Wholesaling Real Estate in King County, Washington
Around Seattle and the Eastside, wholesalers earn on King County houses they never close on, repair, or rent. The work is finding a property in rough shape, signing a purchase agreement with an owner who needs out, and handing that agreement to a cash investor for a fee.
Most King County foreclosures are trustee sales that skip the courtroom, and Washington requires a recorded notice of sale months ahead, so a wholesaler who calls owners early can lock up a better contract.
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King County, Washington housing market at a glance
Market data: Realtor.com King County housing market, October 2026. Zillow Home Value Index for King County: $835,385 (down 2% from a year earlier), August 2026. View homes on Zillow.
What makes King County worth wholesaling?
In the Seattle area, a signed purchase agreement and an earnest money deposit let you control a property without a mortgage. Your end investor pays for the renovation and handles the contractors, and a clean King County assignment can wrap up within a few weeks.
Algona, Black Diamond, Issaquah, and Mercer Island all sit inside the county's ZIP map, and each one produces estate houses, tired rentals, and owners sliding toward a trustee sale.
A county of more than two million people generates a heavy stream of estate cases, divorce filings, and notices of default. Puget Sound investors who track those records and reach owners first tend to secure the best contracts before anything is listed.
Step by step: a King County wholesale deal
Here is the route a Seattle-area assignment follows, from first contact to your fee:
- Find a distressed property
Pull King County records that point to pressure to sell, such as estate heirs, landlords ready to exit, or owners who have received a notice of default. - Run the numbers
Calculate the after-repair value (ARV) from recent sales nearby, because every number in your offer rests on it. - Sign a purchase contract
Negotiate a price that leaves margin for the end investor and room for your fee. - Find a cash buyer
Bring the signed agreement to a rehabber, landlord, or other cash investor on your Puget Sound list. - Assign the contract
Assign your rights under the agreement to that investor, who pays you for them. - Collect your fee
Get paid at the King County closing, when the sale funds.
Motivated sellers who want to liquidate fast
ForeclosuresDaily.com’s off-market real estate platform covers every major distress signal in King County, cross-referenced with tax rolls and property appraiser records.
Setting a wholesale price in King County
Start every offer with the ARV, the value the house should carry once repaired.
Under the 70% Rule, your investor pays no more than 70% of ARV minus repair costs. Your fee comes out of that figure, which means your contract price has to sit lower still.
Wholesale offer example
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| ARV | $849,000 |
| 70% of ARV − repairs ($68,000) | $526,300 |
| Your assignment fee | − $25,000 |
| Your contract price |
King County ZIP codes for your first search
Begin with these King County ZIP codes, and branch out as your investors tell you where they want to own. Expand any card below to read that ZIP's numbers.
ZIP 98001 · Algona · $695,000 · Negotiate
Market snapshot: Algona (98001)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median listing price | $695,000 ▼ 5.8% |
| Price per sq ft | $310 |
| Days on market | 38 days ▼ 2.5% |
| Median rent | $2,996 ▼ 0.1% |
| Active listings | 131 ▼ 8.6% |
| Gross rent yield | 5.2% |
Algona (98001) logged a Zillow Home Value Index of $621,056 in August 2026, a slight 0.1% dip from a year earlier.
Algona is a city in King County, Washington, and the Seattle metropolitan area, surrounded by the suburbs of Auburn to the north and east, Pacific to the south, and unincorporated King County to the west. Population: 3,290 (2020 census).
Investor note: Algona is its own small city of about 3,290 people, so ask city hall for code, vacancy, and rental records for 98001. Commuters who buy to live here keep resales moving, which helps quick assignments, and probate, pre-foreclosure, and absentee-owner lists are the best route to Algona sellers.
Max offer when the ARV equals the median price: $695,000 × 70% − $56,000 repairs = $430,500 max offer
ZIP 98010 · Black Diamond · $759,475 · Negotiate
Market snapshot: Black Diamond (98010)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median listing price | $759,475 ▼ 5.3% |
| Price per sq ft | $356 |
| Days on market | 59 days ▼ 1.9% |
| Median rent | $3,600 ▲ 1.1% |
| Active listings | 219 ▲ 5.6% |
| Gross rent yield | 5.7% |
Black Diamond's Zillow Home Value Index for 98010 came in at $759,096 as of August 2026, down 3.1% over the year.
Black Diamond is a city in King County, Washington. In 2023, with a 40.6% growth rate, Black Diamond was the fastest growing small city in King County. Population: 4,697 (2020 census).
Investor note: Black Diamond runs its own city government, so request its code, vacancy, and rental lists. Its industrial past left older houses in 98010 that often need updating, which draws rehab buyers.
Max offer when the ARV equals the median price: $759,475 × 70% − $61,000 repairs = $470,633 max offer
ZIP 98027 · Issaquah · $1,165,000 · Negotiate
Market snapshot: Issaquah (98027)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median listing price | $1,165,000 ▼ 4.9% |
| Price per sq ft | $510 |
| Days on market | 47 days ▲ 6.8% |
| Median rent | $3,000 |
| Active listings | 171 ▲ 16.1% |
| Gross rent yield | 3.1% |
Issaquah (98027) showed a Zillow Home Value Index of $1,153,766 in August 2026, 1.4% lower than the prior year.
Issaquah is a city in King County, Washington. Located in a valley and bisected by Interstate 90, the city is bordered by the Sammamish Plateau to the north and the "Issaquah Alps" to the south.
It is home to the headquarters of the multinational retail company Costco Wholesale Corporation. Issaquah is included in the Seattle metropolitan area. Population: 40,051 (2020 census).
Max offer when the ARV equals the median price: $1,165,000 × 70% − $93,000 repairs = $722,500 max offer
ZIP 98040 · Mercer Island · $2,724,000 · Negotiate
Market snapshot: Mercer Island (98040)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median listing price | $2,724,000 ▼ 10.3% |
| Price per sq ft | $825 |
| Days on market | 43 days ▼ 21.6% |
| Median rent | $5,800 ▲ 7.5% |
| Active listings | 115 ▲ 19.6% |
| Gross rent yield | 2.6% |
Mercer Island's 98040 posted a Zillow Home Value Index of $2,258,055 in August 2026, down 0.8% from twelve months before.
Similarly, Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, located on an island of the same name in the southern portion of Lake Washington.
Mercer Island is in the Seattle metropolitan area, connected to the mainland on both sides by bridges carrying Interstate 90 and Link light rail, with the city of Seattle to the west and the city of Bellevue to the east. Population: 25,748 (2020 census).
Investor note: Every Mercer Island home sits near Lake Washington, and waterfront or view lots in 98040 sell at a large premium, so separate those comps and check flood zones before you set ARV on a $2,724,000-median market.
Max offer when the ARV equals the median price: $2,724,000 × 70% − $218,000 repairs = $1,688,800 max offer
ZIP 98055 · Renton · $557,450 · Negotiate
Market snapshot: Renton (98055)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median listing price | $557,450 ▼ 6.3% |
| Price per sq ft | $337 |
| Days on market | 63 days ▲ 40% |
| Median rent | $3,325 ▲ 18.8% |
| Active listings | 78 ▲ 27.3% |
| Gross rent yield | 7.2% |
Renton's Zillow Home Value Index in 98055 stood at $638,160 in August 2026, 2% below a year earlier.
Renton is a city in King County, Washington, and an inner-ring suburb of Seattle. Situated 11 miles southeast of Seattle, Renton straddles the southeast shore of Lake Washington, at the mouth of the Cedar River. The city is currently the 6th most populous municipality in greater Seattle and the 8th most populous city in Washington.
Max offer when the ARV equals the median price: $557,450 × 70% − $45,000 repairs = $345,215 max offer
ZIP 98102 · Seattle · $849,950 · Negotiate
Market snapshot: Seattle (98102)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median listing price | $849,950 ▼ 7.7% |
| Price per sq ft | $636 |
| Days on market | 44 days ▼ 16.4% |
| Median rent | $2,600 ▼ 13% |
| Active listings | 165 ▲ 9.6% |
| Gross rent yield | 3.7% |
The Zillow Home Value Index for 98102 in north Seattle was $745,010 in August 2026, down 2.6% year over year.
Seattle is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Its metropolitan area, with over 4.15 million residents, is the 15th-most populous in the nation.
The city is the county seat of King County, the most populous county in Washington. Its growth rate of 21.1% between 2010 and 2020 made it one of the country's fastest-growing large cities. Population: 784,777. ZIP 98102 covers the northern part of Seattle, about 2 miles from the center of the city.
Investor note: Seattle is the county's biggest market, so 98102 offers plenty of sales and comps to price an offer against an $849,950 median listing price.
Max offer when the ARV equals the median price: $849,950 × 70% − $68,000 repairs = $526,965 max offer
ZIP 98109 · Seattle · $564,500 · Flip & wholesale
Market snapshot: Seattle (98109)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median listing price | $564,500 ▲ 2.7% |
| Price per sq ft | $586 |
| Days on market | 60 days ▲ 11.1% |
| Median rent | $2,354 ▼ 0.7% |
| Active listings | 163 ▲ 5.5% |
| Gross rent yield | 5.0% |
ZIP 98109 recorded a Zillow Home Value Index of $757,125 in August 2026, 2.4% lower than the year before.
ZIP 98109 covers the northern part of Seattle, about 3 miles from the center of the city.
Investor note: 98109 lies about 3 miles from downtown Seattle among older homes and many rentals, so check Seattle rental-registration and code-violation records for tired landlords.
Max offer when the ARV equals the median price: $564,500 × 70% − $45,000 repairs = $350,150 max offer
ZIP 98121 · Seattle · $525,000 · Negotiate
Market snapshot: Seattle (98121)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median listing price | $525,000 ▼ 13.8% |
| Price per sq ft | $662 |
| Days on market | 59 days |
| Median rent | $2,460 ▼ 22.4% |
| Active listings | 171 ▼ 9.6% |
| Gross rent yield | 5.6% |
Central Seattle's 98121 showed a Zillow Home Value Index of $533,258 in August 2026, a 6.1% drop over the year.
ZIP 98121 covers the central part of Seattle.
Max offer when the ARV equals the median price: $525,000 × 70% − $42,000 repairs = $325,500 max offer
ZIP 98146 · Burien · $648,000 · Negotiate
Market snapshot: Burien (98146)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median listing price | $648,000 ▼ 12.7% |
| Price per sq ft | $400 |
| Days on market | 38 days ▼ 17.5% |
| Median rent | $2,250 ▼ 2.2% |
| Active listings | 64 ▲ 12.5% |
| Gross rent yield | 4.2% |
Burien (98146) carried a Zillow Home Value Index of $669,691 for August 2026, down 0.3% from the prior August.
Burien is a suburban city in King County, Washington, located south of Seattle on Puget Sound. Its 2020 census population of 52,066 was a 56.3% increase since incorporation in 1993, making it the 25th most populous city in Washington.
Max offer when the ARV equals the median price: $648,000 × 70% − $52,000 repairs = $401,600 max offer
ZIP 98174 · Seattle · Wholesale
Market snapshot: Seattle (98174)
These cards compute gross rent yield as 12 months of median rent divided by the median listing price, and each max offer sets aside 8% of the median price for repairs.
Finding cash buyers in the Seattle area
Recruit King County buyers before you sign with a seller. Look for investors who pay cash and close fast: rehabbers, landlords, and small builders.
Assigning a purchase agreement in Washington
Wholesaling is regulated differently in each state, and some steps can require disclosures or a license. A Washington real estate attorney should look over your forms before you sign a King County seller.
ForeclosuresDaily off-market opportunities before your competition
King County at a glance
Washington foreclosures are usually nonjudicial. The trustee records a notice of sale at least 90 days before the auction (120 days for most owner-occupied homes), and there is no right to buy the home back after a trustee’s sale. Reaching King County owners early gives a wholesaler time to assign the contract.
What changed recently: Since January 1, 2026 (E2SSB 5686), Washington’s foreclosure mediation program also covers homeowners who fall behind on HOA or condo association assessments, so those owners can meet with the association through a housing counselor or mediator before collection moves forward.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, King County, Washington (2020 to 2024 American Community Survey; population estimate for July 1, 2025) and state foreclosure law summary.
In fact, since 2004, ForeclosuresDaily.com has helped investors, wholesalers, flippers, and agents reach motivated sellers first.
King County wholesaling FAQ
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Get King County wholesale leads today
Off-market owner records for Algona, Black Diamond, Issaquah, Seattle, and the rest of King County, ready to call.