Why Fall 2025 Could Be the Best Time to Buy a Home

Every week someone asks me, “Hey Josh, how’s the Whatcom County real estate market?”

And let’s be honest, most people are bracing for a negative answer. After the last few years, it’s easy to see why. Between limited inventory, all-time high home prices, interest rates that more than doubled since 2022, and the rising cost of living in general, a lot of buyers have been discouraged from buying a home in Bellingham, Lyndeny, Ferndale, and the surrounding parts of Whatcom County.

But here’s the truth: Fall 2025 is shaping up to be one of the best times to buy a home in Whatcom County since interest rates were around 3% (Spring 2022).

The market has shifted. Buyers finally have more leverage than they’ve had in a long, long time. Let’s break down the current Whatcom County housing market and why it is the best time to buy in the last three years.

1. Prices Are Down & Will Fall Even Further

I’m a numbers guy, and I like to keep my clients as data-informed as possible. So let’s dig into the numbers. 

• In Summer 2024 (June–Aug): Median Whatcom County residential home price was $654,847

• Compare that to Summer 2025 (June–Aug): The median price dropped to $623,995

That’s a 4.7% decrease in just one year.

And from looking at historical data, we know that prices almost always dip again in the fall.
Last fall (Sept–Nov 2024), the median price was $617,500 (a 4.6% drop from Summer 2024).

If we see a similar seasonal 4% drop this year (which we will), we will easily see median home prices in Whatcom County fall below $600,000 for the first time since Fall 2023

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2. Inventory Is the Highest It’s Been in a Decade

We’re currently sitting at 4.6 months of housing supply in Whatcom County — the highest since 2015.

To put that in perspective:

• 4.6 months (Fall 2025)

• 3.4 months (Fall 2024)

• 2.9 months (Fall 2023)

• 1.2 months (Fall 2021) !!

A “balanced” market is typically around 4–6 months of inventory. So right now, we’re finally in a place where buyers of Whatcom County homes for sale have options and negotiating power.

(If you’re not familiar with the term, months of supply measures how long it would take for all current homes on the market to sell if no new listings were added. More supply = less competition for buyers.)

3. Interest Rates Are Around the Lowest They’ve Been in Three Years

After spending much of the last few years hovering between 7–8%, mortgage rates have now dipped into the low-to-mid 6s - around the lowest they’ve been since 2022.

That shift can make a real difference in monthly affordability and is opening the door again for buyers who had stepped to the sidelines of the Whatcom County housing market.

4. Buyers Are Negotiating Real Wins Again

For the first time in years, buyers aren’t just hoping for deals, they are getting them. Here are a few real examples from my clients this late summer/earlyfall:

• Lynden: Listed at $675,000 — bought for $630,000 (93% of asking)

• Bellingham: Originally $1.2M — bought for $1.1M (91% of the original list)

• Bow: Multiple offers on a $495,000 listing — still secured it for $475,000 (96% of asking)

• Sedro-Woolley: Listing Agent initially scoffed at my buyer’s price - a week later, we pended at 94% of the list price, plus a $2,500 credit toward closing costs

And these weren’t distressed properties or listings that sat on the market for months. Each of these were beautiful homes that were in their first month or two on the market.

That’s what more inventory and a balanced Whatcom County real estate market can do: it gives buyers power. Well, only if you have agent that takes advantage of it (Call me - Josh Crown - 360.389.6906).

So What Does This Mean for Buyers in Whatcom County?

If you’ve been on the fence about buying a home in Whatcom County, this fall may be your window, before demand ramps back up in the spring.

Prices are down, inventory is up, and interest rates are hovering near their lowest levels in years.

For the first time in a long time, buyers have room to breathe, negotiate, and make smart, informed decisions when exploring homes for sale in Whatcom County.

I would love to walk you through the process and land you a DEAL. If you are not convinced, read one of these recent reviews my clients wrote about their experience:

- Excellent Agent! Knowledgeable, Fast, and Personable . Josh is simply excellent! I contacted him out of the blue and told him there was a property that I wanted to buy. Without missing a beat he formulated an excellent strategy to get my offer accepted for a price that I was happy with. He walked me through every step and made the process easy. I would definitely recommended Josh!

• • • • • Charles Maddux (August 2025)

- Proactive, caring, & knowledgeable. We are so glad we met Josh at an open house at the very beginning of our homebuying journey and just happened to hit it off - it turns out we lucked out with an outstanding realtor and now a good friend. Josh is a great realtor for many reasons, but the qualities that really made him stand out to us are his sincere care for his clients, his solid understanding of the Whatcom County housing market, and his proactive communication style when it comes to getting you the information you need to make well-informed decisions during your home search. For example, Josh would usually arrive at showings with some extra background on a home’s price, history or condition that we wouldn’t have even thought to ask about on our own. He helped us put each home we considered into the context of the larger market and decide for ourselves whether it was a good value and fit. Even as our wishlist evolved over almost two years of searching, Josh had his ear to the ground for us the entire time and stayed in tune with our needs and wants. We always felt like highly valued clients, even many months into a long search. By the time we found our dream home, we knew we were in capable hands with Josh helping us snag a great price below asking plus seller concessions. He helped us interpret the inspection report and get contractor quotes so we could negotiate from a strong position. He communicated with us throughout the contract and closing process, making sure we knew when deadlines were and offering referrals to lenders, inspectors and contractors we could talk to (we’ve had positive experience with all his referrals so far). Never once dropped a single ball or made us feel like we weren’t his top priority. Highly recommend Josh to anyone, especially other young families and transplants out there who may be feeling intimidated by today’s housing market and looking for trusted guidance from someone who gets it. We couldn’t be happier with our experience!

• • • • •  Nina Rommellman (August 2025)

Let’s get you a home this fall. 

Josh Crown - 360.389.6906 - [email protected]