Bellevue Real EstateLocal LoveMarket StatsWindermere Bellevue Commons News September 9, 2021

Local Market Update – September 2021

As the seasons get chiller, according to Windermere Chief Economist, Matthew Gardner, so are the prices in this market with the median listing prices and sales prices in August even the slightest bit lower than in the month prior. Gardner has even said himself that he believes “that this is because we are hitting a price ceiling and that the rabid pace of home price appreciation will continue to cool as we move through the rest of the year.”

While up by double digits year-over-year, home prices in August did cool off slightly throughout the region as compared to July. The median single-family home in King County last month sold for $850,000, up 14% from a year ago, and a drop from the record-high $871,000 set in July. Seattle saw the median price rise 6% from the same time last year to $875,000, down from $896,500 the prior month. Home prices on the Eastside were up 24% year-over-year to $1,300,000, a dip from the $1,330,563 median price in July. Snohomish County’s median price jumped 25% from a year ago to $694,900, just shy of July’s median of $700,000.

While a slight softening of home prices may be welcome news for buyers, inventory is still a big problem. King County has under three weeks of available homes for sale. Lack of inventory is especially severe on the Eastside. At the end of August there were just 278 homes for sale in the entire area, 62% fewer than the same time a year ago. And 85% of homes sold in less than two weeks. As companies continue to invest in large office projects on the Eastside, demand for homes is expected to continue to rise. Snohomish County reported the smallest supply of homes of any county in Eastern Washington, about two weeks. The Puget Sound area as a whole remains well below the four-to-six weeks of inventory that is considered a balanced market, favoring neither buyer nor seller.

An uptick in condo sales indicates that in-city living is on the rise again. In King County, the number of closed sales were up 20% in August compared to a year ago. The median condo price on the Eastside rose 14% to $544,000. The supply there remains tight, with just two weeks of inventory. Seattle offers much more choice, with six weeks of inventory available. Condo prices there dropped slightly year-over-year to $480,000. With Amazon looking to hire 12,500 corporate and tech employees in Seattle, demand for in-city living there is predicted to remain strong. As single-family home prices have soared, condo living remains an affordable option for those wanting to live close to urban centers. At $460,000, the King County median condo price is 46% less than that of a single-family home.

The real estate market can change quickly. Whether you’re looking to buy or sell, your broker can provide you with the most current data, and help you create a strategy to meet your specific goals. Just reach out and let us know how we can help.

As the temperature went up, so did the amount of homes on the market. With more homes and less multiple offers in comparison to last year, we’re starting to see even the slightest ease in this competitive market for buyers.

While there was a small increase in homes for sale in July, inventory remains very tight. The region as a whole has just about a two week supply. And demand isn’t likely to ease up any time soon. The economy here is strong, and despite plenty of talk of an urban exodus due to the pandemic and the rise of remote work, our population grew steadily over the past year.
The blistering competition may have cooled a bit, but home prices are still heading up. The median single-family home in King County last month sold for a record-high $871,000, up about 20% from last July. In Seattle, the median price jumped 11% from a year ago to $896,500, down from a $919,000 peak in May. Home prices on the Eastside shot up 32% year-over-year to $1,330,563, just shy of the record set in June. Lack of inventory has propelled the particularly steep price hikes, with 90% of homes there selling for over list price. At the end of July there were just 350 single-family homes for sale on the Eastside. Seattle had more than double that amount of inventory. The limited supply of homes in Snohomish County also sent prices soaring. The median home there sold for $700,000, a 22% jump from a year ago, but down slightly from the all-time high in June.
Condos remain a more affordable option. And with employers saying that they’ll want employees working in the office at least part-time, an increase in condo sales indicate that buyers are looking at in-city living again. More plentiful inventory gives buyers more choices as well. The Eastside has about three weeks of available condo inventory; Seattle nearly two months. The median condo price on the Eastside was up 12% over a year ago to $558,000. Seattle’s median price was essentially unchanged from last year at $492,000.
What’s happening in your neighborhood? Whether you are thinking of buying or selling — or just curious — your broker can provide you with the latest data about specific neighborhoods and answer any questions you might have about home prices, financing, and strategies to help you meet your goals.

The charts below provide a brief overview of market activity. Every Monday, Windermere Chief Economist Matthew Gardner provides an update on the US economy and housing market. You can get Matthew’s latest update here.

 


EASTSIDE

VIEW FULL EASTSIDE REPORT

KING COUNTY

VIEW FULL KING COUNTY REPORT

SEATTLE

VIEW FULL SEATTLE REPORT

SNOHOMISH COUNTY

VIEW FULL SNOHOMISH COUNTY REPORT

This post originally appeared on GetTheWReport.com.