{"id":25527,"date":"2013-02-05T12:02:06","date_gmt":"2013-02-05T20:02:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seattlebubble.com\/blog\/?p=25527"},"modified":"2013-02-05T21:12:06","modified_gmt":"2013-02-06T05:12:06","slug":"nwmls-prices-dipped-inventory-inched-up-in-january","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seattlebubble.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/05\/nwmls-prices-dipped-inventory-inched-up-in-january\/","title":{"rendered":"NWMLS: Prices Dipped, Inventory Inched Up in January"},"content":{"rendered":"

December market stats were published by the NWMLS this morning. Here’s a snippet from their press release: Brokers report brisk sales, but rising frustration for home buyers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“I personally have never seen the ratio between active buyers and available inventory in Seattle\u2019s close-in neighborhoods so out of balance,” remarked Mike Skahen, owner\/designated broker at Lake & Co. Real Estate in Seattle. Skahen, a real estate professional since 1976, said multiple offers and bids well over the list price are common. “Even homes that were hard to sell for various reasons are being snapped up so those sellers were wise to list,” he added.<\/p>\n

Lena Maul, a new member of the Northwest MLS board of directors, and the designated broker\/owner at Windermere\/North in Lynnwood, agreed now is a good time for sellers to list. “Sellers who are considering a spring or summer listing may want to consider listing now as demand is outweighing supply,” she noted, adding, “This has given well priced sellers the advantage with the benefit of quick sales and multiple offers.”
\n…
\n“Buyers should not forget the human element of appealing to a seller in this multiple offer market,” Maul emphasized, adding, “You just never know who is on the other side of a transaction and what might be important to them. In this case, selling their home to an owner occupant who appreciated special features of their home versus an investor sealed the deal, not cash.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ugh, gross. Personally, if I have to write a love note to the seller and grovel to get them to accept my offer, that’s a sign to me that I should either find another house or take a break from the market and try again next year.<\/p>\n

All righty, on with our usual monthly stats.<\/p>\n

\n
CAUTION<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

NWMLS monthly reports include an undisclosed and varying number<\/a> of
sales from previous months in their pending and closed sales statistics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Here’s your King County SFH summary, with the arrows to show whether the year-over-year direction of each indicator is favorable or unfavorable news for buyers and sellers (green = favorable, red = unfavorable):<\/p>\n