Home sales show an increase

The Olympian, News Services • Published October 07, 2008

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Home sales in much of Western Washington were up for the first time in more than a year and a half, but prices were down, and there were fewer homes on the market.

But in Thurston County, both sales and prices of homes and condos declined from one year ago.

The number of closed sales in September in the county was down 23 percent from September 2007, or 269 homes and condos compared with 349 a year ago.

Thurston County numbers

Home prices countywide also fell from an average of $258,000 to $248,000, a drop of 3.88 percent.

However, the number of new listings and sales yet to close in Thurston County is up compared with a year ago.

The overall results for September were reported Monday by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, a real estate consortium based in Kirkland. It covers all 16 counties west of the Cascades and three to the east — Kittitas, Grant and Okanogan.

Overall, home sales in Western Washington rose nearly 4.1 percent in September and about a percentage point more, nearly 4.2 percent, in King County.

Last increase in '07

The last monthly increase in home sales was 4.8 percent in February 2007.

The region's median sale price for single-family homes and condominiums fell last month by 8.3 percent to $295,000, the MLS reported.