The high levels of bank foreclosed properties and tax lien foreclosure homes for sale in Washington State have resulted in further depression of housing prices in the region. In March 2011, various areas of the state posted declines in selling prices when compared with one year ago.
The number of bank foreclosures in Ellensburg WA and distressed properties in various areas of the state is expected to remain high for the rest of 2011. The impact of these foreclosures on housing prices was evident in most local markets, including King County. Data for March 2011 showed that the average selling price of houses in the county declined to $394,918 from the March 2010 rate of $425,545.
With a lot more people coming to the region to buy bank foreclosures in Washington rather than new houses, prices in March also posted a drop when compared with the February 2011 average rate of $401,339. Meanwhile, the average selling rate of houses for the 21 counties that comprise Western Washington also dropped in March year-over-year and when compared with the previous month. During the period, the average residential rate in the region was $302,368, declining from the March 2010 price of $325,001 and also falling from the February 2011 price average of $304,501.
Aside from average prices, pending sales contracts involving tax lien foreclosure homes for sale, bank foreclosures, non-distressed homes and other types of residential properties, also declined in King County and in the whole Western Washington region during March 2011 when compared with March of last year. A total of 3,057 pending residential agreements were posted in King County in March, down from the year-ago total of 3,479.
For the region of Western Washington, fewer people signed pending agreements to buy bank foreclosures and non-foreclosed houses in the region's various counties. Figures for March showed that a total of 7,570 pending agreements were recorded during the month, declining from March of last year when 8,605 pending sales contracts were signed. Although both prices and pending agreements were down in these areas, local real estate agents see the Washington State market as relatively stable.
According to them, even without federal stimulus and even with bank foreclosed properties and tax lien foreclosure homes for sale still high, the housing market of the region is doing well. Housing prices, they claimed, did not decline by a massive margin and future sales activities are still quite good based on the number of pending agreements.



