SNOHOMISH COUNTY, Wash. — More people have moved to the Puget Sound area in the last year than in any other year this century.
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The historic population growth is making places where housing used to be affordable a lot more expensive.
So don’t get too attached to the 1,000-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in Lynnwood Wes Rankin is selling, unless you plan to offer more than the asking price and do it by the end of the week.
"Now people are seeing multiple offers within three to seven days of properties being on the market and properties are selling 20 to 30K above the list price," Rankin explained.
The realty agent says the Snohomish County real estate market is quickly becoming out of reach for people who used to head north with the goal of getting a deal.
“Snohomish County -- it’s not a steal anymore,” Rankin said.
Nearly every city is seeing prices rise and places go fast, whether they’re for sale or for rent.
Everett’s newest 102-apartment complex downtown filled up completely in the first six months and now there’s a waitlist.
Twenty-five hundred people moved to Everett in 2015 -- more than any other year in the last decade. But when it comes to growth, no city in the entire state of Washington can compete with Marysville.
"We're a city of 65,000. And you grow, you have more impacts because more people are trying to get to and from," explained Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring.
The mayor says Marysville doesn’t have the infrastructure in place to support the influx of people.
Sewer and water capacity has been upgraded, and there is funding for three new interchanges and improvements to a fourth as well as a widened shoulder lane on I-5 between Everett and Marysville.
The start date for those projects, however, isn’t until 2019 at the earliest.
Rankin says at least people are used to waiting.
“You’re probably going to be making an offer five to eight times,” Rankin concluded.
Cox Media Group
