Seattle Eastside Inventory Up 47%

Henry Shim Group

Seattle In Numbers

Vol. 9 | July 24, 2026

A Note From Us

Good morning. East of Lake Sammamish just posted the biggest inventory jump of any Eastside submarket, King County's median sale price pulled back from a year ago, and mortgage rates matched their 2026 high for the third time this year. None of that is bad news, it's a market finding its balance. This week we're breaking down what more inventory actually means if you're buying or selling, then checking rates and the national picture. Let's get into it.

The Number

47.4%

East of Lake Sammamish active inventory, year over year

Per NWMLS's own June 2026 King County Area Statistics Report, active listings east of Lake Sammamish (Sammamish, Issaquah, and the surrounding area) hit 504 in June, up from 342 in June 2025, a 47.4% jump. It's the biggest year-over-year increase of any Eastside submarket NWMLS tracks.

Prices are softening to match. The area's median sale price sits at $1,449,973 through June, down from $1,542,497 a year ago, roughly a 6% pull back. Translation: if you've been priced out of Sammamish or Issaquah over the last couple years, this is the most breathing room that market has offered in a while.

342

June 2025

504

June 2026

Map showing NWMLS Area 540, East of Lake Sammamish, relative to Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, and Issaquah

NWMLS Area 540: East of Lake Sammamish

Biggest inventory gains on the map above, year over year:

1. East of Lake Sammamish (540)

+47.4%

2. Bellevue, West of 405 (520)

+37.8%

3. Eastside, South of I-90 (500)

+30.9%

4. Kirkland, Bridle Trails (560)

+30.8%

5. Renton, Highlands & Kennydale (350)

+28.8%

Source: NWMLS June 2026 King County Area Statistics Report, active listings, Residential + Condominium, year over year

What We're Seeing

Nearly Half

Of Seattle-area home sales included seller concessions

Redfin data shows 48.8% of Seattle-area home sales in the three months ending in May included some form of seller concession, repairs, closing costs, or a rate buydown. That's down from a whopping 66% a year ago, but still nearly half of every sale. It lines up with what NWMLS is showing at the county level: active listings across King County hit 7,405 in June, up 16.9% year over year, and the countywide median sale price sits at $849,990, down from $885,000 a year ago, roughly a 4% pull back.

Here's what that looks like on our end:

Nearly every seller we're working with right now has been ready to talk about a price drop, that's not something we'd have said a year ago.
Sellers are noticing the extra competition too. More listings on the market means buyers have options, and pricing something too high just means sitting longer while newer, better-priced listings pass you by.
More sellers are getting creative to compete, offering concessions or buying down a buyer's rate rather than just cutting the price outright.
Bottom line: pricing and presentation matter more right now than they have in years.

Plain English Take

More homes on the market and softer prices sound like a market in trouble. It isn't. It's a market correcting toward balance after years of being tilted hard toward sellers. If you're buying on the Eastside right now, you can ask for repairs, negotiate on price, and skip waiving your inspection to compete, none of that was true 18 months ago. If you're selling, pricing it right on day one matters more than it did last spring, because buyers now have the last home down the street to compare you to. Think of this as the market finding its footing again, month by month.

This Week In Seattle

Food, music, and a car-free lakefront. Three ways to spend the weekend.

Bite of Seattle

Friday, July 24 to Sunday, July 26 · Seattle Center

Its 44th year, back at Seattle Center with 300-plus food and retail vendors and 50-plus musical artists across the Fountain, Mural, and Fisher stages. Free admission, 11am to 8pm daily.

Learn More

Bicycle Weekends

Saturday, July 25 to Sunday, July 26 · Lake Washington Blvd

Lake Washington Boulevard closes to cars from Mount Baker Beach to Seward Park, opening a car-free stretch for biking, walking, and rolling. Runs nearly every weekend through Labor Day.

Learn More

Boyz II Men

Saturday, July 25 · Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville

The R&B legends bring their summer amphitheater tour to Woodinville's wine country. Doors at 6pm, show at 7pm.

Learn More

National

63%

Of builders now offering sales incentives, NAHB/Wells Fargo

The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index's July release shows 63% of builders now using sales incentives like mortgage rate buydowns, up from 62% in June and the 16th straight month above 60%. New home sales themselves are actually down nationally this year, NAHB reported sales declining on affordability concerns, but builders have an edge individual sellers can't match: they can use their own margins to buy a buyer's rate down. That's giving new construction real staying power against a softer resale market.

Nationally, the existing home market is settling into its usual summer rhythm. Existing-home sales dipped 2.4% in June to a 4.09 million annual pace, still up 2.8% from a year ago, with the median price hitting an all-time high of $440,600, the 36th straight month prices have risen. Pending sales cooled 5.4% in June, in line with the seasonal slowdown that typically follows the spring rush, a normal signal heading into late summer.

Mortgage News Daily has the 30-year fixed matching the highest level of 2026 for the third separate time this year, after a full round trip from 6.75% last July down to 5.99% in February and back. Freddie Mac's weekly survey tells a similar story, up to 6.55% from 6.49% the week before.

Active Listings

A turn-key Tukwila home, completely refreshed, $479,950
A Ballard three bedroom with room to grow, ~~$769,900~~ $749,900 — price drop
A Bothell four bedroom on 167th, ~~$999,900~~ $974,900 — price drop
A second Bothell four bedroom on 183rd, ~~$1,015,000~~ $999,900 — price drop
A West Seattle three bedroom on 18th Ave, ~~$749,900~~ $699,900 — price drop
A Bellevue one bedroom condo, walkable to downtown, $499,900
A Seattle studio on Elliott Ave W with Elliott Bay views, ~~$289,000~~ $279,000 — price drop

View all HSG listings

Listings we like right now:

Listing We Like

6340 NE Windermere Road, Seattle, WA 98105

$5,400,000

A fully remodeled mid-century estate on park-like grounds with sweeping Lake Washington and Mt. Rainier views, five bedrooms, hot tub, and a detached three-car garage with EV charging.

View Listing

Listing We Like

18608 Sound View Place, Edmonds, WA 98020

$4,000,000

A custom waterfront home in Edmonds' University Colony with protected Puget Sound and mountain views, private beach access, and hand-built timber-frame craftsmanship throughout.

View Listing

Listing We Like

4200 Washington Avenue W, Seattle, WA 98199

$4,275,000

The General's Residence at Officer's Row in Discovery Park, a historically registered 1904 estate on Fort Lawton grounds, first time on the public market, with Sound and Olympic views.

View Listing

Just sold, buy side: