More inventory, lower interest make buying more appealing in Washington
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 months, 2 weeks AGO
More homes are available for sale across the state of Washington and interest rates have remained relatively low. Both Grant and Adams counties have seen increases in the number of listings for homes and homebuyers may see the market as an appealing time to buy right now.
COURTESY PHOTO/ALENA DARMEL/PEXELS
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. | March 20, 2026 12:35 AM
MOSES LAKE — Housing inventory is up in Washington state and interest rates are down, making buying a home easier than it was a year ago, according to data released by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which tracks real estate trends in 27 of Washington’s 39 counties.
Active listings statewide increased almost 28% in February 2026 compared to February 2025 and 7.8% over January 2026, according to the NWMLS data. In Grant County, active listings were up 15.7 percent in February 2026 over February 2025, and in Adams County they increased by 69%, the second-highest increase in the state.
Closed sales decreased statewide by 3% year over year, according to the NWMLS. Grant County fared similarly, marking a 2.38 drop in closed sales, while Adams County showed an increase of 3.82%.
Months of inventory, or the amount of time it would take to sell all the homes on the market at a given time, were up 31.7% across Washington, according to the NWMLS. In February 2025, the time was 2.45 months, compared to 3.22 in February 2026. Grant and Adams counties had considerably higher MOI, at 7.41 and 5.44 respectively. A MOI figure between 4 and 6 is considered a balance market by most experts, the NWMLS wrote.
Median sale prices were down slightly in Grant County, decreasing 2.38% to $341,629. In Adams County the median price rose 3.82%, to $340,000. Statewide, the median home price was $620,000, a 1.6 decrease from February 2025.
The average interest rate on a 30-year mortgage was 6.11% Wednesday, according to Freddie Mac. That’s an increase over last week, when it had dropped to 6%, but a substantial decrease compared to a year ago, when it was 6.65%.
“The good news is that mortgage interest rates dropped below 6% at the end of February, for the first time since September 2022,” Steven Bourassa, director of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research, wrote in the NWMLS release. “The lower interest rates have not yet led to increased sales on a year-over-year basis, with the number of transactions declining 3% and prices down relative to February 2025. Listings continue to increase year over year, up 28%, as sellers decide to move on with their lives rather than wait for better market conditions. Compared to January, however, listings, sales and prices were all up.”
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.