Buying a Condo in Seattle

This guide to buying a condo in Seattle is written by Matt Goyer, a real estate broker with 20 years of real estate experience. Matt has helped a number of people buy new condos. We wanted to give you an overview of what it takes to buy a new condo in the Seattle area – the good and the bad – and this guide will also give you a good sense of what it is like to work with us. Still have questions? Reach us at hello@urbnlivn.com.
Why buy a new condo

Pros and cons of buying a condo in Seattle

Pros

There’s a lot to love about a brand-new condo versus an older condo:

• Move-in ready with the latest and greatest finishes
• The latest and greatest amenities
• No bidding wars
• Warrantied
• If buying “pre-sale”, you lock in a price early

Considerations

Heads up though:

• Square footage variance: the developer may advertise a unit 1,000 square feet but when it is all said it done it may be as small as 900 square feet, according to the King County assessor. Things can change as the building is built, or the developer used a different, usually a more generous way of calculating square footage, than the assessor uses. Ask how the marketing firm is calculating square footage and how it is likely to differ from the square footage number that you’ll be paying taxes/homeowner dues on. 
• Lawsuits: Condo owners have the right through the Washington State Condominium Act to sue developers for up to four years after the building is completed. In the 2005-2010 condo boom, 98% of buildings either sued or settled with their developers. If your homeowner’s association sues your developer, you usually are unable to sell your unit as most lenders won’t lend money to a buyer to buy a condo in a building with ongoing litigation. Once the litigation is resolved, you’ll then have to live through the repairs. 
• Sewer capacity charge: since 1990 King County has levied a capacity charge for new connections to the sewer system. Almost all developers pass this charge onto buyers, which is $68.34 a month. 
• Window coverings: you will want window coverings, they’re almost never included so be sure to budget $2,500-$10,000+ for them, depending on how fancy you go

And if you’re buying a condo in a building that hasn’t been built yet or is still under construction:

• Floor plan versus reality: having purchased it just by looking at a floor plan, you may be surprised (in a good or bad way) with how it turns out
• Views versus reality: developers try and give you a sense of the view with drones and virtual reality and what they project may be different from what you get
• Completion time: you’ll need to wait, sometimes years, for it to be built
• Delays: almost every project gets delayed. If you have a home to sell ahead of time, this can make timing that sale challenging
• Market volatility: the market doesn’t always go up! Between 2005-2008 many people bought condos before they were complete and when they completed in 2009 or 2010 they were worth less than what they were under contract to pay resulting in many buyers walking away from 5-10% in earnest money

That doesn’t mean buying a condo in Seattle isn’t worth it, just that you have to set your expectations - and ideally, work with an expert who can help you navigate ALL the nuances that come with this process. You don’t know what you don’t know, which is where come in.

New construction condos vs apartment conversions

Most new condos are brand-new buildings built from the ground up to be condos. On the other hand, what is known as a conversion is a building that used to be an apartment building (either new or old) that was built as an apartment and later converted to condos. 

A building built as condos from the ground up is usually higher quality and more expensive. If you’re looking for better value or a lower purchase price, buying a unit in a building that used to be an apartment can be more cost-effective.

Finding new condos in Seattle

We have a new construction pipeline page that shows all the new condos in Seattle on the market and coming up. Buildings that are actively selling can usually be found on the NWMLS (but not always), so we highly recommend that you use an NWMLS-powered site or app to search for new condos. 

Wait, what is the NWMLS? The Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) is an organization of Seattle-area real estate agents who agree to work together to help their clients. Real estate sites that get their list of homes for sale from the NWMLS have the most up-to-date information on what is for sale and what has sold.

Universal home-buying tip: No matter where you’re house hunting, look for a site (or app) that’s powered directly by the local MLS. You don’t want to waste time lusting after homes that may have already been sold in the fast-moving world of real estate!

In the Seattle area, examples of NWMLS-powered real estate sites (or apps) are Redfin, Estately, Windermere, and John L Scott. We highly recommend Redfin because we feel it is the easiest to use, has the most features, and is available on the web, iPhone, and Android. We’re also biased because Matt spent seven years working at Redfin.

What about Zillow, Trulia, or Realtor.com? These sites do not receive their home listings directly from the NWMLS, so we recommend against using them. Their listings come instead from individual agents and their brokerages, who may not have the resources to provide the most up-to-date information or remove listings as soon as a home goes off the market. 

If you decide to use Redfin, here are a few tips to get the most out of your experience:

• Create an account: This allows you to “Favorite” homes so you can keep track of what you like. You can also share your list of favorites with us!
• Keep tabs on the market: Get a jump on the competition by signing up for Instant Alerts. You’ll receive a notification as soon as a new home comes on the market.
• House hunt on the go: Download the Redfin app for iPhone or Android, so you can keep searching wherever you go.
• Do your research: One great way to understand what to expect in your own search is to look at sold homes. Note how much lower or higher the sale price is from the list price and how long a home was on the market. Look for trends among the types of homes and in the areas you are interested in.

Here are a few other home search tips:

• Walk Score: See how many restaurants, bars, and shops are within walking distance of a home you’re considering.
• Seattle In Progress: See what has been permitted nearby in case you’re worried someone might block your view.

Finding Seattle condos that aren’t on the MLS

Check our new construction pipeline page to get a list of projects that are coming up that haven’t started sales yet.

Why you should work with us when buying a condo in Seattle

Don’t be lured into using the listing agent or the agent sitting at the sales center if you’re thinking of buying a condo in Seattle. The listing agent represents the seller, as does the friendly agent at the sales center. What you want is a buyer’s agent dedicated to representing YOUR interests. 

Here are some examples of where a buyer’s agent will add value:

• Save you money: for brand new condos that have been built and are sitting empty, we can often negotiate either a discount or a closing cost credit. This is also true for many of the new condos being delivered in 2021 and beyond.
• Non-standard paperwork: bigger projects will use their own purchase and sale agreements with long builder’s addendums instead of using standardized forms. A good agent will point out to you what you need to know that might be unusual
• Floor plan guidance: we have a lot of experience looking at floor plans and know what makes a good one and what makes a bad one. We’ll help you avoid making a mistake when choosing between units.
• Parking guidance: just as you should be thoughtful about your floor plan, be thoughtful about which parking spot you get, that is, if you have the choice. However, not all developers give you the option to pick your spot. 
• Upgrade guidance: many buildings offer upgrades in terms of window coverings, closets, appliances, and more. We can tell you which are worth splurging on, and which you should contract out on your own 
• Inspection: we highly recommend doing an inspection even though your offer won’t be contingent upon one. You’d be surprised how much gets missed by the builder!
• Post-close: A good buyer’s agent will stay engaged and help you with any issues post-closing.

Plus, your buyer’s agent fee is paid by the seller at no cost to you.

How new condos get sold

There are a few ways you can go about buying a condo in Seattle:

• Reservations: When a new condo is just getting started selling, they’ll have buyers first enter into a reservation agreement. The developer will commit to selling a specific unit to a buyer, but instead of a specific price, they’ll give the buyer a price range for the unit. In exchange, the buyer will make a $5,000 refundable deposit. Developers use reservation agreements to test the market and see how much interest there is. If there is a lot of interest, they’ll end up pricing at the high end of the range. If there is little interest, they’ll price at the low end of the range, or perhaps cancel the sale of the building and convert the building to apartments. 
• Purchase and sale: A purchase and sale is a binding commitment that the buyer is buying a specific condo in Seattle at a specific price. Though the contract likely contains a provision that if the developer doesn’t sell a certain number of units in a certain time frame they can cancel your purchase and sale so that they can reposition the building as an apartment building. 
• First-come, first-served: most new buildings take a first-come-first-served approach to selling. Back in 2018, this meant that prospective buyers would camp out overnight to be first in line to buy a condo. However, interest in new condos is much lower and there is no need to camp overnight. 
• Lottery: For some buildings with high demand, the developer would use a lottery-style system to determine the order in which prospective buyers could select their units. We don’t see this system being used in 2024.

Pricing

A new condo starts as low as $700 to 800 a square foot for a development like Koda in the International District. However, most downtown/South Lake Union/Denny Triangle developments will start at $1,000 a square foot and you can easily spend more than $1,500 a square foot for something like First Light.

Also, keep in mind that parking and storage often aren’t included in the list prices so add another $60-100k if you want parking and $10-15k for storage.

HOA dues

All condos, new or old, assess a monthly fee known as the homeowners association (HOA) dues. For a new building, these are typically $0.90 to $1.00 a square foot a month and usually cover common area maintenance, water, sewer, garbage, recycling, front desk if there is one, etc.

Financing a new condo

Nearly all new construction condos have 2-3 preferred lenders. Usually, as part of the process of either doing a hardhat tour or submitting an offer, you’ll be required to get pre-approved with at least one of the preferred lenders, though you’re not obligated to work with them. That said, we usually recommend working with a preferred lender for several reasons:

• Incentives: often you’ll get a preferred interest rate or a credit toward your closing costs
• Ability to close: these lenders have already done their due diligence and can usually close much faster than a lender who hasn’t closed a loan in the building before
• Interest rate locks: often they’ll offer the ability to lock a rate long before the building closes

You may be wondering if a preferred lender gets a kickback from the developer, or vice-versa and the short answer is that they don’t as that would be illegal.

Builder quality — get an inspection

New high-rise condos are usually pretty well-built. But quality will vary between developers and will certainly vary between buildings built from the ground up to be condos versus buildings built from the ground up to be apartments and then converted to condos.

For buildings that have yet to be built, it is hard to assess quality as the team that built the sales center is likely different from the team building the building. For buildings that are complete, it is much easier to get a sense of quality as you can walk the units you’re interested in. 

We also recommend having an inspection done to ensure everything works the way it should. Some issues we’ve seen: 

• Heaters are incorrectly wired so that they don’t function
• Faucets are installed incorrectly so that hot and cold are reversed
• Fit and finish issues with painting and drywall

For buildings that are complete, you may be able to negotiate an inspection contingency. For buildings not yet complete, you won’t be able to have an inspection contingency but you will have a walkthrough before closing and you should certainly try and bring a home inspector along for this walkthrough. You should do one if possible, and give the report to your builder as part of their “punch list” process or “blue tape walk-through.” Push to have the builder fix all the issues before closing.

An inspection will typically cost $300-500 and take an hour or so.

Before your warranty is up, re-inspect

We recommend hiring a home inspector to do an inspection a month or so before your warranty expires. Using their report, you should work with your developer to ensure that any issues are addressed before your warranty expires. 

Partner With Urban Living for Expert Guidance Every Step of the Way When Buying a Condo in Seattle

Let us take the stress out of buying a condo in Seattle. We’ve spent nearly two decades helping buyers navigate the nuances of Seattle’s new-construction condo market, from pre-sale negotiations to final walk-throughs and everything in between.

Myself and the rest of our team combine insider market knowledge with hands-on guidance, so you stay informed and confident every step of the way. We have firsthand experience in buildings like Escala Seattle, Ellington Seattle, and more.

We’ll work together to talk about your goals, your budget, and your preferences. From there we can interpret floor plans, analyze pricing trends, and uncover value where others miss it.

Whether you’re buying your first home or investing in a skyline property, we’ll help you make data-backed decisions and negotiate the best possible deal. You can also trust us for advice on other Seattle markets, such as buying a house in Seattle or Seattle penthouses.

Get in touch today and let Urban Living guide you to your perfect condo in Seattle.

Frequently asked questions 

What is a condo conversion?

A condo conversion refers to a building that was an apartment building that has been converted to a condo.

What is a presale?

A presale is a condo building that has started sales before the building is complete.

Is it financially smart to buy a condo?

It depends on the price you can get in at, how long you plan to live in the condo, and a few other factors. But in general, it can be financially smart since you build equity instead of paying rent. Seattle’s limited land supply supports long-term appreciation in well-located buildings, too.

What is the average cost of a condo in Seattle, Washington?

It’s constantly fluctuating, but most downtown and South Lake Union condos range between $800-$1,200 per square foot, depending on location, amenities, and building age. Koda sits at the more affordable end while First Light Seattle is more expensive. We’ll help you with buying a condo in Seattle that fits YOUR budget. 

When you buy a condo, is it yours forever?

You own your condo unit outright (and share ownership of the common areas) as long as you pay your mortgage, taxes, and HOA dues. Ownership doesn’t expire.

Why are condos not selling right now?

Interest rates and increased inventory have slowed the pace of sales, but this makes it an even better opportunity for buying a condo in Seattle since you get more options and have more leverage. Let us help you take the next step.