A dip from September to October is normal as the fall market cools, but a drop of this size from last year goes well beyond the usual seasonal pattern.
Ongoing inflation, affordability concerns, and economic uncertainty continue to weigh on buyers.
Many are waiting, and some are being priced out of the homes they would otherwise be shopping for.
Pricing Trends
The Shoreline median sale price was $750,000, down 9.4% from $827,500 in October 2025 and down slightly from $760,000 in September.
The year-to-date median is $814,000.
Most of that decline comes from the size of the homes that sold.
The average home sold in October was 1,747 sq ft, compared with 2,000 sq ft last year, about 13% smaller.
Price per square foot was $462, essentially flat against $464 a year ago.
The median fell mainly because smaller homes made up more of the sales, not because homes lost value per square foot.
Year to date, the picture is steady. Average price per square foot is $515 versus $518 last year, and the average home sold is 1,906 sq ft versus 1,987.
Sales ranged from $498,000 to $1,030,000 in October.
Days on Market
Homes that sold in October took an average of 47 days, up 24% from 38 days a year ago and up from 30 days in September. The year-to-date average is 31 days. Buyers are taking more time to decide, and homes priced above what buyers will pay are waiting longer.
Negotiation Trends
The sales-to-list price ratio was 98.16% in October, compared with 100.17% last year. A year ago, homes sold slightly above list price. This October, buyers negotiated about 1.8% off, roughly $13,800 on a $750,000 home. Buyers who are concerned about affordability and the economy are negotiating harder, and sellers are more willing to meet them.
Year to date, homes in Shoreline are still selling at or above list price on average, at 100.4% versus 101.65% last year. The gap is narrower than it was, and October shows the change most clearly.
Summary
October brought fewer sales, longer marketing times, and more room for buyers to negotiate in Shoreline. Inflation, affordability pressure, and economic uncertainty are keeping buyers cautious. The lower median reflects a shift toward smaller homes, since price per square foot held steady.
For sellers, accurate pricing from the first day matters more than it did a year ago. For buyers, there is more time to decide and more room to negotiate than last fall.
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