Should You Sell Your Home This Winter or Wait for Spring? What Last Winter Showed in Lynnwood, Edmonds, Everett, Mukilteo and Mill Creek

Short answer: Winter is slower, but it is not dead. Last winter in Lynnwood, Edmonds, Everett, Mukilteo and Mill Creek, Redfin shows 65% to 85% as many sales from December through February as from April through June, and homes took longer to sell. But a smaller share of listings were cutting their price in February than at any point in late summer or fall. Fewer sales, but fewer price cuts too. If your home is ready and priced for the week you list, winter can work. If it needs work, use the winter to finish it and list in March.

How much slower winter was, city by city

Source: Redfin, housing market pages for each city, monthly figures for all home types, checked October 29, 2026. Sales are monthly counts added over three months. Days on market is Redfin's monthly median.

Two winters show the same pattern. In January 2025 the median was 20.5 days in Lynnwood, 20.5 in Edmonds, 23 in Everett, 20 in Mukilteo and 35.5 in Mill Creek, then dropped to single digits by May 2025 in all five cities.

What sellers got for their homes

Source: Redfin, demand data for each city, all home types, checked October 29, 2026. The September 2026 price-drop column is Redfin's latest figure, shown so you can compare it with last winter.

• Edmonds held up best. The average Edmonds home sold for 100.7% of list in January 2026 and 37.0% sold above list in February.
• Mill Creek had the hardest winter. In January 2026 only 3.2% of homes sold above list and the average sale-to-list ratio was 97.8%.
• Everett and Mukilteo were the slowest. Everett's median reached 38 days in February, and Mukilteo's was 41.5 days in January.
• Fewer price cuts in late winter. In every city, the share of homes with a price drop was lower in February 2026 than it is now. One likely reason: fewer homes come on the market in winter, so the sellers who do list face less competition.

Why this winter may be different

Fall 2026 looks softer than fall 2025 in Lynnwood and Mukilteo, mixed in Mill Creek, and steadier in Everett and Edmonds. Last winter is a guide, not a promise.

• Lynnwood: 40.2% of homes had a price drop in September, 8.1 points higher than a year earlier, and the three-month median days on market was 24, against 7 in September 2025.
• Mukilteo: 40.0% with a price drop (2.3 points higher), and 20.5% sold above list (5.5 points lower).
• Mill Creek: 47.3% with a price drop (2.3 points higher), though 27.3% sold above list (9.4 points higher).
• Everett and Edmonds: steadier. Everett's price-drop share was 37.8% (1.2 points lower) and Edmonds' 32.2% (0.6 points higher).

For a side-by-side of fall 2026 prices in four of these cities, see our Lynnwood vs Mukilteo vs Edmonds vs Everett selling comparison.

List now or wait: a simple test

Listing this winter makes sense if:

• you have a move date, a purchase lined up, or carrying costs you'd rather stop;
• few homes like yours are for sale nearby, so your listing stands out;
• your home is ready now and shows well in low light and rain (good lighting, clean gutters and walkways, a dry entry).

Waiting for March makes sense if:

• your home needs repairs, paint or yard work you can finish over the winter;
• you have no deadline and your home's best features are outdoors;
• several similar homes nearby are already sitting with price cuts.

Spring came early in 2026. Days on market had already fallen to 8.5 in Lynnwood, 8 in Edmonds and 9 in Mill Creek by March. Waiting for May means listing alongside the most competition.

The January 1, 2027 excise tax change

DOR raises the state real estate excise tax thresholds for sales beginning Jan 1, 2027: 1.1% up to $551,000 (from $525,000), 1.28% up to $1,551,000, 2.75% up to $3,051,000, and 3.0% above. All five cities have a 0.50% local rate. For a home between about $551,000 and $1,525,000, which covers the three-month all-types median in all five cities ($574,726 in Everett up to $1,017,344 in Edmonds), closing in January rather than December saves only about $47 in state tax. Only the $26,000 slice between the old and new first threshold changes rate, from 1.28% to 1.1%. At these prices the total is still about $9,238 in Everett and $17,117 in Edmonds, state plus local. The change is too small to decide the timing. DOR says the seller usually pays and adds a $5.00 technology fee to each transfer.

A sale that closes in 2027 should also use the revised seller disclosure form under RCW 64.06.020, which takes effect Jan 1, 2027. The delivery deadline stays at five business days after mutual acceptance, unless otherwise agreed.

FAQ

Is it worth selling a house in winter in Snohomish County?

It can be. Last winter, Redfin shows far fewer sales and slower sales in Lynnwood, Edmonds, Everett, Mukilteo and Mill Creek, but a smaller share of listings cutting their price than in late summer and fall. Edmonds homes still sold for 100.7% of list on average in January 2026. A winter listing works when it is priced against the few homes buyers can see that week.

How much slower do homes sell in winter?

In January 2026, Redfin's median days on market was 26 in Lynnwood, 23 in Edmonds, 32 in Everett, 41.5 in Mukilteo and 30 in Mill Creek. In May 2026 the same cities ranged from 6.5 to 10 days.

When does the spring market start in Snohomish County?

In Redfin's 2026 data, days on market fell sharply by March in Lynnwood (8.5 days), Edmonds (8), Mill Creek (9) and Mukilteo (14). Everett took until April (12 days, from 26.5 in March).

Does closing in January 2027 lower the excise tax?

Slightly, for most homes. DOR raises the state REET thresholds on Jan 1, 2027. For a sale price between about $551,000 and $1,525,000 the state tax falls by only about $47, because just the $26,000 slice between the old and new first threshold moves from 1.28% to 1.1%. It should not drive the decision.

Should I wait until spring to list?

Wait if your home needs work you can finish by March, or if you have no deadline and your home shows best with a yard and daylight. List now if you have a move date, if few similar homes are for sale near you, or if your home is ready. Either way, the first price matters more than the month.

Talk it through with a local agent

Peter Kim and Odigo Real Estate Club can show you how many homes like yours are for sale right now and what they're doing, so you can decide on winter or spring with real numbers. We bring 25+ years combined experience, 593+ closings, and 122 five-star Zillow reviews. See our property valuation, home selling services, the room-by-room prep checklist, or the true cost of selling in Washington.

Odigo Real Estate Club · REAL Brokerage, WA #112064 · 16108 Ash Way, Suite 201, Lynnwood, WA 98087 · (425) 409-3823 · Mon–Sat 9 AM–6 PM, closed Sunday

Sources

• Redfin, Mill Creek WA housing market (September 2026 figures by property type, monthly history, and sale-to-list / above-list / price-drop shares), https://www.redfin.com/city/11701/WA/Mill-Creek/housing-market, accessed Oct 29, 2026.
• Redfin, Lynnwood WA housing market (September 2026 figures by property type, monthly history, and sale-to-list / above-list / price-drop shares), https://www.redfin.com/city/10421/WA/Lynnwood/housing-market, accessed Oct 29, 2026.
• Redfin, Edmonds WA housing market (September 2026 figures by property type, monthly history, and sale-to-list / above-list / price-drop shares), https://www.redfin.com/city/5357/WA/Edmonds/housing-market, accessed Oct 29, 2026.
• Redfin, Everett WA housing market (September 2026 figures by property type, monthly history, and sale-to-list / above-list / price-drop shares), https://www.redfin.com/city/5832/WA/Everett/housing-market, accessed Oct 29, 2026.
• Redfin, Mukilteo WA housing market (September 2026 figures by property type, monthly history, and sale-to-list / above-list / price-drop shares), https://www.redfin.com/city/12197/WA/Mukilteo/housing-market, accessed Oct 29, 2026.
• Washington State Department of Revenue, Real estate excise tax (state graduated rates for 2023–2026 and for sales beginning Jan 1, 2027; who pays; fees; penalties), https://dor.wa.gov/taxes-rates/other-taxes/real-estate-excise-tax, accessed Oct 29, 2026.
• Washington State Department of Revenue, Local real estate excise tax rates effective May 1, 2026, https://dor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-03/84-0013-May26_REET.pdf, accessed Oct 29, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 64.06.020 (seller disclosure statement; current version and the version effective Jan 1, 2027), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.06.020, accessed Oct 29, 2026.

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