Home Price Affordability Driven by Commute Times

Close proximity to the work place is often near the top of a buyer’s list of preferred features. 2015 proved to be the year that commute times to major job centers widened the price divide between key market areas in the Greater Seattle area. Seattle proper has always been more expensive than its neighboring suburbs, but the most current prices tell a tale of two different markets. In 2015 the average sales price for a single-family residential home in the Seattle Metro area was $632,000! In South Snohomish County (Everett to the King County line) the average sales price for a single-family residential home in 2015 was $433,000 – 46% less than Seattle Metro. Further, if you jump across Lake Washington to the Eastside, the average sales price for a single-family residential home in 2015 was $787,000 – 19% more than Seattle Metro! In December, pending sales in Snohomish County were up 12% and closings were up 29%, whereas in King County pending sales were down 9% and closings were up only 4%. We believe this is a result of more inventory choices in Snohomish County, as well as lower prices, new construction, lower taxes, strong school district options and manageable commute times. Newer transit centers and telecommuting have also opened up doors to King County's little brother to the north. 

If you are curious about possible commute times, you can search for properties here on our website based on commute times, which is a feature provided by INRIX Drive Time. No matter which neighborhood you are interested in learning about in either King or Snohomish County, any of our agents would be happy to provide a 2015 re-cap of that market. 2015 was an outstanding year in real estate and we are looking for that to continue in 2016. We hope to see more homes coming to market due to the market's strong price position, which should help to increase inventory levels, in turn helping temper price growth and giving buyers more options.