Posts made by author 'Kelly Johnson, Broker'

Moving to Bend, Oregon from the Bay Area: What Nobody Tells You

I get it. You've done the math. Your Bay Area home is worth a lot, Bend homes are comparatively affordable, and the idea of trading a brutal commute and sky-high cost of living for mountains, trails, and clean air is starting to feel less like a dream and more like an actual plan.

Here's what I can tell you that the math can't: Bend is better than you think it's going to be. And I say that as someone who made almost exactly this move myself.

I came from San Francisco in 2007. I've been selling real estate in Bend ever since. I've helped dozens of Bay Area buyers make this t...

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How to Sell Your Bend Home and Buy Another One at the Same Time

This is the question I get more than almost any other from local Bend homeowners. You're ready to move up — more space, better neighborhood, next chapter — but the logistics feel overwhelming. What if you sell and can't find anything to buy? What if you buy and your home doesn't sell fast enough? What if you end up stuck in the middle?

Here's the good news: this is very doable. People do it every day in Bend. It just takes the right strategy going in.

Start With Your Equity

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Moving to Bend, Oregon from California: What Bay Area Buyers Discover When They Get Here

I've worked with a lot of buyers from the Bay Area over the years. They come in doing the math — cost of living, home prices, square footage — and the numbers make sense on paper. But the math isn't actually what sells them on Bend.

It's the moment they realize the outdoors is literally right outside their front door.

The Thing Nobody Fully Understands Until They're Here

In the Bay Area, outdoor adventure is something you plan for. You drive an...

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If you've owned a home in Bend for the last three to five years, you've built up real equity. The question a lot of homeowners are asking right now is — what is it actually worth, and is this a good time to sell?

Here's my honest take.

The Market Has Shifted — But Values Are Holding

Bend home prices peaked in 2022 and have softened since then. But "softened" doesn't mean collapsed. Median prices in early 2026 are sitting in the mid-$700s for single family homes — still strong by any historical measure. What's changed is the pace. Homes are taking longer to sell, and buyers have more negotiating power than they did two years ago.

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I came from San Francisco — ready for a change, craving my Oregon roots, and looking for a place that felt like home. I was born in Sandy, Oregon. Bend fit from day one.

The first thing that surprised me was the sunshine. People hear "Oregon" and picture gray skies. But I arrived in early March and the sun was out. It's 38 degrees today and it's still shining. That never gets old.

The second thing that surprised me was how fast I felt like I belonged. Within the first year I was running into people at the grocery store. Nineteen years later, I can't go anywhere without seeing a familiar face. That's Bend — the soul of a small town with the amenities of a real city. Great restaurants, good shopping, and everything within a 10-15 minut...

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