From Buyer Territory Back to Balanced | Eastside, Seattle & Snohomish | September 2026 Update

If you're a seasoned homeowner thinking about selling your current home and buying your next one, this September 2026 update captures a market in transition. Tony Meier with Windermere Real Estate in Kirkland has spent **37 years** in the field and just crossed **803 successful transactions** across Seattle's Eastside. Since 2020 alone, Tony Meier & Team has closed **203 transactions totaling more than $253 million in volume**, experience that shows up in the pricing, prep, negotiation, and plan that keeps you protected from surprises. August 2026 tells a two-part story. **The Eastside eased back from buyer-favored territory into a balanced market** after July's brief crossing (MOI 4.0 → 3.5), but choice remains at its most abundant August level since 2011. At the same time, **market pace is running at roughly 50% of normal**. Fewer transactions are closing even as inventory sits available. Buyers still have leverage, sellers still need precision, and rates are a real headwind. ### 📊 The Big Three This Month 💰 **Interest Rates** At **6.89% today**, rates are **up 0.30% from August 2025's 6.59%** and **up 0.22% from last month's 6.67%**, the third consecutive monthly increase. For the first time in this cycle, rates are meaningfully higher year over year, tightening buyer purchasing power at exactly the moment inventory is broadest. 🏘️ **Months of Inventory (MOI)** August MOI ran high across all three markets, with the Eastside easing from July's buyer-favored 4.0 back into deep balanced territory. • **Eastside:** **3.5 MOI** (10-year Aug avg **1.7** | Aug 2025 **2.5**) • **Seattle:** **3.2 MOI** (10-year Aug avg **1.6** | Aug 2025 **2.2**) • **Snohomish County:** **2.9 MOI** (10-year Aug avg **1.4** | Aug 2025 **2.0**) 📉 **Median Sales Price, Year over Year** • **Eastside:** **−5.97%** (re-accelerated from July's −0.32%) • **Seattle:** **−8.00%** (sharp decline from July's −1.04%) • **Snohomish County:** **−2.66%** (moderated from July's −5.93%) Eastside and Seattle both saw sharp price declines this month, reversing July's moderation. Snohomish moderated in the opposite direction. ### 🧭 What this means on the ground For sellers, the market is characterized by two contradictions: more choice for buyers than any August since 2011, but transaction pace at roughly 50% of normal. In this environment, homes do not sell themselves. They sell because they are prepared, priced, and positioned to outperform competing inventory. Precision pricing to today's comps (not last year's) and buyer-friendly terms are what convert showings into contracts. For buyers, the fundamentals still favor you: balanced-to-buyer inventory levels, softer prices year over year, and time to evaluate without pressure. But the rate environment has shifted. With rates now 30 basis points above last August and trending up three months running, the affordability window can compress even as inventory holds. Get fully underwritten now and negotiate on price, credits, and terms while both leverage and choice remain on your side. Seasonally, MOI historically peaks in September before easing into winter. Expect the buyer-friendly conditions to hold through fall, but watch rates as the primary variable that can shift the math. ### 🛠️ What Tony covers beyond the data ✅ **Home preparation that wins in a balanced market:** targeted updates, staging, inspection planning, and disciplined pricing to separate 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 3.5 months, the Eastside eased back into a balanced market after July's brief buyer tilt, still the most August choice since 2011. With rates near 6.9 percent, well-priced homes in top condition still sell fast and command strong terms. **Buyers:** Eastside selection is the widest for any August since 2011, and Seattle prices have eased about eight percent in a year. Confirm your approval, then negotiate with confidence on price, credits, and terms while a balanced market keeps room on your side. 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.