Local home-sale inventory up, buyers down in November

There were more Western Washington homes for sale but fewer buyers last month, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service's November report, released today.

In King County the number of houses and condominums available last month was 32 percent above the previous November.

Pending sales – transactions signed but uncompleted – were down 11 percent compared with a year earlier.

Those trends were reported in most of the 19 counties within the MLS region.

Wet weather and attention given to the mid-term election and the holidays may have affected sales, the MLS said.

The prices that sellers received in November showed an increase over a year ago.

For detached homes and condominiums combined, they were up 13.6 percent in King County, 12.7 percent in Snohomish County, 10 percent in Pierce County and 12.6 percent in Kitsap County. That was compared with the previous November.

King County's median single-family home price, $435,000, reflected little movement since summer. Its median condo price, $272,950, likewise has remained relatively static.

"We have a little bit of a pause today," said Chris Pauling, president of Prudential Northwest Realty. But "Jobs and the strong economy are going to keep prices from falling," he said.

Elizabeth Rhodes: erhodes@seattletimes.com