Despite the COVID-19 restrictions that continue in Washington state home sales have been strong in Yakima County in the new year. Cory Bemis owner of Yakima's John L. Scott Real Estate says the 2021 Year to Date Median Home Sales Price in the Yakima MLS is $292,000 which is a 16.80% increase from last year when the price was $250,000.
Lots of people have been buying homes. Bemis says more people last month purchased homes than they did in February of last year. Bemis says 113 homes sold in February compared to 105 sold in February of 2020, a 7.6% increase in sales this year. All total,  226 homes have been sold in 2021 which is a 2.6% increase over 2020.
A lot of people are in the market because of rates. 30 year fixed rate mortgages are averaging a 3.29% interest rate right now according to MortgageNewsDaily.com

During the COVID-19 pandemic local Realtors have had to operate under restrictions that didn't allow them to hold an open house. Many new home owners received their first view of a home on computer. Many of the transactions have been through computer to reduce face to face meetings.

But that's changed in the last month as restrictions have eased and more people have been vaccinated. Bemis says the biggest and most important news for Yakima Real Estate is that Realtors can now hold open houses with up to 10 people on a property. Some open houses were held over the past weekend and Bemis says more will happen in the near future as COVID-19 restrictions ease in Washington State and Yakima county.

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