Home flipping in King County
As of September 2026, 245 King County homes were resold within 12 months of a prior sale — a 1.3% flip rate and a median gross price change of +40.3% between the two sales over a median 203-day hold, per public records aggregated by VetTheHome. Gross price change is the difference between the two sale prices — not profit and not an appraised value — and excludes renovation, holding, and transaction costs.
Updated September 2026 · refreshed weekly
Homes resold within 12 months of a prior sale. By city.
Ranked by number of flips, with the count shown for each city so you can weigh it — a city with only a handful of flips is context, not a statistically reliable rate. The King County figure above is the dependable measure.
| # | City | Flips, 12 mo | Median gross price change | Median hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle | 82 | +54.5% | 215 days |
| 2 | Bellevue | 22 | +110.0% | 283 days |
| 3 | Federal Way | 14 | +57.1% | 193 days |
| 4 | Shoreline | 14 | +36.8% | 170 days |
| 5 | Kirkland | 13 | +34.6% | 241 days |
| 6 | Auburn | 11 | +42.1% | 196 days |
| 7 | Kent | 11 | +29.2% | 161 days |
| 8 | Renton | 11 | +36.4% | 183 days |
A flip is an arms-length resale of the same home within 12 months of the prior arms-length sale — the definition ATTOM uses for its national home-flipping report. We screen to genuine market sales using King County’s own transaction codes (warranty-type deeds and a normal sale reason; excluding foreclosures, family and related-party transfers, and other non-market transactions) and sales of at least $10,000. “Gross price change” is the difference between the two sale prices — it is not profit or return on investment: it excludes renovation, holding, and transaction costs, which flippers typically estimate at 20–33% of a home’s after-repair value. These are estimates from public records, not appraisals (RCW 18.140). The King County figure is the reliable measure — ATTOM publishes flip rates only for counties with at least 50 flips, and King County clears that. The per-city counts below are shown with the number of flips so you can weigh them; a city with a handful of flips is context, not a statistically reliable rate.
Sources: King County Recorder / assessor sales-deed records. Compiled and refreshed weekly by VetTheHome. Aggregate covers the 8 King County cities in our dataset; see the full methodology.
What this means for buyers
A home that recently resold within a year is often a flip — cosmetic-rehab work done for a quick resale. That is not inherently bad, but it is a cue to look closely at permit history and the quality of recent work, since fast rehabs sometimes skip permits. County-wide flip activity also signals how competitive a market is for renovate-and-resell buyers.
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About this data
These are aggregate figures compiled from Washington public records for general information — estimates and counts, not appraisals, inspections, or legal advice. The county roll-up covers the cities in our dataset and excludes unincorporated areas; individual parcels are reported at the address level. Public records contain errors — found one? Email corrections@vetthehome.com.