Is Now a Good Time to Sell My Home in Central Oregon? An Honest Answer for 2026

By Diana Pullen | Listing Specialist, Real Broker LLC | Serving Redmond, Bend, Terrebonne, Culver, Sisters, Prineville, Madras, La Pine, and surrounding communities

If you've been asking yourself whether now is a good time to sell your home in Central Oregon, the honest answer is: it depends on you more than it depends on the market.

That's not a dodge. It's actually the most useful thing I can tell you, and I'll explain why.

The Market Context First

Central Oregon in 2026 is not the frenzied seller's market of 2021. It's also not strictly a buyer's market. What it is, is a market that rewards sellers who are prepared and priced correctly, and punishes sellers who aren't.

In Redmond right now, the median list price for active listings is $535,000, with an average of $639,000. Homes are sitting an average of 60 to 102 days on market depending on price point, and the typical seller is seeing a price reduction of around 3.5 to 5% from their original list price before going under contract. That last number is important: it means a lot of sellers are still starting too high and adjusting down. The ones who price correctly from day one are not the ones sitting for 60 days.

Demand is real. In-migration into Central Oregon continues from California, Washington, the Portland metro, and beyond. Buyers are here. They're just more selective than they were four years ago, and they have more options. That means preparation and pricing matter more than they did when everything sold regardless.

The More Important Question: Does It Make Sense for You?

Here's where I want to talk directly to the seller who's been in their home for 15, 20, or 25 years; because that's a different conversation than general market timing.

If you bought your home in Central Oregon in the early 2000s for $250,000 to $350,000, there's a good chance your home is worth somewhere between $600,000 and $900,000 today depending on location, size, and condition. That's a significant equity position. For most long-term homeowners in Redmond, Culver, Terrebonne, and the surrounding communities, the question isn't really whether the market is good enough to sell. The question is whether your personal situation and your home's condition line up to make it the right move.

The sellers who do well in this market are the ones who can answer yes to most of these:

You've maintained the home consistently. Roof, HVAC, water heater, the mechanical systems buyers look at closely because they know a replacement is coming if those things are aging out. Buyers in 2026 are often relocating, they're buying from a distance, and they're not looking to inherit a maintenance list on top of a move. A well-maintained home gives them confidence. A deferred maintenance home gives them leverage to negotiate down or walk away.

You need to understand that pricing is based on condition and comps, not on what you've put into it. This is the conversation I have more than any other. You may have updated your kitchen, replaced the roof, put in new flooring, and kept the place immaculate for 20 years. All of that matters. But it matters in the context of what comparable homes in your area are actually selling for right now; not what you hope the market will recognize, not what your neighbor told you their house went for, and not what you need to make the numbers work for your next chapter. The market sets the price. Our job is to position you as well as possible within it.

You're making this decision for the right reasons. For the sellers I work with most often in this price range; the motivation is usually lifestyle-driven. Downsizing, simplifying, moving closer to family, transitioning to a 55+ community. Those are real motivations that hold up through a transaction even when it gets complicated. Sellers who are selling because they think they should catch the market at the right moment tend to have a harder time making decisions under pressure.

What If Your Home Hasn't Been Updated?

You can still sell. But you need to price for condition, and you need to do it honestly from the beginning rather than testing a higher price and adjusting down later.

Buyers in 2026 are doing their research. They know what updated homes in your neighborhood are selling for. They're going to see your home online next to homes that have new kitchens, updated baths, and fresh paint; and they're going to factor in what it will cost them to get your home to that standard. If your price doesn't reflect that gap, they'll skip your listing and move on to the next one. If it does reflect it, you'll find the buyer who wants the bones of a good home at a price that gives them room to make it their own.

Selling as-is at the right price is a completely legitimate strategy. Selling as-is at an optimistic price is how you end up sitting for 60 days and reducing anyway; except now you've burned your best market window in the process.

The Equity Conversation

One thing worth having on your radar if you've owned your home for 20-plus years: capital gains. The federal exclusion is $250,000 for single filers and $500,000 for married couples filing jointly, assuming you've lived in the home as your primary residence for at least two of the last five years. If your equity position has grown significantly beyond those thresholds, it's worth a conversation with your CPA before you list, not after. I'm not a tax advisor and this isn't tax advice; it's just a flag worth raising early so it doesn't become a surprise at closing.

So: Is Now a Good Time to Sell?

If your home is well-maintained, you understand that pricing is a strategy not a wish list, and you have a real reason to move; yes. It's a good time to sell in Central Oregon. The buyers are here, the equity is there, and a correctly positioned home can still generate strong activity in the first two weeks.

If your home needs significant work and you're not willing to price for that condition, or if you're selling purely on market timing without a clear plan for what comes next; it might be worth slowing down and having a more complete conversation before you commit to a timeline.

Either way, the best place to start is with an accurate picture of what your home is actually worth right now and what your net would realistically look like. That conversation doesn't commit you to anything. It just gives you real information to plan with.

And if you're looking for someone to have that conversation with in Redmond or anywhere in Central Oregon; someone who will show you the actual data, tell you the truth about your price, and not inflate a projected list price just to win your business; well. I'd start with me. I'm a little biased, but my sellers tend to agree.

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Diana Pullen | Listing Specialist Real Broker LLC | Central Oregon Serving Redmond, Bend, Terrebonne, Culver, Sisters, Prineville, Madras, La Pine

541.398.5770 | soldincentraloregon.com

Schedule your free listing strategy call: calendly.com/dianapullen-realtor/30min

This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or tax advice. Market data reflects active listing statistics as of 2026 from MLS of Central Oregon. Capital gains information is general in nature; consult your CPA for guidance specific to your situation.