Buying in Seattle: the full guide

What homes cost

The median sale price in King County, which covers Seattle and the Eastside cities of Bellevue, Redmond and Kirkland, was $845,000 in August 2026, counting homes and condominiums together. Northwest MLS lists only one county in its area as more expensive, San Juan at $914,500. Across the whole Northwest MLS area the median was $635,000, 2.3% lower than a year earlier.

We could not open a neutral city-level median for Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond or Kirkland, so we give none. The county figure blends small condominiums with large detached houses, and a particular neighbourhood can sit well above or below it. Look at recent sales for the exact area and property type you want.

Property tax in King County

Property tax is set by the sum of what the state, county, city, school district and other local bodies levy, divided across the assessed value of all property. The Assessor values every property each year at market value, as of 1 January of the previous year, and says a rise in your value does not mean a dollar-for-dollar rise in your tax. That is the opposite of a system that freezes the value until sale: your bill follows the market and the budgets.

The rate depends on the tax code of your address, which combines the city with the school district and any special districts. The 2026 rates per $1,000 of assessed value are $9.91 in Seattle for most tax codes (a few are $12.22), $7.43 to $9.69 in Bellevue, $7.83 to $8.90 in Kirkland and $7.27 to $8.40 in Redmond. As an illustration only, $845,000 of assessed value at Seattle's $9.91 gives about $8,373 a year, against about $6,275 at Bellevue's lowest rate, by our arithmetic. Your assessed value will differ from a purchase price, so ask for the exact tax code and the current assessment.

No income tax today, but a new one is coming

The Department of Revenue says Washington does not currently have an individual income tax. Its capital gains excise tax is a 7% tax on gains from assets such as shares, and real estate is listed as exempt. That is a real difference from most states.

Do not assume it lasts for the highest earners. Senate Bill 6346, passed in 2026, creates a 9.9% tax for individuals and couples filing jointly with adjusted gross income above $1 million, from 1 January 2028, with first returns in April 2029. The Department has not yet said who must file or how income is calculated, and its pages do not address non-residents or rental income. Treat that as an open point if you will earn or receive large sums.

The estate tax that reaches non-residents

This is the Washington rule most likely to surprise a European. The Department of Revenue says a non-resident who owns real estate or tangible property in Washington must file a Washington estate tax return if the gross estate exceeds the filing threshold, even when no tax is due. Tax and payment are due nine months after death.

The exclusion amount is $3,000,000 for deaths from 1 July 2026, and was $3,076,000 for deaths between 1 January and 30 June 2026. For deaths in the year to 30 June 2026 the Department's table ran from 10% on the first $1 million up to 35% above $9 million, in eight bands. Check the table that applies to the date of death, because the rates and the exclusion have changed in recent years.

This sits on top of the federal estate tax for non-residents and any inheritance tax in your own country. Treaties between the United States and European countries can change the federal result, but we have not verified how they interact with this state tax. Take cross-border advice before you buy.

Buying: escrow, title and the excise tax

Washington closings run through an escrow officer at a title or escrow company. That officer is a neutral stakeholder who holds documents and money until the conditions are met, not a notary in the continental sense, and not your legal adviser. You are free to appoint your own lawyer to review the purchase agreement.

Title insurance is regulated by the Insurance Commissioner, whose guidance says its cost is based on the property value, is paid once at closing, and that most sellers generally pay for the owner's policy, though it varies. Your lender will require its own policy.

The seller usually pays the real estate excise tax, a state tax that is graduated by price, with the local rate added. The Department lists state rates of 1.1%, 1.28%, 2.75% and 3% in four price bands. The band limits are $525,000, $1,525,000 and $3,025,000 from 1 January 2023 and move to $551,000, $1,551,000 and $3,051,000 from 1 January 2027. If the seller does not pay, the buyer is responsible, and an unpaid tax becomes a lien on the property. Ask your escrow officer to confirm the amount at closing.

Financing at King County prices

The 2026 conforming loan limit for a one-unit home is $1,063,750 in King County, and the same in neighbouring Snohomish and Pierce counties, according to the FHFA's county file. That is well above the national baseline of $832,750 and above the county median price, so many purchases here still fit standard lending. Above the limit you need a jumbo loan.

With less than 20% down on a conventional loan you will usually pay private mortgage insurance. A lender counts the full monthly cost, including property tax, home insurance and condominium dues, against your income, so the tax-rate difference between cities feeds directly into how much you can borrow.

Buying a condominium

If you buy a condominium, you buy into an owners' association with its own budget. Washington law requires the association to provide a resale certificate within 10 days of a unit owner's request. It must state the monthly common expense assessment, any unpaid assessments and special assessments, reserves for repair and replacement, and any repair or replacement cost that exceeds 5% of the annual budget. It must also give the status of any pending lawsuits and unsatisfied judgments.

The purchaser's contract can be cancelled until the certificate has been provided and for five days afterwards, or until conveyance, whichever occurs first. Read it in that window, and ask a lender whether the building as a whole is acceptable for the loan.

Earthquakes, landslides and insurance

The Washington Department of Natural Resources says the Seattle fault last ruptured around 900 CE in an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 to 7.5, and that the Cascadia subduction zone last produced a magnitude 9 earthquake in January 1700. USGS forecasts quoted by the Department give the Puget Sound region an 85% chance of at least a magnitude 6.5 deep earthquake within 50 years, 15% for a magnitude 9 megathrust event and 17% for a shallow crustal event of magnitude 6.5 or more.

For you, the point is insurance. The Insurance Commissioner says earthquake cover is not part of a standard homeowner policy, deductibles are typically 10% to 25% of the maximum payable on the building, and damage from landslides, settling ground and mudflows is excluded, as are flood and tsunami in some cases. Ask a broker for quotes, and ask whether the lot is steep or on filled ground. The state geological survey publishes landslide and liquefaction maps, and the absence of a mapped landslide does not prove the absence of a hazard.

If you plan to let it

Seattle treats a stay of fewer than 30 consecutive nights as a short-term rental. An operator needs a City of Seattle business licence tax certificate and a short-term rental regulatory licence, which costs $75 per unit and lasts 12 months. The city says an operator may run up to two dwelling units they own, and that if two are run, one must be the operator's primary residence. Other units must meet the rental registration and inspection ordinance, and an accessory dwelling needs its own licence. Whether a unit owned by someone who lives in Europe can be licensed on its own is not clear from the page, so confirm with the city before you offer. A condominium association can have stricter rules than the city.

On the tax side, rent from US property owned by a non-resident is generally taxed by the United States at 30% of the gross, unless you elect to be taxed on net income and file a US tax return. For a home with a mortgage and running costs, that election usually matters a great deal.

Getting home

The Port of Seattle lists nonstop flights from Sea-Tac to London, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam, Dublin, Reykjavik, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Istanbul, Rome and Barcelona, operated by airlines including Aer Lingus, Air France, British Airways, Condor, Finnair, Icelandair, Lufthansa, SAS, Turkish Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. Its page, updated 13 May 2026, does not say which routes are seasonal, so check the airline for your travel dates.

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