Buyers bring November Surprise!
In a bit of a surprise for both brokers and sellers, buyers came out in November and absorbed some of the unsold inventory in the system. Pending sales for November in the Tri-county Puget Sound area rose 9.2% year over year with closed sales increasing 5.5%. The resulting median selling price year over year gain was almost 10%, with almost 1/3 coming in the last few months. Coming during a usually slow season, these signals show that continued demand & tight inventories will continue to push prices upward.
More affordable price points and areas continue to lead the way as first time home buyers & inspired renters are choosing to enter the market to take advantage of favorable interest rates and motivated sellers. Areas like the Eastside continue to show the effects of lack of affordability, with prices flat or lower than the highs of Spring 2018. The silver lining on the Eastside is out of state investors and / or local buyers are actively pursuing what they see as bargains, with the number of pending sales in November higher than either of the last two Novembers. This buying activity, couple with seasonally low inventory, will bode well for sellers choosing to enter the market BEFORE the typical spring rush.
- Seller Take Aways
- Listing between now and March will yield rewards as inventories are currently low due to this buying activity.
- Waiting till April may get more buyers, but you will be competing against much more inventory.
- Well presented, well priced homes are still selling quickly. My recent residential listing in Covington went under contract in under a week.
- Buyer Take aways
- As always, prepare your financing and buying objectives ahead of time.
- Be prepared to move quickly, the best homes still sell fast
- Investor take ways
- There are still bargains to be bought, you just need someone who knows how to find them.
- Consider pooling your resources into one of our upcoming buying funds. Call or email for to set up a meeting, I’ll buy the coffee!
As always thanks for reading. Please share or like. I am thankful for all of you who have made 2019 a success, looking forward to a incredible 2020.
My Listing at 5508 S 2nd Ave Everett, WA
My Listing at 19213 SE 263rd St. Covington, WA
