Yes, the May MLS numbers are out. Here are direct links to the full NWMLS stats and the King County "breakouts" (PDFs). So far I’ve seen just one news report on the numbers, a blurb in the Puget Sound Business Journal:
Buyers looking for homes near the job centers of Seattle and Bellevue won’t find as many houses for sale compared with the outlying areas, according to the latest report from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS).
And the prices paid for homes in King County continue to rise, the report says.
The median price paid for a single-family home (not including condominiums) in King County last month was $427,950, up from $370,500 a year ago.
…
"We continue to see a lack of viable inventory in those areas close to the job centers in Bellevue and Seattle, while the outlining areas have leveled out and now have more than enough supply for the demand," said Lennox Scott, chairman and CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate, in a statement.
…and I continue to not buy that as an explanation for the decrease in sales. Just like last month, inventory is creeping up (KC homes +10% compared to May ’05) while sales creep down (KC homes -6% compared to May ’05). You do the math.
(Puget Sound Business Journal, 06.06.2006)