What's in the January 2025 Bend Premier Newsletter?

• More Inventory and Moderate Price Increase the Norm in 2024
• Creamy Mushroom Pasta
• Cozy Ideas to Transform Your Living Room This Winter
• Hike Smith Rock for a Winter Challenge
• Get Ready to Sell a Home in 2025

The Burma Road, Summit Trail, Misery Ridge Loop Can be Challenging

For those looking to undergo a challenging Central Oregon hike when the Cascades are covered with snow, Smith Rock State Park can provide many options. Typically very busy in the summer when rock climbing is at its peak and the weather warm, winter hikes in Smith Rock can be rewarding with fewer crowds and different perspectives of the rocks. Before sections of the park are shut off in the spring due to falcon nesting, hikers can explore little known social trails and see portions of the park rarely visited. However, for those who wish to exert themselves, hiking along the Wolf Creek trail until connecting with Burma Road, climbing it and then hiking the north side of the park along the Summit Trail, then up Mesa Verde until connecting with Misery Ridge and climbing the backside past Monkey Face to the summit until returning down to Crooked River and then up the canyon to the parking lot can be a fulfilling winter hike of over six miles and close to 1800 feet of elevation gain. During the winter, sometimes weather conditions can create icy patches, so microspikes and trekking poles can be helpful. But if the weather cooperates, the Burma Road, Misery Ridge Loop can be a wonderful challenge.

When you sell your house, ideally, you want it to go something like this: your house sells for top dollar, you get it sold quickly, and it all goes down without a hitch.

But what many people don't realize is that even in today's market where there are more buyers than homes for sale, there are still things that can cause delays or even keep a house from selling. According to Zillow, in 2024, as many as 1 in 3 sellers took their home off the market before it ultimately sold.

And while the reasons those houses didn't sell are going to vary, there are some general themes that come through. If you're having trouble getting your house sold, here are the top three hurdles that could be getting in the way, and how an expert agent can help you solve these issues.

1. Priced Too High

It's no surprise that price plays a major role when you sell. And in today's market, overpricing a home in...

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Waiting for perfect market conditions often means missing out. Because what you may not realize is, if you're ready and able to buy, this time of year could actually give you an edge. Here's why. As the weather cools down, the housing market can too – and that works in your favor.

You Likely Won't Feel as Rushed

Homes tend to take a little longer to sell during this time of year. Data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows the average time a house sits on the market jumps up during the winter months (see the green bars in the graph below):

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In today's digital age, it's tempting to rely on automated tools for everything — including figuring out how much your house is worth. But be careful. The automated estimates you're seeing online often miss key details that affect the true market value of your home.

Before you toss a for sale sign in your yard and expect to bring in the number you saw for your house online, you need to understand why these tools generally aren't spot-on and why working with an expert Bend Premier Real Estate broker is the best way to get an accurate picture of what your house is...

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