Last year was a great time to sell a house throughout western Washington, or be a residential realtor. Buyers seeking homes in Skagit County know it was a sellers market: The $500,000 median home price was up 18.2% over 2020, good for brokers and sellers, both. The 111 homes priced – not sold – at $1 million or more pushed the median price up. Almost 2,000 homes and condos sold in the county. That is 159 dwellings, 7.4% fewer than sold in 2020. The median sold price of 3-bedroom homes countywide was $492,750.

The median sales price is the point where half of the sales are above it and half are below it.

Homes sold for 102.7% of list price on average in the county, less than the 103% or 106% in Whatcom and Snohomish counties respectively.

La Conner sellers did well. Sold home prices in this sector were up 24% from 2020: The average median sold home price was $482,750 for the 77 homes and five condominiums sold. Supply was down from the 105 homes and condos sold in 2020. July was the best month for home sellers, when the seven sold homes averaged $542,500. Buyers did best in November, when they paid an average of $384,500 for the six homes sold.

Countywide, active home and condo listings, all inventory for sale, were down 41%, and new listings were down 4.6%. The 1,993 closed sales were 7.4% fewer than in 2020.

Data are from Northwest MLS (Multiple Listing Service). The company released its “2021 Annual Statistical Review and Highlights” Jan. 19. The 72 page report summarizes the 107,354 closed sales of single family homes and condos valued at more than $75 billion in the 26-county region. Median price closed sales of homes and condos ranged from $230,000 in Ferry County to $825,000 in San Juan County.

In this region, single family homes sold on average at 104.7% over the list price. Inventory, in months of supply, averaged 19 days overall, well below the balanced market range 4-6 months. At year-end, there was less than two weeks of inventory if no new homes came on the market.

The report analyzes the work of more than 36,000 brokers in 2,600-plus member offices. Collectively, these counties encompass over 83% of the state’s population.