Invest In Bend Oregon Real Estate: A Complete Guide

If you’ve been thinking about getting started in real estate investing, there is no better area than Central Oregon. Bend, Oregon is one of the fastest growing cities in the country with constant new real estate opportunities. If you want to get started with investing, this is the place to do it. Learn about some of the different ways you can get started down this career path in this guide to Bend, Oregon real estate investing.

Properties to Consider

If you want to start off carefully and slowly, you might want to purchase a single home to rent out. You can purchase a home in your price range, and you will be able to see a small profit as soon as you get a renter in the house. While you have the renter covering the mortgage, the house will also be increasing in value.

Also, depending on the neighborhood the house is in, you can make improvements and additions to the home between tenants.  This will mean you can ask for a higher amount in rent, and it will increase the home’s value. You can continue renting it out for as long as you wish, then sell it for a nice profit in the future if you choose to do so.

This is a very popular strategy in the Bend, Oregon real estate market. You will not find a shortage of renters in the area, and even small properties can turn a profit. Bend is a very desirable town to live in- just make sure you choose the right neighborhood!

Vacation home

Another type of rental home that you can invest in is a vacation home you can rent out. If you decide that this is the route you would like to go, make sure you do your homework first. You need to make sure the home you purchase will do great renting out as a vacation home. This is something our realtors will be able to help you with.

A vacation home that you purchase as an investment is going to need to be located in a tourist town- which is why this is an excellent choice for Bend! A larger than average percentage of the Bend, Oregon real estate market is made up of vacation homes. These can be short or longer term (a month or longer) rentals.

It will need to be in a great location, and it needs the important features that people seek out when looking for a vacation rental. Some examples of these features include a great view, close proximity to attractions or local conveniences, a swimming pool, etc. Consider homes near local landmarks such as Pilot Butte, the Deschutes River, the Old Mill District, or even Mt. Bachelor. 

Multi-family properties

Another way you can go if you want to start out cautiously is to purchase a multi-family property. This type of property includes duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and so on. Buying a multi-family property is a great way for you to get your feet wet on having rental units.

If you would one day like to have apartments, but you aren’t ready for that step, then this would be a great first step. You will learn a lot about having multiple units while starting out at a slower pace. Once you feel better prepared for more units, then you can progress up to an apartment complex.

Apartment complex

If you decide that you want to start investing in real estate by purchasing an apartment complex first thing, then you will be glad to know that you can have a management company take care of all of the management dealings for you, so you won’t have to step into a large amount of work.

Having a professional management company is better than hiring an individual to serve as manager when purchasing an apartment complex. A professional management company will keep things running smoothly, and while they may cost more, they will be worth it. They will help you see more profit long term by preventing issues and helping your complex retain satisfied tenants longer.

If you are a beginner investing in Bend, Oregon real estate, it may be better to start with a vacation home or even vacant land before jumping to a complex. However, that’s not to say apartment complexes in Bend don’t turn a profit- they certainly do! Consider consulting an expert to see if this is the right step for you.

Vacant land

If you are interested in investing in real estate when you don’t have much to work with, you can purchase some land for a very affordable price. You can hold on to the land and sell it at some point in the future for a profit. If you like, you can also build a new construction home on the property.

If you do your research, then you can determine what land will soon go up in value. This allows you to buy land that you know you will make a profit on without waiting too long. One of the things that can cause land to go up in value sooner is if it is a piece of land that’s currently in a rural area, but will soon have developments going up near that land soon. This is a very frequent occurrence in Bend. When investing in real estate in Central Oregon, definitely don’t dismiss vacant lots. They may have more value than you think!

Another thing that can increase the value of the land is if you buy it without road access and then roads are installed around it.

Fixer-upper

If you are handy with tools and know a good amount about home repairs and remodels, then you are in a very good position when it comes to flipping houses. When you first start out, you want to purchase one fixer-upper at a time. You shouldn’t purchase another until you have sold the first.

There are some things you will want to make sure of when you decide to flip a house. You should know how to do the work yourself, or work with a contractor who you have a solid working relationship with. You also want to have the home inspected so you know the full extent of work that needs to be done.  Find out if there are problems with it such as a mold issue, bad electrical or plumbing issues, etc.

While you may think Bend is too modern, there are several neighborhoods that have older or historic houses that you can purchase to fix up. The Bend, Oregon real estate market isn’t just new construction- you have plenty of options!