Local Real Estate Market Update January 2016 – Seattle

2015 closed out the year with home prices hitting new highs, and inventory hitting new lows. The market is tough for buyers who are competing for a dwindling number of homes, but it’s also the greatest seller’s market in recent memory. What’s in store for 2016? Here is what Windermere Chief Economist Matthew Gardner forecasts.

The hot market in Seattle just keeps getting hotter. High demand has sent prices soaring. The median home price in December hit a new peak of $600,000, an increase of 20 percent over a year ago. Homes here sell within days of coming on the market, often for substantially more than the list price. In December, a 1600 square foot bungalow in the popular Ballard neighborhood sold in eight days for $750,000 – $75,000 over the asking price. With just a few weeks of inventory available, home prices and competition are projected to stay strong.