Seattle is a gem of the Pacific Northwest, surround by water on Puget Sound. It boasts some of the country's most scenic areas with thousands of acres of parkland, mountains, and forests. Seattle is known as a massive tech hub (Microsoft & Amazon notably) and is also home to some of the most popular coffee brands in the country. Here are some nice resources if you're moving to Seattle and want to learn more once you get through the home inspection and closing!
Seattle's housing market is cooling faster than any other U.S. city as of September 2022. Rising mortgage prices and interest rates are causing buyers to back down and slowing what is historically one of the hottest markets in the U.S.
Prices in Seattle rose 6% from a year ago, to $822,000. Seattle scores an 81 on Redfin's Compete Score, meaning homes sell relatively fast — within around 10 days. Even while the market is cooling fast, home buyers in the Seattle area will still face competitive prices, although they may have more negotiating power than other buyers in recent years.
Washington is in line with the national average home inspection cost of $468. It's worth noting that this cost just includes a standard home inspection and not add-on services like termite, radon, or mold inspections. These ancillary services can be smart to add to a traditional home inspection.
We recommend looking at each inspector's website to get a sense of their services, professionalism, and customer service as well as their reviews and a sample report. Some homeowners will call a few inspectors and get pricing and a feel for each company's level of service. A great inspection company will reassure you that they will guide you throughout the process, deliver an easy-to-understand report and be there for you when you have questions.