If you’re a seasoned homeowner thinking about selling your current home and buying your next one, this May 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, logged **74,000+ hours**, and closed **790 successful transactions** across Seattle’s Eastside, experience that shows up in the details: the pricing, the prep, the negotiation, and the plan that keeps you protected from surprises.
This month’s data tells a story that hasn’t been true in over a decade. **Months of Inventory across the Eastside, Seattle, and Snohomish County all hit their highest April reading in 15 years**, and **combined active listings across these three markets are at the highest April count since 2012**. Translation: April sellers face their lowest leverage since 2011, and April buyers have more spring choices than at any time in well over a decade.
### 📊 The Big Three This Month
💰 **Interest Rates**
At **6.44% today**, rates are **down 0.30% from April 2025** but have **ticked up from March 2026’s 6.33%**. Year over year, buyers have slightly more purchasing power than they did last spring. The recent move higher means timing, rate locks, and payment strategy matter more than they did 30 days ago.
🏘️ **Months of Inventory (MOI)**
April 2026 MOI is the **highest April reading in 15 years across all three markets**, dating back to April 2011. This is the single biggest shift this spring.
• **Eastside:** **2.9 MOI** (10-year Apr avg **1.2** | Apr 2025 **1.9**)
• **Seattle:** **1.9 MOI** (10-year Apr avg **1.0** | Apr 2025 **1.4**)
• **Snohomish County:** **1.9 MOI** (10-year Apr avg **0.9** | Apr 2025 **1.2**)
📉 **Median Sales Price, Year over Year**
• **Eastside:** **−5.04%**
• **Seattle:** **−2.55%**
• **Snohomish County:** **flat (0%)**
Softer pricing reflects more competition for buyer attention and underscores pricing to today’s comp set, not last year’s peak.
### 🧭 What this means on the ground
For sellers, MOI is leverage, and this is the lowest leverage an April seller has had since 2011. The strategic playbook leads with preparation, precision pricing, and buyer-friendly terms (credits, rate buydowns, flexible closings) that convert interest into firm offers. Days on market move faster than price reductions, so the first 10 to 14 days are the moment that matters most.
For buyers, combined April active listings across the Eastside, Seattle, and Snohomish County have not been this high since 2012. Combined with rates 30 basis points below last April, this is real negotiating room on price, credits, rate buydowns, and timing. Get fully underwritten so your offer is the cleanest at the table, and act with intent: the recent uptick in rates is a reminder that buying power can erode faster than seasonal inventory shifts.
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**). The shift in MOI and active listings is a market correction, not a fundamentals story.
### 🛠️ 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
**Buyers:** Buyers haven’t had this many active listings to choose from in any April since 2012, so get fully underwritten and negotiate confidently on price, credits, and terms before rising rates erode your buying power.
**Sellers:** Months of Inventory is leverage. This is the lowest leverage an April seller has had since 2011. Win by pricing precisely to current comps, leading with preparation, and offering buyer-friendly terms that convert interest into firm offers.
If you have any questions while navigating your real estate journey, we’re here to help! 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. From the first conversation to long after closing, you can count on us for professionalism, insight, and results.
