Hold Period — Seattle, WA
Average flip hold-period in Seattle, WA, broken out by property type.
Fastest-flip states (shortest avg hold)
Longest-hold states
Property type breakdown — Seattle
Average hold period by property type (sample ≥ 3)
Sorted shortest to longest| # | Property type | Avg hold (yrs) | Avg hold (mo) | Avg gain % | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | single_family | 0.99 | 12.0 | +71.6% | 92 |
| 2 | condo | 1.07 | 13.1 | +76.9% | 4 |
| 3 | Unknown | 1.10 | 13.3 | +80.0% | 328 |
| 4 | townhomes | 1.23 | 15.0 | +46.6% | 6 |
| 5 | condos | 1.40 | 17.1 | +66.5% | 9 |
| 6 | land | 1.47 | 17.9 | +61.9% | 4 |
What hold period tells investors
Short average holds (under 2 years) indicate a liquid market — properties trade often, exit timing is flexible, and capital recycles quickly. Long holds (5+ years) suggest fewer buyers, slower exits, and higher carry-cost risk.
Markets where typical investors hold 3–9 months are dominated by fix-and-flip operators. Markets averaging 5–10 years are dominated by buy-and-hold landlords. Choose the strategy that matches the market — don't fight it.
This metric reflects only properties that resold. True buy-and-hold landlords who never sold during the data window are invisible here. Treat the numbers as a relative ranking across states, not an absolute hold-period truth. Source: public record.