PIONEER TITLE COMPANY March 2026 Newsletter |
Distributed Monthly to Over 3,000 Real Estate Professionals and Community Members
Catch up on previous editions:
February in Context: NCW vs. the Nation and Washington State
February 2026 told a more nuanced story than January. Across the country, the National Association of REALTORS® reported existing-home sales down 1.4% year-over-year, with the West region down 1.3%. In Washington State, the Northwest MLS reported closed sales down 3% year-over-year. Chelan and Douglas counties came in below both benchmarks on unit sales, with 81 single-family transactions in February 2026 compared to 86 a year earlier — a 5.8% year-over-year decline.
Dollar volume, however, moved the other way: total Chelan/Douglas SFR sales reached $53.76 million in February, up 7.8% from $49.87 million in February 2025. The divergence reflects a market where fewer homes are changing hands, but the homes that do sell are commanding higher prices — including a single Chelan/Manson sale over $10 million that drove a meaningful share of the month's volume.
Rolling 12-Month SFR Dollar Volume by Region
The twelve-month view across our four sub-markets shows the seasonal cycle clearly: combined Chelan/Douglas dollar volume peaked at $119.9 million in June 2025 and has trended lower through fall and winter, settling at $53.8 million in February 2026 — the second consecutive sub-$60M month, on par with January's $55.4 million.
Wenatchee continues to drive most of the regional total, tracking the Chel/Doug line closely at $36.9 million in February. Chelan town saw an unusual spike to $15.3 million on the strength of a single luxury sale, while the Upper Valley has all but flatlined — its February total of $1.3 million is the lowest single-month figure across any of our four sub-markets in the past twelve months.
Chelan/Douglas Counties
February's headline is a tale of two metrics. Unit sales softened year over year — 81 transactions versus 86 in February 2025, a 5.8% decline — while dollar volume climbed to $53.76 million, up 7.8% from $49.87 million a year ago. The mix matters: a single Chelan-area sale over $10 million accounts for a sizable share of the dollar-volume increase, and activity in the $500K–$750K and $1MM–$2MM ranges held up well.
Year-to-date through February, both metrics are positive: 172 transactions ($109.18 million) compared to 157 ($88.55 million) through the same period last year — +9.6% on units and +23.3% on dollar volume.
Cash and financed activity diverged sharply this month. Cash transactions fell to 16 in February 2026 from 29 in February 2025 (-44.8%), while financed transactions rose to 65 from 57 (+14.0%). Lower mortgage rates likely contributed — Freddie Mac's 30-year average sat at 6.05% in February, down from 6.84% a year ago.
Chelan/Douglas February 2026 vs February 2025
|
Feb 2026 Deals |
Feb 2026 $ Amount |
Feb 2025 Deals |
Feb 2025 $ Amount |
Inc/(Dec) Deals |
Inc/(Dec) $ Amount |
% Deals |
% Amount |
Under $250K |
10 |
1,744,300 |
6 |
1,160,296 |
4 |
584,004 |
+66.7% |
+50.3% |
$250K to $500K |
29 |
12,636,700 |
40 |
16,969,277 |
(11) |
(4,332,577) |
-27.5% |
-25.5% |
$500K to $750K |
29 |
17,067,163 |
25 |
15,328,879 |
4 |
1,738,284 |
+16.0% |
+11.3% |
$750K to $1MM |
8 |
6,819,122 |
10 |
8,501,450 |
(2) |
(1,682,328) |
-20.0% |
-19.8% |
$1MM to $2MM |
4 |
5,422,000 |
4 |
5,242,785 |
0 |
179,215 |
+0.0% |
+3.4% |
$2MM to $3MM |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2,666,500 |
(1) |
(2,666,500) |
-100.0% |
-100.0% |
Greater than $3MM |
1 |
10,075,000 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
10,075,000 |
— |
— |
Total Cash |
16 |
6,247,000 |
29 |
19,619,635 |
(13) |
(13,372,635) |
-44.8% |
-68.2% |
Total Financed |
65 |
47,517,285 |
57 |
30,249,552 |
8 |
17,267,733 |
+14.0% |
+57.1% |
Grand Total |
81 |
53,764,285 |
86 |
49,869,187 |
(5) |
3,895,098 |
-5.8% |
+7.8% |
Looking month over month, February pulled back modestly from January's stronger pace. Unit count slipped from 91 to 81 (-11.0%) and dollar volume eased from $55.4M to $53.8M (-3.0%). The compression was concentrated in the entry-level tiers (Under $250K and $250K-$500K), while the upper-middle and luxury ranges actually picked up — the lone Greater-than-$3MM sale this month had no January counterpart.
Chelan/Douglas February 2026 vs January 2026
|
Feb 2026 Deals |
Feb 2026 $ Amount |
Jan 2026 Deals |
Jan 2026 $ Amount |
Inc/(Dec) Deals |
Inc/(Dec) $ Amount |
% Deals |
% Amount |
Under $250K |
10 |
1,744,300 |
3 |
547,500 |
7 |
1,196,800 |
+233.3% |
+218.6% |
$250K to $500K |
29 |
12,636,700 |
38 |
15,684,575 |
(9) |
(3,047,875) |
-23.7% |
-19.4% |
$500K to $750K |
29 |
17,067,163 |
30 |
17,971,856 |
(1) |
(904,693) |
-3.3% |
-5.0% |
$750K to $1MM |
8 |
6,819,122 |
16 |
13,487,852 |
(8) |
(6,668,730) |
-50.0% |
-49.4% |
$1MM to $2MM |
4 |
5,422,000 |
3 |
4,175,000 |
1 |
1,247,000 |
+33.3% |
+29.9% |
$2MM to $3MM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
— |
Greater than $3MM |
1 |
10,075,000 |
1 |
3,553,846 |
0 |
6,521,154 |
+0.0% |
+183.5% |
Total Cash |
16 |
6,247,000 |
26 |
17,999,177 |
(10) |
(11,752,177) |
-38.5% |
-65.3% |
Total Financed |
65 |
47,517,285 |
65 |
37,421,452 |
0 |
10,095,833 |
+0.0% |
+27.0% |
Grand Total |
81 |
53,764,285 |
91 |
55,420,629 |
(10) |
(1,656,344) |
-11.0% |
-3.0% |
Year-to-date through February, Chelan and Douglas counties are running well ahead of last year: 172 transactions versus 157 (+9.6%) and $109.2 million versus $88.5 million (+23.3%). The strongest YTD gains are in the $750K-$1MM range, which has nearly doubled in both unit count and dollar volume, and in the over-$3MM segment, where a sale this February had no counterpart in the first two months of 2025.
Chelan/Douglas February 2026 YTD vs February 2025 YTD
|
2026 YTD Deals |
2026 YTD $ Amount |
2025 YTD Deals |
2025 YTD $ Amount |
Inc/(Dec) Deals |
Inc/(Dec) $ Amount |
% Deals |
% Amount |
Under $250K |
13 |
2,291,800 |
12 |
2,247,296 |
1 |
44,504 |
+8.3% |
+2.0% |
$250K to $500K |
67 |
28,321,275 |
68 |
28,912,830 |
(1) |
(591,555) |
-1.5% |
-2.0% |
$500K to $750K |
59 |
35,039,019 |
52 |
31,565,397 |
7 |
3,473,622 |
+13.5% |
+11.0% |
$750K to $1MM |
24 |
20,306,974 |
17 |
14,382,546 |
7 |
5,924,428 |
+41.2% |
+41.2% |
$1MM to $2MM |
7 |
9,597,000 |
7 |
8,772,785 |
0 |
824,215 |
+0.0% |
+9.4% |
$2MM to $3MM |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2,666,500 |
(1) |
(2,666,500) |
-100.0% |
-100.0% |
Greater than $3MM |
2 |
13,628,846 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
13,628,846 |
— |
— |
Total Cash |
42 |
24,246,177 |
50 |
32,035,256 |
(8) |
(7,789,079) |
-16.0% |
-24.3% |
Total Financed |
130 |
84,938,737 |
107 |
56,512,098 |
23 |
28,426,639 |
+21.5% |
+50.3% |
Grand Total |
172 |
109,184,914 |
157 |
88,547,354 |
15 |
20,637,560 |
+9.6% |
+23.3% |
Other Than Single Family Home Sales
In addition to single-family residential, Chelan and Douglas counties recorded the following non-SFR activity in February 2026:
|
Deals |
$ Amount |
Land |
21 |
7,752,323 |
Condo |
4 |
1,533,000 |
Commercial |
4 |
2,249,388 |
Marina Condo |
0 |
0 |
Time Shares |
1 |
90,000 |
Rimrock |
1 |
12,350 |
Non-SFR Total |
31 |
11,637,061 |
Exploring the Dynamic Wenatchee Market: From Entiat to Malaga, Rock Island to Orondo and West to Cashmere
Wenatchee continued its strong start to 2026, leading the region in February. Unit sales were up 9.5% year over year (69 versus 63) and dollar volume increased 15.8% ($36.87 million versus $31.85 million). The $250K–$500K and $500K–$750K ranges remained the workhorses of the market, with combined activity near 75% of all Wenatchee transactions.
Year-to-date through February, Wenatchee is well ahead of last year on both measures — +25.2% on units and +38.8% on dollar volume. Compared to January, February was essentially flat on unit count (-1.4%) but down 13.9% on dollar volume, a reflection of January having included the region's largest single transaction of the new year.
Wenatchee February 2026 vs February 2025
|
Feb 2026 Deals |
Feb 2026 $ Amount |
Feb 2025 Deals |
Feb 2025 $ Amount |
Inc/(Dec) Deals |
Inc/(Dec) $ Amount |
% Deals |
% Amount |
Under $250K |
7 |
1,144,300 |
5 |
1,005,296 |
2 |
139,004 |
+40.0% |
+13.8% |
$250K to $500K |
27 |
11,807,700 |
33 |
14,149,400 |
(6) |
(2,341,700) |
-18.2% |
-16.5% |
$500K to $750K |
26 |
15,197,263 |
18 |
10,871,429 |
8 |
4,325,834 |
+44.4% |
+39.8% |
$750K to $1MM |
6 |
5,160,122 |
7 |
5,825,900 |
(1) |
(665,778) |
-14.3% |
-11.4% |
$1MM to $2MM |
3 |
3,560,000 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
3,560,000 |
— |
— |
$2MM to $3MM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
— |
Greater than $3MM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
— |
Total Cash |
13 |
5,367,000 |
18 |
8,781,400 |
(5) |
(3,414,400) |
-27.8% |
-38.9% |
Total Financed |
56 |
31,502,385 |
45 |
23,070,625 |
11 |
8,431,760 |
+24.4% |
+36.5% |
Grand Total |
69 |
36,869,385 |
63 |
31,852,025 |
6 |
5,017,360 |
+9.5% |
+15.8% |
Month over month, Wenatchee held unit count nearly flat — 69 transactions versus 70 in January (-1.4%) — but dollar volume softened 13.9% from $42.8M to $36.9M. The pullback came primarily from the upper price tiers: the $750K-$1MM range fell from 13 deals in January to 6 in February, and there was no January counterpart to last month's >$3MM Chelan/Manson sale (which is reported on the Chelan tab, not Wenatchee). The middle of the market — $250K to $750K — remained the steady workhorse.
Wenatchee February 2026 vs January 2026
|
Feb 2026 Deals |
Feb 2026 $ Amount |
Jan 2026 Deals |
Jan 2026 $ Amount |
Inc/(Dec) Deals |
Inc/(Dec) $ Amount |
% Deals |
% Amount |
Under $250K |
7 |
1,144,300 |
2 |
300,000 |
5 |
844,300 |
+250.0% |
+281.4% |
$250K to $500K |
27 |
11,807,700 |
30 |
12,303,030 |
(3) |
(495,330) |
-10.0% |
-4.0% |
$500K to $750K |
26 |
15,197,263 |
22 |
13,183,106 |
4 |
2,014,157 |
+18.2% |
+15.3% |
$750K to $1MM |
6 |
5,160,122 |
13 |
10,867,852 |
(7) |
(5,707,730) |
-53.8% |
-52.5% |
$1MM to $2MM |
3 |
3,560,000 |
2 |
2,625,000 |
1 |
935,000 |
+50.0% |
+35.6% |
$2MM to $3MM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
— |
Greater than $3MM |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3,553,846 |
(1) |
(3,553,846) |
-100.0% |
-100.0% |
Total Cash |
13 |
5,367,000 |
17 |
12,962,632 |
(4) |
(7,595,632) |
-23.5% |
-58.6% |
Total Financed |
56 |
31,502,385 |
53 |
29,870,202 |
3 |
1,632,183 |
+5.7% |
+5.5% |
Grand Total |
69 |
36,869,385 |
70 |
42,832,834 |
(1) |
(5,963,449) |
-1.4% |
-13.9% |
Year-to-date, Wenatchee is the strongest of the four sub-markets: 139 transactions versus 111 a year ago (+25.2%) and $79.7 million versus $57.4 million in dollar volume (+38.8%). Both metrics are running at multi-year highs for the January-February stretch.
Wenatchee February 2026 YTD vs February 2025 YTD
|
2026 YTD Deals |
2026 YTD $ Amount |
2025 YTD Deals |
2025 YTD $ Amount |
Inc/(Dec) Deals |
Inc/(Dec) $ Amount |
% Deals |
% Amount |
Under $250K |
9 |
1,444,300 |
7 |
1,205,296 |
2 |
239,004 |
+28.6% |
+19.8% |
$250K to $500K |
57 |
24,110,730 |
56 |
24,166,953 |
1 |
(56,223) |
+1.8% |
-0.2% |
$500K to $750K |
48 |
28,380,369 |
36 |
21,580,247 |
12 |
6,800,122 |
+33.3% |
+31.5% |
$750K to $1MM |
19 |
16,027,974 |
10 |
8,227,350 |
9 |
7,800,624 |
+90.0% |
+94.8% |
$1MM to $2MM |
5 |
6,185,000 |
2 |
2,230,000 |
3 |
3,955,000 |
+150.0% |
+177.4% |
$2MM to $3MM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
— |
Greater than $3MM |
1 |
3,553,846 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3,553,846 |
— |
— |
Total Cash |
30 |
18,329,632 |
30 |
15,554,521 |
0 |
2,775,111 |
+0.0% |
+17.8% |
Total Financed |
109 |
61,372,587 |
81 |
41,855,325 |
28 |
19,517,262 |
+34.6% |
+46.6% |
Grand Total |
139 |
79,702,219 |
111 |
57,409,846 |
28 |
22,292,373 |
+25.2% |
+38.8% |
The Chelan Market: Encompassing Manson and Stehekin
Chelan, including Manson and Stehekin, posted its strongest February dollar volume in recent memory. Unit sales were up 28.6% (9 transactions versus 7) and dollar volume jumped 145.5% — from $6.22 million to $15.26 million. The increase is driven almost entirely by a single financed sale above $10 million, which by itself exceeded all of February 2025's combined dollar volume in the market.
Year-to-date through February, Chelan town is up 40% on units and 114.2% on dollar volume. Excluding the >$3MM outlier, the underlying market is steady rather than spectacular — but luxury activity in the Chelan/Manson corridor continues to be a meaningful tailwind.
Chelan February 2026 vs February 2025
|
Feb 2026 Deals |
Feb 2026 $ Amount |
Feb 2025 Deals |
Feb 2025 $ Amount |
Inc/(Dec) Deals |
Inc/(Dec) $ Amount |
% Deals |
% Amount |
Under $250K |
3 |
600,000 |
2 |
745,000 |
1 |
(145,000) |
+50.0% |
-19.5% |
$250K to $500K |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
— |
$500K to $750K |
3 |
1,869,900 |
4 |
2,803,950 |
(1) |
(934,050) |
-25.0% |
-33.3% |
$750K to $1MM |
1 |
849,000 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
849,000 |
— |
— |
$1MM to $2MM |
1 |
1,862,000 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1,862,000 |
— |
— |
$2MM to $3MM |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2,666,500 |
(1) |
(2,666,500) |
-100.0% |
-100.0% |
Greater than $3MM |
1 |
10,075,000 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
10,075,000 |
— |
— |
Total Cash |
2 |
400,000 |
4 |
4,776,450 |
(2) |
(4,376,450) |
-50.0% |
-91.6% |
Total Financed |
7 |
14,855,900 |
3 |
1,439,000 |
4 |
13,416,900 |
+133.3% |
+932.4% |
Grand Total |
9 |
15,255,900 |
7 |
6,215,450 |
2 |
9,040,450 |
+28.6% |
+145.5% |
Year-to-date, Chelan town is well ahead of last year on both measures — 21 transactions versus 15 (+40.0%) and $22.1 million versus $10.3 million (+114.2%). Backing out the single >$3MM sale, the underlying market is up modestly on units but roughly flat on dollar volume. The pace of luxury activity in the Chelan/Manson corridor remains the key swing factor.
Chelan February 2026 YTD vs February 2025 YTD
|
2026 YTD Deals |
2026 YTD $ Amount |
2025 YTD Deals |
2025 YTD $ Amount |
Inc/(Dec) Deals |
Inc/(Dec) $ Amount |
% Deals |
% Amount |
Under $250K |
3 |
600,000 |
3 |
965,000 |
0 |
(365,000) |
+0.0% |
-37.8% |
$250K to $500K |
6 |
2,411,545 |
3 |
962,000 |
3 |
1,449,545 |
+100.0% |
+150.7% |
$500K to $750K |
8 |
4,743,650 |
7 |
4,790,450 |
1 |
(46,800) |
+14.3% |
-1.0% |
$750K to $1MM |
1 |
849,000 |
1 |
930,000 |
0 |
(81,000) |
+0.0% |
-8.7% |
$1MM to $2MM |
2 |
3,412,000 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
3,412,000 |
— |
— |
$2MM to $3MM |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2,666,500 |
(1) |
(2,666,500) |
-100.0% |
-100.0% |
Greater than $3MM |
1 |
10,075,000 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
10,075,000 |
— |
— |
Total Cash |
7 |
2,581,545 |
6 |
5,722,950 |
1 |
(3,141,405) |
+16.7% |
-54.9% |
Total Financed |
14 |
19,509,650 |
9 |
4,591,000 |
5 |
14,918,650 |
+55.6% |
+325.0% |
Grand Total |
21 |
22,091,195 |
15 |
10,313,950 |
6 |
11,777,245 |
+40.0% |
+114.2% |
Exploring the Upper Valley Market: Insights from Dryden to Stevens Pass, Including Leavenworth, Lake Wenatchee and Plain
The Upper Valley remained the softest of the four markets in February, and there's no easy way to put it: only two single-family transactions closed in the entire Leavenworth/Lake Wenatchee/Plain corridor, an 83.3% year-over-year drop from February 2025's 12 transactions. Dollar volume fell 87.0% - from $9.95 million to $1.29 million.
The slowdown follows a multi-month softness that began with the Highway 2 closure and weather disruptions late last year. We will continue watching March data for early signs of a thaw or continuation of the trend.
Upper Valley February 2026 vs February 2025
|
Feb 2026 Deals |
Feb 2026 $ Amount |
Feb 2025 Deals |
Feb 2025 $ Amount |
Inc/(Dec) Deals |
Inc/(Dec) $ Amount |
% Deals |
% Amount |
Under $250K |
0 |
0 |
1 |
155,000 |
(1) |
(155,000) |
-100.0% |
-100.0% |
$250K to $500K |
1 |
480,000 |
3 |
1,333,450 |
(2) |
(853,450) |
-66.7% |
-64.0% |
$500K to $750K |
0 |
0 |
1 |
543,500 |
(1) |
(543,500) |
-100.0% |
-100.0% |
$750K to $1MM |
1 |
810,000 |
3 |
2,675,550 |
(2) |
(1,865,550) |
-66.7% |
-69.7% |
$1MM to $2MM |
0 |
0 |
4 |
5,242,785 |
(4) |
(5,242,785) |
-100.0% |
-100.0% |
$2MM to $3MM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
— |
Greater than $3MM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
— |
Total Cash |
1 |
480,000 |
7 |
6,061,785 |
(6) |
(5,581,785) |
-85.7% |
-92.1% |
Total Financed |
1 |
810,000 |
5 |
3,888,500 |
(4) |
(3,078,500) |
-80.0% |
-79.2% |
Grand Total |
2 |
1,290,000 |
12 |
9,950,285 |
(10) |
(8,660,285) |
-83.3% |
-87.0% |
Year-to-date, the Upper Valley remains the regional outlier - 10 transactions versus 24 a year ago (-58.3%) and $6.3 million versus $18.5 million (-65.7%). The pullback is broad-based across price tiers, with the $1MM-$2MM segment notably absent so far in 2026.
Upper Valley February 2026 YTD vs February 2025 YTD
|
2026 YTD Deals |
2026 YTD $ Amount |
2025 YTD Deals |
2025 YTD $ Amount |
Inc/(Dec) Deals |
Inc/(Dec) $ Amount |
% Deals |
% Amount |
Under $250K |
1 |
247,500 |
2 |
342,000 |
(1) |
(94,500) |
-50.0% |
-27.6% |
$250K to $500K |
3 |
1,450,000 |
5 |
2,297,450 |
(2) |
(847,450) |
-40.0% |
-36.9% |
$500K to $750K |
2 |
1,215,000 |
6 |
4,084,700 |
(4) |
(2,869,700) |
-66.7% |
-70.3% |
$750K to $1MM |
4 |
3,430,000 |
6 |
5,225,196 |
(2) |
(1,795,196) |
-33.3% |
-34.4% |
$1MM to $2MM |
0 |
0 |
5 |
6,542,785 |
(5) |
(6,542,785) |
-100.0% |
-100.0% |
$2MM to $3MM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
— |
Greater than $3MM |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
— |
— |
Total Cash |
6 |
3,850,000 |
13 |
10,757,785 |
(7) |
(6,907,785) |
-53.8% |
-64.2% |
Total Financed |
4 |
2,492,500 |
11 |
7,734,346 |
(7) |
(5,241,846) |
-63.6% |
-67.8% |
Grand Total |
10 |
6,342,500 |
24 |
18,492,131 |
(14) |
(12,149,631) |
-58.3% |
-65.7% |
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