Selling or Buying a Home

Buying a Home in the Greater Seattle Area

If you’re considering buying a home here, it’s important to understand the local housing market and find professionals who will respect and affirm your identity and privacy throughout the process.

Seattle’s housing market is competitive and expensive.
Home prices in Seattle and the surrounding areas remain some of the highest in the country. While interest rates and demand have fluctuated, most buyers will still need significant income, savings, or outside support to qualify. First-time homebuyer programs do exist in Washington, and some cities or counties (including King County) offer down payment assistance — but competition and rapid gentrification make it difficult for lower-income buyers to break in.

The Washington State Housing Finance Commission (WSHFC) has two major programs for first time home buyers: Home Advantage and House Key Opportunity, both of these can be applied to conventional, FHA, VA or USDA loans. See here for more details.

Work With a Queer/Queer-Affirming Realtor to Buy or Sell a House

Having a realtor who understands and respects your gender, family structure, and safety concerns can make the process significantly less stressful. There are a number of local queer and trans realtors, or LGBTQIA+ allied professionals, who are explicitly affirming. If you’re selling a home, it’s also helpful to have someone who understands how to market your home with your safety and privacy in mind — especially if you’re visible in the community.

Where to find LGBTQIA+ friendly realtors:

LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance: A national organization with a directory of LGBTQIA+ affirming agents. You can search by location to find Seattle-based professionals
NAGLREP: The National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals, also with a searchable directory
Ask on Local Facebook groups or queer mutual aid groups (like Seattle Queer Housing Exchange, Seattle Trans and Queer Housing Network. Often members have referrals or can share their experiences with affirming agents
Your Next LGBTQ+ Home: connects queer buyers/sellers to LGBTQ+ agents across the country
If you live in Texas, the Texas Pride Realty Group assists LGBTQ folks with selling their home to flee to a safer state.

Tips for trans buyers and sellers:

Ask your realtor to review how your name and gender are used in legal documents. You have a right to privacy and respect in documentation wherever possible
Consider your safety and comfort in certain neighborhoods. Some parts of King and Snohomish County are more affirming or diverse than others
If you are trying to sell your home at your old location and buy when you move, it might be advantageous to find a realtor for each location and have them work together to best work around your schedule and move constraints