Snohomish Market Update: What the Latest 98290 Numbers Show

Here is the November read on the Snohomish market, straight from the newest published numbers. The short version: sale prices are holding around the $830,000 to $900,000 range depending on the measure, inventory is up sharply from a year ago, and homes are taking weeks rather than days to sell. That is a real change from two years ago, and it matters for buyers and sellers both.

The Snohomish numbers

The freshest ZIP-level data for 98290 comes from September. RealtyTrac puts the median sold price at $830,100, down about 2.6 percent from a year earlier, with the median listing price at $882,500, down about 1.9 percent. Inventory is the headline: about 808 homes for sale, up roughly 40 percent from 579 a year ago. Sales volume ran about 151 closings in September versus 243 a year earlier, which is what a slower, more balanced market looks like.

City-level data from NWMLS, current as of late October, paints the same picture over a longer window: a median sold price around $900,000 over the last 90 days, about 209 sales, a median 33 days on market, sales closing at roughly 97.5 percent of asking, and about 3.6 months of supply.

The two providers are counting differently, one ZIP over a single month and one city-wide over 90 days, and the mix of homes selling from month to month swings the median in a market that runs from under $200,000 to over $2 million. That is why the what-is-my-home-worth answer depends on the source and the month, and why a look at your specific street beats any single headline number.

The county-wide backdrop

The NWMLS September snapshot put Snohomish County's median sold price at $720,000, down about 0.4 percent from a year earlier, with active listings up about 44 percent and roughly 3.5 to 3.8 months of supply. Statewide, NWMLS data published October 28 puts Washington at about 4.1 months of inventory. That is the most balanced supply picture in years at both levels.

What it means if you are buying

You have more choices in Snohomish than buyers have had in a long while, and homes are sitting long enough to compare options without the weekend scramble. The catch: well-priced character homes near the historic core still sell, just not in a weekend anymore, so be ready to write an offer when the right one shows up, and use the extra time to inspect and compare.

What it means if you are selling

Inventory is your competition. The 98290 ZIP has roughly 40 percent more homes for sale than a year ago, and buyers can be picky about condition and price per square foot. Price to current comparables from day one, handle condition before you list, and plan on weeks on market rather than days. Homes that do that are still closing at about 97.5 percent of asking.

The takeaway

The honest summary: a cooler, more balanced Snohomish market with prices holding near $830,000 to $900,000, inventory up about 40 percent, and sales taking weeks instead of days. If you want the current number for your specific street or home, that is a conversation I would be glad to have, no pressure. Knowledge creates confidence.