WCRER Housing Analysis/ 2008 4th Quarter/ Whatcom County WA

According to the Washington Center for Real Estate Research 2008 Fourth Quarter Housing Analysis; Whatcom County home re-sales were down -15.5% from the previous quarter, and down -36.6% from the fourth quarter in 2007. Statewide home re-sales were down -15.8% from the previous quarter and down -29.1% from the fourth quarter in 2007. Overall building permits in Whatcom County are down -48.7% from the fourth quarter of the previous year, in comparison to the -53.4% reduction statewide. The median re-sale home price in Whatcom County is down to $264,000 (down -7.4% from the fourth quarter in 2007), below the statewide median of $266,700 (down -9.3% from the fourth quarter of 2007). The 2008 fourth quarter Housing Affordability Index (HAI) was 97.9 for Whatcom County, lower than the statewide index of 107.5.