In an annual national survey, real estate giant Coldwell Banker compared the average costs of ”middle-management” homes and found Bend as the most expensive market in Oregon.

The houses were defined as approximately 2,200 square feet with four bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, a family room and a two-car garage.

Coldwell Banker looked at neighborhoods and zip codes within ”markets typical for corporate middle-management transferees.”

Bend was listed as the most expensive area in the state with those homes averaging $319,519. The survey listed Salem as having the lowest market price for a mid-management home at $225,633.

While Bend’s prices were considered the highest in the state, the average is still significantly lower than the survey’s most expensive cities. In Kailua-Kona, Hawaii and La Jolla, Calif. average prices for mid-management homes listed at $1.08 million and $1.7 million, respectively, according to the survey.

The study identified Minot, N.D. as the most affordable market in the country with prices at $130,000.

Real estate agents in Bend said despite the designation, they don’t see prices affecting the number of people from buying property in Bend.

”It hasn’t been a huge problem for people moving here, because they move here for a lifestyle change,” said Cheryl Clemans, a broker with Coldwell Banker.

Clemans said while it is getting harder to find houses under $200,000 in Bend, she said many first-time home buyers can still find affordable deals in surrounding areas like Redmond.

Still, having higher home prices than the rest of the state could eventually have an affect on which employers locate here.

”I think it is a bit of a new phenomenon,” said Roger Lee, executive director of Economic Development for Central Oregon. ”It depends on where companies are locating here from. If they are from the Bay Area they look here and see how cheap things are, if they are from outside of metropolitan areas it can be a bit of a shock.”

Lee said one key group of workers that could be hurt by a lack of affordable housing is teachers.

”If the rate of appreciation and home prices don’t stabilize it could raise its head as a major problem in the years to come,” Lee said.

Kristy Hessman can be reached at 541-383-0350 or khessman@bendbulletin.com.