Grant County home sales stay even in May

MOSES LAKE - Figures for closed sales in Grant County and Moses Lake stayed even from May 2010 to May 2011.

In May 2011, there were 62 homes sold in Grant County and in Moses Lake 42 homes were sold, said Jessie Roberson, the Grant County satellite office manager of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

In May 2010, there were 63 homes sold in Grant County and in Moses Lake there were 45 homes retailed.

The figures don't reflect "for sale by owner" homes and other properties not included in the MLS.

"You have to go out and work for what you bring in, but no one's complaining about it," she commented.

During open house events for homes, realtors are educating the public about price changes. For example, in 2007 prices were higher.

"Right now, you're going to get your value's worth," Roberson commented.

She knows of some real estate offices in town experiencing an influx of "doctor tours" of homes.

But it doesn't mean the doctors took a job here or were hired, she said.

In Moses Lake, the general feeling among client and brokers is that the town is a positive spot for real estate, said Jeff Foster, owner/designated broker of Advantage in Moses Lake and president of the Moses Lake-Othello Association of Realtors.

Pending, which are accepted home offers, and closing figures, or finalized offers, were identical from May 2010 and May 2011, he pointed out.

One reason is the national home buyer's credit, which was supposed to expire in late 2009. Congress extended the credit to the end of April 2010, Foster said

The credit accelerated purchasing decisions into April 2010, whereas people may not have bought homes until June 2010.

"Today's buyer is very smart and very aware of what is going on in the market with the use of the Internet," he commented. "A lot of times buyers will come into the office already knowing what is out there."

In Grant County there was a $4,000 average sales price decrease from May 2010 to May 2011.

"I would say prices stayed relatively slack from last year," Foster said. "There is a perception from the national real estate market that prices are falling, but we're not like other parts of the country."

Statewide members of the MLS experienced a 43 percent increase for single family home sales in May from one year ago.

"Low interest rates, low down payment requirements and lower adjusted prices are attracting buyers into the market," stated J. Lennox Scott, chairman and CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate in Seattle.

Not all real estate markets in the state are improving the same, according to OB Jacobi, president of Windermere Real Estate and a MLS board member.

"It's also obvious that the basic market forces of low supply and high demand are beginning to shift buyer or seller attitudes in many neighborhoods," she commented. "That's good news for sellers and perhaps a cautionary message to buyers as well."

In Washington state, listings of single family homes and condos decreased by 13 percent, or 5,400, from May 2010 to May 2011.