For the second week in a row, pending sales of new homes in 23 Western Washington counties topped the corresponding figures from last year. Considering the obstacles to home-buying posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home measures that were still in place in the state’s most populous counties, that’s a significant indicator of demand.
By contrast, however, the number of new listings available for those shopping for a single-family home has been below last year’s level since the coronavirus crisis intensified here in late March. That imbalance could make for an interesting summer.
Related:
Despite pandemic, Seattle region’s pending home sales outrun last year’s level | Coronavirus Economy daily chart (May 28)
Sea-Tac air traffic has a long way to climb to prior levels | Coronavirus Economy daily chart (May 26)
Food assistance and restaurant sales | Coronavirus Economy daily chart (May 22)
Business starts in Washington state are down sharply from last year | Coronavirus Economy daily chart (May 21)
Weekly home sales rebounding to last year’s level | Coronavirus Economy daily chart (May 20)
Seattle-area job listings sag while U.S. openings edge upward | Coronavirus Economy daily chart (May 19)
In Washington, Oregon and U.S., small businesses are hit hard | Coronavirus Economy daily chart (May 14)
Seattle-area listings of houses for sale drop sharply from last year | Coronavirus Economy daily chart (May 13)
Seattle-area job listings have plunged 40% from recent peak due to pandemic | Coronavirus Economy daily chart (May 11)
Coronavirus Economy daily charts: Unemployment claims, housing, food and job openings for the week ending May 8, 2020
Seattle Times business staff