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Buying and Selling a Home at the Same Time: How Bridge Loans Can Help


One of the biggest stressors for home buyers and sellers is the prospect of being financially responsible for two homes. To avoid that possibility, many buyers make their offer contingent on the sale of their existing home. But contingencies can weaken buyers’ chances of landing the home they want. So, some buyers lean on personal loans, piggyback loans or even their 401(k) savings.

Find out why more borrowers are temporarily tapping the equity in their current home to avoid making a contingency offer on their next home.

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National Housing Snapshot for August 2025



Existing-home sales remained essentially the same in August, ticking down by 0.2% from July, according to the National Association of REALTORS® Existing-Home Sales Report.

Month-over-month sales increased in the Midwest and West, and fell in the Northeast and South. Year-over-year, sales rose in the Midwest and South, and fell in the Northeast and West.

Total Existing-Home Sales for August

  • 0.2% decrease in total existing-home sales month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.0 million.
  • 1.8% increase in sales year-over-year.

Inventory in August

  • 1.53 million units: Total housing inventory, , down 1.3% from July and up 11.7% from August 2024 (1.37 million).
  • 4.6-month supply of unsold inventory, no change from July and up from 4.2 months in August 2024.

Median Sales Price in August

  • $422,600: Median existing-home price for all housing types, up 2.0% from one year ago ($414,200) – the 26th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases.

Read more details here…

Source: National Association of REALTORS® 9/25/25

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Washington State NWMLS Market Update for August 2025



Market Recap

In August, both active listings and home sales declined compared to July—by 2.7% and 7.7%, respectively—across the 27 counties in the NWMLS coverage area. This slowdown was largely driven by weaker activity in King and Snohomish counties. Compared to the same time last year, listings rose by 30.8%, but sales fell by 5.7%, indicating continued stagnant buyer demand. Median home prices remained flat month-over-month and increased just .8% year-over-year.

“Interest rates for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages declined early in the month, from 6.72% at the end of July to 6.63% a week later, but have dropped relatively slowly since then, ending the month at 6.56%,” said Steven Bourassa, Director of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington. “Pressure on the Federal Reserve Bank to lower its overnight federal funds rate is expected to result in cuts later this year, but it is unclear that such cuts will lead to significant changes in long-term rates, such as for mortgages.”

Key Takeaways

Active Listings

  • There was a 30.8% increase in total number of properties listed for sale year-over-year, with 20,219 active listings on the market at the end of August 2025, compared to 15,453 at the end of August 2024. When compared to the previous month, active inventory decreased by 562 listings (-2.7%), down from 20,781 in July 2025.
  • The number of homes for sale year-over-year increased throughout the NWMLS coverage area, with 25 out of 27 counties seeing a double-digit year-over-year increase. The six counties with highest year-over-year increases in active inventory for sale were Ferry (+63%), Snohomish (+50.1%), Jefferson (+47.3%), Clallam (+46.3%), Columbia (+45.8%), and Thurston (+38.9%).

Closed Sales

  • The number of closed sales decreased by 5.7% year-over-year (6,341 in August 2025 compared to 6,727 in August 2024). When compared to the previous month, the number of closed sales decreased by 7.7%, down from 6,867 sales in July 2025.
  • 15 out of 27 counties saw a decrease in the number of closed sales year-over-year, while 9 saw an increase, and 3 showed no change. The six counties with the largest increases were Clallam (+16.3%), Okanogan (+16.1%), Grant (+11.5%), Lewis (+8.3%), Island (+7.9%), and Douglas (+5.1%).

Median Sales Price

  • The median sales price for residential homes and condominiums sold in August 2025 was $650,000 — a slight increase of .8% when compared to August 2024 ($645,000). Compared to the previous month, the median price remained unchanged ($650,000 in July 2025).
  • The three counties with the highest median sale prices were San Juan ($1,050,000), King ($875,000), and Snohomish ($755,000), and the three counties with the lowest median sale prices were Ferry ($250,000), Columbia ($319,000), and Grays Harbor ($323,500).

Source: NWMLS 9/4/25



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5 Essentials for a Perfect Entryway

In the latest issue of Magnolia Journal, Joanna Gaines shares her five must-have elements for a functional and welcoming entryway: hooks for organization, mirrors to brighten the space, surfaces for convenience, catchall dishes for small items and ample storage. Gaines emphasizes that these essentials can be adapted to any space, from large foyers to small apartment entries, for style and practicality.

Read more…

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National Housing Snapshot for July 2025



Month-over-month sales increased in the Northeast, South, and West, and fell in the Midwest. Year-over-year, sales rose in the South, Northeast, and Midwest, and fell in the West.

“The ever-so-slight improvement in housing affordability is inching up home sales,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “Wage growth is now comfortably outpacing home price growth, and buyers have more choices. Condominium sales increased in the South region, where prices had been falling for the past year.”

“Near-zero growth in home prices suggests that roughly half the country is experiencing price reductions. Overall, homeowners are doing well financially. Only 2% of sales were foreclosures or short sales – essentially a historic low. The market’s health is supported by a cumulative 49% home price appreciation for a typical American homeowner from pre-COVID July 2019 to July this year,” Dr. Yun continued.

“Homebuyers are in the best position in more than five years to find the right home and negotiate for a better price. Current inventory is at its highest since May 2020, during the COVID lockdown.”

National Snapshot

  • 2.0% increase in total existing-home sales month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.01 million.
  • 0.8% increase in sales year-over-year.

Inventory

  • 1.55 million units: Total housing inventory , up 0.6% from June and increased 15.7% from July 2024 (1.34 million).
  • 4.6-month supply of unsold inventory, down from 4.7 months in June and up from 4 months in July 2024.

Median Sales Price

  • $422,400: Median existing-home price for all housing types, up 0.2% from one year ago ($421,400) – the 25th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases.

Read more details here…

Source: National Association of REALTORS® 8/21/25




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5 Budget-Friendly Kitchen Upgrades

When it comes time to look for ways to renovate or spruce up your house, the kitchen is an important room to prioritize. It’s the heart of your home, and it’s a space that needs to be functional above all. Fortunately, there are plenty of stylish kitchen upgrades you can do on a budget.

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Washington State NWMLS Market Update for July 2025



Market Recap

At the end of July 2025, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 6.72%, virtually the same as the average rate over the past year. As a consequence, home sales remain sluggish with only a 3.81% increase in transactions over July 2024. The growth in listings relative to a year earlier was much greater at 37.42%. Meanwhile, median prices remained consistent with July 2024 prices.

“As expected, the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve Bank kept the federal funds rate unchanged at its July 30 meeting, reflecting ongoing concerns about inflation,” said Steven Bourassa, Director of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington. “Although the federal funds rate is not directly related to mortgage rates, this decision does suggest that there is unlikely to be any improvement in mortgage rates in the near future.”


Key Takeaways

Active Listings

  • There was a 37.42% increase in total number of properties listed for sale year-over-year, with 20,781 active listings on the market at the end of July 2025, compared to 15,122 at the end of July 2024. When compared to the previous month, active inventory increased by 944 listings (+4.76%), up from 19,837 in June 2025.
  • The number of homes for sale year-over-year increased throughout the NWMLS coverage area, with 26 out of 27 counties seeing a double-digit year-over-year increase.

New Listings

  • NWMLS brokers added 10,418 new listings to the database in July 2025, a year-over-year increase of 12.25% compared to July 2024 (9,281). When compared to the previous month (June 2025), new listings decreased by 4.99%, when 10,965 listings were added to the NWMLS database.
  • The number of new listings increased year-over-year in 23 of 27 counties.

Closed Sales

  • The number of closed sales increased by 3.81% year-over-year (6,867 in July 2025 compared to 6,615 in July 2024). When compared to the previous month, the number of closed sales increased by 2.58%, up from 6,694 sales in June 2025.

Median Sales Price and Total Dollar Value

  • The median sales price for residential homes and condominiums sold in July 2025 was $650,000 — unchanged from July 2024. Compared to the previous month, the median price declined 2.99%, down from $670,000 in June 2025.
  • The three counties with the highest median sale prices were San Juan ($906,250), King ($875,000), and Snohomish ($765,000).

Source: NWMLS 8/5/25



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8 Summer Home Trends That Will Get Buyers Talking

The home remodeling site Houzz weighed in with the home trends heating up this summer, from color-drenched palettes and wood-focused spaces, to beverage stations and more. Discover the home design styles driving the most online searches!

Read more…

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National Housing Snapshot for June 2025



According to NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, “Multiple years of undersupply are driving the record high home price. Home construction continues to lag population growth. This is holding back first-time home buyers from entering the market. More supply is needed to increase the share of first-time homebuyers in the coming years even though some markets appear to have a temporary oversupply at the moment.”

Total Existing-Home Sales for June

  • 2.7% decrease in total existing-home sales month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.93 million.
  • No change in sales year-over-year.

Inventory in June

  • 1.53 million units: Total housing inventory, down 0.6% from May and increased 15.9% from June 2024 (1.32 million).
  • 4.7-month supply of unsold inventory, up from 4.6 months in May and 4 months in June 2024.

Median Sales Price in June

  • $435,300: Median existing-home price for all housing types, up 2% from one year ago ($426,900) — a record high for the month of June, and the 24th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases.

Read more details here…

Source: National Association of REALTORS® 7/23/25




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What Percentage of Your Paycheck Should Go To Your Mortgage Payment?


The road to homeownership has been a challenge for many Americans—stubborn mortgage rates and inflation keep this dream out of reach for many. And for those who can afford a home, not ending up “house poor” is also key.

Read more…