6 months ago would have been unheard of. And we are surprised to see many of these homes selling even beyond that inflated price.
When July 2020 sales are compared with July 2019, Bend single family home sales on less than an acre show the following trends:
The two charts below show pending sales and months of inventory for Bend single family homes on less than an acre. The demand is extreme and the amount of homes minute. While new construction is happening in Bend, it cannot keep up with the demand. As long as people continue to move to Central Oregon, these trends will remain.
Ask any Bend real estate agent right now how the market is, and the answer will be "crazy." In this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, home buyers are flocking to Central Oregon and buying Bend homes faster than they can be listed. This is resulting in a severe shortage of available homes for sale and in turn, a huge increase in the number of multiple offers on these properties.
Often referred to as a "bidding war," multiple offers can drive the price of a home up beyond the listing price and often the winner is the buyer willing to offer more money with better terms than the other buyers. Having an experienced real estate agent to work with is essential to help a buyer win the home.

Ever since coming out from the housing recession, the value of Bend single family homes on less than an acre has increased. From an average sales price of $230,000 in spring of 2011, Bend home values have gone up to exceed $547,000 June 2020. During the same time, the months of inventory have dropped from 13.3 months to less than 2 and the price per square foot has risen from $113 to $268. From a low of two $1,000,000 plus Bend homes on less than an acre selling in all of 2010, June 2020 alone saw 23 sold.*
Bend Premier Real Estate brokers are currently working with many million dollar buyers, and people calling the office or registering on the company website are frequently searching for high end listings. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic (or perhaps because of it), the demand for Bend real estate with a home office, a backyard or some acreage, and some space in the home has increased. We are seeing multi-million dollar homes sellin...