Home inventory up more than a third in the Evergreen State
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 1 month AGO
The housing market is showing signs of stabilizing, according to data released this month by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Active home listings increased by more than a third over the last year, according to data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.
Median home prices increased slightly statewide and in Grant County, but dropped dramatically in Adams County between June 2023 and June 2024.
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | July 26, 2024 3:03 AM
MOSES LAKE — There are a lot more homes available in Washington state than there were a year ago, according to data released in July by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.
Statewide, there were 14,393 active listings in the state, in June 2024, the latest month for which data was available, a 35.7% increase over June 2023. The change wasn’t quite as noticeable in Grant County, which increased 20%, from 241 active listings to 289. Adams county remained the same year-over-year, at 43 available listings. The largest jump in the state was in Douglas County, which saw a 77.2% increase over the last year.
At the same time, closed sales decreased by 3.1% statewide, according to the NMLS, suggesting that despite recent decreases in interest rates, buyers still aren’t as active as they were a year ago. In Grant County, closed sales were up by 4%, while in Adams County, closed sales were less than half what they were in June 2023.
The median price of a home rose 4% statewide over June 2023, to $650,000. The story was a little different in Grant County, where the median price rose 6% from $349,990 to $372,450. In Adams County, the median price dropped dramatically, from $376,250 to $236,000, a 37% decrease.
New listings were up slightly across Washington, increasing 5.3%, which was comparable to Grant County’s increase of 5.1% In Adams County new listings jumped from 22 in June 2023 to 30 in June 2024, a 36% increase.
The increase in inventory suggests that the market in the Northwest may be moving toward stabilization.
“While increased inventory of homes on the market this spring offered potential home buyers more options, elevated mortgage rates put affordability at the forefront of housing market concerns,” CoreLogic Chief Economist Selma Hepp wrote in the NMLS’ announcement. “Home prices did heat up again this spring in the Seattle metro area, putting the region among the strongest appreciating markets across the country. More inventory will slow pressure on home prices over time.”
Joel Martin may be reached at [email protected].
Active home listings increased by more than a third over the last year, according to data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.
Median home prices increased slightly statewide and in Grant County, but dropped dramatically in Adams County between June 2023 and June 2024.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Quincy National Night Out scales down
QUINCY — Quincy’s National Night Out was more compact this year, which worked out well, said QPD Sgt. Joe Westby, who’s in charge of event planning for the Quincy Police Department. “National Night Out is a big event, and the fact that we’re able to shrink it up is like a breath of fresh air,” Westby said. “If you're always doing the same thing, it's kind of nice to switch things up and see how it works.” National Night Out took place Thursday on the block of C Street next to the police station, a shift from previous years when it was held at Lauzier Park. The smaller space meant fewer emergency vehicles for children to explore, but it also meant less walking for attendees. Grant County Fire District 5 brought a fire truck, and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office had a patrol boat. Renew, the Grant County behavioral health agency, had a booth and so did Quincy Partnership for Youth. Veterans Operation Creation sang the national anthem, and the Quincy Animal Shelter brought kittens that piled over each other making friends with passersby. As before, the QPD served grilled hot dogs.
Quincy Police retirements leave big shoes to fill
QUINCY — There are some big shoes to fill at the Quincy Police Department. “We’re losing 48 years of experience between them,” Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green said at the retirement party for Capt. Jorge Trujillo and Det. Damon Powell Thursday. Trujillo, who grew up in Sunnyside, has been with QPD for 19 years, he said, coming on as a patrol officer fresh out of the military. From there he served as a field training officer, a detective and finally captain. “I consider him my left-hand man,” Green said. “He runs the operations side of the house … He knows the agency very well, and he knows the community.” Trujillo has some projects around the house to tackle now that he’s retired, he said.
Big fun on a small scale
Wheat Land Communities’ Fair opens Thursday
RITZVILLE — The Wheat Land Communities’ Fair isn’t as big or as flashy as some of the county fairs around central Washington, but the folks who keep it going like it just the way it is. “It’s somewhere you can go and get an old-time traditional feeling, and you’re comfortable letting your kids roam the grounds and experience all that it has to offer,” said Board Member Lori Williams. “It’s more of a feeling than (one) specific thing,” The fair starts Thursday in Ritzville and runs through Sunday. Starting Friday, the 56th Ritzville Rodeo will take place alongside the fair at the rodeo grounds. This year the entertainment budget was expanded, Williams said, to be able to offer more fun that’s covered by the cost of admission. For the kids, there’s face painting, balloon art, Lego crafts, races, contests and games. Children can also ride on a little train towed around the fairgrounds behind a tractor.