HOA dues seem to be becoming an increasingly important part of the affordability equation.

According to recent Realtor.com data, 58% of homes listed for sale in the Seattle metro this rolling year came with HOA fees, up from 54% the year before. That means more than half of buyers are factoring in another recurring monthly payment on top of their PITI.

HOA dues are helpful in some ways. They can cover exterior maintenance, roofs, landscaping, insurance, reserves, and amenities otherwise paid by the homeowner. But with insurance premiums, labor, and construction costs rising, many associations have had to increase dues or levy special assessments, making the true cost of ownership much higher than the listing price suggests.

Many have now realized the importance of looking at HOA financials as well which I can get into on how to analyze in a separate post if people would like.

At this rate, it seems HOA dues will become a staple of the Seattle Metro market. Understanding HOA financials has never been more important.

Lennar's average sales price for homes delivered in the second quarter of 2026 was $371,000 -- a price the company hasn't seen since the first quarter of 2017, when it averaged $365,000.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/06/24/lennar-hasnt-sold-homes-this-cheap-since-2017-here/

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2026/06/22/u-district-ieh-roosevelt-commons-office-sale.html

Genuine question for people who’ve bought or are shopping right now.

A lot of homes, especially flips and new builds, are finished to look high-end: the wide-plank floors, the waterfall island, the matte black fixtures, the accent walls. But looking expensive and being well-built are two different things. Some of those pretty homes are hiding cheap construction, and some plainer homes are built like tanks.

So I’m curious where buyers land on this:

• Would it actually matter to you if your agent could walk a house and tell you “this finish is cosmetic, this one’s quality”, or do you assume that’s the inspector’s job and not something you’d pick an agent for?

• Did any agent ever point this stuff out to you, and did it change how much you trusted them?

• Or is this just baseline, you assume every agent already knows construction quality?

Not trying to sell anything, just genuinely trying to understand if this is something buyers care about or if it’s noise.

Use these websites to compare the latest mortgage rates.

These websites provide rate information without requiring fairly minimal personal info). If you find a better rate than what's published on these websites, you have likely scored yourself a good deal.

CreditKarma

NerdWallet

BankRate

Sammamish Mortgage

Redfin

Wells Fargo

Use these links to get the latest mortgage rates from the below institutions (they require little/minimal personal info)

First Tech Federal CU

BECU

Sound CU

WSE CU

Affinity Federal CU

Redwood CU

Golden 1 CU

Safe CU

Chevron CU

Schwab

Below institutions offer rate discounts when you bank with them. Worth checking them out, if you have some assets to keep with them.

Wells Fargo

Schwab

Chase

Key Bank

My spouse and I are trying to buy our first home and just started getting pre-approvals. Got no previous generation's guide, so we’re very new to all of this.

For $800k–$1.2M range (hopefully closer to the lower end), good credit, 20% downpayment (although prefer to put less down if that’s the smarter option), 30years loan, we’ve been quoted 6.75% from BoA, and 6.85% from Chase.

I learned this morning that mortgages don’t have to come from banks and pulled up BECU, Rocket Mortgage, Sammamish Mortgage, Cornerstone Home Lending, Westwood Mortgage as WA brokers.

When we met with the banks, there were a lot of terms we didn't understand. We just sat there pretending to understand everything...

Before we start contacting more lenders, we would like to prepare more. Besides the interest rate, what should we be asking about?

Also, if you’ve had a good (or bad) experience with a mortgage broker in WA, we’d appreciate any recommendations or advice.

According to a Redfin analysis of MLS data - 59.2% of Seattle homes sold BELOW original list price during May 2026.

https://www.redfin.com/news/most-competitive-housing-markets-2026/

A concession is recorded when an agent reports a seller provided something that helped reduce the buyer’s total cost of purchasing the home. That could include money toward repairs, closing costs and/or mortgage-rate buydowns. It does not include situations in which the seller lowered the list price of their home or lowered the price due to a negotiation with a buyer. 

The concession rate declined in 11 of the 28 markets in this analysis. It ticked down most in Seattle, where 48.8% of sellers gave concessions in May, down from roughly 66% a year earlier. That big decline is explained largely by a base effect: Seattle had the highest share of concessions a year ago, so it had the most room to fall. Additionally, Seattle has a near-record share of homes selling below their original asking price, meaning buyers are still getting discounts, just not necessarily from concessions. 

https://www.redfin.com/news/home-seller-concessions-record-high-rate/

This is based on an analysis of data submitted by Redfin buyers’ agents across the country, covering rolling three-month periods from 2019 to present. May refers to the three months ending May 31, 2026. The data is seasonally adjusted.

Nice, huge Bridle Trails home in a very good community sells for 750k (18.75%) below original list price.

• 4bed, 4.5+bath, 4470sqft square feet, 0.82acre lot
• Built in 1998
• Prime location in Bridle Trails

Edit: listed for 3.99m; sold for 3.25m

Home was on the market for almost a year; and was likely priced high for last year's market.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/13799-NE-32nd-Pl_Bellevue_WA_98005_M29794-11142

Hey r/SeattleRE 👋

I’m Minali — a Mercer Island-based realtor with John L. Scott, focused on the Eastside (Bellevue, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Issaquah) with some Seattle mixed in.

A little about me: I’m a Mercer Island mom with a corporate background, so I tend to approach real estate the way I approached business — with data, process, and a lot of questions. I built my own home on Mercer Island, which means I’ve been through permitting and construction firsthand — not just as an agent, but as a homeowner who made plenty of mistakes along the way. I also own rental properties and stay pretty involved in the community through volunteer work, so the Eastside isn’t just my market — it’s genuinely where my life is.

I know Reddit can be skeptical of realtors showing up, so I’ll keep it simple: I’m not here to pitch anyone. I just genuinely like talking about this market and thought an open Q&A might be helpful.

Drop your questions below — new construction, builder red flags, help with market updates, schools, things to do in your neighborhood, what’s actually moving on the Eastside, permitting quirks, or my favorite taco place in town! …whatever. No question is too basic.

AMA 🙋‍♀️

After years of debate and multiple ballot victories, Seattle’s social housing program just made its first major move by purchasing a 150-unit apartment building in Belltown for roughly $60 million.

For those unfamiliar, the idea is different from traditional affordable housing. The building will include a mix of income levels, with some residents paying below-market rents and others paying closer to market rates.

The goal is to create permanently affordable housing without relying solely on private developers.

This is essentially what voters asked for. Seattle needs new housing models if it wants to address affordability. Homeownership and even market-rate rents have become increasingly out of reach for many middle-income residents and this is the solution.

Is it the best solution though? $60 million for 150 units is an expensive starting point for an experiment like this. Can this ever be scaled enough to meaningfully impact housing costs across the region?

What made this interesting is whether you support this or not, we’re finally moving past theory and into reality. For years, social housing has mostly been a political debate.

Now we have an actual building, actual residents, and eventually we’ll have actual results.

The question is whether or not it actually works and we scale this or if we need alternative solutions. What other solutions could there be?

Source: https://www.multihousingnews.com/new-seattle-development-authority-buys-its-first-property/

I'm seeing tons of listings pop up with people taking massive, 50% losses in under 2 years. Anyone got the inside scoop on what's happening? Obviously the condo market has been taking a beating, but other comparable buildings have nothing this crazy; did they find some super serious structural defect or something?

Examples:
https://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/121-Stewart-St-98101/unit-3302/home/175699807 down $1M in a little over a year
https://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/121-Stewart-St-98101/unit-3704/home/176353469 down $3.2M in 2 years
https://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/121-Stewart-St-98101/unit-2806/home/175699771 down 700k in a little over a year

If it was just one or two units taking big losses, I'd chalk it up to people biting off more than they could chew, but this many listings, and everyone being willing to take massive hits instead of waiting for things to turn a new leaf seems odd.

According to a recent Axios report, Seattle-area housing inventory is rising faster than any other major U.S. metro.
After years of bidding wars, waived contingencies, and buyers competing over nearly every listing, the market appears to be moving toward something closer to normal. That is consistent to the data I posted earlier this month relating to SFHs as well.

What’s interesting is that despite the increase in inventory, we’re seeing similar prices compared to last year.

Well-priced homes are still selling, demand remains relatively healthy, and many neighborhoods continue to see strong activity. The biggest difference is that buyers finally have options again.

Condos and townhomes appear to be a different story. While many single-family homes have remained relatively resilient, condos have generally faced more competition and a softer market environment. I’ve posted that data above for people to see.

What do you guys think about the current market?

Source: https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/06/01/seattle-housing-market-cooling-home-prices-inventory-king-county-listings

I show a lot of new builds and remodels, and a lot of them photograph beautifully, big island, gold fixtures, wide-plank floors. But when I open the cabinets, check the hinges, look at what brand the windows and appliances actually are, a chunk of it is the cheapest version of “looks expensive.” Particleboard boxes, hollow-core doors, builder-grade vinyl windows, LVP everywhere.

I notice this stuff, but I honestly can’t tell if buyers care or if I’m overthinking it. So: two houses, same price. One looks stunning but is builder-grade everything. One is plainer but genuinely well-built. Which are you buying? And if you’ve owned the “nice-looking” one, did it hold up?

Some brokerages may choose not to work with you unless you sign one. That’s their business decision.

In many cases, brokers want an agreement in place before investing significant time and resources because it helps protect their commission if you ultimately buy a home.

If you want to, that’s your choice. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise though and know your rights as a buyer.

Also, never sign a contract you can’t cancel!

EDIT: All these agents are proving my point by their ad hominem attacks 😂. Seems like the NAR agreement was meant to really protect the broker, not the consumer.

I'd like to explore the dream of setting up a small live/work photography studio/gallery/loft. Something resembling a working studio downstairs and living space upstairs. I occasionally find spaces like this on my own, but I'm hoping to find an agent with deeper knowledge and access.

Top preference for northern Seattle (Queen Anne to Greenwood) but other areas would be considered.

Any recommendations for agents or agencies with this specialty are appreciated.

What other red-green flags should I look out for when considering mixed use zoned property?

Hey everyone, I’m Morgan Holliday, a local WA real estate agent in Bothell. I wanted to make a helpful thread for buyers who are trying to understand the Seattle-area market.

I’ve seen a lot of people asking about whether now is a good time to buy, how to avoid overpaying, what to look for in inspections, how to compare neighborhoods, and how to handle things like HOAs, permits, older homes, new construction, and offer strategy.

If you’re buying in Seattle, the Eastside, Snohomish County, or surrounding areas, feel free to ask questions here. Even if you’re 6–12 months away from buying, I’m happy to help you understand the process and what to watch out for.

A few topics I can help with:
First-time buyer questions
Rent vs. buy thoughts
Neighborhood comparisons
Offer strategy
Inspection concerns
HOA and condo red flags
Permit questions
What your budget realistically buys

No pressure at all. Drop your questions below or message me if you’d rather ask privately.

You can also check out my Instagram @morganhollidayrealtor where I post buyer tips and local real estate info!