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By Drew Lawson
The Times 

Davenport is currently a seller's market

City and county leaders expect continued growth

 

Last updated 3/18/2021 at 4:22pm



DAVENPORT – If a local here is looking to sell their house, now may be the time.

Davenport is currently a seller’s market, with demand outweighing the supply.

“If houses are priced (correctly) they sell right away…sometimes within hours,” Katz Realty designated broker and city councilmember Patrick Katz said. “Prices have been increasing over the last month…offer prices are usually above what the (house) was listed for.”

When a house does sell, it’s usually to an out-of-towner looking to move to a place with more of a sense of community, or less of a city life.

“Houses in town sell (to) people out of town,” Katz said. “The demand (there) is higher…there’s an overabundance of buyers and not enough inventory.”

“A lot of people want out of cities,” he added. “I get very few Davenport citizens using my business.”

Another factor driving people here is cost of living, Katz noted. It was recently reported that the median home price in Spokane reached $325,000 last month. Of course, Davenport is cheaper than that, but prices are rising…even in the less desirable locations.

“I’ve sold the two highest-priced mobile homes in city limits I’ve ever sold in the last two months,” Katz said. “I didn’t ever think I’d see a mobile home go over $200,000 in city limits.”

“Prices are driving a lot of people here, and prices are rising because people sell their homes for twice as much (in bigger cities),” he added. “You can’t find a house in Spokane right now. The prices are considerable.”

Katz estimates the median cost of buying a home in Davenport is currently around $200,000. Rocket Homes currently estimates the median cost at $221,000 based on all homes listed on their website in the last year. That figure is 10.6%, or $21,100 higher than this time last year.

“We’re a nice quiet community with proximity to Spokane,” Katz said. “To some, it’s a bedroom community.”

The market is just as strong in Reardan, he added, and Harrington is “strengthening.”

“Even Creston has strengthened,” Katz said. “It’s really strengthening everywhere.”

Mayor Brad Sweet said in recent conversation with city clerk Dave Leath, he learned that in 2010, 45 homes in town were in some stage of foreclosure. Currently, there is one.

“That shows just how many houses have sold,” Sweet said. “We’re running out of space in town.”

The pandemic has not affected the market much here, Katz said. He added that in the housing market crash in 2008, houses here lost 30% value on average. The demand didn’t rise until around 2013 or 2014, then it gradually grew before prices jumped in the last couple years.

“It’s been steadily getting better and better,” Katz said.

Sweet foresees growth on the north and west sides of town, predominantly.

“North will (likely) be the direction the city moves, I think,” he said.

Lincoln County Commissioner Scott Hutsell predicts homes will steadily be built down the Highway 2 corridor between Davenport and Reardan, where there’s a lot of open land.

“Lincoln County is one of the (state’s) best kept secrets, but it’s growing up like Airway Heights,” Hutsell said. “(That growth) is going to move this way. House after house on Sunset Highway will (be built) every 20 acres or so.”

As growth comes, Hutsell noted the importance of improved roads in the county.

“We have really good schools. That’s a huge plus,” he said. “But we have to get to at least halfway decent roads.”

Both city council and the county commissioners encourage growth here, hoping for more businesses (with new and different services, Sweet noted) that could lead to increased tax return from property and sales tax revenue.

“Costs are going to continue to increase,” Sweet said. “The city won’t be able to sustain its operations at this level with current incomes.”

Sweet also recognizes the desire of many locals who want to keep Davenport’s small-town, community feel, noting that a couple local businesses would feel concerned with potential business growth and therefore competition.

To encourage growth while sustaining the community feeling, he said continuing community involvement and including new business owners will be important.

“We’ll want to get people involved, I remember growing up, our Pioneer Days were a whole weekend of activities and things to do. We should get back to that,” Sweet said. “We’ll want to get (new businesses) involved in the Chamber of Commerce and involved in the community.”

Author Bio

Drew Lawson, Editor

Author photo

Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.

 

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