Will October bring real estate relief? Here's what experts say

Inventory is a problem for the Washington real estate scene. According to this month's Northwest Multiple Listing Service report, the total active listings is down more than 10%, with 14 counties having double-digit drops. Only seven counties have more than three months of supply, with four-to-six months generally considered a sign of a "balanced" market.

Just four of the 23 counties covered by the NWMLS area showed a year-over-year increase in the report: Chelan, Grays Harbor, San Juan, and Whatcom.

As experts in the report note in the NWMLS report, depleted inventory has led to rising values for the homes that do hit the market — including Kitsap County, where median prices have surged 14.2% from 12 months ago.