Homes Near Light Rail on the Eastside: Mercer Island to Redmond

Homes near light rail on the Eastside got a lot more interesting in 2026. Since March 28, Sound Transit’s 2 Line has run from Downtown Redmond through Bellevue and Mercer Island across Lake Washington to Seattle, with about a 20-minute ride from Downtown Bellevue to the International District. Most station-area homes are condos and townhomes, which changes how you finance them.

I have spent more than 25 years closing loans around Puget Sound, and I do not sell, I educate. I have watched the Eastside wait for this train for a long time, and I am already seeing buyers ask about living near a station. This guide rides the line from west to east and explains the homes and the financing you will find at each stop. For the countywide picture, start with my King County home loans hub.

A Ride on the 2 Line: How East Link Reached the Eastside

The line opened in three stages. The first segment, between South Bellevue and Redmond Technology Station, opened on April 27, 2024. Marymoor Village and Downtown Redmond followed on May 10, 2025. Then, on March 28, 2026, trains began crossing the I-90 floating bridge, adding Judkins Park in Seattle and Mercer Island, and linking the Eastside to the rest of the light rail network. It is the first light rail line in the world to run on a floating bridge.

Today a commuter can walk out of a Downtown Redmond condo, ride past the Microsoft campus, change nothing, and step off in downtown Seattle. For a lot of Eastside and Seattle workers, that makes a car-light life on the Eastside realistic for the first time.

Eastside Light Rail Stations and the Homes Around Them

Here is the line from west to east, with the kind of housing you will find near each stop.

Station dates are from Sound Transit and its station pages. On the Seattle side of the lake, Judkins Park Station opened the same day as Mercer Island and serves the Central District and Mount Baker area; my Seattle neighborhood guides cover those neighborhoods.

What Homes Near Eastside Light Rail Cost in 2026

Station areas are mostly condos and townhomes, and that is where the prices become reachable. Here are NWMLS condo and single-family medians for January through August 2026 in the map areas the line runs through.

Figures are from the NWMLS King County area report for August 2026. NWMLS areas are larger than station neighborhoods, so treat these as a guide to each part of the line, not the price of a home next to a platform.

What this means for you: a condo near an Eastside station often costs a fraction of a nearby house, and every condo median above sits well under the $1,063,750 conforming loan limit. That opens up conventional, and sometimes FHA or VA, financing in markets where houses are almost always jumbo.

Financing Homes Near Light Rail on the Eastside

Condos. Most station-area homes are condos, and condo financing depends on the building. Since August 3, 2026, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have required a full review for most established condo buildings with more than 10 units, and reserve requirements rise to 15% of the HOA budget for loan applications on or after January 4, 2027. Brand-new buildings near stations also have presale requirements before some loans are available. My condo financing guide explains what to check before you write an offer.

HOA dues. Newer station-area buildings often carry meaningful HOA dues for amenities, elevators, and reserves. Those dues count in your debt-to-income ratio (the share of your income going to monthly debts), so two condos at the same price can lead to different approvals.

Townhomes. Some Eastside townhomes are legally condos and need a project review, while others sit on their own lots and finance like houses. I confirm which one you are looking at early.

Houses. Single-family homes within walking distance of most Eastside stations are well above the conforming limit and usually need a jumbo loan. My Mercer Island guide covers jumbo down payments and reserves in detail.

Is Living Near an Eastside Light Rail Station Right for You?

A station nearby is a real advantage, but it is not the only thing that matters. Here is how I suggest thinking about it:

• Walk it. Time the walk from the front door to the platform, at the hour you would actually commute.
• Check the noise and the trains. Some homes sit close to elevated or at-grade track. Visit at different times of day.
• Think about parking. Many station-area buildings have limited parking, and some charge for it.
• Look at what is planned. Areas like Wilburton, BelRed, and Overlake are still filling in, so the neighborhood around you may change a lot over the next decade.
• Run the full monthly cost. Price, HOA dues, property tax, and insurance together, not price alone.

Whether a station adds value to a specific home depends on the home and the neighborhood, so I do not assume a premium either way. What I do see is buyers choosing station areas because the commute makes a smaller home work for their life.

Tech Commuters and the 2 Line

The line connects several of the region’s biggest employers: the Microsoft campus at Redmond Technology Station, the Bellevue office towers near Bellevue Downtown, and Seattle’s downtown and South Lake Union offices across the lake. If your pay includes restricted stock units (RSUs), they can often count toward qualifying when there is a vesting history and documented future vesting. My guide to RSU income and mortgage approval explains how it works.

Comparing living on the Eastside with living in Seattle now that the train crosses the lake? My Seattle vs Eastside comparison shows what each budget buys, and my Bellevue and Redmond guides go deeper on each city. For prices across the county, see my King County housing market 2026 report.

Frequently Asked Questions: Homes Near Light Rail Eastside

Ready to Talk Through Homes Near Light Rail on the Eastside?

The 2 Line has changed what living on the Eastside can look like, especially for buyers who want a shorter, car-light commute. If a station-area home is on your list, let's connect to talk about your goals and make sure the building and the loan line up.

Keep exploring: King County home loans, Mercer Island, Bellevue, Redmond, condo financing, and Keith Akada, Seattle mortgage broker at Fairway Independent Mortgage.