Buyers Gain Ground: Another 15-Year MOI High | Eastside, Seattle & Snohomish | June 2026 Update

If you're a seasoned homeowner thinking about selling your current home and buying your next one, this June 2026 update gives you the clarity to move with confidence. Tony Meier with Windermere Real Estate in Kirkland has spent **37 years** in the field and closed **793 successful transactions** across Seattle's Eastside. Since 2020 alone, Tony Meier & Team has closed **193 transactions totaling more than $244 million in volume**, experience that shows up in the pricing, prep, negotiation, and plan that keeps you protected from surprises. This month's headline is simple: buyers are gaining ground, and the shift is no longer a one-month story. **For the second consecutive month, Months of Inventory across the Eastside, Seattle, and Snohomish County all hit a 15-year high**, and **combined active listings across the three markets are at the widest May choice point since 2012**. Meanwhile mortgage rates jumped sharply in the past 30 days. The window for buyers is open, but it is moving. ### 📊 The Big Three This Month 💰 **Interest Rates** At **6.67% today**, rates are **down 0.17% from May 2025's 6.84%** but have **jumped 0.23% from last month's 6.44%**, the sharpest single-month uptick in this rate cycle. Timing, rate locks, and payment strategy matter more than they did four weeks ago. 🏘️ **Months of Inventory (MOI)** May 2026 MOI is the **highest May reading in 15 years across all three markets**, dating back to May 2011. The Eastside is firmly past the 2.0 balanced-market threshold for the first May in over a decade. • **Eastside:** **2.9 MOI** (10-year May avg **1.3** | May 2025 **2.1**) • **Seattle:** **2.1 MOI** (10-year May avg **1.1** | May 2025 **2.0**) • **Snohomish County:** **1.9 MOI** (10-year May avg **1.0** | May 2025 **1.5**) 📉 **Median Sales Price, Year over Year** • **Eastside:** **−7.56%** (accelerated from April's −5.04%) • **Seattle:** **+2.66%** (the outlier, urban core dynamics moving independently) • **Snohomish County:** **−3.96%** The deeper Eastside decline underscores how essential precise pricing is now. ### 🧭 What this means on the ground For sellers, this is the lowest May leverage in 15 years. With buyers seeing real choice and demand more price sensitive than it has been all year, the homes that sell first are priced to current comps and shown in top condition. Buyer-friendly terms (credits, rate buydowns, flexible closings) convert showings into firm offers. Pricing to last year's peak is how good homes go stale. For buyers, the window is open: more May choice than any time since 2012, Eastside prices off nearly 8% in a year, and rates still below 12 months ago. But rates climbed 0.23% in 30 days alone, a sharper move than any seasonal inventory shift will compress. Get fully underwritten, identify the home, and negotiate confidently on price, credits, rate buydowns, and timing. Eastside fundamentals remain unchanged: top-ranked school districts (**Lake Washington, Bellevue, Northshore, Issaquah**), the lifestyle around **Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington**, trail networks, and proximity to major tech employers (**Microsoft, Google, Meta, Amazon**). ### 🛠️ What Tony covers beyond the data ✅ **Home preparation that wins attention:** targeted updates, staging guidance, inspection planning, and launch timing that separates your home from competing listings. ✅ **Negotiation strategy that protects net:** credits, rate buydowns, inspection strategy, and terms that reduce risk while keeping buyers engaged. ✅ **Sell-and-buy coordination:** rent-backs, extended closings, bridge planning, and sequencing so you are not caught between homes. 🎥 More market updates and home tours: https://www.youtube.com/@TonyMeier ### This Month's Recommendations **Sellers:** At 2.9 months, Eastside's Months of Inventory is the highest for any May since 2011, giving buyers real choice. With rates near 6.7 percent, demand is price sensitive, so homes priced to current comps and shown in top condition still sell fast and command strong terms. **Buyers:** Choice has not been this wide in May since 2012, and Eastside prices have eased nearly eight percent in a year. Get fully underwritten while rates hover near 6.7 percent, then negotiate with confidence on price, credits, and terms. Have questions while navigating your real estate journey? Tony Meier & Team - Windermere 🏡 Call us at 425-466-1000 📞 Connect with us online: Web: 🌐 http://www.eastsidehomes.com Facebook: 👍 https://www.facebook.com/tmeier Instagram: 📸 https://www.instagram.com/tonymeier.windermere LinkedIn: 🌟 https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonymeier/ Our mission: With 37 years of real estate expertise, we empower you to make confident decisions. We handle every detail as if you were family, offering personalized guidance, skilled negotiation, and unwavering support.