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You Snooze, You Lose, in This Seattle Eastside Real Estate Market
Brooks and I just sold a home in Redmond which had multiple offers. A contract was in hand, when the very next day I received phone calls from both an agent and a prospective buyer who wanted to see the home. They were a day late. It was gone. It was sold.
Here on the eastside, the market is doing well for the good homes, but not for all homes. These are the homes that are the best of the competition in terms of price, condition, style, floor plan and location.
One reason why the good homes are selling with multiple offers:
Less than 9000 properties are for sale in King County, for the first time in years. Supply is dwindling fast. If you compare the number of homes for sale with this time last year, 3000 fewer homes are on the market. As the year heads to a close, more sellers will take their homes off the market.
I expect to see December and January be good markets for sellers because of the decrease in competition. Quality homes will go fast, and possibly with multiple offers.
Does this mean it’s a bad market for buyers? No, there are still a lot of good homes for sale. Plus, it’s the most affordable market we’ve had in the Seattle area 17 years. With the lower interest rates, a mortgage is starting to rival rental costs.
So if you snooze, you can lose. Do you homework. Determine what’s most important to you. Is it the location, is it the good floor plan or a combination of many factors? Know the prices of homes in the area. Learn what’s selling and for what price. Know your wants and needs, study the market by visiting homes, and learn what sells well in the area.
If you do all these things. You won’t snooze and lose. You’ll know which homes work best for you and which are the best values. You can then jump in and buy a good home and not lose.
Which Eastside City had the Fastest Selling Homes In October, 2011?
Homes in East Bellevue and Redmond near Microsoft sold the fastest on Seattle’s eastside in October. Homes sold in under 2 months, at 59 days. Market time for the other eastside cities, ranged from 99-117 days or just shy of 4 months. This is a reasonable market time as it shows a more of a balanced market between buyers and sellers. It’s actually a normal market and is better for “both sides of the table.”
The odds of selling a home in the Redmond and East Bellevue areas stood at 30%, which also was the strongest absorption rate to be found on the eastside.* Chances of selling ranged from 19-26% in the other eastside cities.
The Redmond and East Bellevue area near Microsoft comes out on top for market time and a higher absorption rate because of more affordable housing, good jobs, an easier commute and good schools. With the main Microsoft campus in Redmond right on the Bellevue line, there are lots of jobs right there. In addition, there’s easier freeway and bus access to Seattle than in the outlying suburbs.
The higher price point in West Bellevue means fewer buyers can afford to live there. Affordability issues increase the market time. Longer market time here is a function of pricing, not desirability. West Bellevue is considered to be one of the best locations on the eastside.
Two of the areas had an increase in the median pricing, Redmond and East Bellevue and Redmond and Education Hill. Changes in median pricing, however, need to be looked at over a period of months since the median price for this month reflects the sales for this month only.
Why is market time important? It’s one indication of the desirability and affordability of an area. Both are key to future growth and appreciation. People like to live in convenient areas with good schools and affordable housing.
The cities below are grouped together to follow our MLS areas (multiple listing service) and shows how our statistical information is reported. How did your city do this past month?
Which Seattle-eastside city had the fastest selling homes in October, 2011?
1. Redmond/East Bellevue
The odds of selling a home were 30%.*
Median sales price increased (y-o-y)** to $435,000 from $427,000.
193 homes were for sale
A total of 58 homes sold.
Days on the market: 56
2. Kirkland
The odds of selling a home were 26%.
Median price decreased from $592,000 to $501,000.
234 homes were for sale.
A total of 60 homes sold.
Days on Market: 99
3. Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation
The odds of selling a home were 19%
Median pricing increased from $541,000 to $580,000.
321 homes were for sale.
A total of 62 homes sold.
Days on Market: 100
4.Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland
The odds of selling a home were 22%.
Median price was down from $377,000 to $370,000.
540 homes were for sale.
A total of 117 homes sold.
Days on Market: 101
5. South Bellevue/Issaquah
The odds of selling a home were 24%.
Median price decreased from $580,000 to $500,000.
338 homes were for sale.
A total of 81 homes sold.
Days on market: 104
6. The plateau: Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City
The odds of selling a home were 23%.
Median sales price decreased from $500,000 to $460,000.
There were 650 homes for sale.
A total of 158 homes sold.
Days on the market: 108
7. West Bellevue
The odds of selling a home were 22.5%.
Median pricing decreased from $985,000 to $878,000.
128 homes were for sale.
A total of 31 homes sold.
Days on Market: 117
If you’d like more specific information about your neighborhood or home, feel free to contact either Brooks or me.
*(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%)
** (y-o-y) median pricing is comparing year over year numbers.
Was There Really a Decline In Seattle Eastside Real Estate Pricing in October, 2011?
Seattle Eastside Real Estate Sales-October, 2011
Yes, Virginia, there was a decline in median pricing on Seattle’s eastside in October. The Seattle media got everyone a little nervous about real estate when it stated there had been a 15% y-o-y price drop in King County real estate prices from October of 2010 to 2011. I talked with several clients who were speaking doom and gloom about the eastside real estate market based on the news stories. I suggested they look at the true numbers for the eastside, not the entire county. The article discussed all of King County, which includes areas that are not doing as well as the eastside. Seattle and the eastside cities, such as Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond, are the shining stars of King County real estate. If you look near the bottom of the article, it states the decline in eastside real estate prices measured in the single digits, not 15%.
The decline on the eastside depends on what you were looking at when comparing the numbers. Median sales pricing declined by 9% from last year, but the average sold prices increased from $602.000 to $619,000. It’s more of a mixed bag, although no home owner likes to see any sort of a decline.
Why the decline in median sales pricing? Here are some possible reasons:
- Jumbo loan rates have gone up, limiting the number of buyers who can buy at the higher end of the market.
- Distressed sales take up a large portion of the home sales all over the county. Distressed sales, short sales and foreclosures, usually sell for less than market value, thus causing the median pricing to drop.
- Lastly, the numbers you see here are a result of the real estate sales activity that happened that particular month only. In order to see a trend, it is important to look at a number of months together. One month is only indicative of that particular month’s sales.
Remember real estate is hyperlocal and North King and South King County are different real estate markets than Seattle’s eastside. In one of my next posts, I’ll look at the eastside real estate market even more closely and show the hottest and coolest selling areas.
Now that we have that issue of the decline in median pricing examined more closely, let’s take a look at what happened with eastside real estate in October. There were 24% fewer homes on the market this October than last and 22% more homes sold than in 2010. There were also 8% fewer homes on the market than in September of this year. Sales increased by 22% from last year and by 11% from September of this year.
Most home sold within 97 days and for about 92% of the original asking price. Sellers had a 23% chance of getting their homes sold last month. These are strong numbers, much stronger than October of 2010.
I’ll be watching the sales trend over the next couple of months. I expect to see fewer homes on the market and fewer sales as we approach the holidays. But will median pricing decline? What do you think?
Is Now a Good time to Sell Your Seattle Eastside Home?
Is this a good time to sell your Seattle eastside home? If you’re a seller on Seattle’s eastside, the numbers are on your side. This is the second week in a row with less than 10,000 homes on the market in King County, a first for this year! The competition has pulled up the “for sale” sign, is battening down the hatches for the winter and planning for the holidays .
So plan your Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Don’t give the holidays up and don’t give up the idea of selling your home now if that’s what you want to do. With fewer homes on the market, your competition for buyers is far less. Plus, the buyers who are out during the holiday season are buyers who are serious about buying a home. They don’t have time to waste. They’re not casually looking for a home. They’re in a buying mode.
- How Low Can The Number Of King County Homes For Sale Go?
How Many Seattle Area Real Estate Sales Were Distressed Sales?
How much of the Seattle area real estate market is made up of distressed sales, sales in which the property is bank owned or a seller is required to obtain approval from the bank in order to sell?
Total Number of Distressed Real Estate Sales in the Seattle Area
In the third quarter of 2011, Seattle and the eastside suburbs were holding their own in the distressed sale market, while Pierce and Snohomish Counties had the toughest time. There’s a huge difference in how each of the 4 counties surrounding Seattle were doing with respect to distressed home sales. Almost 50%, 47% to be exact, of the real estate sales in Snohomish County were distressed properties. Snohomish County is directly north of King County, which is where you’ll find Seattle. Snohomish County is home to a Boeing plant, shipping, biotech firms, and a navy base. Pierce County is home to Tacoma, with its huge waterfront devoted to shipping, and Fort Lewis, the army base.
Although each of the counties has an economic center, King County with Seattle and the eastside cities of Bellevue and Redmond is the true economic hub of the region. These areas are home to Boeing, Amazon, Microsoft, Costco, Starbucks and a host of other companies. Consequently, the Eastside and Seattle have the smallest number of distressed sales. More jobs and a good commute equal less distressed sales.
Which Seattle Eastside City had the Fastest Real Estate Sales in September 2011?
Aubrey Cohen wrote an article about the fastest selling neighborhoods in Seattle, which prompted me to write this post about the fastest selling neighborhoods on Seattle’s eastside. What happens in Seattle, doesn’t just stay in Seattle, it also happens here on the Eastside!
Homes in East Bellevue and Redmond near Microsoft sold the fastest on Seattle’s eastside in September. Not only did these homes sell more quickly, in 69 days, but out of the 204 homes for sale, 51 got offers. These means that 25% of the homes in the area sold in September, among the best odds on Seattle’s eastside. The odds of selling a home in the Woodinville, Bothell areas also stood at 25%, which means September was one of the best months to sell a home in those cities.
Why do homes in East Bellevue and Redmond sell more quickly? Because they’re close to employment centers and transportation and have a broader range of more affordable housing. With the main Microsoft campus in Redmond and on the border of Bellevue, there’s a huge number of jobs right in the area. In addition, there’s easier freeway and bus access to Seattle than in the outlying suburbs.
West Bellevue is the most expensive area on the eastside, although it’s proximity to Seattle, schools, and housing make it the premier location on the eastside. The higher price point in the area means fewer buyers can afford West Bellevue, which increases the market time. Longer market time here is a function of pricing, not desirability.
Why is market time important? It’s one indication of the desirability and affordability of an area and both are key to future growth and appreciation. People like to live in convenient areas with good schools and affordable housing. (Remember affordability is relative to each area of the country.)
The cities below are grouped together to follow our MLS areas (multiple listing service) and shows how our statistical information is reported.
Which Seattle-eastside city had the fastest selling homes?
1. Redmond/East Bellevue
The odds of selling a home were 25%.*
Median sales price decreased (y-o-y)** to $503,000 from $560,000.
204 homes were for sale
A total of 51 homes sold.
Days on the market: 69
2. Kirkland
The odds of selling a home was 21%.
Median price increased from $516,000 to $626,000.
270 homes were for sale.
A total of 57 homes sold.
Days on Market: 87
3. South Bellevue/Issaquah
The odds of selling a home were 18%.
Median price decreased from $533,000 to $529,000.
362 homes were for sale.
A total of 65 homes sold.
Days on market: 88
3 (tie). Woodinville/Bothell/Kenmore/Duvall/North Kirkland
The odds of selling a home were 25%.
Median price was down from $415,000 to $380,000.
558 homes were for sale.
A total of 139 homes sold.
Days on Market: 88
4. The plateau: Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend, and Fall City
The odds of selling a home were 19%.
Median sales price increased from $486,000 to $500,000.
There were 714 homes for sale.
A total of 137 homes sold.
Days on the market: 90
5. Redmond/Education Hill/ Carnation
The odds of selling a home were 19%
Median pricing increased from $541,000 to $580,000.
321 homes were for sale.
A total of 62 homes sold.
Days on Market: 100
5. West Bellevue
The odds of selling a home were 19%.
Median pricing decreased from $956,000 to $936,000.
164 homes were for sale.
A total of 31 homes sold.
Days on Market: 127
Overall, market time is excellent in all of the eastside cities. As I mentioned above, Seattle-eastside real estate is one of the bright spots in the country. Companies in the area are hiring and people continue to want to live here because of the quality of life, the job market, and good schools.
If you’d like more specific information about your neighborhood or home, feel free to contact either Brooks or me.
*(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%)
** (y-o-y) median pricing is comparing year over year numbers.
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.
Real Estate Sales on Seattle's Eastside Are The Best in Years!
Seattle-eastside real estate sales through August, 2011
The Seattle-eastside real estate market is only getting better and better! August home sales beat July and were way ahead of last August. This August was one of the best real estate markets in years!
Real estate sales were hopping. Thirty-three percent more homes received accepted offers this August than August of 2010. Almost 20% fewer homes were on the market, so less supply + more demand equaled more sales. In August, 22% of the homes for sale on Seattle’s eastside got offers. This means out of the 2811 homes for sale, 609 homes sold. On average, most homes sold within 85 days.
In King County, the number of homes for sale dropped below 10,000 for the first time since last May. Here on the eastside, we’re also seeing the lowest number of homes for sale. More than likely, the peak number of homes for sale was 2879 back in June.
Last month I questioned whether the surge in real estate sales would continue because of the volatility in the stock market. With August sales numbers, we’re seeing the most robust market we’ve seen in a long time. The stock market didn’t put a damper on eastside home sales.
Was your market affected by the stock market “roller coaster?”
There's a Good Real Estate Market in Seattle and on the Eastside
Image via Wikipedia
The real estate market in Seattle and on the eastside is doing well. The Seattle Times just published a great article about something all of us Realtors working in the trenches already know. It’s been good this year and has only gotten better as the year progressed. The article in The Times compares this year to last, but, in fact, this year is the best the real estate market has seen for the past 4 years.
I see the improvement in the real estate market every time I’m in front of the computer checking out the market activity in the NWMLS. Almost every day the number of sales surpasses the number of new listings, always a good thing. Showing activity is pretty consistent for many listings and, if it isn’t, then a home is overpriced. There have been homes selling with (gasp!) multiple offers. And last, but not least, sales numbers are higher, which means buyers are finding homes they’re happy with and think are a good enough value to make an offer. (Note: My comments relate only to those listings that are priced right as there are still many homes languishing on the market.)
The number of homes on the market has already reached its peak for the year. The number just dropped below 11,000 for the first time since May 9th of this year. We’re passed the peak in the number of homes for sale as the peak almost always falls in July of each year. This year the peak happened during the last week in June when there were 11,453 properties for sale in King County.
I expect the stronger real estate market to continue through the year. Many people are surprised when I tell them that September and October can be strong months to sell a home. Of course, our beautiful weather may slow us down for this week as people continue to play in the sun, but I do expect the fall to be an active real estate market.
I’ll be posting more data on the August real estate market as the information becomes available, so stay tuned.
What is your real estate market like now? Have you seen an improvement this year?
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.
