Two Eastside homes sold for $38M. Neither was listed.

A Note From Us

Happy Halloween weekend. It was another week of loud headlines, so this issue is about separating what actually happened from what your feed says happened. We'll start with the biggest number of the week.

The Number

Microsoft employees eligible for an exit offer. Eligible. Not leaving.

Your feed probably made this sound like a quarter of Microsoft walking out the door. Here's what actually happened:

So what does it mean for housing? Honestly, not much yet. If a slice of eligible employees take the package, some of those households could decide to sell or relocate in early 2027, and the Eastside is where we'd see it first. We'll track listings there after the deadline and tell you what the data actually shows.

What We're Seeing

K-Shaped?

It's starting to look like one

The middle of the market is still moving, just at a slower pace. Buyers there are getting concessions and negotiating real terms. The top end is moving faster. Since September, two Eastside homes sold for $21.4 million in Hunts Point and $16.7 million in Sammamish without ever hitting the market. And this week, a $10.9 million home in Bellevue went pending in 8 days.

That's not a full K yet, since the middle is still selling. But if the top keeps speeding up while the middle keeps slowing down, that's the shape it's starting to take. We'll keep watching both ends.

What We're Loving

National

7.24%

Rates hit their lowest level of October

Freddie Mac's 30-year average fell to 7.24% this week, down from 7.32% and the lowest of the month. A year ago it was 6.17%.

On Wednesday, the Fed held rates at 3.75% to 4% in a 10-2 vote, with two members pushing for another hike. Chair Warsh said growth is strong and declined to signal what comes next. The next meeting is December 9.

Seattle

Condo inventory in King County, where buyers have the most room

The King County median was $850,000 in September, exactly where it was a year ago. What moved was supply: active listings in King County are up 31.1% from last year.

Condos are where buyers have the most leverage. King County condo buyers had 7.0 months of inventory to choose from, and the median condo price fell 6.0% to $496,000. October numbers land next week, and we'll have them for you.

This Week in Seattle

Active Listings

Worth Reading

Thinking through your next move?

Let's talk it through, no pressure, just a real conversation about your options.

Henry H. Shim & Akash S. Sandhu

Henry Shim Group

Henry Shim Group · Windermere Real Estate Midtown · 1920 N 34th St, Seattle, WA 98103
All data sourced from NWMLS, Freddie Mac, the Federal Reserve, or as otherwise cited. Not financial or legal advice. Equal Housing Opportunity.