Saturday, October 31, 2026
Single-family home and condominium listings remained firmly above the 1,000 mark in the final weeks of summer, as sellers continued to look to unload properties amid a backdrop of higher mortgage interest rates and lower sales.
Total active listings jumped to 1,141 in September from 856 in September 2025, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service’s (NWMLS) Monthly Market Update for September 2026. That marked an increase of 33.29 percent in the period
The leap in active listings ranked Thurston County among the top five in the state for September.
“Twenty-four of the 27 NWMLS counties experienced year-over-year inventory growth,” according to the NWMLS Monthly Market Update. “The five counties with the largest increases were Wahkiakum (61.53 percent), Walla Walla (45.04 percent), Snohomish (41.16 percent), Douglas (35.94 percent) and Thurston (33.29 percent).”
The rise in active listings came amid a slowdown in single-family home sales, which dipped to 297 in September from 312 in September 2025. At the same time, condo sales rose to 12 from 9. That continued a string of months in which condo sales have been in the low double digits.
The median price for a single-family home was unchanged at $536,950 in September, while the median price for a condo eased to $284,500 in September from $285,000 in September 2025.
Total inventory weighed in at 3.69 months in Thurston County, which ranked fourth in the state in September.
“At the September 2026 pace of sales, it would take approximately 4.44 months to sell every home currently listed in the NWMLS service area if no new homes came on the market, up from 3.25 months in September,” according to the NWMLS Monthly Market Update.
“The counties with the lowest months of inventory were Kitsap (2.58), Clallam (3.21), Clark (3.20), Thurston (3.69), and Pierce (3.79), indicating tighter market conditions in those areas.”
Pending residential sales dropped to 309 in September from 337 in September 2025, while pending condo sales slipped to 16 from 17 in the same period.
New single-family listings climbed to 396 in September from 354 in September 2025, while new condo listings slumped to 15 from 24 at the same time.
Would-be homebuyers in Thurston County, state of Washington and across the country have been hit with elevated mortgage interest rates, which are well above year ago levels.
The 30-year fixed mortgage rate, a popular way to finance a home purchase, weighed in at 7.03 percent in the waning days of September. That was up from 6.30 percent in the same period a year earlier, according to Freddie Mac, the mortgage giant.
The 15-year fixed mortgage rate, popular with homeowners who wish to refinance, measured 6.42 percent in the final days of September. That was up from 5.49 percent one year ago.
The difference in rates can add hundreds of dollars to a monthly mortgage payment depending on the size of the loan, financial lending data shows.
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