Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Copy Link
Condo Real Estate Sales Are Blooming All Over Seattle’s Eastside, But Should You Sell?
The Seattle eastside condo market sales are still great. Sales numbers for April were similar to those in March, which is good news. Thirty-seven percent of the available condos sold in April of this year, whereas in March, 39% sold. March and April have been the best months to sell a condo in Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and other cities east of Seattle in the last 5 years, We expect this positive market to continue.
This is a great to sell your condo, but is it the right time for you? It’s not a simple decision. Not only is there the personal question you need to answer about whether you want to move, there are other questions you’ll need to get answered. Because condo owners are also owners in an association, the health of the condo association can affect a buyer’s ability to obtain financing and buy your condo.
We’re working with several clients who are considering whether to rent or sell. We recommended they get several questions answered by their home owner’s association. The answers to these questions can determine whether it would be best to stay put, rent or sell. Your Realtor can help you navigate through these issues and evaluate the answers so you can make the right decision.
- The owner occupancy ratio in your complex.
- The cap on the number of rentals in the complex and whether the cap has been met.
- Check the CCR’s to see what the rules are regarding rentals in the complex.
- Find out exactly what you owe, so you know how much you have to pay the bank.
- Check to see if there are any judgments or liens against the association AND individual units in the complex.
- Are there any pending assessments?
- Are there home owners who are in default with the HO Dues?
- Are there any condos that are currently short sales or foreclosures?
Do your research, contact your Realtor, and determine whether now is the right time for you to sell. Good luck!
Seattle Eastside Condo Sales are Popping!
The Seattle eastside condo market is pretty incredible. Thirty-nine percent of the available condos sold in March of this year. Quite an eye popping number, since the high for last year happened when 20% of the available condos sold in a month. Sales are up and supply is down, causing the huge increase in the number of condos sold in Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and other cities east of Seattle.
If you can afford to sell your condo and want to make that move up or out, now is a great time to go for it. If you’d rather wait to sell your condo until prices increase, then expect to wait a good 5 years to see any significant appreciation. Prices are the most affordable we’ve seen since 2007.
Since 39% of the condos sold last month, it still means 61% of the condos did not sell. It’s important to get the proper staging and pricing advice to be in that 39% of condos that sell. Sellers have to be ready for the market to join that 39%. Buyers are still pretty savvy, as they should be, about value and condition.
A Stampede for Homes in Bellevue, Kirkland and other Eastside Cities in March
-
The chart tells it all! Look at the huge, and I mean huge, jump in sales over the past few months, a 56% increase in sales since January. Forty-six percent of the available homes sold in March. There’s a big stampede out there for homes in Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond and other eastside cities. This stampede means there’s often more than one buyer for a home, causing multiple offer situations.
We’re starting to see a pattern with eastside real estate. Lots of homes are selling and homes are selling quickly because there’s such a huge demand. Almost 900 homes were added to the market in March, but with 771 sales, the number of homes for sale has stayed almost the same. There was a small drop of 52 homes for sale from February to March.
How did this past March compare to March of 2011?
- 46% of the available homes sold this past March. 23% sold in March, 2011.
- Homes sold in 109 days, which is down from 137 days in March, 2011.
- Median pricing was down to $470,000 from $500,000.
- Homes sold within 93% of the original asking price. Last year homes sold within 91% of the asking price.
- 24% more homes sold this year.
I expect to see this real estate data change as this fast paced market continues. Expect to see median home prices stay more level, market time to decline, and homes selling closer to the asking prices.
- The Seattle eastside market is not following the usual trends we see this time of year. Usually market trends follow more of what the chart shows for last year. The number of homes for sale usually increases each month until in peaks sometime in the summer. As the year comes to an end, the number of homes for sale usually drops. We’re not seeing this at all this year. This year, we see fewer homes for sale each month. The big news, though, is still in the number of homes that sell each month.
Not all homes sell in a heartbeat. You can’t just put a sign in the front yard and expect everyone to line up.
The homes that are positioned properly in terms of price and condition relative to the competition are the homes that sell quickly. Your home has to show well and be priced competitively in order to grab the attention of the buyers. - 46% of the available homes sold this past March. 23% sold in March, 2011.
How Many Real Estate Sales Were in Your Seattle-Eastside Neighborhood in August,
Seattle-eastside real estate sales results were so similar during June, July, and August I could have posted the same report with just a few exceptions each month! Overall, 23% of the available homes sold in August, the same as June and July!
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Eastside+of+Seattle&aq=&sll=47.610377,-122.200679&sspn=0.123598,0.359459&vpsrc=0&g=Bellevue,+WA&ie=UTF8&hq=Eastside+of&hnear=Seattle,+King,+Washington&t=m&ll=47.615847,-122.302272&spn=0.338201,0.11521&output=embed&w=425&h=350]
The only significant change happened in West Bellevue and East Bellevue and the Microsoft area around Redmond. Both these areas had fewer home sales in August than in July. It was most noticeable in the neighborhoods around Microsoft where sales have been consistently strong. In July, 38% of the homes sold and in August the sales numbers dropped back to 24%. The area still had the best return on the eastside, but it was more in line with other eastside neighborhoods.
There’s a good real estate market out there. The last time we saw a similar real estate market was back in the years between 1998-2002. The market during those years was what we considered to be a “normal” market, not a crazy market. Once again, we see a more “normal” market today.
How many homes sold in August, 2011 in your neighborhood?
(The odds of selling a home in each area is a result of the number of homes for sale divided by the actual number of home sales, so if 10 out of 100 homes sold, the odds of selling would be 10/100 or 10%)
The plateau: Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City
The odds of selling a home were 21%.
Median sales price dropped: $479,895 to $475,000.
There were 725 homes for sale.
A total of 174 homes sold.
Redmond/East Bellevue
The odds of selling a home were 24%.
Median sales price decreased from $494,900 to $479,950.
207 homes were for sale
A total of 60 homes sold.
South Bellevue/Issaquah
The odds of selling a home were 22%.
Median price decreased from $550,000 to $512,225
367 homes were for sale.
A total of 94 homes sold.
Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland
The odds of selling a home were 23%.
Median price was down from $415,000 to $381,650.
589 homes were for sale.
A total of 148 homes sold.
Kirkland
The odds of selling a home was 22%.
Median price decreased from $641,000 to $595,000.
280 homes were for sale.
A total of 73 homes sold.
West Bellevue
The odds of selling a home were 17%.
Median pricing decreased from $869,000 to $754,500.
169 homes were for sale.
A total of 40 homes sold.
Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation
The odds of selling a home were 21%
Median pricing decreased from $549,950 to $534,900.
319 homes were for sale.
A total of 79 homes sold.
If you’d like more specific information about your neighborhood or home, feel free to contact me.
How Many Homes Sold in Your Seattle-Eastside Neighborhood in July, 2011?
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bellevue,+WA&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.403932,58.271484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Bellevue,+King,+Washington&ll=47.610377,-122.200679&spn=0.310148,0.910492&z=10&output=embed&w=425&h=350]
How many homes sold in June, 2011 in your neighborhood?
It’s uncanny to see how similar July real estate sales on Seattle’s eastside were to June’s sales results. On most of the eastside, the numbers varied only slightly from June. Twenty-three percent of the homes for sale on the eastside sold, with the Redmond and Bellevue area around Microsoft leading the way with 38% of the homes selling. In the majority of eastside neighborhoods, the chance of selling a home ranged between 20-23%.
The odds of selling a home in each area is a result of the number of homes for sale divided by the actual number of home sales, so if 10 out of 100 homes sold, the odds of selling would be 10/100 or 10%)
The plateau: Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City
The odds of selling a home were 20%.
Median sales price dropped: $539,950 to $519,000.
There were 771 homes for sale.
A total of 165 homes sold.
Redmond/East Bellevue
The odds of selling a home were 38%.
Median sales price increased from $422,475 to $429,950.
189 homes were for sale
A total of 85 homes sold.
South Bellevue/Issaquah
The odds of selling a home were 24%.
Median price decreased from $599,475 to $578,500.
380 homes were for sale.
A total of 110 homes sold.
Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland
The odds of selling a home were 23%.
Median price was down from $499,950 to $369,475.
598 homes were for sale.
A total of 158 homes sold.
Kirkland
The odds of selling a home was 23%.
Median price decreased from $549,900 to $541,500.
288 homes were for sale.
A total of 76 homes sold.
West Bellevue
The odds of selling a home were 20%.
Median pricing decreased from $1,299,000 to $1,074,475.
175 homes were for sale.
A total of 42 homes sold.
Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation
The odds of selling a home were 20%
Median pricing increased from $548,000 to $549,000.
337 homes were for sale.
A total of 75 homes sold.
If you’d like more specific information about your neighborhood or home, feel free to contact me.
How Many Real Estate Sales Were in Your Seattle-Eastside Neighborhood in June, 2011?
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bellevue,+WA&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.403932,58.271484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Bellevue,+King,+Washington&ll=47.610377,-122.200679&spn=0.310148,0.910492&z=10&output=embed&w=425&h=350]
How many homes sold in June, 2011 in your neighborhood?
June continued to be a strong month for real estate sales on Seattle’ eastside. In fact, June may have been the strongest month for real estate sales on Seattle’s eastside in four years. The Puget Sound Business Journal stated more homes sold this month than in recent months. Every area did far better than previous months and previous years. The Redmond and Bellevue area around Microsoft led the pack with almost 40% of the homes selling. Almost every other area had a minimum of 20% of the homes selling. More homes are selling than we’ve seen in years, but there are still a lot of homes that are languishing on the market. Know your competition, so your home will land in the 20%+ homes that are selling.
A past client of mine is moving back to the eastside after about 5 years. He was really surprised to hear that the homes near Microsoft are actually more affordable than those in South Bellevue. The Bellevue Schools are getting a lot of press because several of the high schools are landing on top 100 lists of the top high schools. But in reality, parts of Bellevue have been more expensive for years because of the easy I-90 access to Seattle. This may explain why the area around Microsoft is usually the hottest real estate market. It’s a great location, close to jobs, has good schools, and slightly more affordable housing prices.
The odds of selling a home in each area is a result of the number of homes for sale divided by the actual number of home sales, so if 10 out of 100 homes sold, the odds of selling would be 10/100 or 10%)
The plateau: Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City
The odds of selling a home were 23%.
Median sales price dropped: $525,000 to $494,950.
There were 765 homes for sale.
A total of 190 homes sold.
Redmond/East Bellevue
The odds of selling a home were 38%.
Median sales price decreased to $449,900 from $482,500.
193 homes were for sale
A total of 79 homes sold.
South Bellevue/Issaquah
The odds of selling a home were 21%.
Median price decreased from $599,994 to $519,000
364 homes were for sale.
A total of 91 homes sold.
Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland
The odds of selling a home were 23%.
Median price was down from $419,973 to $369,950.
572 homes were for sale.
A total of 147 homes sold.
The odds of selling a home was 19.5%.
Median price decreased from $624,950 to $535,000.
286 homes were for sale.
A total of 71 homes sold.
West Bellevue
The odds of selling a home were 20%.
Median pricing decreased from $890,000 to $719,950.
181 homes were for sale.
A total of 43 homes sold.
Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation
The odds of selling a home were 20.5%
Median pricing increased from $474,950 to $549,900.
331 homes were for sale.
A total of 77 homes sold.
If you’d like more specific information about your neighborhood or home, feel free to contact me.
How Strong Were June, 2011 Real Estate Sales on Seattle's Eastside?
Seattle-Eastside Real Estate Sales Through June, 2011
How strong were June, 2011 real estate sales on Seattle’s Eastside? This summer’s real estate market is going to stay stronger than what we usually see during a Seattle summer. Traditionally, the highest number of homes for sale during a year comes near the end of July. With this increased competition, it can make it more challenging to sell your home. Although the number of eastside homes for sale has increased each month, the increase is nothing like the numbers we’ve seen during June of the last few years.
This year, the number of homes for sale is increasing, but at a much slower pace than last year. In King County as a whole, there are 11,320 properties for sale. Last year at the end of July, there were 14,639 properties on the market. This translates to 33% fewer homes on the market in King County this year. On the eastside, there were 15% less homes for sale in June. Since there’s still a great selection of homes for sale, the smaller number of available homes increases the odds of a home selling.
In fact, we had multiple offers on two listings this week alone. I find we have a lot of showings on our listings, so buyers are definitely out there more than they usually are in the summer months.
The number of sales this past month dipped a little from the previous month, but only by 12 homes. In May, we saw the highest number of homes sell in a month so far this year. As a reminder, in April of last year, there’s a very high number of home sales. This was artificially high as buyers tried to “cash in” on the tax credit. This year, the sales numbers are not inflated by any other issue. Real estate sales are fueled by the amount of job hiring in the area and by buyers who are more willing to move on with their lives, literally.
In June 2011, there were 2880 homes for sale and 661 of these homes had offers. The absorption rate, the number of homes that sold during a month compared to the number for sale, was 23%. Almost one quarter of the Seattle eastside homes for sale sold in June.
How is the real estate market doing in your area? Is it as strong as what we’re seeing here or is a little slower.
How Many Real Estate Sales Were in Your Seattle Eastside Neighborhood in May, 2011?
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bellevue,+WA&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.403932,58.271484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Bellevue,+King,+Washington&ll=47.610377,-122.200679&spn=0.310148,0.910492&z=10&output=embed&w=425&h=350]
How many homes sold in May, 2011 in your neighborhood?
May real estate sales are proof again that real estate is local. Seattle eastside real estate is doing relatively well when compared to the last few years and to other parts of the country. Regardless of what the national news reports about real estate, Seattle area real estate sales are better than most parts of the country.
In most eastside areas, roughly 1/4-1/3 of the homes on the market sold. In some areas of the eastside, such as East Bellevue, Redmond near Microsoft, and Kirkland, more than 30% of the available homes sold. These areas tend to shine, particularly East Bellevue and Redmond, near Microsoft. These neighborhoods have a mix of housing styles and prices and are located close to good schools and jobs. The areas that are further out tend to be on the slower end of the sales spectrum. More home buyers in today’s market are looking for the convenience of living close to amenities.
I also should qualify my statements regarding the market. Prices are not up, but remained stable in some areas and lost ground in others.
Seattle’s eastside has a “normal” real estate market when considering the market over the last few years. A “normal” market means everything is happening from homes selling the minute they hit the market to homes taking months to sell and at reduced prices. The “hot” homes are selling. “Hot” homes are great values with a good price tag, are staged and ready to go. The homes that are not “hot” are taking a long time to sell and go through several price reductions before getting an offer.
From the Seattle Times Eric Pryne:
While the rise in pending sales was more modest on the Eastside, King County’s priciest area, closed single-family sales in May actually were up 6 percent from the same month last year — bucking the countywide trend — while prices fell just 4 percent, less than half the countywide drop.
Windermere’s Deasy attributed that in part to hiring by major Eastside employers. “People will start to see houses sell before they have a chance to act on them,” he predicted.
Eastside condo sales also were up from May 2010, climbing 15 percent. Countywide, however, condo sales fell nearly 4 percent, and the median price — $215,000 — was down 14 percent.
(Click on the cities below to see real estate trends for the past 5 years. You’ll find the median pricing for each city and whether the number of homes for sale and the number of sales went up or down. The odds of selling a home in each area is a result of the number of homes for sale divided by the actual number of home sales, so if 10 out of 100 homes sold, the odds of selling would be 10/100 or 10%)
The plateau: Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City
The odds of selling a home were 22%.
Median sales price dropped: $559,880 to $487,000.
There were 752 homes for sale.
A total of 186 homes sold.
The odds of selling a home were 34%.
Median sales price decreased to $409,000 from $480,000.
189 homes were for sale
A total of 73 homes sold.
The odds of selling a home were 29%.
Median price decreased from $624,975 to $538,000.
342 homes were for sale.
A total of 113 homes sold.
Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland
The odds of selling a home were 28%.
Median price was down from $451,126 to $375,000.
541 homes were for sale.
A total of 177 homes sold.
The odds of selling a home was 30%.
Median price decreased from $575,000 to $538,500.
282 homes were for sale.
A total of 94 homes sold.
The odds of selling a home were 29%.
Median pricing increased from $1,280,000 to $1,350,000.
167 homes were for sale.
A total of 51 homes sold.
Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation
The odds of selling a home were 21%
Median pricing decreased from $519,950 to $411,950.
325 homes were for sale.
A total of 74 homes sold.
If you’d like more specific information about your neighborhood or home, feel free to contact me.
May Real Estate Sales Were Strong on Seattle's Eastside
Seattle Eastside Residential Real Estate Sales Through May, 2011
On Seattle’s eastside, there have been 6 straight months with an increase in the number of real estate sales. There’s clearly a trend here, although some people do not agree there’s a trend in Seattle real estate. The trend in sales is matched by the slower increase in the number of homes for sale. If you look at May last year, there were 3360 homes for sale on the eastside and this year there were only 2733 homes for sale.
The number of homes that sold in May, 2011 is close to the highest number of sales for last year, which happened in April. Last year sales were inflated by the tax credit. This year there’s no tax credit available. This year’s real estate sales are fueled by buyers who feel comfortable moving forward and purchasing homes because prices are down, they want and need to buy. Interestingly, when I speak with buyers at open houses they tell me they’re seeing some of the good homes moving rather quickly. The buyers are taking notice and buying those homes that are priced well.
In May 2011, there were 2733 homes for sale and 720 of these homes had offers. The absorption rate, the number of homes that sold during a month compared to the number for sale, was 26%. One-fourth of the Seattle eastside homes for sale sold in May.
How is the real estate market doing in your area?
How Many Homes Sold in Your Seattle Eastside Neighborhood in April, 2011?
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Bellevue,+WA&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.403932,58.271484&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Bellevue,+King,+Washington&ll=47.610377,-122.200679&spn=0.310148,0.910492&z=10&output=embed&w=425&h=350]
How many homes sold in April, 2011 in your neighborhood?
The increasing number of home sales on Seattle’s eastside continues, despite what the news media is saying. Every month of this year has had a big increase in the number of home sales over the previous month. It would be great if our news reporting could be more balanced. Our real estate market is more balanced, so let’s hope the media figures it out! One local news source did peg the market fairly well.
Right now, Seattle’s eastside has the most “normal” real estate market that we’ve seen in years. A “normal” market means everything is happening from homes selling the minute they hit the market to homes taking months to sell and at reduced prices. The “hot” homes are selling. “Hot” homes are great values with a good price tag, are staged and ready to go. The homes that are not “hot” are taking a long time to sell and go through several price reductions before getting an offer.
The other issue working in favor of a more positive real estate market is that in every area on the eastside, except Sammamish, there are fewer homes on the market. Less supply=more demand.
(Click on the cities below to see real estate trends for the past 5 years. You’ll find the median pricing for each city and whether the number of homes for sale and the number of sales went up or down. The odds of selling a home in each area is a result of the number of homes for sale divided by the actual number of home sales, so if 10 out of 100 homes sold, the odds of selling would be 10/100 or 10%)
The plateau: Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City
The odds of selling a home were 20%.
Median sales price dropped: $514,950 to $499,900.
There were 701 homes for sale.
A total of 161 homes sold.
The odds of selling a home were 32%.
Median sales price decreased by 11% to $400,000 from $450,000.
176 homes were for sale
A total of 59 homes sold.
The odds of selling a home were 24%.
Median price decreased from $599,900 to $568,800.
322 homes were for sale.
A total of 91 homes sold.
Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland
The odds of selling a home were 26%.
Median price was down from $409,500 to $397,000.
559 homes were for sale.
A total of 160 homes sold.
The odds of selling a home were 30%.
Median price decreased from $575,000 to $538,500Z .
282 homes were for sale.
A total of 94 homes sold.
The odds of selling a home were 22%.
Median pricing was down from $849,000 to $649,995.
170 homes were for sale.
A total of 45 homes sold.
Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation
The odds of selling a home were 23%
Median pricing decreased from $514,995 to $462,475.
299 homes were for sale.
A total of 80 homes sold.
If you’d like more specific information about your neighborhood or home, feel free to contact me.
