Submitted by John L. Scott Real Estate

More, more, more. In September, we saw more new listings and more pending home sales in King County compared to a year ago.

“In fact,” says Lennox Scott, chairman and CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate, “last month was the best September on record.” He goes on to say that the “surge-hot” housing market continues on a seasonality basis. This means that while pending sales may be slowing down, it’s really a seasonal impact. When you compare last September’s statistics to those of a year ago the numbers are higher.

September also had a kinder, gentler feel. We saw a slight decrease in the number of multiple offers situations for new listings, so buyers are feeling a bit of relief.

Mona Spencer, branch manager of John L. Scott Redmond, says that in Redmond, there continues to be a high demand for housing. Couple that with low inventory and that’s a combination that equals rising prices.

“The median list price in Redmond is $749,000 and the median sale price is $629,000,” she says. “Houses are selling for over list price in multiple offers. Presenting very strong offers and waived inspections and appraisals is what most sellers look for when making their decision on which offer to accept.”

Spencer says Redmond is experiencing continued job growth with approximately 91,000 jobs and a population of 54,000 people.

Home prices in King County continue to show appreciation compared to a year ago. In fact, appreciation in King County is up 9.74 percent from last September.