Home prices vary across Basin
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 hour, 8 minutes AGO
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. | April 24, 2026 3:05 AM
MOSES LAKE — Home prices were up in Moses Lake and Warden last month, but other Columbia Basin communities didn’t see the same increases.
The median price of a home in Moses Lake was $374,495 in March 2026, a 13.1% increase compared to March 2025, according to data released by the real estate website Redfin. Soap Lake’s median home price stayed fairly steady at $328,000, only 1% above a year earlier.
Ephrata and Othello both saw decreases: Othello by 8.4% to $320,000 and Ephrata by 20.4 to $338,000. Warden’s median home price leapt up 57.9% between March 2025 and 2026, to $500,000.
When it came to price per square foot, Othello took the lead in March 2026 at $253, a 2% increase from March 2025. Moses Lake homes sold for $218 per square foot, a decrease of 7.6%. The square foot price in Ephrata was $228, an increase of 6%, and Soap Lakes was $203, a drop of 13.4%. Homes in Warden were a bargain in March 2026 by comparison, averaging only $99 per square foot, a drop of 57.5%.
Moses Lake had the slowest sales of Basin communities for which data was available, according to Redfin. Homes in Moses Lake stayed on the market for an average of 87 days in March 2026, compared to 36 days in March 2025.
Ephrata’s sales sped up significantly, spending 73 days on the market in March 2026 compared to 139 a year earlier. Soap Lake homes averaged 59 days on the market, while homes in Warden sold in 45 days and in Othello in 27 days.
The average 30-year mortgage interest rate was 6.3% on Wednesday, according to Freddie Mac. That’s a decrease from last week’s average of 6.37% and a bigger drop from a year ago when it averages 6.83%.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Home prices vary across Basin
MOSES LAKE — Home prices were up in Moses Lake and Warden last month, but other Columbia Basin communities didn’t see the same increases. The median price of a home in Moses Lake was $374,495 in March 2026, a 13.1% increase compared to March 2025, according to data released by the real estate website Redfin. Soap Lake’s median home price stayed fairly steady at $328,000, only 1% above a year earlier. Ephrata and Othello both saw decreases: Othello by 8.4% to $320,000 and Ephrata by 20.4 to $338,000. Warden’s median home price leapt up 57.9% between March 2025 and 2026, to $500,000.
A glimpse of history
Quincy Valley Historical Society celebrates America’s semiquincentennial
QUINCY — The Quincy Valley Historical Society is going all-out for America’s 250th year. “I’ve been talking with people in the last six months about this, (and) some people will say, ‘Why do you want to celebrate America at 250?’” said Harriet Weber, director of operations for the Quincy Valley Historical Society and Museum. “And I said, ‘You know, no matter what your political stance is, (we’ve had) 250 years of freedom, which I believe we take for granted.” One way the museum is celebrating is with its first-ever traveling exhibit, “Journey to Philadelphia 1776.” Volunteers are making the rounds of Quincy’s five elementary schools, one a week, with a sixth session at the museum for New Life Christian School in Ephrata and homeschool students, Weber said. “Journey to Philadelphia 1776” features 12 volunteer interpreters in costume, who lead the students through some of the high points of America’s founding.
BASIN EVENTS: April 24-May 31
COLUMBIA BASIN — We’re swinging into May and there are festivals, rodeos, live performances and more. Here are a few possibilities. April 24 Children’s Day Get ready for a day full of smiles, laughter, and community spirit at the new stage area in the park. Each child will receive a treat bag packed with goodies like snacks, candies, and fun surprises. 4 p.m. at Hund Memorial Park, Mattawa. Info: 509-932-4037. Hiram B. Freedom and his Honky-Tonk Holy Ghost Revival Live outlaw country music by the King of the Hillbilly Poets. 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Michael’s Market & Bistro, 221 W. Broadway Ave., Moses Lake. Info: 509-765-4177.