Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Single-family home sales retreated in the final full month of summer despite a wide range of options for prospective buyers in the Thurston County housing market.
A total of 309 residences were sold in August, compared with 330 in August 2025, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service’s (NWMLS) Monthly Market Update for August 2026. That marked a decrease of 6.36 percent in the period.
At the same time, the median price for a single-family residence climbed to $545,000 from $520,250. That marked an increase of 4.75 percent in the period.
A sluggish condominium market perked up a bit as sales weighed in at 14 in August, compared with 11 in August. 2025. That continued a string of months in which closed sales have been in the low double digits.
The median price of a condo increased 8.57 percent to $347,450 from $320,000 in the same period.
Active residential and condo listings continued to grow at a robust pace with a total of 1,155 on the market in August, compared with 867 in August 2025. That marked a gain of 33.21 percent in the period and was the fourth largest increase in the state.
Wahkiakum County posted the largest gain in active listings at 55.2 percent in August, followed by Snohomish County at 39.3 percent and Okanogan County at 38.4 percent. Walla Walla County rounded out the top five at 32.9 percent.
“Buyers had access to more than 4,400 additional homes compared to a year ago, continuing a trend of expanding inventory across the Northwest MLS service area,” according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service’s (NWMLS) Monthly Market Update. “Twenty-five of the 27 counties in the NWMLS service area experienced year-over-year growth.”
Total inventory weighed in at 3.58 months for August to rank Thurston County as third lowest in the state. Kitsap County had the lowest total inventory at 2.75 months, followed by Pierce County at 3.33 months. Snohomish County and Clallam County rounded out the top five at 3.64 and 3.81 months, respectively.
Pending residential sales dropped to 361 in August from 403 in August 2025, while pending condo sales were unchanged at 14.
At the same time, new residential listings rose to 405 from 386, while new condo listings advanced to 19 from 16.
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Honestyandrealityguy
Interest rate changes have increased the monthly payments by about 14%. The market will have to accomodate that in some way.
Wednesday, September 30 Report this
Southsoundguy
Prices need to come down 50%, at least.
Thursday, October 1 Report this
CobraCommander
You both are so close to understanding the underlying problem.
Perhaps higher wages, or a higher minimum wage at the very least, would help to claw back profits to working people?
Gee, what if we tax billionaires?
Thursday, October 1 Report this
jimlazar
Indeed, the housing market is softening.
First, interest rates are up, and that affects what people are able to afford in a monthly payment. The housing market does respond -- a soft market softens prices.
Second, population growth has been reversed in recent years. More people are dying than being born. Immigration has turned negative under the current Federal government policies (many people are happy about that, but try to hire a roofer or framing contractor now!)
Third, apartment vacancies are at a 10-year high right now, so the problem with house purchase affordability is NOT creating upward pressure for rentals.
According to Zillow, my house is worth exactly what it was in January, 2022. Nearly five years with no increase. That's not a bad thing, to have housing prices not shooting up, but a lot of people bet their future on housing appreciation.
Prices won't go up until interest rates go down. That won't happen until Trump ends his stupid war in Iran, which has driven up energy costs and everything dependent on energy. And ends his stupid tariffs, driving up the cost of lumber, energy, and appliances.
A new Congress might end the tax breaks for billionaires that is driving up the federal deficit, which also drives up interest rates (because people have less confidence in a country as far in debt as this one.)
Saturday, October 3 Report this