| Walla Walla Info
INTEREST RATES ARE LOWER THAN THEY HAVE EVER BEEN BEFORE! And the Walla Walla Valley's great economic diversity is a wonderful strength enabling us to weather the current economic conditions.
Compare the first half year residential sales for the Valley this year of 159 to 122 for the same time last year! And for Walla Walla itself there were 159 this first half year and 1228 in the same period in 2009. The average days on the market for the sold homes is 138 this first half compared to 164 last year in the same time frame. And days on the market have dropped to 138 for the first 6 months of this year compared to 164 last year. The average sales price is up to $229,770 compared to $227,236 the first 6 months of 2009. And the median sales price is up from $187,100 to $199,990. From 2008 to 2009, Walla Walla County had only a 7.4% drop in median home prices, while the State of Washington had a drop of 12.0% in that year. Walla Walla residential real estate is doing great!
What a year 2009 was! And 2010 looks to continue the more reasonable increase in sales. There are 521 homes AVAILABLE in the Walla Walla valley right now, and 314 of them are in Walla Walla itself. It's interesting to note that about 38% of the Walla Walla city homes that are available have had price reductions=119. Great news for buyers! And it's not too bad for sellers, either.
And if you're selling your home, spruce up your place now to stand out in the competition for the buyers with that extended tax credit, the investors who recognize a buyer's market, and those folks who still have the means to use those low interest rates. They'll take advantage of our lenders who DO have money to lend!
CURRENT MARKET INFORMATION FOR WALLA WALLA REAL ESTATE
Let's rejoice- single family home sales price average in Walla Walla for the Jan 1 through November 1 of this year is $209,187 with 312 sold properties of the total 490 sold throughout the whole valley. The average days on the market was 166 days from listing to closing compared to 2008's average days of 141. For the Valley overall, there were 543 sales of homes at an average price of $187,643. And there are currently 275 single family homes available in Walla Walla;483 in all of the Multiple Listing Service for the Walla Walla Valley.
The year of 2008 had some interesting and unusual changes in our Walla Walla real estate. There were 422 Walla Walla homes sold, with an average sales price of $232,084. Comparing to 2007, with its 424 homes sold that's a drop of 25% homes sold, not surprising given the huge changes nationally. The average sales price is a drop of only 5% compared to last year's average of $243,569. Be glad for the stability of our eastern Washington! Homes. It took an average of 151 days from listing to change of ownership compared to last years 109 days. But with the interest rates at a historical low and the slightly lower sales prices, it's a great time to buy!
Please call (509-520-3479) or email (prichmond@cbfr.biz) for an up-to-date listings report.
AND for the total Walla Walla Multiple Listing Service (including College Place, Waitsburg, Dixie, Prescott, Dayton) 546 homes sold in 2008 and there are currently another 605 properties now available in our MLS. Great selection, great interest rates, and motivated sellers!
And interestingly enough, the charming town of Waitsburg had 25 sales in 2008, with the average sales price of $169,628 - a great choice for small town living within minutes of Walla Walla.
As an updated aside, 2008 average sales price was down just 1% from 2007! AND a quick check of the MLS statistics for Walla Walla specifically shows that 2007 sales were just about 2% less than the average of the last 8 years! And the average ratio of list price to sales price only dropped from 96.17% to 95.99%- just .18%, hardly any difference at all. So let's hear a shout of approval for living here in stable Walla Walla WA!
We have a disproportionately stable wage base here because of the jobs at the colleges, the hospitals, the school district, the penitentiary and the various government institutions. We also seem to have a growing retiree community which has insulated itself somewhat from the swings of the economy. Historically, this has helped smooth out the economic fluctuations.
As of December 31, 2007, there were 515 homes on the market in our total Walla Walla Multiple Listing Service. 747 homes had sold from January 1 to December 31, 2007. The average sales price for 2007 year was $215,637, compared to 2006's $217,103. The average number of days on the market was 133 days. So, even with 200 more homes on the market compared to last year, prices continue to rise! As a Relocation Specialist in Walla Walla I update this information monthly, so please check back for further information. You can see the same type of information for College Place WA real estate by clicking on the link.
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Walla Walla |
College Place |
| Population: |
39,287 |
10,081 |
| Median Age: |
35 years |
35 years |
| Median Household Income |
$38,070 |
$42,344 |
| Per Capita Income |
$20,012 |
$20,077 |
| % with College Degree: |
10.72% |
13.06% |
| Median Travel Time to Work: |
11 minutes |
11 minutes |
In the table above you can see basic demographic information useful in considering Walla Walla real estate and also for our other favorite area, College Place.
When my (Pat's!) husband decided on Walla Walla WA for retirement, I was surprised, but have not been disappointed! For him, the good duck hunting won out and, for me, I remembered all the wonderful parks, luxurious and numerous.
During our move to Walla Walla, I realized how little I knew about the area and any kind of assistance I received was greatly appreciated. Because of this, I have decided to assist others who are moving here and have become a Relocation Specialist in Walla Walla.
I love the fact that with its small town feel (about 40,000 folks) it has three colleges: Whitman College, Walla Walla University, and Walla Walla Community College -with all the energy, activities and opportunities they create! Enjoy the theaters, symphony, art, annual hot air Balloon Stampede, County Fair and more!
Did You Know?
Named a number one retirement spot by CNN/Money Magazine in 2006 and featured in numerous wine magazines for its burgeoning wine industry, Walla Walla is a fun place to live! In 2005, Sunset Magazine named the Walla Walla area as "The 2005 Wine Destination of the Year." And in 2002, Downtown Walla Walla was ranked by Sunset Magazine as its choice for the Best Main Street in the West!
Come see for yourself! And let us help you find what you are looking for!
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