| Tweet |
Eastside Market Review – First Quarter 2019
The spring home buying season started early this year. Open houses had increased attendance and bidding wars returned in March. Home prices in most of the region are about even with March of 2018. The Eastside median closed sales price decreased 1% from March 2018 ($831,000) to March 2019 ($825,000). Months supply of inventory decreased from 1.8 in February 2019 to 1.2 in March 2019, its lowest in nine months. The number of Eastside sales increased 2% for the first quarter 2019 compared to 2018. The speed of the market (percentage of homes sold in two weeks or less, number of multiple offers) is slower than a year ago (arguably a good thing), although it is speeding up.
Download the full report by clicking the image below.
What’s Really Happening in the Housing Market?
Our housing market is finally cooling a bit, from scorching hot to slightly-less-sweltering. While some alarmists are talking bubble or impending crisis, the statistics tell a different story. The market does appear to be shifting, and that’s good news! The steep price increases of the past few years are not sustainable, and also risk pricing buyers out of the market altogether.
Where The Market Is Today
- Inventory is up, but still far short of demand. Despite a considerable increase in inventory, King County has just six weeks of supply. Four to six months of inventory is what is considered a balanced market, and we’re far short of that.
- Homes are staying on the market a bit longer. New listings have increased in the past few months, but the increase in inventory is primarily due to homes staying on the market longer. With buyers accustomed to homes being snapped up in days, “longer” is a relative term. Homes in King County are taking an average of 15 days to sell.
- Prices appear to be moderating. While home prices are up compared to a year ago, the rate of increase is in the single digits rather than the double-digit surges of past months. Prices are down 4 percent from the record high reached this spring.
What This Means For The Housing Market
- The shift towards slower, consistent appreciation will result in a healthier market.
- Buyers have more choices and more time to make an informed decision.
- It’s still a seller’s market, but sellers need to have realistic expectations about pricing their homes as the market softens.
- More inventory is still needed to meet demand.
Whether you’re thinking about buying or selling, it’s important to have the most current information about the market. Our Windermere brokers can provide you with statistics about today’s market and answer any questions you may have.
This post originally appeared on the Windermere Eastside Blog.
The Eastside Market Review – Second Quarter
The Eastside Market Review is now available for the second quarter of 2018.
Read the full report online by clicking the image below.
This post originally appeared on the WindermereEastside.com Blog.
Eastside Market Review – First Quarter 2018
The available supply of homes on the Eastside continued to fall short of demand in the first quarter of 2018. With just two weeks of available inventory, competition for homes remained intense. The result was a steady growth in home prices. The median price of a single-family home hit new highs in the first quarter and closed out the period at $926,000. Sales were brisk at every price, including the luxury market. Sales of homes priced at $2 million or more were up 23 percent in the first quarter of 2018 as compared to the previous year. The region has now led the country in home price increases for 17 months in a row. The prediction for the spring market: hot with no signs of cooling.
Read the full report online by clicking the image below.
This post originally appeared on the WindermereEastside.com Blog.
