Huge Price Gains

I reported in an earlier blog this week that Seattle median home prices reached $560,000 in August of this year. Metro King County's median price was $500,000.

Two years earlier, according to a Zillow report from September 2013, the peak Zillow Home Value Index (basically, median home price) for a Seattle metro home was $379,200. This is more than a 32% increase over a two year period.

These price points make it very difficult for investors and first-time home-buyers to acquire property, even with current low interest rates. Affordability is such an issue in the Seattle area, that it is a major part of the local political discussion.

Bubble prices, anyone?

Happy Investing!

Bellevue vs. Seattle

And while we are comparing the adjacent housing markets of Seattle and Bellevue, here is a link to a hilarious blog comparing the two cities.


Various data on the two school districts may be found here:

• The State Report Card at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction provides current and historical test scores by school and district. It also provides other detailed information by school. To drill down for the data, use the search box on the top right-hand site of the OSPI site.
• www.greatschools.org provides listings nationwide on school performance, including parent ratings and reviews.
• www.schooldigger.com is a schools comparison site which provides test score data, demographic data and neighborhood information.
• For in-depth coverage of Seattle-area and Washington schools, visit our Education channel.

And here is where you can find Cost of Living data that compares the cost of living in Seattle, relative to other cities in the United States.

Happy house-hunting! Happy Investing!