Fix the Deal Killers Before You List: Rogue Valley Sellers

Fix the problems a buyer will find first. Then list.

Canceled contracts are real, but they are still the exception. Redfin reported that about 15 percent of homes under contract were canceled in September 2025, up from 13.6 percent a year earlier (Redfin, October 22, 2025). National numbers do not tell you what happens in Josephine or Jackson County.

The local answer: in my experience, the deals that stall here stall on records a buyer cannot get quickly. My recommendation is to gather the well, septic, and insurance facts before you list.

How often do deals actually fall through?

Most do not. Redfin counted about 53,000 canceled home-purchase agreements nationwide in September 2025. That equals 15 percent of homes that went under contract that month, up from 13.6 percent a year earlier (Redfin, October 22, 2025). The count is based on MLS pending-sales data.

Where does the 70 percent figure come from?

It comes from a survey of agents, not a count of deals. Redfin says agents reported that more than 70 percent of deals that fall through do so during the inspection period (Redfin). The Keeping Current Matters post presents 70.4 percent as a share of fall-throughs. Read it as a pattern agents describe, not a rate.

What are local sales doing right now?

Rural sales picked up in Josephine County this summer, but those homes took longer to sell. Sold rural homes rose from 100 to 122 year over year, while their cumulative days on market rose from 49 to 68.

Josephine County measure	Q3 2025	Q3 2026	Change
Urban homes sold	154	137	-11.0%
Urban median price	$370,000	$375,000	+1.4%
Urban cumulative days on market (sold homes)	43	36	-16.3%
Rural acreage homes sold	100	122	+22.0%
Rural median price	$500,848	$549,500	+9.7%
Rural cumulative days on market (sold homes)	49	68	+38.8%
Active residential listings, county total (Sept. 30)	450	474	+5.3%

Source: Rogue Valley REALTORS, Josephine County Residential Statistics, July 1 to September 30, 2026; report as of September 30, 2026; pulled November 2, 2026. Scope: homes sold in the period, with urban inside urban growth boundaries and rural meaning acreage homes. Medians are not a value estimate for any one property. Days on market measures homes that sold, not how long current listings have been up.

What does a buyer need to see for a well?

Oregon's state rules are light, but the lender may not be. Well water must be tested for bacteria and nitrate, and the results must be reported to the state. The test does not have to pass. The state also requires a unique well identification number on the well (OSU Extension Well Water Program, updated July 27, 2026). OSU also notes that a lender may have its own requirements.

The next record is the well log. A log is the driller's report filed with the state. It shows what was recorded when the well was drilled. It does not show today's water quality, so a current test still matters.

1. Find the well log. Search the state's well log database by address or tax lot, and keep a copy.
2. Confirm the well tag. Match the number on the well to the state record.
3. Get a current water test. Use a certified lab for bacteria and nitrate, and keep the report.
4. Ask the lender early. Send the lender's requirements to your agent before the first showing.

What septic records should a seller have?

DEQ's Medford office handles residential septic permits in Curry, Jackson, and Josephine counties (Oregon DEQ, Residential Septic Permitting). Those permits are the first place to look for installation records.

Oregon does not appear to require a septic inspection at sale. OSU Extension says there are no official criteria for inspecting a septic system once it is in operation, and a lender may still require one (OSU Extension). Pumping the tank does not repair a drainfield. OSU puts the cost of a new drainfield at $5,000 to $10,000 or more.

1. Get the installation record. Ask the county septic permit office for the permit file and a site map.
2. Pump the tank. Pump it before listing, whatever the last date was, and keep the receipt.
3. Ask about the drainfield. Note the pumping history and any soggy areas, odors, or unusually lush grass over the field.
4. Use DEQ's form if you need an inspection. DEQ publishes an Existing System Evaluation Report form for that purpose (DEQ forms).

Can a buyer get insurance on the house?

Not always, and that can end a deal after the offer is accepted. In late July 2026, Oregon's Division of Financial Regulation issued a wildfire emergency order. It suspended insurance cancellations and nonrenewals for the ZIP codes listed in its bulletin. On August 28, the division extended the order 30 days, to September 29, 2026 (Oregon DFR, August 28, 2026).

That is an emergency measure for named areas. It does not guarantee coverage for any home, and it does not set a premium. My recommendation is to get an insurance quote on the specific address before you accept an offer, so the buyer's agent is not the first to find the answer. If a homeowner is already facing a cancellation or nonrenewal, the division's consumer line is 888-877-4894.

What order should a seller work in?

Work in this order, because each step can change the next.

1. Records first. Pull the well log, the water test, and the septic installation record. They tell you what to fix and what to disclose.
2. Pre-listing inspection second. Keeping Current Matters recommends an inspection before listing, so you can decide whether to fix an issue, adjust the price, or disclose it (Keeping Current Matters).
3. Insurance check third. Get a quote on the address before a buyer's agent asks for one.
4. Disclosure last. Oregon's seller disclosure rules are in ORS 105.462 to 105.490 (Oregon Legislature, ORS Chapter 105). Fill it out with what the records show, and ask me when the answer is unclear.

One-page checklist before you list

Record or step	What to get	Where it comes from
Well log	Driller's report and well tag number	Oregon Water Resources Department well log database
Well water test	Bacteria and nitrate results	Certified lab
Septic installation record	Permit file and site map	DEQ Medford office or county septic permit office
Pumping receipt	Date and company	Licensed septic pumper
Pre-listing inspection	Written report	Licensed inspector
Insurance quote	Written quote for the address	Local agent or carrier

Before you list

The deals most likely to stall here turn on paperwork a buyer cannot get quickly. Gather the records first, then decide what to fix. A deal lost to missing paperwork is the easiest one to prevent.

If you are thinking about listing a rural property, I can go through the well and septic records with you before we talk about price.

Call or text 541-218-7762, or email mocoyne@michaelocoyne.com.

Michael O'Coyne is an Oregon real estate broker with RE/MAX Integrity in Grants Pass, working with buyers and sellers across Josephine and Jackson Counties.

This post is general information, current as of November 2, 2026. It is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Insurance orders and agency rules change, so confirm current details with the agency linked above or a licensed insurance agent. Source records may be revised.

Sources

National data

• Redfin, Sellers Are Getting Ghosted: 15% of Homebuying Contracts Were Canceled in September, October 22, 2025
• Keeping Current Matters, Don't Let the Fear of a Buyer Backing Out Scare You Away from Selling, October 29, 2026

Local market

• Rogue Valley REALTORS, Josephine County Residential Statistics, September 30, 2026

Wells

• Oregon State University Extension, Real Estate Sales, Well Water Program, updated July 27, 2026

Septic

• Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Residential Septic Permitting

Insurance

• Oregon Division of Financial Regulation, Extends wildfire emergency order 30 days, August 28, 2026

Seller disclosure

• Oregon Legislature, Oregon Revised Statutes, Chapter 105, 2025 edition, sections 105.462 to 105.490